Puzzle of the 613 Commandments and Why Bother, The

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According to Jewish tradition, the Torah contains 613 commandments. Using the system where each Hebrew letter has a numerical value, these commandments are known as TaRYaG (a Hebrew word whose letters equal 613). In The Puzzle of the 613 Commandments and Why Bother, Philip Caplan thoroughly reviews the body of scholarly literature on the significance of the notion that there are 613 commandments, as well as the general question of just what these 613 commandments are.