{"id":80893,"date":"2020-10-04T16:03:34","date_gmt":"2020-10-04T13:03:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=80893"},"modified":"2020-10-04T16:03:34","modified_gmt":"2020-10-04T13:03:34","slug":"the-essence-of-torah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-essence-of-torah\/","title":{"rendered":"The Essence of Torah"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\"><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"80893","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":34243,"related_cahpter":"582","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"From 613 down to 11...\r\n\r\n","content":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Talmud situates our psalm in the context of a discussion regarding the number of Torah commandments (Makkot 23 b, ff.). After stipulating their number as 613, it begins to argue for the drastic reduction of that number, stating: \u201cDavid came and set them at eleven,\u201d citing the balance of our psalm and identifying each of these characteristics with a biblical or talmudic personality, or with a particular moral attribute. We may rightly presume that the Talmud is not trying to eliminate mitzvot but to point to a larger purpose that their observance achieves; namely, the perfection of one\u2019s ethical and moral character:<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He who lives without blame (Abraham), who does what is right (Abba Hilkiyahu), and in his heart acknowledges the truth (R. Safra); whose tongue is not given to evil (Jacob); who has never done harm to his fellow (\u201che who does not set up in opposition to his fellow craftsman\u201d), or borne reproach toward his neighbor (\u201che who befriends his near ones\u201d); for whom a contemptible man is abhorrent (King Hezekiah), but who honors those who fear the Lord (King Jehoshaphat); who stands by his oath even to his hurt (R. Yohanan); who has never lent money at interest\u00a0 (\u201cnot even from a heathen\u201d), or accepted a bribe against the innocent (R. Yishmael ben Yosi).<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From eleven, the number is reduced to six (courtesy of Isaiah), three (Micah), two (again Isaiah), and, eventually: \u201cHabakkuk came and based them all on one principle: \u2018The righteous shall live by his faith\u2019\u201d (2:4).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To illustrate the quest for moral perfection, let us take an example from our psalm: the Talmud\u2019s identification of one \u201cwho has never lent money at interest\u201d (v.5) as: \u201cnot even from a heathen.\u201d If one merely refrained from taking interest from a fellow Jew, one would be observing a Torah commandment, which is certainly commendable, but no more so than the observance of other mitzvot. However, if one refrained from taking interest from a heathen\u2014which the Torah permits (Deut. 23:21)\u2014one is worthy of special acclaim for exceeding the Torah\u2019s minimum requirements.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":80895,"id":80895,"title":"ps15-shalt not","filename":"ps15-shalt-not.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/ps15-shalt-not.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-essence-of-torah\/ps15-shalt-not\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ps15-shalt-not","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":80893,"date":"2020-10-04 13:01:41","modified":"2020-10-04 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