Makkot 24a (כד.) — the Talmud in English

“Torah” -

In gematria

is six hundred and eleven,

which is the number of mitzvot transmitted to the Jewish people by Moses our teacher.

For the two mitzvot,

“I am” and “You shall have no other gods,” were heard by them from the mouth of the Almighty,

as it is written: “God spoke one utterance; I heard two.” That is: “I am,” and “You shall have no other gods.”

Together, they comprise six hundred and thirteen mitzvot.

The mnemonic is D-M-SH-M-K, S-K:

And the Gemara continues to cite the words of Rabbi Simlai:

At first, in the earlier generations, the Jewish people were righteous, and they were able to accept the yoke of many mitzvot. But the later generations were not so righteous, and if they came to observe all of them, no person would merit doing so. Therefore,

David came and based them upon eleven,

so that they would merit reward if they fulfilled these eleven mitzvot, and likewise, with each successive generation they continued to reduce the number, as will be explained below.

And these are the eleven mitzvot upon which David based them:

As it is written:

[Psalms 15]

“A psalm of David. Lord, who may dwell in Your tent; who may abide upon Your holy mountain?

1.

One who walks wholeheartedly,

2.

acts righteously,

3.

and speaks truth in his heart.

4.

He has not slandered with his tongue,

5.

he has done no evil to his fellow,

6.

and has not brought disgrace upon his relative.

7.

He regards the contemptible as despised,

8.

but he honors those who fear the Lord.

9.

He swears to his own detriment and does not retract,

10.

he has not given his money at interest,

11.

and he has not taken a bribe against the innocent.

One who does these things -

shall never falter.”

1.

“One who walks wholeheartedly” -

this is Abraham, as it is written

[Genesis 17]

“Walk before Me and be wholehearted.”

2.

“Acts righteously” -

as, for example, Abba Ḥilkiyahu,

who refrained from greeting the Sages while he was working as a day laborer [Ta’anit 23].

3.

“And speaks truth in his heart” -

as, for example, Rav Safra.

He had one article to sell, and a man came before him while he was reciting the Shema and said to him, "Give me the article for such-and-such money." Rav Safra did not answer because he was in the midst of the Shema, and that man presumed he did not agree to the named sum and increased the offer and said, "Give it to me for this amount."

The incident that occurred with him is brought in She'iltot Vayechi, Sheilta 36. After Rav Safra finished the Shema, he said to him, "Take the article for the first sum you mentioned, for in that sum was my intention to give it to you." D.

"He has no slander on his tongue" -

He had an object to sell, and a person approached him while he was reciting the Shema and said to him: Give me the object for such-and-such an amount of money. Rav Safra did not answer him because he was in the midst of reciting the Shema. The man assumed that Rav Safra did not agree to the amount he had named, so he increased the sum and said: Give it to me for more than that. After Rav Safra completed the recitation of the Shema, he said to him: Take the object for the amount you first offered, because I had intended to give it to you for that amount. 4. “He has not slandered with his tongue” - this is Jacob our forefather,

who initially did not wish to lie when his mother sent him to bring delicacies to Isaac,

as it is written

[there, 27]

“Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall be in his eyes as a deceiver.”

Rather, his mother compelled him at the command of prophecy, as it is stated: “Let your curse be upon me, my son”; and in the Targum: “It was said to me in prophecy that curses should not come upon you, my son.”

5.

“He has done no evil to his fellow” -

he did not encroach upon his fellow’s profession 4.

6.

“And has not brought disgrace upon his relative” -

this is one who draws his relatives close.

He does not tolerate disgrace directed at his relative.

7.

“He regards the contemptible as despised” -

One whom the Almighty despises is regarded as contemptible in the eyes of a person.

This is King Hezekiah, who

regarded his father as contemptible, since his father was despised before the Almighty for worshipping idols, and therefore

he dragged

the

bones of his father in a bed of ropes.

8.

“But he honors those who fear the Lord” -

this is Jehoshaphat, king of Judah. Whenever he saw a Torah scholar, he would rise from his throne, embrace and kiss him, and address him:

“My father, my father,”

, “my rabbi, my rabbi; my master, my master.”

The Gemara in Ketubot 63b explains that all this relates to conduct in private. But in public, a king must act with a strong hand and impose fear. So ruled Rambam in Hilchot Melachim 5:5.

9.

“He swears to his own detriment and does not retract” -

as Rabbi Yohanan did. Rabbi Yohanan said: “I will fast until I return home.”

He would swear this in opposition to the evil inclination, saying it in order to evade the members of the Reish Galuta who had invited him to dine with them [Ta’anit 12].

10.

“He has not given his money at interest” -

even at interest to a gentile.

He does not lend at interest even to a gentile, so that he will not be drawn into lending to a Jew at interest.

11.

“And he has not taken a bribe against the innocent” -

even a bribe that he was permitted to take,

as, for example, Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei.

His tenant farmer, who had a case before him, brought him his own produce before its proper time. Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, did not wish to take the produce from him before its proper time, because he feared that it constituted a bribe, even though strictly speaking it was not a bribe.

And

it is written

concerning one who performs these mitzvot,

“One who does these things shall never falter.”

When Rabban Gamliel reached this verse, he would weep.

He said:

The implication of this verse is that only

one who performs all of them,

who fulfills all these mitzvot,

is he

the one

who will not falter. Ah,

but if he fulfills only

one of them -

he will falter!

They said to him: Is it written, “One who does all these things”?

“One who does these things” is written!

Thus, the meaning of the verse is that

even through

fulfilling

one of them,

the one who does so will not falter.

For if you do not say so,

if we do not interpret it this way, but instead explain the verse to mean that only if one performs all these things will he not falter, then the following difficulty arises:

as it is written

in

another verse

[Leviticus 18:24, in the section concerning forbidden relationships],

“Do not defile yourselves through any of these things.”

But

there too

could we interpret it to mean that only one who transgresses

all of them

is defiled,

so that the prohibition against defiling oneself through forbidden relationships applies only when one transgresses all the prohibitions concerning forbidden relationships, whereas if he defiles himself through only

one of them, he is not

forbidden to become defiled!?

It is obvious that it is impossible to interpret the verse that way!

Rather, is it not

necessarily the interpretation there that even becoming defiled through the prohibition of forbidden relationships

“through any one of these things”

is forbidden. If so,

here too,

we should interpret the phrase “one who does these things shall not falter” to mean that even through

fulfilling

one

of all these things.

The Arukh lener raised a difficulty: for it was said, David set them at eleven, and afterwards Habakkuk set them at one (as will be explained later). If we expound in David's verse that even if he keeps only one of any of these "he shall not be moved," then what is the added statement of Habakkuk? Indeed, why is David's formulation preferable, that in any one of the eleven he might merit? The resolution: indeed in keeping one of these "he shall not be moved," but to "ascend the mount of the Lord and dwell in His holy place" he will attain only by observing them all.

Isaiah came and based them

in his generation

upon six

mitzvot:

And these are the mitzvot:

As it is written:

[Isaiah 33] “

1.

One who walks righteously,

2.

and speaks uprightly;

3.

who despises gain from oppression;

4.

who shakes his hands free of holding a bribe;

5.

who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed;

6.

and shuts his eyes from seeing evil.”

1.

“One who walks righteously” -

this is Abraham our forefather, as it is written

[Genesis 18]

“For I have known him, so that he may command

his children and his household after him, and they will keep the way of the Lord, to perform charity and justice.”

2.

“And speaks uprightly” -

this is one who does not embarrass his fellow in public,

who does not cause him distress even through speech.

3.

“Who despises gain from oppression” -

as, for example, Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha,

who was a kohen. The account is brought in tractate Ketubot [105b]: A man brought him the first shearing. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: Where are you from? He replied: From such-and-such a place. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: Was there no kohen from there to whom you could have given it? He replied: I have a case before you, and I said that, since I was passing by, I would bring it to you. He said to him: You have disqualified me from judging your case, and he did not accept it from him.

He did not wish to take it for himself, although Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha was a kohen, because it appeared as though he were depriving the other kohen, to whom that man was accustomed to give his gifts.

4.

“Who shakes his hands free of holding a bribe” -

as, for example, Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei,

whose tenant farmer brought him his own produce before its proper time, and he did not wish to take the produce from him before its proper time, so that he could remain his judge.

5.

“Who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed” -

one who does not hear an insult directed at a Torah scholar and remain silent.

He does not remain silent when he hears people disparaging a Torah scholar, but responds immediately. The meaning of the verse is that his ear is closed to hearing disparagement of a Torah scholar without responding [which would make him appear to accept and agree with the words]; rather, as soon as he hears, he protests.

As, for example, Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon,

from whose ear a worm emerged after his death. He appeared to his wife in a dream and said to her: This worm emerged from my ear because I heard people disparaging a Torah scholar and did not protest as I should have. This indicates that during his lifetime he was accustomed to be meticulous in this matter, and therefore the Almighty held him accountable for that one occasion on which he did not protest.

6.

“And shuts his eyes from seeing evil” -

as Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba.

For Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said: This is one who does not look

when he walks along the bank of a river

at women

while they are standing doing laundry,

since they need to stand there barefoot and uncover their legs in order to stand in the river.

And it is written

concerning one who performs these mitzvot:

[Isaiah 33]

“He will dwell in the heights

etc.” ”

One who fulfills these six mitzvot, which encompass a large part of the mitzvot of the Torah, “will dwell in the heights”

he merits a lofty status.

Micah came and based them

in his generation

upon three

mitzvot:

And these are the mitzvot:

As it is written:

[Micah 6]

“It has been told to you, man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: only -

1.

to perform justice,

2.

to love kindness,

3.

and to walk humbly with your God.”

1.

“To perform justice” -

this is judgment,

that the court judges cases.

2.

“To love kindness” -

this is acts of kindness.

3.

“And to walk humbly” -

this is taking out the dead and escorting a bride,

as the expression “to walk” is written concerning them: “It is better to go to a house of mourning than to go to a house of feasting” [Ecclesiastes 7]. Even there one must act discreetly: eat with proper restraint, rejoice with proper restraint, and not conduct oneself frivolously.

Some explain that if one needs to give charity for the funeral of a poor person or for bringing a poor bride into marriage, he should do so discreetly and should not tell everyone who does not yet know about it.

"and are these not matters of kal va-chomer"?

Rashi, Sukkah 49b.

And from this we learn: How much more so by means of a kal va-chomer: If with regard to matters

such as bringing a bride into marriage and escorting the dead,

which are not ordinarily performed discreetly,

because others are involved in them and they know who provided the money for the expenses, nevertheless

the Torah said, “and to walk humbly,”

then matters that are ordinarily performed discreetly,

such as charity given secretly to a poor person, about which there is no need to inform anyone,

certainly

should be performed discreetly. This is what Micah said: Everything should be done discreetly.

Isaiah returned and based them

in his generation

upon two.

And these are the mitzvot:

As it is stated

[Isaiah 56]

“So said the Lord -

1.

Observe justice

2.

and perform charity.”

Amos came and based them

in his generation

upon

one

mitzva,

as it is stated

[Amos 5]

“So said the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live.”

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak challenged this: Say

that the meaning of the verse is

“Seek Me through the entire Torah,”

meaning that one must fulfill all the mitzvot of the Torah!?

Rather, Habakkuk came and based them

in his generation

upon

one

mitzva,

as it is stated

[Habakkuk 2]

“But the righteous, through his faith

shall live.”

Ritva explains this is proper faith in God, accepting His unity and sovereignty as in the manner commanded in the Shema, which encompasses the whole Torah; and he who keeps it is regarded as keeping the whole Torah. The Ma'iri wrote: all the mitzvot tend toward one goal, which is the aim that one wise person should guide all his actions by, namely intention to serve Hashem. And so they said "and all your deeds shall be for Heaven." And thus they expounded here concerning all the mitzvot: Habakkuk came and set them upon one, as it is said "and the righteous shall live by his faith."

Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: Moses our teacher issued four decrees upon Israel.

Four prophets came and nullified them.

And these are they:

1.

Moses said

[Deuteronomy 33]

“Israel shall dwell securely, solitary, the eye of Jacob.”

The time when Israel will dwell securely is only when they are righteous like Jacob.

Amos came and nullified it.

As it is stated

[Amos 7]

“Please cease; who can stand for Jacob, for he is small?”

“Please cease” - that blessing which Moses said, “Israel shall dwell”

“Who can stand for Jacob?” - who can be pious like Jacob?

“For he is small” - the good ones are few; may they be righteous like Jacob.

And it is written:

[there]

“The Lord relented concerning this

etc.”

meaning that the Lord relented concerning the blessing with which Moses blessed them.

2.

Moses said

[Deuteronomy 28]

“And among those nations you shall have no repose,”

meaning that the Jewish people would have no rest in exile.

Jeremiah came and nullified it. And he said:

[Jeremiah 31]

“Going to give Israel repose,”

meaning that they would have rest in their exile.

3.

Moses said

[Exodus 34]

“He visits the iniquity of fathers upon children.”

Ezekiel came and nullified it:

[Ezekiel 18]

“The soul that sins—it shall die.”

4.

Moses said [

Leviticus 26]

“And you shall perish among the nations.”

Isaiah came and said: [

Isaiah 27]

“And it shall come to pass on that day, that a great shofar shall be sounded, and those who were lost in the land” and so on.

This teaches that they will not be lost among the nations.

Rav said: I am afraid [

I am afraid]

of this verse [

of what is stated in this verse],

“And you shall perish among the nations,”

as its meaning is that, Heaven forbid, the entire Jewish people will be lost among the nations of the world.

Rav Pappa challenged this: Perhaps

the intent of the verse is that they will be lost

like a lost object that is sought,

and found after some time,

as it is written [

Psalms 119]

“I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant.”

Rather, it is from the end [

of the verse]

that I am afraid, as it is written [Leviticus 26]

“And the land of your enemies shall devour you.”

Mar Zutra challenged this [

and some say Rav Ashi]:

Perhaps

the intent of the verse is

like the eating of cucumbers and gourds,

some of which are eaten and some of which are not eaten.

And it once happened that Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabbi Akiva were walking on the road, and they heard the sound of the crowd of Rome, from a palace [

from a Roman house]

at a distance of

one hundred and twenty mil,

and they began to cry, while Rabbi Akiva

was

laughing [

laughing].

They said to him: Why are you

Rabbi Akiva

laughing?

He said to them: And you, why are you crying?

They said to him: Those gentiles —

who bow to idols and burn incense for idolatry, dwell in security and tranquility. And we —

the house that is the footstool of our God is burned

by fire, and shall we not cry?!