...For I have given you good instruction, do not forsake My Torah. It is a tree of life to those who grasp it, and those who support it are fortunate. Its ways are ways of pleasantness and all its paths are peace. Cause us to return to you, Hashem, and we shall return; renew our days as of old.

All of the commandments that are included in the book of the Torah that was given to us by God, may He be blessed, are 613. Of that, there are 248 positive commandments, the number of a person's limbs; and 365 negative commandments, the number of days in the solar year. And this number is mentioned about the commandments at the end of the Gemara, Makkot (Makkot 23b). They said, "There were 613 commandments stated to Moshe at Sinai, 365 corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and 248 corresponding to the number of a person’s limbs." And they also said in homiletical style (see Tanchuma, Ki Tetzeh) that since the positive commandments are the number of the limbs, it is to say that each and every limb is saying to one, "Do a commandment with me"; and since the negative commandments are the number of the days of the year, it is to say that each and every day is saying to a person, "Do not do a sin upon me."

§ Rabbi Simlai taught: There were 613 mitzvot stated to Moses in the Torah, consisting of 365 prohibitions corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive mitzvot corresponding to the number of a person’s limbs. Rav Hamnuna said: What is the verse that alludes to this? It is written: “Moses commanded to us the Torah, an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob” (Deuteronomy 33:4). The word Torah, in terms of its numerical value [gimatriyya], is 611, the number of mitzvot that were received and taught by Moses our teacher. In addition, there are two mitzvot: “I am the Lord your God” and: “You shall have no other gods” (Exodus 20:2, 3), the first two of the Ten Commandments, that we heard from the mouth of the Almighty, for a total of 613.

Rabbi Ḥananya ben Akashya says: The Holy One, Blessed be He, sought to confer merit upon the Jewish people; therefore, He increased for them Torah and mitzvot, as each mitzva increases merit, as it is stated: “It pleased the Lord for the sake of His righteousness to make the Torah great and glorious” (Isaiah 42:21). God sought to make the Torah great and glorious by means of the proliferation of mitzvot.

And when you now examine all of these commandments that were previously mentioned, you will find among them commandments that are an obligation on the community - not on each and every individual - like the building of the choice [Temple], the establishment of a king and the cutting off of the seed of Amalek. And there are [also] among them, commandments that are obligatory on an individual if he did a certain act or something happens to him - such as a sacrifice for an inadvertent or volitional [sin]. And among these commandments are also laws, like those we explained - such as the [law] of the Hebrew slave, the law of the Hebrew maidservant, the law of the Canaanite slave, the law of the unpaid guardian, the law of the borrower and the others that were previously mentioned - it is possible that an individual will live all of his life and not deal with it, and so not be obligated in this commandment. And also among them are commandments that are only practiced when the Temple is in existence, such as the festival-offering, the sight-offering and the commandment of assembly - and we have already mentioned each one. And among them are also those that are only practiced by someone with property, such as tithes, priestly tithes, gifts to the priesthood and the portions of the poor - meaning, gleanings, forgotten [produce], the corner and ollalot. And sometimes one will not have these possessions, so he will not be obligated in [these commandments]; and a man may live his whole life and he will not become obligated by any of the commandments of this type. But charity is not included in this, since charity is obligatory even on a person that subsists on [charity], as we have explained. And among them are those that are definitely obligatory - at all times, in all places and whatever the circumstance - such as tzitzit, tefillin and the observance of Shabbat. And the commandments that are of this type are called definite commandments, because they are definitely obligatory for every Jewish man that reaches that age - at any time, in any place and whatever the circumstance. And when you examine these 248 positive commandments, you will find that the definite commandments are sixty. And that is with the stipulation that his situation is the situation of most people: That is that he lives in a house in a city, eats the foods associated with the human species - meaning to say, bread and meat - engages in commerce with people, marries a woman and fathers children...

There was a famine in the land—aside from the previous famine that had occurred in the days of Abraham—and Isaac went to Abimelech, king of the Philistines, in Gerar. The LORD had appeared to him and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; stay in the land which I point out to you. Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; I will assign all these lands to you and to your heirs, fulfilling the oath that I swore to your father Abraham. I will make your heirs as numerous as the stars of heaven, and assign to your heirs all these lands, so that all the nations of the earth shall bless themselves by your heirs— inasmuch as Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My commandments, My laws, and My teachings.” So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

שמע אברהם בקלי ABRAHAM HEARKENED TO MY VOICE when I put him to the test.

וישמר משמרתי AND KEPT MY CHARGE — This refers to precautionary measures which are intended to make us avoid the infringement of Biblical prohibitions: such are the Rabbinical inhibition of marriage between relatives in the second degree and the Rabbinical regulations regarding not doing certain acts on the Sabbath (cf. Yevamot 21a).

מצותי MY COMMANDMENTS — those matters which, had they not been written in the Torah, we would nevertheless hold that they are fitting matters to be the subject of a commandment, such as robbery and murder (cf. Yoma 67b).

חקותי MY LAWS/ORDINANCES — matters which our evil inclination and the heathen nations argue against the necessity of prohibiting, such as the eating of swine’s flesh and the wearing of garments made of a mixture of wool and linen — things for which there are no apparent reasons but which are the King’s decrees and enactments imposed on His subjects (Yoma 67b).

ותורתי AND MY TEACHINGS — The plural serves to include with the written Law also the Oral Law which prescribes commands that are an ancient institution given by God to Moses from Sinai (cf. Genesis Rabbah 64:4).

The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and wait there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the teachings and commandments which I have inscribed to instruct them.”

With regard to all other transgressions in the Torah, if a person is told: Transgress this prohibition and you will not be killed, he may transgress that prohibition and not be killed, because the preserving of his own life overrides all of the Torah’s prohibitions. This is the halakha [Jewish law] concerning all prohibitions, except for those of idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and murder. Concerning those prohibitions, one must allow himself to be killed rather than transgress them.