613th Commandment

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The 613th Commandment, a unique volume especially designed for the English-reading community, is an incisive, original Torah analysis, not a translation or digest of Halachic concepts. Utilizing the format of traditional Rabbinic Responsa literature, the author articulates the various ramifications of the mitzvah to write a Sefer Torah, discussing such topics as the propriety of donating a Sefer Torah to a synagogue, the Halachic significance of the ceremonial rituals, the interrelationship of the mitzvah with Keri'at HaTorah, the role of women in learning Torah and in writing a Sefer Torah, and the function of berachot. A detailed critical analysis of a responsum of HaGaon R. Moshe Feinstein is presented, as well as an articulation of the recent novel theories of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.