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Seemed like it to me too, but again, many of these are near simple repetition of others, so it tends to seem like we've read this one before too, but no. I've tried to understand why the repetition, and I've not found a good answer, but I did recently read this which is also interesting...
"The 613 commandments include "positive commandments", to perform an act (mitzvot aseh), and "negative commandments", to abstain from certain acts (mitzvot lo taaseh). The negative commandments number 365, which coincides with the number of days in the solar year, and the positive commandments number 248, a number ascribed to the number of bones and main organs in the human body.
Though the number 613 is mentioned in the Talmud, its real significance increased in later medieval rabbinic literature, including many works listing or arranged by the mitzvot. The most famous of these was an enumeration of the 613 commandments by Maimonides.
Many of the mitzvot cannot be observed now, following the destruction of the Second Temple, although they still retain religious significance. According to one standard reckoning, there are 77 positive and 194 negative commandments that can be observed today, of which there are 26 commands that apply only within the Land of Israel. Furthermore, there are some time-related commandments from which women are exempt (examples include shofar, sukkah, lulav, tzitzit and tefillin). Some depend on the special status of a person in Judaism (such as kohanim), while others apply only to men or only to women." /wiki/613_commandments
So it would seem that if we are to believe these commandments came from God, they applied to that day and not so much to later generations. Given their focus on what comes from the vine and such, issues that were more relevant to that day, so it would also seem.
regarding bold above, that is not accurate. it shows a lack of understanding of the role, meaning, and function of the 613 and how they pertain to daily life. they exist in a context, they are applied in a context. when a person does not see, use, acknowledge, and grasp that context, then it leads to skewed distortions.
regarding bold above, that is not accurate. it shows a lack of understanding of the role, meaning, and function of the 613 and how they pertain to daily life. they exist in a context, they are applied in a context. when a person does not see, use, acknowledge, and grasp that context, then it leads to skewed distortions.
Seems you didn't read much of the other information I provided, above what you put in bold, and of course if any of these commandments are considered symbolically rather than literally, then it's quite easy to "grasp" whatever context one chooses. Same as we are all called upon to consider either literally or symbolically in the Bible. Nothing too hard to see, use, acknowledge or grasp about any of that I don't think. I also don't think considering the likes both literally and symbolically leads to "skewed distortions." Leads to better understanding all considered if you ask me...
Literally, all these commandments seem to focus or relate to life at the time. Again as noted by the information I provided above what you captured in bold. Symbolically is another matter of course. A rather subjective matter I might add...
Seems you didn't read much of the other information I provided, above what you put in bold, and of course if any of these commandments are considered symbolically rather than literally, then it's quite easy to "grasp" whatever context one chooses. Same as we are all called upon to consider either literally or symbolically in the Bible. Nothing too hard to see, use, acknowledge or grasp about any of that I don't think. I also don't think considering the likes both literally and symbolically leads to "skewed distortions." Leads to better understanding all considered if you ask me...
Literally, all these commandments seem to focus or relate to life at the time. Again as noted by the information I provided above what you captured in bold. Symbolically is another matter of course. A rather subjective matter I might add...
It is not a "better understanding" to say that the 613 are not relevant today. It does not "lead to better understanding" to hold the view that the 613 "applied to that day and not so much to later generations" "more relevant to that day" "relate to life at that time"
It is not a "better understanding" to say that the 613 are not relevant today. It does not "lead to better understanding" to hold the view that the 613 "applied to that day and not so much to later generations" "more relevant to that day" "relate to life at that time"
Well unless you've got a vineyard, and poor people nearby to pick up the grapes that fall to the ground, and...
Oh never mind. No doubt I have a "better understanding" that it's about that time for me to sign off again before I get too deep into the literal vs symbolic weeds here. I feel I better understand the other information I provided about this anyway. Also that it's time to put on our customary Sunday big breakfast. Here's to a good Sunday for you too. We're getting some badly needed rain here this morning which is nice. Seems the rain gods are happy anyway. That's the important thing...
Well, the thing about such matters is rather simple.
If it suits our needs verbatim, we say - this is god's order and this is how you do it!
If it starts being flaky, not to shake our system of beliefs, we say - oh, it's allegorical, or symbolical, we need to interpret it accordingly to ....... (situation, a religious authority of personal choice, or, as OSHO once said, even based on breakfast one had, as it may skew mental processes)
LM, it is MATTER OF PERSONAL CHOICE. Donno, you reminded me of Don Quixote - fighting wind mills. It's fight of opinions with opinions, utterly pointless.
Well unless you've got a vineyard, and poor people nearby to pick up the grapes that fall to the ground, and...
Oh never mind. No doubt I have a "better understanding" that it's about that time for me to sign off again before I get too deep into the literal vs symbolic weeds here. I feel I better understand the other information I provided about this anyway. Also that it's time to put on our customary Sunday big breakfast. Here's to a good Sunday for you too. We're getting some badly needed rain here this morning which is nice. Seems the rain gods are happy anyway. That's the important thing...
These mitzvot are grouped together. They are "Laws of Gifts to the Poor" and grouped together because that is what they relate to. When a person performs the 613 mitzvot, the person is transformed. It is a path of transformation. Everything within the 613 mitzvot (and everything within the Torah) is an internal map of character development and instructions to grow and develop in that regard.
that is an example of context. instead of a superficial assessment as irrelevant, repetitive, does not apply today. for example on the surface "give stuff to the poor." an understanding in context is that these actions are not simply to help the poor, but to break our own selfishness. That is in example of how we are transformed. In that context, and for this example, we then see the importance and greater effectiveness of say giving donations on a daily basis, then one lump sum for the whole year. That is an example.
Laws of Gifts to the Poor
239 To leave a corner of the field uncut for the poor Lev. 19:10
240 Not to reap that corner Lev. 19:9
241 To leave gleanings Lev. 19:9
242 Not to gather the gleanings Lev. 19:9
243 To leave the gleanings of a vineyard Lev. 19:10
244 Not to gather the gleanings of a vineyard Lev. 19:10
245 To leave the unformed clusters of grapes Lev. 19:10
246 Not to pick the unformed clusters of grapes Lev. 19:10
247 To leave the forgotten sheaves in the field Deut. 24:19
248 Not to retrieve them Deut. 24:19
249 To separate the tithe for the poor Deut. 14:28
250 To give charity Deut. 15:8
251 Not to withhold charity from the poor Deut. 15:7
252 To set aside Trumah Gedolah (tithe for the Kohen) Deut. 18:4
253 The Levite must set aside a tenth of his tithe Num. 18:26
254 Not to preface one tithe to the next, but separate them in
their proper order Ex. 22:28
255 A non-Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:10
256 A hired worker or a Jewish bondsman of a Kohen must
not eat Trumah Lev. 22:10
257 An uncircumcised Kohen must not eat Trumah Ex.12:48
258 An impure Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:4
259 A chalalah must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:12
How are those "gifts to the poor"? Kohens and Levites are chosen Jewish elite to serve moshiah when he returns, in the temple.
252 To set aside Trumah Gedolah (tithe for the Kohen) Deut. 18:4
253 The Levite must set aside a tenth of his tithe Num. 18:26
254 Not to preface one tithe to the next, but separate them in
their proper order Ex. 22:28
255 A non-Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:10
256 A hired worker or a Jewish bondsman of a Kohen must
not eat Trumah Lev. 22:10
257 An uncircumcised Kohen must not eat Trumah Ex.12:48
258 An impure Kohen must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:4
259 A chalalah must not eat Trumah Lev. 22:12
Great.
At least, we skipped another 60plus pages of bleeding one at a time...
I'm waiting for the 70 or so about Forbidden Relations and Forbidden Food. And what better way to learn about Judaism than reviewing the 50 or so Laws about Sacrifice and Slaughtering.
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