The Book of Commandments: Introduction

The author said: The essence of the existence of those of noble souls and perfect intellects is praise for the manifold blessings and kindnesses of the Creator, which encompass persons of our species.

Among these [blessings] is that He separated us from all other creatures [through] the spiritual form [i.e., the form of the soul]. Then He bestowed on us those virtues through which our superiority is increased over the rest of the terrestrial animals, as His saintly one said: Who teaches us more than the beasts of the earth? (Job 35:11). And among them [i.e., these blessings] is that He showed us the way to [spiritual] wealth and to the attainment of perfection, which is our knowledge of Him by means of the various steps which lead us to Him, as His saintly one said: Know this day and lay it to your heart (Deuteronomy 4:39). And among them is knowledge of the types of His actions, so that we can emulate Him with what is possible, to receive by means of it the benefit of spiritual reward, as His saintly one said: He teaches humans knowledge (Psalms 94:10).

And since this is true, it is incumbent on us to say, before we mention anything of the matters we have come to mention:

Blessed are You, cause of the world, essence of all good, fount of life, source of intellect and truth, foundation of virtues, might, rule, and governance.

O You about whom our speech fails in describing completely Your existence, and the matters and the special actions of Your essence, which require praising You, as the saintly one [David] said: Who can express Your mighty acts (Psalms 106:2).

O You whose manifold kindnesses—through Your providence and perfect governance over our species—precede, in Your goodness, our existence. None of us is capable of achieving perfect knowledge of the general categories of the primacy [of His providence], let alone of the particulars which come about in accordance with the particulars in our condition. We do not have a perfect apprehension, and they [i.e., the particulars] are constantly changing—as the saintly one says: I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalms 139:14).

O You who is reliable in His knowledge, merciful in His creation, who sustains His creatures in accordance with their different species, so that they do not have to be concerned [with survival], as it says: Open Your hand (Psalms 145:16).

O [You] who knows of the existence of every part of creation, including the parts of time and place, in accordance with its various types. The perfections of its parts cannot be apprehended, since we lack completion and perfection, not even one of us [has this], and if one were distinguished in the qualities of his soul, he would nonetheless be lacking that which he does not know, since absolute perfection is reserved for Him who possesses perfection, while the complete and virtuous of us is only so in relation [to others]. Every one of us excels relatively, not absolutely.

It is our purpose in this compilation not to contend with another person or to be prideful against another, but rather to truly and charitably provide a benefit from God, sanctified be His name, in this world and the next, as it says: And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament (Daniel 12:3).

Those who compile books of explanations of the commandments differ in the organization of their works. Some of them set the ten utterances, which are the ten commandments, as primary genera for the rest of the commandments and included each species of commandment under the ten commandments, and this is the best way of compilation. And one of them placed all the commandments which according to him are not dependent on the deliberation of judges and others in one chapter, their number being 200, and he placed what the Torah subjects to the deliberation of judges, in another chapter, and their number is 65, and he assigned a chapter to those for whom the transgressor’s punishment was death—their number being 71—and he assigned a chapter for those for whom the transgressor’s punishment was lashes—this amount being 277.

And some of them assign what the Torah designates negative commandments as positive commandments, and some of them assign what the Torah designates negative commandments as positive commandments, . . . and some of them assign some of the roots as branches and some make the branches roots, and some include some commandments within others and include in the total matters which are not included in them, such as visiting the sick and comforting mourners, and others. As for us, we will follow the ordering of the matter in accordance with one of the best of these [people], because of its correct form but not its specific organization and interpretation. [ . . . ]

With exhaustive examination you will find over a thousand commandments, but those of them which are in excess to the 613, their status is that of branches which extend from the roots, which are the 613, not that they are roots themselves. Among them are the details of the building of the tabernacle, since each of them is encompassed by a single commandment from which branches and laws split off, and similarly the details of the sacrifices and other topics too, as we will mention in their place.