Sefer Hamitzvot

Sefer Hamitzvot ("Book of Commandments", Hebrew: ספר המצוות ) is a work by the 12th century rabbi, philosopher and physician Maimonides. While there are various other works titled similarly, the title "Sefer Hamitzvot" without a modifier refers to Maimonides' work. It is a listing of all the commandments of the Torah, with a brief description for each.

It originally appeared in Arabic under the title "Kitab al-Farai'd", and was translated by the Provençal rabbi Moses ibn Tibbon (first printed 1497). A new Hebrew translation from the original Arabic was done by the noted Yemenite scholar Rabbi Yosef Kapach.

In the work, the Rambam lists all the 613 mitzvot traditionally contained in the Torah (Pentateuch). He describes the following fourteen k'lalim (principles; Hebrew: כללים) to guide his selection. (Note: For each rule, Maimonides cites many illustrative examples. We present only one or two examples for each rule.)

The work is the subject of a number of commentaries, including one from Nahmanides, one titled Megillath Esther ("Scroll of Esther", by Isaac de Leon, bearing no direct relationship with the Biblical Book of Esther), and others titled Lev Sameach and Kinath Soferim. In an appendix, Nahmanides lists commandments that might have merited individual inclusion in his estimation.

This work is regarded as the most authoritative listing of the commandments, and numerous later works rely on its enumeration (some with minor variations).

After their promotion by the late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, several of Maimonides's works are studied daily by followers of the Chabad movement.

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