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א וְהִנֵּה מוּדַעַת זֹאת לַכֹּל, כִּי מִצְוַת וְאַזְהָרַת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, שֶׁהֵם שְׁנֵי דִבְּרוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״, הֵם כְּלָלוּת כָּל הַתּוֹרָה כוּלָּהּ; כִּי דִּבּוּר ״אָנֹכִי״ – כּוֹלֵל כָּל רַמַ״ח מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה, וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ – כּוֹלֵל כָּל שַׁסַ״ה מִצְוֹת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, וְלָכֵן שָׁמַעְנוּ ״אָנֹכִי״ וְ״לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ״ לְבַד מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה כְּמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם כְּלָלוּת הַתּוֹרָה כוּלָּהּ.

1It is well known that the commandment and admonition¹ concerning idolatry, which are contained in the first two commandments of the Decalogue—“I am”² and “You shall not have any other gods”³—comprise the entire Torah.⁴ For the commandment “I am” contains all the 248 positive precepts, while the commandment “You shall not have” contains all the 365 prohibitions.⁵ That is why we heard only “I am” and “You shall not have” directly from the Almighty, as our Sages say,⁶ “because these two are the sum total of the whole Torah.”

בוּלְבָאֵר הֵיטֵב עִנְיָן זֶה, צָרִיךְ לְהַזְכִּיר תְּחִלָּה בִּקְצָרָה עִנְיָן וּמַהוּת אַחְדּוּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ־בָּרוּךְ־הוּא, שֶׁנִּקְרָא ״יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד״, ״וְכֹל מַאֲמִינִים שֶׁהוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא״, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה קוֹדֶם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם מַמָּשׁ, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים: ״אַתָּה הוּא עַד שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, אַתָּה הוּא מִשֶּׁנִּבְרָא כוּ׳״, פֵּירוּשׁ – ״הוּא״ מַמָּשׁ בְּלִי שׁוּם שִׁינּוּי, כְּדִכְתִיב: ״אֲנִי ה׳ לֹא שָׁנִיתִי״. כִּי, עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְכֵן כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים – אֵינָם פּוֹעֲלִים שׁוּם שִׁינּוּי בְּאַחְדּוּתוֹ יִתְבָּרֵךְ בְּהִבָּרְאָם מֵאַיִן לְיֵשׁ.

2In order to elucidate this matter clearly, we must first briefly refer to the subject and essence of the Unity⁷ of the Holy One, blessed is He, Who is called One and Unique, and “all believe that He is All Alone,”⁸ exactly as He was before the world was created, when there was naught besides Him, as is written, “You were [the same] before the world was created; You are [the same] since the world has been created….”⁹ This means exactly the same without any change, as it is written, “For I, the L–rd, have not changed,”¹⁰ inasmuch as this world and likewise all supernal worlds do not effect any change in His Unity, blessed be He,¹¹ by their having been created ex nihilo.

גשֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה הוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד קוֹדֶם הִבָּרְאָם, כֵּן הוּא לְבַדּוֹ הוּא יָחִיד וּמְיוּחָד אַחַר שֶׁבְּרָאָם, מִשּׁוּם דְּכוּלָּא קַמֵּיהּ כְּלָא חֲשִׁיב, וּכְאַיִן וָאֶפֶס מַמָּשׁ.

3For just as He was All Alone, Single and Unique, before they were created, so is He One and Alone, Single and Unique after they were created, since, beside Him, everything is as nothing, verily as null and void.

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org

Kehot Publication Society · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org