The Thirteen Principles

There is a short passage in the morning prayers that follow the קרבנות, the rules of the sacrifices. This passage is attributed to the Tanna, Rabbi Yishmael.

He presented the “Thirteen principles through which the Torah is expounded.” Many make the mistake of assuming that these principles were formulated by Rabbi Yishmael, himself.

The reality is that he is listing for us the principles that were given on Mount Sinai, as part of the Oral Law, that went together with the Written Law.

These rules serve as a kind of microscope for enlarging the precise wording of the Torah. Through them, the details of the Torah, emerge more clearly. They show us how where the Oral Torah is alluded to, in the written Torah.

Since the Oral Tradition is a direct record of the laws that Hashem told Moshe Rabbeinu, these laws cannot be challenged. This emphasizes the fact that there are strict guidelines as to where we must accept the Divine aspect of these laws that cannot be changed.

In a way, these Thirteen Principles are a way of unlocking the deeper meaning of the text of the Torah. When one sees examples of how they are practically put into play, it is testament to the fact that the Torah could only have been written by Hashem.

Two of the better known rules are Kal Vachomer and Gezera Shava. The first is a certain line of reasoning where if the Halacha applies in a lenient situation, it will certainly apply in a strict one. For example, if something is forbidden on Yom Tov, it will certainly be forbidden on Shabbat.

The Gezera Shava teaches certain laws by the similar use of words in two different situations. This is the source for needing ten men for a Minyan, or the possibility of becoming engaged to a woman by giving her something of monetary value.

These rules also teach that one can potentially invent a Kal Vachomer, but cannot do so with a Gezera Shava. The latter was given on Mount Sinai. The former represents a logical form of reasoning.

If people were more aware of the intricacies of Jewish Law, they would take much greater care in respecting its teachings. They would be more hesitant before they would think that they have enough knowledge to challenge or negate these teachings.

We must remember that the Thirteen Principles are Divine. Who are we to think that we can argue with the Divine?