Sunday 2 September 2018

613 Commandments

Since the 3rd century CE, Judaism has recognized a list of 613 commandments that are found in the Torah. It is their best collection of their rules to live by.

Full list can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/613_commandments
Here a few interesting examples that made their list of rules:
  • Not to offer to God any castrated male animals
  • Nazarites couldn’t cut their hair, eat grapes or raisins, or be under the same roof as a corpse.
  • Not to plant grains or greens in a vineyard.
  • Not to crossbreed different animals
  • Not to wear a cloth woven of wool and linen
  • Not to pick the unformed clusters of grapes
  • Not to climb steps to the altar
  • Must make a guard rail around flat roofs
  • The king must not have too many wives
  • The king must not have too many horses
  • The king must not have too much silver and gold
  • Not to sacrifice animals  bought with the wages of a harlot or the animal exchanged for a dog. (Some interpret "exchange for a dog" as referring to wage of a male prostitute)


When you look at the details of all the rules, it is hard to imagine that they would omit some larger issues… unless they were not large issues for them in their time and place.

Some notable exceptions in their list of  613 commandments that seem to be missing:
  • Having sex with a prostitute
  • Having a mistress or concubine
  • How many sexual partners is too many
  • Orgies
  • Sex with slaves
  • How young is too young to have sex
  • Public nudity, precautions for bathing in the river or city baths
  • Dancing naked
  • Looking at someone who is naked
  • Masturbation

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