“For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach.” Deuteronomy 30:11

Commandment – From time to time we have spoken about the 613 mitzvot (commandments) found in the Torah.  The actual count might vary a bit but the list complied by Maimonides (in Judaism he is called Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon or Rambam) is the usual place we look to see what these commandments are.  You can see all 613 here.  But for the moment, I only want to emphasize once again these two points:  1. Most of these are commandments you will quite naturally keep as a follower of YHWH, and 2. Only a portion of the remaining commandments actually apply to any given person.  So, don’t be overwhelmed.  Don’t be frustrated.  And don’t treat them as rules.  These are the very aids you need, given by God, for life to become what it was intended to be – a radiant example of living within His care as a beacon to the dark world.  If you want to be a priest in His Kingdom, you will need to live according to His plan.

Here are the first ten:

1.  To know that G-d exists (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:6)

2.  Not to entertain the idea that there is any god but the Eternal (Ex. 20:3)

3.  Not to blaspheme (Ex. 22:27; in Christian texts, Ex. 22:28), the penalty for which is death (Lev. 24:16) (negative).

4.  To hallow G-d’s name (Lev. 22:32)

5.  Not to profane G-d’s name (Lev. 22:32)

6.  To know that G-d is One, a complete Unity (Deut. 6:4)

7.  To love G-d (Deut. 6:5)

8.  To fear Him reverently (Deut. 6:13; 10:20)

9.  Not to put the word of G-d to the test (Deut. 6:16) (negative).

10. To imitate His good and upright ways (Deut. 28:9)

Any problems?  I would think not.  Are these too difficult for us?  Of course not.  We may stumble in practice, but there is nothing here that surprises.  These are absolutely basic to being a follower of the one true God.  Do you feel better already, knowing that you are keeping some of the Torah commandments?  Do you see that classifying these as rules misses the point entirely?  These are instructions about the way the world exists, what actually makes up how the world is put together and how it works.

Now, if this is so obvious in the first ten of the 613, why do we choke on excuses and rationalizations when it comes to the remaining 603?  Aren’t they also God’s instructions about how the world works, how it was put together and what we must do to honor Him with our way of living?  Who gave us the authority to pick and choose which of the 613 apply?  If these ten set the stage, when did we decide that the rest were only temporary?  Who told you that following the instructions about the nature of the universe was legalism?  I would have thought that it was just the smartest thing to do.  If God hands you the roadmap of the universe, what makes you think you can arrive at the destination by drawing your own map and following it?  So, don’t be afraid of the map.  Take a look.  You just might find it does what it was intended to do – teach you God’s ways.

Topical Index: mitzvot, commandments, instructions, Torah, 613, Deuteronomy 30:11