How to Live Your Life According to 613 Laws God Gave at Mt. Sinai
The Commandments
by David Zephaniah
At the meantime, their job was to spread His laws around the world. The duty of every Jew is to overcome the temptation of materialism and idolatry, and to uncover the spark of holiness in the material world around us. God told them that they could accomplish that by following the 613 laws (Yes, 613, not merely ten). It is not a "religion". It is the Way of life that one needs to live by in order to have tranquility and happiness.
For a Jew, observing those laws through all the generations is not an option. It is must! Abandoning God's Covenant carries maximum penalties. All the great disasters that came upon the Jews through the history, is because most of them have abandoned the Covenant with The Maker of heavens and earth. Those disasters included being expelled from the land of Israel twise, Inquisition, pogroms, holocaust, etc.
However, as God promised, through the history there were always smaller percentage of Jews who cringed to the covenant and here we are today.
About the Laws [Commandments]
All the laws of the western civilization are based on those commandments that were given almost 4000 years ago.
Out of the 613 commandments, 248 are positive commandments, as the number of the organs in the human body (yes, Jews knew that humans had 248 organs thousands of years ago). Every time that one fulfills one of those positive commandments, his/her organs rejoice, because the body accomplishes the purpose that it was made for by the maker. A person is rewarded by fulfilling those commandments. However, he/she doesn’t get punished by not fulfilling them.
The remainder 365 commandments are negative commandments, which correspond to the number of days in the years. A person gets punished by braking those commandments.
God created this world based on the system of reward and punishment. However, because His plans are intricate and endure for generations, the rewards and punishments are not always issued in person’s given lifetime. Since God is absolutely just, we are guaranteed that every reward and punishment will be faithfully issued at their prescribed time; that could happen in the current lifetime, in the afterlife, reincarnation, or after the conclusion of this world.
When God instructed us to establish courts of law, He told us that no one will go unpunished. If we fail to apprehend and/or punish the criminal, He will.
I'll give you an example: lets assume that an individual committed a capital crime intentionally, and wasn't punished because lack of witnesses. Let's assume that in the same vicinity, another person committed a capital crime unintentionally and wasn't convicted because lack of witnesses. God will chance them together at the same place. The unintentional murderer will somehow kill the intentional murderer by an accident. This time there will be witnesses. The murderer will die and the unintentional killer will be punished accordingly. No one gets unpunished!
List of commandments
I want to point out that I have omitted some commandments that had to do with the religious rituals that apply during the existence of the Holy Temple, where God’s spirit doweled. The Maker allowed the Romans to destroy the Temple about 2000 years ago, as He promised to Moses that it would happen, if the majority of Jews failed to fulfill the commandments. That's right; Jews already knew their future and world's future, before they entered the land of Israel 3500 years ago. The Jewish Bible has prophecies from the beginning of this world until the end. They are all scientifically and historically 100% accurate. How come that most of the world doesn't know about it? Because they really don't want to know. The whole world is the descendants of die hard pagans. The only thing that changed is that today most of the people worships different "gods" such as, money, greed, material items, power, etc.
If you are not a Jew, you don't have to follow all these commandments. There are 7 Noahide rules for you. However, if you desire to become a good Jew, to be God's holy person and be blessed as well, you can convert.
God promised that at the conclusion of this world, the third Temple will be built. He said that that Temple will stand for eternity. At that time all the ones who don't follow the commandments, will be erased from existence.
The following is the list of commandments:
Contents
The Commandments 1
About the Commandments 1
List of commandments 2
Knowing God: 4
Loving a fellow Jew 5
Learning the Torah 6
Idolatry 6
Respect the human body 9
Rituals and holidays 10
Morality laws 13
Diet laws 16
Personal conduct 18
Respect Gods creations 19
Prohibited fabric 19
Charity laws 19
Agriculture laws 20
Laws of property and money 21
Holy Temple laws 21
Ritual purity laws 22
Property damage laws 23
Criminal laws 24
Humanitarian Laws 26
Employment laws 27
Credit and borrowing laws 27
Court system laws 29
Major Torah laws 32
Rules of war 33
The importance of the commandments 34
Knowing God:
1. To know there is a G-d
2. Not to entertain thoughts of other “gods” besides Him
3. To know that He is one (There is no other deity with Him)
4. To love Him (One should fulfill the commandments out of love)
5. To fear Him (He will always issue punishments for those who brake the negative commandments)
6. To sanctify His Name
7. Not to profane His Name (not to mention it in connection to unholy or abominable things)
8. Not to destroy objects associated with His Name
9. To listen to the prophet speaking in His Name
10. Not to test the prophet unduly
11. To emulate His ways (By following the commandments)
12. To cleave to those who know Him
Loving a fellow Jew
13. To love other Jews
14. To love converts
15. Not to hate fellow Jews
16. To reprove wrongdoers (No political correctness is allowed)
17. Not to embarrass others (Especially in public)
18. Not to oppress the weak
19. Not to gossip about others (The bad gossip destroyed the second Temple)
20. Not to take revenge
21. Not to bear a grudge (Always be able to forgive)
Learning the Torah
22. To learn Torah and teach it
23. To honor those who teach and know Torah
24. Not to inquire into idolatry (AKA: other “religions”)
25. Not to follow the whims of your heart or what your eyes see (major weakness of the mankind)
26. Not to blaspheme
Idolatry
27. Not to worship idols in the manner they are worshiped (All the other man-made “religions” are considered idolatry)
28. Not to bow down to idols (Any statue, icon, etc.)
29. Not to make an idol for yourself
30. Not to make an idol for others (Can’t profit from making idols)
31. Not to make human forms even for decorative purposes (Vanity is the root of evil)
32. Not to turn a city to idolatry
33. To burn a city that has turned to idol worship
34. Not to rebuild it as a city (that was worshipping idols. That place is cursed)
35. Not to derive benefit from it (You got to burn anything that is in it)
36. Not to miss ionize an individual to idol worship
37. Not to love the missionary
38. Not to cease hating the missionary
39. Not to save the missionary (from harm)
40. Not to say anything in his defense
41. Not to refrain from incriminating him
42. Not to prophecy in the name of idolatry
43. Not to listen to a false prophet (who tells you that to deviate from the words of Torah)
44. Not to prophesize falsely in the name of God (Other “religions” do just that)
45. Not to be afraid of killing the false prophet
46. Not to swear in the name of an idol
47. Not to perform Ov (medium)
48. Not to perform Yidoni (magical seer)
49. Not to pass your children through the fire to Molech (an idol religion. Thy were sacrificing children to fire)
50. Not to erect a column in a public place of worship
51. Not to bow down on smooth stone
52. Not to plant a tree in the Temple courtyard
53. To destroy idols and their accessories (of gold, silver, etc.)
54. Not to derive benefit from idols and their accessories
55. Not to derive benefit from ornaments of idols
56. Not to make a covenant with idolaters
57. Not to show favor to them
58. Not to let them dwell in our land (the idol worshippers)
59. Not to imitate them in customs and clothing
60. Not to be superstitious
61. Not to go into a trance to foresee events, etc.
62. Not to engage in astrology
63. Not to mutter incantations
64. Not to attempt to engage the dead in conversation
65. Not to consult the Ov
66. Not to consult the Yidoni
67. Not to perform acts of magic
Respect the human body
68. Men must not shave the hair off the sides of their head
69. Men must not shave their beards with a razor
70. Men must not wear women's clothing
71. Women must not wear men's clothing
72. Not to tattoo the skin
73. Not to tear the skin in mourning
74. Not to make a bald spot in mourning
Rituals and holidays
75. To repent and confess wrongdoings [to God, when you pray]
76. To say the Shema [prayer] twice daily
77. To serve the Almighty with prayer daily (You can only pray to God)
78. The Kohanim [the priestly tribe] must bless the Jewish nation daily
79. To wear Tefillin on the head [Daily]
80. To bind tefillin on the arm [Daily]
81. To put a Mezuzah on each door post [for protection]
82. To write a Sefer [scroll] Torah
83. The king must have a separate Sefer Torah for himself
84. To have Tzitzit on four-cornered garments
85. To bless the Almighty after eating
86. To circumcise all males on the eighth day after their birth
87. To rest on the seventh day [Saturday]
88. Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day
89. The court must not inflict punishment on Shabbat
90. Not to walk more than 2000 cubits [meters] outside the city boundary on Shabbat
92. to rest from prohibited labor on Yom Kippur (Holiday of fasting)
93. Not to do prohibited labor on Yom Kippur
94. To afflict yourself on Yom Kippur [by fasting]
95. Not to eat or drink on Yom Kippur
96. To rest on the first day of Passover (Holiday of Matzah)
97. Not to do prohibited labor on the first day of Passover
98. To rest on the seventh day of Passover
99. Not to do prohibited labor on the seventh day of Passover
100. To rest on Shavuot (Celebration of the Torah giving)
101. Not to do prohibited labor on Shavuot
102. To rest on Rosh Hashanah (New Year)
103. Not to do prohibited labor on Rosh Hashanah
104. To rest on Sukkot (A holiday when we build a hut of temporary construction with a roof-covering of branches and dwell in it for 7 days)
105. Not to do prohibited labor on Sukkot
110. Not to eat Chametz all seven days of Passover
111. Not to eat mixtures containing Chametz (prohibited food) all seven days of Passover
112. Chametz should not be seen in your domain seven days
113. Chametz should not be found in your domain seven days
114. To eat Matzah on the first night of Passover
115. To relate the Exodus from Egypt on that night
116. To hear the Shofar (ram’s horn) on the first day of Tishrei (Rosh Hashanah)
117. To dwell in a Sukkah for the seven days of Sukkot
119. Each man must give a half shekel annually (to Temple)
120. Courts must calculate to determine when a new month begins
121. To afflict and cry out before God in times of catastrophe
Morality laws
122. To marry a wife by the means prescribed in the Torah ("kiddushin")
123. Not to have relations with women not thus married (No promiscuity is allowed)
124. Not to withhold food, clothing, and sexual relations from your wife
125. To have children with one's wife
126. To issue a divorce by means of a Get document
127. A man must not remarry his wife after she has married someone else
131. The court must fine one who seduces a maiden
132. The rapist must marry the maiden (if she chooses)
133. He is not allowed to divorce her [ever]
134. The slanderer must remain married to the wife he slandered
135. He must not divorce her
136. To fulfill the laws of the woman suspected of adultery ("Sotah")
139. Not to have sexual relations with your mother
140. Not to have sexual relations with your father's wife
141. Not to have sexual relations with your sister
142. Not to have sexual relations with your father's wife's daughter (from your father)
143. Not to have sexual relations with your son's daughter
144. Not to have sexual relations with your daughter
145. Not to have sexual relations with your daughter's daughter
146. Not to marry a woman and her daughter
147. Not to marry a woman and her son's daughter
148. Not to marry a with a woman and her daughter's daughter
149. Not to have sexual relations with your father's sister
150. Not to have sexual relations with your mother's sister
151. Not to have sexual relations with your father's brother's wife
152. Not to have sexual relations with your son's wife
153. Not to have sexual relations with your brother's wife
154. Not to have sexual relations with your wife's sister
155. A man must not have sexual relations with a beast
156. A woman must not have sexual relations with a beast
157. Not to have homosexual sexual relations
158. Not to have homosexual relations with your father
159. Not to have homosexual relations with your father's brother
160. Not to have sexual relations with a married woman
161. Not to have sexual relations with a menstrual impure woman
162. Not to marry non-Jews
166. Not to let a Mamzer ("bastard") marry into the Jewish people
168. Not to castrate any male (including animals)
169. The High Priest must not marry a widow
175. Not to make pleasurable (sexual) contact with any forbidden woman
Diet laws
176. To examine the signs of animals to distinguish between Kosher and non-kosher
177. To examine the signs of fowl to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher
178. To examine the signs of fish to distinguish between kosher and non-kosher
180. Not to eat non-kosher animals
181. Not to eat non-kosher fowl
182. Not to eat non-kosher fish
184. Not to eat non-kosher creatures that crawl on land
186. Not to eat worms found in fruit
187. Not to eat creatures that live in water other than fish
188. Not to eat the meat of an animal that died without ritual slaughter
190. Not to eat meat of an animal that was mortally wounded
191. Not to eat a limb torn off a living creature
192. Not to eat blood
193. Not to eat certain fats of kosher animals
194. Not to eat the sinew of the thigh
195. Not to eat meat and milk cooked together
196. Not to cook meat and milk together
200. Not to eat fruit of a tree during its first three years
201. Not to eat diverse seeds planted in a vineyard
203. Not to drink wine poured in service to idols
204. To ritually slaughter an animal before eating it
205. Not to slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day
206. To cover the blood (of a slaughtered beast or fowl) with earth
207. Not to take the mother bird from her children
208. To release the mother bird before taking the children
Personal conduct
209. Not to swear falsely in G-d's Name
210. Not to take G-d's Name in vain
211. Not to deny possession of something entrusted to you
212. Not to swear falsely in denial of a monetary claim
213. To swear in G-d's Name to confirm the truth when deemed necessary by court
214. To fulfill what was uttered and to do what was avowed
215. Not to break oaths or vows
216. For oaths and vows annulled, there are the laws of annulling vows explicit in the Torah
227. To estimate the value of people (when someone pledges a person's worth) as determined by the Torah
Respect Gods creations
234. Not to plant diverse seeds together
235. Not to plant grains or greens in a vineyard
236. Not to crossbreed animals
237. Not to work different animals together
Prohibited fabric
238. Not to wear Shatnez, a cloth woven of wool and linen
Charity laws
239. To leave a corner of the field uncut for the poor
240. Not to reap that corner
241. To leave gleanings for the poor
242. Not to gather the gleanings
243. To leave the gleanings of a vineyard
244. Not to gather the gleanings of a vineyard
245. To leave the unformed clusters of grapes for the poor
246. Not to pick the unformed clusters of grapes
247. To leave the forgotten sheaves in the field for the poor
248. Not to retrieve them
250. To give charity
251. Not to withhold charity from the poor
Agriculture laws
279. To rest the land during the seventh year by not doing any work which enhances growth
280. Not to work the land during the seventh year
281. Not to work with trees to produce fruit during that year
282. Not to reap crops that grow wild that year in the normal manner
283. Not to gather grapes which grow wild that year in the normal way
284. To leave free all produce which grew in that year
Laws of property and money
285. To release all loans during the seventh year
286. Not to pressure or claim from the borrower
294. Carry out the laws of sold family properties
295. Not to sell the land in Israel indefinitely
296. Carry out the laws of houses in walled cities
297. The Tribe of Levi must not be given a portion of the land in Israel, rather they are given cities to dwell in
Holy Temple laws
301. To build a Sanctuary (Holy Temple)
302. Not to build the altar with stones hewn by metal
303. Not to climb steps to the altar
304. To show reverence for the Temple
305. To guard the Temple area
306. Not to leave the Temple unguarded
307. To prepare the anointing oil
308. Not to reproduce the anointing oil (for personal use)
368. Not to withhold payment incurred by any vow
420. To be seen at the Temple on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot
421. To celebrate on these three Festivals (by bringing an offering)
422. To rejoice on these three Festivals
Ritual purity laws
443. Carry out the laws of impurity of the dead (one who touches the corpse, becomes ritually impure)
444. Carry out the procedure of the Red Heifer (For the highest degrees of impurity)
454. Observe the laws of menstrual impurity
455. Observe the laws of impurity caused by childbirth
456. Observe the laws of impurity caused by a woman's running issue
457. Observe the laws of impurity caused by a man's running issue (irregular ejaculation of infected semen)
458. Observe the laws of impurity caused by a dead beast
459. Observe the laws of impurity caused by the eight shratzim (rodents, amphibious creatures, and lizards) [specified in the Torah]
460. Observe the laws of impurity of a seminal emission (regular ejaculation, with normal semen)
461. Observe the laws of impurity concerning liquid and solid foods
462. Every impure person must immerse himself in a Mikvah [ritual organic bath] to become pure
Property damage laws
463. The court must judge the damages incurred by a goring beast [that gored a person. The owner is responsible]
464. The court must judge the damages incurred by an animal eating [one’s animal eating another’s property]
465. The court must judge the damages incurred by a pit (one should not have open pits on his property)
466. The court must judge the damages incurred by fire
467. Not to steal money stealthily
468. The court must implement punitive measures against the thief
469. Each individual must ensure that his scales and weights are accurate
470. Not to commit injustice with scales and weights
471. Not to possess inaccurate scales and weights even if they are not for use (under any circumstances)
472. Not to move a boundary marker to steal someone's property
Criminal laws
473. Not to kidnap
474. Not to rob
475. Not to withhold wages or fail to repay a debt
476. Not to covet and scheme to acquire another's possession
477. Not to desire another's possession
478. Return the robbed object or its value
479. Not to ignore a lost object
480. Return the lost object
481. The court must implement laws against the one who assaults another or damages another's property
482. Not to murder
483. Not to accept monetary restitution to atone for the murderer
484. The court must send the accidental murderer to a city of refuge (which served as a sanctuary to the unintentional murderers)
485. Not to accept monetary restitution instead of being sent to a city of refuge
486. Not to kill the murderer before he stands trial
487. Save someone being pursued even by taking the life of the pursuer
488. Not to pity the pursuer
489. Not to stand idly by if someones life is in danger
490. Designate cities of refuge and prepare routes of access (the accidental murderer can go there, and nobody can touch him/her)
491. Break the neck of a calf by a stream following an unsolved murder (to atone for the murdered)
492. To neither work nor plant that river valley
493. Not to allow pitfalls and obstacles to remain on your property
Humanitarian Laws
494. Make a guard rail around flat roofs [so people don’t fall off)
495. Not to put a stumbling block before a blind man (nor give harmful advice)
496. Help another remove the load from a beast which can no longer carry it
497. Help others load their beast
498. Not to leave others distraught with their burdens (but to help either load or unload)
499. Buy and sell according to Torah law
500. Not to overcharge or underpay for an article (you are allowed only to make a reasonable profit)
501. Not to insult or harm anybody with words
502. Not to cheat a sincere convert monetarily
503. Not to insult or harm a sincere convert with words
Employment laws
517. The courts must carry out the laws of a hired worker and hired guard
518. Pay wages on the day they were earned
519. Not to delay payment of wages past the agreed time
520. The hired worker may eat from the unharnessed crops where he works
521. The worker must not eat while on hired time
522. The worker must not take more than he can eat
523. Not to muzzle an ox while plowing
Credit and borrowing laws
524. The courts must carry out the laws of a borrower
525. The courts must carry out the laws of an unpaid guard
526. Lend to the poor and destitute
527. Not to press them for payment if you know they don't have it
528. Press the idolater for payment
529. The creditor must not forcibly take collateral
530. Return the collateral to the debtor when needed (if a person needs it urgently)
531. Not to delay its return when needed
532. Not to demand collateral from a widow
533. Not to demand as collateral utensils needed for preparing food
534. Not to lend with interest
535. Not to borrow with interest
536. Not to intermediate in an interest loan, guarantee, witness, or write the promissory note
537. Lend to and borrow from idolaters with interest
538. The courts must carry out the laws of the plaintiff, admitter, or denier
539. Carry out the laws of the order of inheritance
Court system laws
540. Appoint judges
541. Not to appoint judges who are not familiar with judicial procedure
542. Decide by majority in case of disagreement
543. [In capital cases] the court must not execute through a majority of one; at least a majority of two is required
544. A judge who presented an acquittal plea must not present an argument for conviction in capital cases
545. The courts must carry out the death penalty of stoning
546. The courts must carry out the death penalty of burning
547. The courts must carry out the death penalty of the sword
548. The courts must carry out the death penalty of strangulation
549. The courts must hang those stoned for blasphemy or idolatry
550. Bury the executed [as well as all deceased] on the day they are killed
551. Not to delay burial overnight
552. The court must not let the sorcerer live
553. The court must give lashes to the wrongdoer
554. The court must not exceed the prescribed number of lashes (maximum is 40)
555. The court must not kill anybody on circumstantial evidence
556. The court must not punish anybody who was forced to do a crime
557. A judge must not pity the murderer or assaulter at the trial
558. A judge must not have mercy on the poor man at the trial
559. A judge must not respect the great man at the trial
560. A judge must not decide unjustly the case of the habitual transgressor
561. A judge must not pervert justice
562. A judge must not pervert a case involving a convert or orphan
563. Judge righteously
564. The judge must not fear a violent man in judgment
565. Judges must not accept bribes
566. Judges must not accept testimony unless both parties are present
567. Not to curse judges
568. Not to curse the head of state or leader of the Sanhedrin
569. Not to curse any upstanding Jew
570. Anybody who knows evidence must testify in court
571. Carefully interrogate the witness
572. A witness must not serve as a judge in capital crimes
573. Not to accept testimony from a lone witness
574. Transgressors must not testify
575. Relatives of the litigants must not testify
576. Not to testify falsely
577. Punish the false witnesses with the same punishment they were seeking for the defendant
578. Act according to the ruling of the Sanhedrin (great panel of 70 high judges)
579. Not to deviate from the word of the Sanhedrin
Major Torah laws
580. Not to add to the Torah commandments or their oral explanations (punishable by death, by men or heaven)
581. Not to diminish from the Torah any commandments, in whole or in part (punishable by death…)
582. Not to curse your father or mother
583. Not to strike your father or mother
584. Respect your father and mother
585. Fear your father and mother
586. Not to be a rebellious son
587. Mourn for relatives
596. Destroy the seven Canaanite nations (who dwelled in land of Israel, before they have entered)
597. Not to let any of them remain alive
598. Wipe out the descendants of Amalek (Amalek is the descendants of people who deny and defy God)
599. Remember what Amalek did to the Jewish people
600. Not to forget Amalek's atrocities and ambush on our journey from Egypt in the desert
601. Not to dwell permanently in Egypt
Rules of war
602. Offer peace terms to the inhabitants of a city while holding siege, and treat them according to the Torah if they accept the terms
604. Not to destroy fruit trees even during the siege
605. Prepare latrines outside the army camps
606. Prepare a shovel for each soldier to dig with
607. Appoint a priest to speak with the soldiers during the war
608. He who has taken a wife, built a new home, or planted a vineyard is given a year to rejoice with his possessions
609. Not to demand from the above any involvement, communal or military
610. Not to panic and retreat during battle
611. Keep the laws of the captive woman (if you take her, you must marry her)
612. Not to sell her into slavery
613. Not to retain her for servitude after having relations with her
The importance of the commandments
There are millions of good Jews today who observe all the above commandments. They have beautiful societies that are free of hardship, poverty, crime, and immorality.
As for the rest of the world population, they were fooled. Someone told them about 2000 years ago that as long as they accepted a pagan Deity, they could abandon observing the commandments.
This is the exact reason why most of the world today is full of hate, depression, crime, cruelty, hardship etc. Nobody can save those people from the “hands” of God, when the test concludes, and the Master of the Universe establishes the new world order.
Comments
Post a Comment