Opus 2022-095: 613

Have you heard about the 613 Commandments?  Most have heard of the Ten but not the expanded version.  I first heard about them a few years ago after I had graduated from college and seminary, pastored full time for 10 years and part time for 7, raised a family and taught school for 20 years.  Now I am hearing about them more and more.

It is a bit of nonsense perpetuated by people who have too much time on their hands.  To be fair the list comes from Jewish scholars studying the Babylonian Talmud.  The idea is almost 2,000 years old.  It is still nonsense.

Let me give you a couple of examples.  I have a list of the first 86.  In one section it is talking about missionaries who try to convert people to idol worship.  Law 37 says, “Not to love the missionary” and 38, “Not to cease hating the missionary.”  Number 47 says “not to perform ov” which is defined as a medium and 64 says, “Not to attempt to contact the dead.”  There is a difference?  Earlier number 13 says “To love Jews” and then 15 says “Not to hate fellow Jews.”

I may be nit picking but I think a lot of this big number is for theatrical effect rather than teaching truth.  I think that most of the 613 are so obvious that if they had been shared with Abraham, who lived long before the law was given, he would have said, “Well, duh.”  Others would make him wonder what you had been smoking.  The law exists.  For the most part it contains serious moral standards, health advice and guidelines for civil society.  We don’t need to add anything that we think will make it sound impossible to live righteous lives.  

Maybe I am the one who has too much time on my hands.

homo unius libri