שחורות כעורב במי אתה מוצאן במי
and the washing of the hands a bath kol<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');"><sup>26</sup></span> issued and proclaimed: My son, if thy heart be wise, my heart will be glad, even mine;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXIII, 15.');"><sup>27</sup></span> and, furthermore, it is said in Scripture: My son, be wise, and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that taunteth me.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XXVII, II.');"><sup>28</sup></span> Raba made the following exposition: What [are the allusions] in the Scriptural text: Come, my beloved, let us go forth into the field; let us lodge in the villages, let its get up early to the vineyards; let us see whet the vine hath budded, whether the vine-blossom be opened and the pomegranates be in flower; there will I give thee my love?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. VII, 12f. ohrpfc');"><sup>29</sup></span> 'Come, my beloved, let its go forth in to the field'; the congregation of Israel spoke before the Holy One, blessed be He: Lord of the universe, do not judge me as [thou wouldst] those who reside in large towns who indulge in robbery, in adultery, and in vain and false oaths; 'let us go forth into the field', come, and I will show Thee scholars who study the Torah in poverty; 'let us lodge in the villages' read not, 'in the villages'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . ohrpufc ohrpuf ohrpf');"><sup>30</sup></span> but 'among the disbelievers',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' . is of the same rt. as .');"><sup>31</sup></span> come and I will show Thee those upon whom Thou hast bestowed much bounty and they disbelieve in Thee; 'let us get up early in the vineyards' is an allusion to the synagogues and schoolhouses; 'let us see whether the vine hath budded' is an allusion to the students of Scripture; 'whether the vine-blossom be opened' alludes to the students of the Mishnah; 'and the pomegranates be in flower' alludes to the students of the Gemara; 'there will I give thee my love', I will show Thee my glory and my greatness, the praise of my sons and my daughters. R'Hamnuna said: What [are the allusions in what was written in Scripture: And he spoke three thousand proverbs; and his songs were a thousand and five?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Kings V, 12.');"><sup>32</sup></span> This teaches that Solomon uttered three thousand proverbs for every single word of the Torah and one thousand and five reasons for every single word of the Scribes. Raba made this exposition: What [are the implications of] what was written in Scripture: And besides that Koheleth was wise, he also taught the people knowledge; yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eccl. XII, 9.');"><sup>33</sup></span> 'He [also] taught the people knowledge implies that he taught it with notes of accentuation and illustrated it by simile;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Jast.');"><sup>34</sup></span> 'Yea, he pondered, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs' [alludes to the fact], said Ulla in the name of R'Eleazar,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So MS.M. Cur. edd. Eliezer.');"><sup>35</sup></span> that the Torah was at first like a basket which had no handles, and when<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'until'. ohbzt izt izt izt');"><sup>36</sup></span> Solomon came he affixed handles<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' sing. , 'ear' or 'handle'. The Heb. for 'he pondered' is regarded as a denominative of 'he made handles', i.e., added restrictions. Cf. Yeb., Sonc. ed., p. 123, n. 13.');"><sup>37</sup></span> to it. His locks are curled.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. V, 11. uh,umuue .ue ohk,k,');"><sup>38</sup></span> This, said R'Hisda in the name of Mar 'Ukba, teaches that it is possible to pile up mounds of expositions on every single stroke [of the letters of the Torah];<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word for 'his locks', , is regarded as coming from the same rt. as that of 'stroke' (lit., 'thorn') and that of 'curled', k, ohk,k, as being identical with that of 'mound' , and the reduplication. is rendered, 'many mounds or piles'.');"><sup>39</sup></span> and black as a raven:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cant. V, 11. uh,umuue .ue ohk,k,');"><sup>38</sup></span> With whom do you find these? With him
Sefer HaMitzvot
You should know that it is not [truly] appropriate to bring up this topic to explain it. For since the words of the Talmud (Makkot 23b) are, "There were 613 commandments stated to Moshe at Sinai," how can we say about something rabbinic, that it is included in the count. However we have been prompted to it because many erred and counted the Chanukah light and the reading of the Megillah (Scroll of Esther) among the positive commandments. And likewise the hundred blessings each day; comforting the mourners; visiting the sick; burying the dead, clothing the naked; calculating the seasons; and the eighteen days in which we complete [the recitation of] Hallel. You can only stare at someone who hears [the Talmud's] statement, "stated to Moshe at Sinai," and yet counts the recitation of Hallel in which David, peace be upon him, praised God, may He be blessed - that Moshe was commanded about it; or the Chanukah light which the Sages established during the Second Temple; or the reading of the Megillah. I cannot see anyone imagine - or it even coming to his mind - that it was nevertheless stated to Moshe at Sinai that he should command us that when, at the end of our monarchy, such and such happens to us with the Greeks, we will be obligated regarding the Chanukah light. And it appears to me that what led them to this is that we make the blessing [on these commandments], "who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us"; and the Talmud's question (Shabbat 23a) - "And where we commanded?" And they said, "From 'you shall not veer'" (Deuteronomy 17:11). But if they counted them from this, they should count everything rabbinic: For everything that the Sages commanded us to do and everything they prohibited to us [would then have] already commanded by Moshe, peace be upon him, at Sinai when he commanded us to do so. And that is his saying (Deuteronomy 17:11), "According to the law that they instruct you, etc." And he prohibited us from violating anything that [the rabbis] ordained or decreed, by saying, "you shall not veer." But if one counts everything rabbinic within the 613 commandments because it all fits into His, may He be blessed, saying "you shall not veer" - why would he count these in particular and not count others besides them? And just like they counted the Chanukah light and the reading of the Megillah, they should also have counted the washing of the hands and the commandment of eruv. For [we also] recite the blessing, "who has sanctified us with His commandments and commanded us," [on these] - just like we recite the blessings on the reading of the Megillah and the Chanukah light. Yet it is all rabbinic! And in explantion, [the Sages] said (Chullin 106a), "[Washing hands] is a commandment." And they said, "What is the commandment? Abbaye said, 'It is a commandment to listen to the words of the sages.'" This is like what they said about the reading of the Megillah and the Chanukah light, "And where were we commanded? From 'you shall not veer.'" And it is already clear that anything that the Sages and the prophets that arose after our teacher, Moshe ordained is also rabbinic. And in explanation, they said (Eruvin 21b), "At the time that Shlomo ordained [the ordinances of] eruv and of washing hands, a heavenly voice emerged and said (Proverbs 27:11), 'My son, be wise and make My heart glad.'" And they explained in other places that eruv is called rabbinic and washing hands is from the words of the Scribes. Behold that it is clear that everything that they decreed after Moshe is rabbinic. Indeed I am explaining all of this to you so that you not think that since the reading of the Megillah is an ordinance of the prophets, it is considered to be from the Torah. As eruv is rabbinic even though it was ordained by Shlomo and his court. And this was missed by someone besides us - so that they counted clothing the naked, because it is found in Isaiah 58:7, "when you see the naked, you should clothe him." And he did not know that it is included in His, may He be blessed, saying (Deuteronomy 15:8), "enough for his lack that he is lacking." For the content of this command is without a doubt that we feed the hungry, cover the naked, give bedding to one without bedding, give clothing to one without clothing, marry off a single man who does not have the wherewithal to get married and to give a horse to ride upon to one who is habituated to it [but can no longer afford it], as is made famous in the Talmud (Ketubot 67b). For this is all included in His saying, "he is lacking." And the words of the Talmud for them were attached 'to a stammering jargon and an alien tongue.' For otherwise, they would not have counted the reading of the Megillah and that which is similar to it with the commandments that were stated to Moshe on Mount Sinai. And it is stated in the Gemara in Shevuot (Shevuot 39a:10), "And I have only the commandments that were commanded at Mount Sinai. From where do I have commandments that were to be initiated in the future, such as the reading of the Megillah? The verse (Esther 9:27) states, 'they fulfilled and accepted' - they fulfilled what they [already] accepted." And that is that they would believe all of the commandments that the prophets and sages ordained afterwards. But it is a wonder: Why did they count positive rabbinic commandments, as we mentioned, and not also mention negative rabbinic commandments. And just like they counted reading the Megillah, the Chanukah light, the one hundred blessings each day and Hallel among the positive commandments, they should have also counted each and every rabbinic secondary sexual prohibition as a negative Torah commandment! It is as [the Sages] explained it and said (Yevamot 20a), "The secondary sexual prohibitions are from the words of the Scribes." And it has already been explained in the Talmud about the statement of the Mishnah, "the prohibition of a commandment" - referring to secondary sexual prohibitions - saying, "What is the commandment? To listen to the words of the sages." And it should have been lookwise appropriate for them to include the sister of the levirate wife, which is from the words of the Scribes. More generally, if we were to count every positive rabbinic law and every negative rabbinic law, it would add up to many thousands. And that is something clear. But the principle is that anything rabbinic is not counted in the category of the 613 commandments. For this category is completely [comprised of] that which is written in the Torah, such that there is nothing rabbinic in it - as we are explaining. However their counting some things that are rabbinic and leaving out others - according to their choice - is an unacceptable notion, no matter what they say! Behold we have explained this principle and its demonstrations such that there should be no doubt about it at all to anyone.
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