Daily Rambam (1) The Fourteen Books of the Mishneh Torah – Part 2 (Friday, 26th Shevat)

The Fourteen Books of the Mishneh Torah – Part 2

Book 5 — Sefer Kedushah (The Book of Holiness)

Contains three halachot:

1. Laws of Forbidden Intimate Relations

37 mitzvot total
• 1 positive commandment
• 36 negative commandments

Positive Commandment

1. The High Priest must marry a virgin maiden.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not have intimate relations with your mother.
2. Do not have intimate relations with your father’s wife.
3. Do not have intimate relations with your sister.
4. Do not have intimate relations with your father’s wife’s daughter.
5. Do not have intimate relations with your son’s daughter.
6. Do not have intimate relations with your daughter.
7. Do not have intimate relations with your daughter’s daughter.
8. Do not marry a woman and her daughter.
9. Do not marry a woman and her son’s daughter.
10. Do not marry a woman and her daughter’s daughter.
11. Do not have intimate relations with your father’s sister.
12. Do not have intimate relations with your mother’s sister.
13. Do not have intimate relations with your father’s brother’s wife.
14. Do not have intimate relations with your son’s wife.
15. Do not have intimate relations with your brother’s wife.
16. Do not have intimate relations with your wife’s sister.
17. Do not have intimate relations with an animal.
18. A woman must not have intimate relations with an animal.
19. A man must not have intimate relations with another man.
20. Do not have intimate relations with your father.
21. Do not have intimate relations with your father’s brother.
22. Do not have intimate relations with a married woman.
23. Do not have intimate relations with a woman in the niddah state.
24. Do not marry a gentile.
25. An Ammonite or Moabite male convert may not marry into the Jewish people.
26. Do not prevent third‑generation Egyptian converts from marrying into the Jewish people.
27. Do not prevent third‑generation Edomite converts from marrying into the Jewish people.
28. Do not allow a mamzer to marry into the Jewish people.
29. Do not allow a castrated man to marry into the Jewish people.
30. Do not castrate a male human.
31. Do not castrate a male animal, beast, or bird.
32. The High Priest must not marry a widow.
33. The High Priest must not have relations with a widow even outside marriage.
34. A priest must not marry a divorcee.
35. A priest must not marry an immoral woman (zonah).
36. A priest must not marry a chalalah.
37. A man must not engage in any intimate contact whatsoever with a woman forbidden to him.

1. Laws of Forbidden Foods

28 mitzvot total
• 4 positive commandments
• 24 negative commandments

Positive Commandments

1. Examine the signs distinguishing kosher animals.
2. Examine the signs distinguishing kosher birds.
3. Examine the signs distinguishing kosher fish.
4. Examine the signs distinguishing kosher locusts.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not eat non‑kosher animals.
2. Do not eat non‑kosher birds.
3. Do not eat non‑kosher fish.
4. Do not eat flying insects.
5. Do not eat bugs that breed on land.
6. Do not eat crawling creatures.
7. Do not eat worms that emerge onto the ground.
8. Do not eat water‑swarming creatures.
9. Do not eat carrion.
10. Do not benefit from an ox executed by stoning.
11. Do not eat an animal with a mortal defect (treifah).
12. Do not eat a limb from a living animal.
13. Do not eat blood.
14. Do not eat forbidden fats.
15. Do not eat the sciatic nerve.
16. Do not eat meat cooked with milk.
17. Do not cook meat and milk together.
18. Do not eat bread from new grain before Pesach.
19. Do not eat roasted new grain before Pesach.
20. Do not eat fresh new grain before Pesach.
21. Do not eat orlah.
22. Do not eat produce of mixed planting in a vineyard.
23. Do not eat untithed produce (tevel).
24. Do not drink wine used for idolatrous libations.

III. Laws of Ritual Slaughter

5 mitzvot total
• 3 positive commandments
• 2 negative commandments

Positive Commandments

1. Slaughter properly before eating an animal.
2. Cover the blood of slaughtered wild animals and birds.
3. Send away the mother bird when taking the young.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not slaughter an animal and its offspring on the same day.
2. Do not take a mother bird together with her young.

TOTAL for Sefer Kedushah

70 mitzvot total
• 8 positive commandments
• 62 negative commandments

Book 6 — Sefer Hafla’ah

This book consists of four halachot (sections), and contains 25 mitzvot total
• 10 positive commandments
• 15 negative commandments

1. Laws of Oaths

5 mitzvot total
• 1 positive
• 4 negative

Positive Commandment

1. Swear truthfully in God’s Name when required.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not swear falsely in God’s Name.
2. Do not take God’s Name in vain.
3. Do not deny having received an entrusted object.
4. Do not swear falsely while denying a financial obligation.

1. Laws of Vows

3 mitzvot total
• 2 positive
• 1 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Fulfill one’s vows and verbal commitments.
2. Annul vows and oaths when appropriate, following the Torah’s procedure.

Negative Commandment

1. Do not violate one’s word.

III. Laws of Naziriteship

10 mitzvot total
• 2 positive
• 8 negative

Positive Commandments

1. A Nazirite must let his hair grow.
2. A Nazirite must shave in connection with the required offerings upon completing his vow or becoming impure.

Negative Commandments

1. A Nazirite may not cut his hair.
2. A Nazirite may not drink wine or mixtures containing wine.
3. A Nazirite may not eat fresh grapes.
4. A Nazirite may not eat raisins.
5. A Nazirite may not eat grape seeds.
6. A Nazirite may not eat grape skins.
7. A Nazirite may not enter a place containing a corpse.
8. A Nazirite may not become impure through a corpse.

1. Laws of Endowment Valuations and Devoted Property

7 mitzvot total
• 5 positive
• 2 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Carry out the valuations of people according to Torah standards.
2. Carry out the valuations of animals.
3. Carry out the valuations of houses.
4. Carry out the valuations of fields.
5. Follow the laws governing property dedicated as cherem (devoted property).

Negative Commandments

1. Do not sell property designated as cherem.
2. Do not redeem property designated as cherem.

TOTAL for Sefer Hafla’ah

25 mitzvot
• 10 positive commandments
• 15 negative commandments

Book 7 — Sefer Zera’im (The Book of Agricultural Laws)

This book contains seven halachot (sections) and a total of 67 mitzvot
• 30 positive commandments
• 37 negative commandments

1. Laws of Mixing Forbidden Species

5 mitzvot total — all negative

1. Do not sow different species together.
2. Do not sow grain or vegetables in a vineyard.
3. Do not crossbreed different species of animals.
4. Do not work with two different species of animals together.
5. Do not wear a garment made from a forbidden mixture of fabrics.

1. Laws of the Gifts to the Poor

13 mitzvot total — 7 positive, 6 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Leave the corner of the field (pe’ah) for the poor.
2. Leave the gleanings (leket) for the poor.
3. Leave the incompletely formed grape clusters (olelot) for the poor.
4. Leave individual fallen grapes (peret) for the poor.
5. Leave a forgotten sheaf (shikhechah) for the poor.
6. Separate the tithe for the poor (ma’aser ani).
7. Give charity according to one’s ability.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not gather the corner of the field.
2. Do not gather the gleanings.
3. Do not gather the incompletely formed grape clusters.
4. Do not gather the individual fallen grapes.
5. Do not return to take a forgotten sheaf.
6. Do not harden your heart or withhold assistance from the poor.

III. Laws of Terumah

8 mitzvot total — 2 positive, 6 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Separate the Great Terumah (terumah gedolah).
2. Separate terumat ma’aser (the tithe taken from the Levite’s tithe).

Negative Commandments

1. Do not separate terumah or tithes out of the proper order.
2. A non‑priest must not eat terumah.
3. Even a priest’s tenant or hired worker must not eat terumah.
4. An uncircumcised person must not eat terumah.
5. A priest who is ritually impure must not eat terumah.
6. A chalalah must not eat terumah or other sacred offerings.

1. Laws of Tithes (Ma’aser Rishon)

1 mitzvah total — positive

1. Separate the first tithe each year and give it to the Levites.

1. Laws of the Second Tithe and Fourth‑Year Produce

9 mitzvot total — 3 positive, 6 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Separate the second tithe (ma’aser sheni).
2. Redeem second tithe produce when appropriate.
3. Make the declaration associated with tithes (viduy ma’aser).

Negative Commandments

1. Do not use second tithe proceeds for anything except food, drink, or anointing.
2. Do not eat second tithe while ritually impure.
3. Do not eat second tithe while in mourning.
4. Do not eat second‑tithe rain outside Jerusalem.
5. Do not eat second‑tithe wine outside Jerusalem.
6. Do not eat second‑tithe oil outside Jerusalem.

(Fourth‑year fruit (neta revai) follows the same rules as second tithe.)

1. Laws of First Fruits and Other Gifts to Priests

9 mitzvot total — 8 positive, 1 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Separate the first fruits (bikkurim) and bring them to the Temple.
2. Recite the declaration when bringing bikkurim.
3. Separate challah and give it to a priest.
4. Give the priest the foreleg, jaw, and maw.
5. Give the first shearing of wool.
6. Redeem the firstborn son (pidyon haben).
7. Redeem a firstborn donkey or give a lamb in exchange.
8. Decapitate a firstborn donkey if not redeemed.

Negative Commandment

1. A priest must not eat bikkurim outside Jerusalem.

VII. Laws of the Sabbatical and Jubilee Years

22 mitzvot total — 9 positive, 13 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Let the land rest during the sabbatical year.
2. Renounce ownership of produce during the sabbatical year.
3. Cancel all debts in the sabbatical year.
4. Count cycles of seven years.
5. Sanctify the Jubilee year.
6. Sound the shofar on Yom Kippur of the Jubilee.
7. Return land to its ancestral owners in the Jubilee.
8. Provide for the redemption of land and houses when appropriate.
9. Give Levites cities and surrounding fields.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not perform agricultural work on the land during the sabbatical year.
2. Do not perform agricultural work on trees during the sabbatical year.
3. Do not harvest self‑grown produce in a normal manner during the sabbatical year.
4. Do not pick grapes in a normal manner during the sabbatical year.
5. Do not demand repayment of debts in the sabbatical year.
6. Do not refrain from lending because the sabbatical year is near.
7. Do not work the land during the Jubilee year.
8. Do not harvest self‑grown produce normally in the Jubilee year.
9. Do not pick grapes normally in the Jubilee year.
10. Do not sell land permanently.
11. Do not remove levitical fields from their sacred status.
12. Do not deprive Levites of their rightful land portions.
13. Do not permanently sell the Levite pasture lands.

TOTAL for Sefer Zera’im

67 mitzvot total
• 30 positive commandments
• 37 negative commandments

Book 8 — Sefer Avodah (The Book of the Temple and Its Service)

This book contains nine halachot (sections) and a total of 103 mitzvot
• 47 positive commandments
• 56 negative commandments

1. Laws of God’s Chosen House (Beit HaBechirah)

6 mitzvot total — 3 positive, 3 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Build the Temple.
2. Fear (revere) the Temple.
3. Keep watch around the Temple.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not build the altar with hewn stone.
2. Do not ascend the altar using steps.
3. Do not nullify or interrupt the watch around the Temple.

1. Laws of Temple Utensils and Those Who Serve There

14 mitzvot total — 6 positive, 8 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Make the anointing oil.
2. Carry the Ark on one’s shoulders.
3. Assign Levites to their service.
4. Sanctify the priests for service.
5. Give equal opportunity to all priestly watches on festivals.
6. Priests must wear priestly garments when serving.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not recreate the anointing oil.
2. Do not apply the anointing oil to a non‑authorized person.
3. Do not reproduce the incense formula.
4. Do not offer anything on the Golden Altar except incense.
5. Do not remove the staves from the Ark.
6. A person assigned to one role must not perform another role.
7. Do not tear the High Priest’s cloak.
8. Do not allow the breastplate to separate from the ephod.

III. Laws Governing Entrance to the Temple

15 mitzvot total — 2 positive, 13 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Send away the ritually impure from the Temple.
2. Priests must sanctify their hands and feet before service.

Negative Commandments

1. A drunk person must not enter the Temple.
2. One with overly long hair must not enter the Temple.
3. One with torn garments must not enter the Temple.
4. A priest must not enter the Sanctuary whenever he wishes.
5. A priest must not leave during the service.
6. A ritually impure person must not enter the Temple.
7. Certain categories of impure persons must not enter the Temple Mount.
8. An impure person must not serve in the Temple.
9. A tevul‑yom (partially purified person) must not serve that day.
10. A blemished priest must not enter the Sanctuary or approach the altar.
11. A blemished priest must not serve.
12. A priest with a temporary blemish must not serve.
13. A non‑priest must not serve in the Temple.

1. Laws of Animals Forbidden for Sacrifice

14 mitzvot total — 4 positive, 10 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Offer only unblemished sacrifices.
2. Redeem blemished animals dedicated for sacrifice.
3. Offer an animal only after it is eight days old.
4. Salt all sacrifices.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not dedicate a blemished animal.
2. Do not slaughter a blemished animal.
3. Do not sprinkle its blood.
4. Do not burn its fats.
5. Do not offer animals with temporary blemishes.
6. Do not offer blemished animals from gentiles.
7. Do not inflict a blemish on consecrated animals.
8. Do not offer animals received as a prostitute’s fee or exchanged for a dog.
9. Do not offer sacrifices containing leaven or honey.
10. Do not omit the salt from sacrifices.

1. Laws of the Sacrificial Procedures

23 mitzvot total — 10 positive, 13 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Follow the procedure of the burnt offering.
2. Follow the procedure of the sin offering.
3. Follow the procedure of the guilt offering.
4. Priests must eat the most‑holy sacrifices in the Temple.
5. Follow the procedure of the peace offering.
6. Follow the procedure of meal offerings.
7. Priests must eat the remainder of meal offerings.
8. Bring pledged sacrifices at the first festival.
9. Offer sacrifices only in the Temple.
10. Bring sacrifices from outside Israel to the Temple.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not eat the burnt offering.
2. Do not eat sin offerings whose blood enters the Sanctuary.
3. Do not sever the bird sin offering’s head completely.
4. Do not eat sacrifices of lesser holiness before the blood is sprinkled.
5. Do not put oil on a sinner’s meal offering.
6. Do not put frankincense on it.
7. A priest’s meal offering must not be eaten.
8. Do not bake a meal offering with leaven.
9. Do not delay fulfilling sacrificial vows.
10. Do not slaughter sacrifices outside the Temple courtyard.
11. Do not offer sacrifices outside the Temple courtyard.
12. Do not eat sacred food that became impure.
13. A person who is impure must not eat sacred food.

1. Laws of Daily and Special Offerings

19 mitzvot total — 18 positive, 1 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Offer two lambs daily (tamid).
2. Maintain the altar fire daily.
3. Remove ashes from the altar daily.
4. Offer the daily incense.
5. Light the Menorah daily.
6. The High Priest must bring the daily meal offering (chavitin).
7. Bring the Sabbath musaf offering.
8. Place the showbread weekly.
9. Bring the Rosh Chodesh musaf offering.
10. Bring the Pesach musaf offering.
11. Bring the Omer waving offering.
12. Count seven weeks from the Omer.
13. Bring the Shavuot musaf offering.
14. Bring the two‑loaves offering on Shavuot and its accompanying sacrifices.
15. Bring the Rosh Hashanah musaf offering.
16. Bring the Yom Kippur musaf offering.
17. Bring the Sukkot musaf offering.
18. Bring the Shemini Atzeret musaf offering.

Negative Commandment

1. Do not extinguish the altar fire.

VII. Laws of Disqualified Offerings

8 mitzvot total — 2 positive, 6 negative

Positive Commandments

1. Burn notar (leftover sacrificial meat).
2. Burn sacrifices that become impure.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not eat disqualified sacred food.
2. Do not eat piggul.
3. Do not eat sacred food after its permitted time.
4. Do not eat notar.
5. Do not eat sacred food that became impure.
6. An impure person must not eat sacred foods.

VIII. Laws of the Yom Kippur Service

1 positive commandment

1. Perform the Yom Kippur service as prescribed — including confessions, offerings, and sending the goat to Azazel.

1. Laws of Misuse of Sacred Property (Me’ilah)

3 mitzvot total — 1 positive, 2 negative

Positive Commandment

1. One who misuses sacred property must repay its value plus one‑fifth and offer a guilt offering.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not work with consecrated animals.
2. Do not shear consecrated animals.

TOTAL for Sefer Avodah

103 mitzvot
• 47 positive commandments
• 56 negative commandments

Book 9 — Sefer Korbanot (The Book of Sacrifices)

This book contains six halachot (sections) and a total of 39 mitzvot
• 20 positive commandments
• 19 negative commandments

1. Laws of the Paschal Offering (Korban Pesach)

16 mitzvot total
• 4 positive commandments
• 12 negative commandments

Positive Commandments

1. Slaughter the Pesach offering at its appointed time.
2. Slaughter the second Pesach offering (Pesach Sheni).
3. Eat the Pesach offering with matzah and bitter herbs on the night of the 15th of Nissan.
4. Eat the second Pesach offering on the night of the 15th of Iyar.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not slaughter the Pesach offering while possessing chametz.
2. Do not leave its altar‑portions (fats) overnight.
3. Do not eat the Pesach offering raw or boiled.
4. Do not remove the meat of the Pesach offering from its authorized group.
5. Do not allow an apostate to eat of it.
6. Do not allow a resident alien or hired worker to eat of it.
7. Do not allow an uncircumcised person to eat of it.
8. Do not break a bone of the Pesach offering.
9. Do not break a bone of the second Pesach offering.
10. Do not leave the Pesach offering until morning.
11. Do not leave the second Pesach offering until morning.
12. Do not leave meat from the festival offering of the 14th of Nissan until the morning of the third day.

1. Laws of the Festive Offering (Chagigah)

6 mitzvot total
• 4 positive commandments
• 2 negative commandments

Positive Commandments

1. Appear before God in the Temple (re’iyah).
2. Celebrate with the festival offering on the three pilgrimage festivals.
3. Rejoice on the festivals.
4. Gather the entire nation for Hakhel in the year after the sabbatical year.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not appear before God empty‑handed.
2. Do not abandon the Levi; ensure he rejoices and receives his due portions during the festivals.

III. Laws of Firstborn Animals (Bechorot)

5 mitzvot total
• 2 positive commandments
• 3 negative commandments

Positive Commandments

1. Set aside firstborn animals as sacrifices.
2. Tithe animals each year (ma’aser behemah).

Negative Commandments

1. Do not eat an unblemished firstborn outside Jerusalem.
2. Do not redeem a firstborn animal.
3. Do not redeem the tithe of animals.

1. Laws of Offerings for Unintentional Transgressions

5 positive commandments

1. Bring a fixed sin offering when one unintentionally violates certain laws.
2. Bring a conditional guilt offering when unsure whether a transgression occurred.
3. Bring a definite guilt offering for specific sins requiring it.
4. Bring an adjustable offering according to one’s means (animal, birds, or flour), for certain sins.
5. The Sanhedrin must bring a special offering if they issue a mistaken ruling on major Torah matters.

1. Laws of Offerings from Those Whose Atonement Is Incomplete

4 positive commandments

1. A zavah must bring her offering upon purification.
2. A woman who gave birth must bring her offering upon purification.
3. A zav must bring his offering upon purification.
4. A metzora must bring his offering upon purification.

After these offerings, their purification is fully completed.

1. Laws of Substituted Offerings (Temurah)

3 mitzvot total — 1 positive, 2 negative

Positive Commandment

1. An animal substituted for a consecrated one becomes consecrated.

Negative Commandments

1. Do not substitute another animal in place of a consecrated one.
2. Do not change consecrated animals from one type of holiness to another.

TOTAL for Sefer Korbanot

39 mitzvot
• 20 positive commandments
• 19 negative commandments