613 Mitzvot Quotes

He would show them that ... that he ... that he was of managerial timber! (pg. 613) ~ Stephen King

Since the birth of modern Orthodox Judaism in 19th-century Germany, a central goal of the movement has been to normalize the observance of traditional Jewish law - to make it possible to follow all 613 biblical commandments assiduously while still participating in the reality of the modern world. ~ Noah Feldman

Brod discovered 613 sadnesses, each perfectly unique, each a singular emotion, no more similar to any other sadness than to anger, ecstasy, guilt, or frustration. Mirror Sadness. Sadness of Domesticated Birds. Sadness of Being Sad in front of One's Parent. Humor Sadness. Sadness of Love Without Release. ~ Jonathan Safran Foer

Keep in mind too, our failures serve to teach us, and usually teach us more than our successes do. What we may perceive as a failure is also an opportunity for someone else to rise to the occasion and perform a mitzvah, or mitzvot. Do not begrudge someone their joyous performance of mitzvot. Sometimes, perhaps even more often then you may think, what we consider our failures were blessings in disguise for ourselves, or others, or everyone. Abraham did not change the world just because he himself changed, and followed his own destiny. He changed the world through his giving others opportunities to rise to their own greatness. ~ Laura Weakley

They shut me up in Prose - / As when a little Girl / They put me in the Closet - / Because they liked me "still" - ~ Emily Dickinson

Clearly the path of mitzvot is a form of meditation. The intention to act impeccably requires complete dedication and unwavering attention. I was also impressed with LUzzato's insistence that mitzvot practice is joyful. ~ Sylvia Boorstein

Religious Jews are protected from serving creditors. One of the 613 mitzvah is not to borrow with interest (Deuteronomy 23:20). Unwise borrowing puts you in a position of servitude (Proverbs 22:7). Much ~ H.W. Charles

Educator Norman Lamm said, In Judaism, there are 613 biblical commandments, and the Talmud says that the chief commandment of all is study. ~ H.W. Charles

Naomi remembered all the times she had decided to daven because she saw someone else with an open siddur, when she had made a bracha before eating because someone else did.... She couldn't imagine how hard it was to do these things on your own. But at the same time, there must be a certain freedom that came with it. You would know that you were doing the mitzvot because you wanted to. ~ Tova Mirvis

Few are those from whom the Grace withdraws, but many are those who withdraw from the Grace.

Sri Aurobindo
Letters on Yoga, p.613 ~ Sri Aurobindo

Adam and Eve lived in a perfect world. Their continued presence in the Garden was contingent on the keeping of only a few commandments, not 613 commandments. Under the best conditions this world has ever seen, Adam and Eve break one of the three laws and die in exile. It is not at all clear how the telling of the story of Adam and Eve's failure to keep only a few commandments in a perfect world is supposed to encourage Israel to keep 613 commandments in a fallen world. Actually, it offers no encouragement, at all. And if we take the principle of ma'asei avot' siman l'banim seriously, Adam's story never was intended to warn Israel from following in Adam's footsteps (i.e., a warning to keep the Law). Rather, Adam's story was intended to be a prophecy that Israel would follow in Adam's footsteps. "Israel, you will be just like Adam. ~ Seth D. Postell