Did you know?

By Rabbi Fabian Werbin

According to our tradition the Torah was given to Moses at Mount Sinai. One of the biggest misunderstandings about this topic is that we think that only the Ten Commandments were given to Moses there. It is true that Moses came back from Mount Sinai with the two tablets with the Ten Commandments, but it is also true that G-d tought Moses all 613 mitzvoth at Mount Sinai, so Moses went down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets, the Ten Commandments, and the knowledge of the 613 mitzvoth.

Among these 613 mitzvot there are many that are related to sacrifices and the worship at the Temple that we cannot fulfill today. Some others are exclusive for the priests (like purity and different garments they had to wear), some others we can only fulfill them with a miniyan (like reading the Torah), some others are exclusive for women (like lighting the candles), and some other have a specific time (like eating matzoth during Pesach).

But there is a group of six mitzvoth that have no limitations, and we all can fulfill them all the time.

These are the six “constant mitzvoth”:

  • Know there is a G-d.
  • Don’t believe in other gods.
  • Believe that G-d is one.
  • Love G-d.
  • Fear G-d.
  • Don’t be misled by your heart and eyes.

This six mitzvoth are explained in the first page of the Shulchan Aruch by the “Chafetz Chayim” in his book Beiur Halacha.