דרש רבי שמלאי שש מאות ושלש עשרה מצות נאמרו לו למשה שלש מאות וששים וחמש לאוין כמנין ימות החמה ומאתים וארבעים ושמונה עשה כנגד איבריו של אדם אמר רב המנונא מאי קרא (דברים לג, ד) תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה תורה בגימטריא שית מאה וחד סרי הוי אנכי ולא יהיה לך מפי הגבורה שמענום
Rabbi Simlai explained: 613 mitzvot were said to Moses--365 prohibitions, like the number of the days in the solar year, and 248 prescriptions, like the number of parts in a person’s body. Rav Hamnuna said: What verse is this based on? “Moses commanded us Torah as an inheritance [for the congregation of Jacob]” (Deut 33:4). The numerical value of [the Hebrew word] "Torah" is 611 [400 + 6 + 200 + 5 = תורה]; “I am [the Lord your God]” and “You shall have no [other gods]”(Exod 20:2-3) we heard [directly] from the mouth of the Almighty.
David came and established them upon eleven [mitzvot], as it is written: “A Song of David: Lord, who shall reside in your Tent? Who shall dwell on your Holy Mountain? The one who walks without blame, enacts justice, and speaks truth in his heart; who has no slander upon his tongue, does no evil to his neighbor, nor bears shame for one close to him; in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but honors those who revere the Lord; who keeps an oath [even] to his own harm; does not lend his money with interest, nor accepts a bribe against the innocent. The one who does these things shall never be shaken” (Psalms 15).
הולך תמים זה אברהם דכתיב (בראשית יז, א) התהלך לפני והיה תמים
פועל צדק כגון אבא חלקיהו
ודובר אמת בלבבו כגון רב ספרא
"The one who walks without blame":
This is Abraham, as it is written, “Walk before Me and be without blame”(Gen 17:1).
"Enacts justice":
Such as Abba Ḥilkiyahu.
"And speaks truth in his heart":
Such as Rav Safra.
"Such as Abba Ḥilkiyahu":
Who worked as a hired employee and did not stop working even for the time it took to say "shalom"--this is enacting justice.
"Rav Safra":
[You can find this reference] in the Sh'eiltot of Rav Aha (36) and this is the story of Rav Safra: He had something valuable to sell and someone approached him when he was reciting the Shema. The man said, "Let me have this item at such and such a price." Although Rav Safra didn't answer him because he was was reciting the Shema, the man assumed he did not want to let it go for that price and so he increased his offer, saying, "Let me have it for this much more." After Rav Safra finished the Shema he said, "Take the item for the original price you named since I had decided to let you have it for that much."
לא רגל על לשונו זה יעקב אבינו דכתיב (בראשית כז, יב) אולי ימושני אבי והייתי בעיניו כמתעתע
לא עשה לרעהו רעה שלא ירד לאומנות חבירו
וחרפה לא נשא על קרובו זה המקרב את קרוביו
“Who has no slander upon his tongue”:
This is our father Jacob, as it is written, “Perhaps my father will touch me, and I will seem like a deceiver in his eyes” (Gen 27:12).
"Does no evil to his neighbor":
In that he did not infringe upon another’s trade.
"Nor bears shame for one close to him":
This is one who draws those close to him [or, his relatives] close.
"This is one who draws those close to him [or, his relatives] close":
And does not shut them out because he is ashamed of them.
"Nor bears shame for one close to him":
He does not put up with the shaming of one close to him.
"In whose eyes a vile person is despised":
This is King Hezekiah who dragged the bones of his [deceased] father [wicked King Ahaz] in a bed of ropes.
שגיררו במטה של חבלים - גמרא היא. ולא קרא:
"Who dragged him in a bed of ropes":
It's found in the Gemara, not Tanakh.
ואת יראי ה' יכבד זה יהושפט מלך יהודה שבשעה שהיה רואה תלמיד חכם היה עומד מכסאו ומחבקו ומנשקו וקורא לו (אבי אבי) רבי רבי מרי מרי
נשבע להרע ולא ימיר כר' יוחנן דא"ר יוחנן אהא בתענית עד שאבא לביתי
"But honors those who revere the Lord":
This is Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, for when he would see a Torah scholar he would arise from his throne and hug him and kiss him and call to him, 'O my master, my master, O my teacher, my teacher!'
"Who keeps an oath [even] to his own harm":
Such as Rabbi Yoḥanan, for Rabbi Yoḥanan would say: I'm on a fast until I get home.
"For Rabbi Yoḥanan would say":
In the form of a vow when he wanted to avoid eating at someone's house.
"I'm on a fast until I get home":
And he would keep this, even though his original intention was simply so that he wouldn't have to eat there.
כספו לא נתן בנשך אפילו ברבית עובד כוכבים
ושוחד על נקי לא לקח כגון ר' ישמעאל בר' יוסי
"Does not lend his money with interest": Even, with interest, to a non-Jew.
"Nor accepts a bribe against the innocent." Such as Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosi.
כגון ישמעאל ברבי יוסי - שהיה אריסו מביא לו משלו [קודם זמנו] ולא רצה ליקח כדי להיות לו דיין:
"Such as Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosi":
Whose tenant farmer used to bring him something he had, but Rabbi Yishmael did not want to accept it, so that he could act as his judge [if needed].
כתיב עושה אלה לא ימוט לעולם כשהיה ר"ג מגיע למקרא הזה היה בוכה אמר מאן דעביד להו לכולהו הוא דלא ימוט הא חדא מינייהו ימוט
אמרו ליה מי כתיב עושה כל אלה עושה אלה כתיב אפילו בחדא מינייהו דאי לא תימא הכי כתיב קרא אחרינא (ויקרא יח, כד) אל תטמאו בכל אלה התם נמי הנוגע בכל אלה הוא דמטמא בחדא מינייהו לא אלא לאו באחת מכל אלה הכא נמי באחת מכל אלו
[At the end of Psalm 15] it is written, "The one who does these things shall never be shaken." When Rabban Gamliel would reach this verse he would weep, saying: It's the one who does all these things who will never be shaken--so if he does [only] one of them, he will be shaken!
They said to him: Is it written, "The one who does all these things"?! Rather, it is written even about [doing] one of them. For if you do not assume this, another verse is written, "Do not defile yourselves with all these [forbidden sexual relationships]" (Lev 18:24). There too, is it someone who comes into contact with all these [relationships] that becomes impure, but not someone who comes into contact with [only] one of them?! Rather, it must mean even one of all those [defiles]. Here too [in Psalm 15, the blessing applies to doing even] one of all these things.
בא ישעיהו והעמידן על שש דכתיב (ישעיהו לג, טו) הולך צדקות ודובר מישרים מואס בבצע מעשקות נוער כפיו מתמוך בשוחד אוטם אזנו משמוע דמים ועוצם עיניו מראות ברע
[Returning to the question of how many mitzvot or mitzvah principles there are:] Isaiah came and established them upon six, as it is written, "Who walks righteously, and speaks properly; who despises oppressive profit; who shakes free from grasping at bribes; who plugs his ears from hearing of bloodshed, and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil" (Isaiah 33:15).
הולך צדקות זה אברהם אבינו דכתיב (בראשית יח, יט) כי ידעתיו למען אשר יצוה וגו'
ודובר מישרים זה שאינו מקניט פני חבירו ברבים
מואס בבצע מעשקות כגון ר' ישמעאל בן אלישע
"Who walks righteously":
This is our father Abraham, as it is written, “For I have known him so that he will charge [his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord in doing righteousness and justice]" (Gen 18:19).
"And speaks properly":
This is one who does not shame their fellow in public.
"Who despises oppressive profit":
Such as Rabbi Yishmael, son of Elisha.
"Such as Rabbi Yishmael, son of Elisha":
For after he received priestly gifts from anyone, he refused to judge them out of concern about [the influence of] bribes.
"Who shakes free from grasping at bribes": Such as Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosi [as related above in text #14].
אוטם אזנו משמוע דמים דלא שמע בזילותא דצורבא מרבנן ושתיק כגון ר"א ברבי שמעון
ועוצם עיניו מראות ברע כדרבי חייא בר אבא דאמר ר' חייא בר אבא זה שאינו מסתכל בנשים בשעה שעומדות על הכביסה
"Who plugs his ears from hearing of bloodshed":
In that he does not hear the disparagement of a Torah student and remain silent, such as Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon [who did not remain silent at those times].
"And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil”: Like the teaching of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, for Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: This is one who does not watch the women when they are out doing the laundry.
שאינו מסתכל בנשים בשעה שעומדות על הכביסה. פירושו אע''פ שצריך לעבור דרך שם ולית ליה דרכא אחרינא:"
"Does not watch the women when they are out doing laundry":
The meaning is, even though he needs to pass by that way and he has no alternate route.
And it is written [about someone who fulfills these things]: "He shall dwell on high [unscalable cliffs will be his fortress, his bread supplied, his water assured'] (Isaiah 33:16).
Micah came and established them upon three, as it is written, "It has been told to you, O human, what is good, and what the Lord requires from you: Only to act justly, and to love compassion, and to walk humbly with your God" (Micah 6:8).
"To act justly":
This is [following] law [din].
"To love compassion":
This is performing deeds of lovingkindness.
"And to walk humbly with your God":
This is bringing forth the deceased [for burial], and bringing in a bride [to be married].
And don't we have here a kal vachomer teaching? If regarding things that are not usually done humbly [i.e., quietly, without show, in private] the Torah states “to walk humbly" [while doing them], how much the more so regarding things that are usually done humbly [one must "walk humbly" while doing them]!
חזר ישעיהו והעמידן על שתים שנאמר (ישעיהו נו, א) כה אמר ה' שמרו משפט ועשו צדקה
בא עמוס והעמידן על אחת שנאמר (עמוס ה, ד) כה אמר ה' לבית ישראל דרשוני וחיו
מתקיף לה רב נחמן בר יצחק אימא דרשוני בכל התורה כולה
אלא בא חבקוק והעמידן על אחת שנאמר (חבקוק ב, ד) וצדיק באמונתו יחיה
Isaiah returned and established them upon two, as it is stated, "Thus says the Lord: Keep justice and act righteously" (Isaiah 56:1).
Amos came and established them upon one, as it is stated, "Thus says the Lord to the House of Israel: Seek me and live" (Amos 5:4).
Rav Naḥman, son of Yitzḥak objected to this: I could say [this verse means] "seek me" by following the entire Torah.
Rather, Habakkuk came and established them upon one, as it is stated, "But the righteous one shall live through his faithfulness” (Hab 2:4).
הנה עופלה. עתה בא לבאר החזון בדבר מפלת בבל והכרתת זרעו ואמר הנה כל המתחזק ומתגאה אין ישרות בנפשו אשר בו ואפילו צדיק יהיה הוא במה שמאמין בהאל לחשוב שהכל בא ממנו בחפצו ולא יתלה הדבר בזכות עצמו וכח זרועו:
Now he [the prophet] comes to explain the vision concerning the downfall of Babylon and the elimination of its posterity, saying that anyone who is self-serving and boastful has no integrity in the soul within him. And even if one be righteous, this is [judged] insofar as he believes/trusts in God, thinking that everything comes from him according to his will. And the person should not attribute what happens to his own merit or his own power.
בא חבקוק והעמיד׳ על אחת. שהמקיי׳ אות׳ מקיים כל התור׳ והיא האמונה בשם כראוי בקבלת אלהותו וייחודו ועול מלכותו כדרך שנצטוינו בפ׳ ק"ש שכוללת כל התורה והיינו דכתי׳ וצדיק באמונתו יחיה כדרך שנאמר בכל המצות אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם:
"Habakkuk came and established them upon one":
For someone who fulfills it fulfills the entire Torah, and this [one thing] is proper faith in Hashem through the acceptance of God's divinity and unity and sovereignty, just as we are commanded in the recitation of the Shema which includes the entire Torah. And this is the meaning of what is written, "But the righteous one shall live through his faith," just as it is stated, [Keep] all the commandments "which a person shall do and live through them" (Lev 18:5).
אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל, ר' נחמיה אומר כל המקבל עליו מצוה אחת באמנה כדאי הוא שתשרה עליו רוח הקדש שכן מצינו באבותינו שבשכר אמנה שהאמינו אבותינו בה' זכו ושרתה עליהם רוח הקדש ואמרו שירה שנא' ויאמינו בה' ובמשה עבדו ונאמר אז ישיר משה ובני ישראל....
בבעלי אמנה מהו אומר פתחו שערים ויבא גוי צדיק שומר אמונים (ישעיה כו) השער הזה כל בעלי אמונה נכנסין בו וכה"א טוב להודות לה' ולזמר לשמך עליון להגיד בבקר חסדך ואמונתך בלילות עלי עשור ועלי נבל עלי הגיון בכנור כי שמחתני ה' בפעליך במעשה ידיך ארנן (תהלים צב)
מי גרם לנו לבא לידי שמחה זו שכר אמנה שהאמינו אבותינו בעולם הזה שכלו לילה [לפיכך זכינו לעולם הבא שכולו בקר] לכך נאמר להגיד בבקר חסדך ואמונתך בלילות.
וכן יהושפט אומר לעם האמינו בה' אלהיכם ותאמנו האמינו בנביאיו והצליחו (דה"ב כ) וכתיב עיניך הלא לאמונה (ירמיה ה) וכתיב וצדיק באמונתו יחיה (חבקוק ב) וכתיב חדשים לבקרים רבה אמונתך (איכה ג)....
"Then Moses and the Israelites sang":
Rabbi Nechemyah says: Anyone who takes upon themself one mitzvah in faith, they deserve that the holy spirit should rest upon them. And thus we find regarding our ancestors: As a reward for the faith that our ancestors had in Hashem, they merited for the holy spirit to rest upon them and they recited song, as it is stated, "They had faith in the Lord and in Moses his servant" (Exodus 14:31); and it is stated [immediately following], "Then Moses and the Israelites sang" (ibid. 15:1)....
Regarding those who possess faith, what does Scripture say? "Open the gates and let a righteous nation enter, one that keeps faith" (Isaiah 26:2). All who possess faith may enter this gate. And similarly it says, "It is good to thank the Lord, to sing to your name, O Supreme One; to tell of your kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness at night. With the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre! For you have gladdened me by your deeds, O Lord; I rejoice at the work of your hands" (Psalms 92:1-4).
What caused us to reach this kind of joy? The reward of faith which our ancestors had in this world which is all "night" [therefore we merited the world to come which is all "morning"]. Thus it is stated, "To tell of your kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness at night."
And so too Jehoshaphat says to the people, "Have faith in the Lord your God and be secure; have faith in his prophets and succeed!" (II Chron 20:20). And it is written, "[O Lord,] are not your eyes looking for faith?" (Jer 5:3). And it is written, "But the righteous one shall live through his faith" (Hab 2:4). And it is written, "New every morning, great is your faith" (Lam 3:23)....