ABSTRACT
I. KNO'V thou that the 61 3 Precepts of the Law form a compact with the Holy One-blessed be He I-and with Israel, as it is often explained in the Zohar. It is written (Exod. iii. 15), "':>r iTn ~OtlJ itT, "This is lVIy name, and this is 1\1y menlorial." n'" 0.31 '''1;)V, lC l\1y name," together ,vith tt Yeho," anlonnts nUluericnlly to 365; oy it", ""'.Jr, "Vah," together with ":NIy memorial," anl0nnts to 248. IIere ,ve have the number 613 in the Holy Oneblessed be lIe! The soul is a portion of God from above, and this is mystically intimated by the degrees of n" fttElJ nov.), "breath, spirit, soul," the initial and final letters of which amount to 613, while the middle letters of these amount to the number of O'iT'N ",v it,;,",,, Lord, Almighty, God." The soul of 1\10ses our Rabbi-peace be on him I-embraced all the souls of Israel; as it is said, l\tIoses was 'N'tV' ,:> ,JJ.:J "i'V, equivalent to all Israel. i1"fl't) '''.)'':1','' Moses our Rabbi," amounts to 613; and ,lIn~N n",;" ,"Niftt\ cc Lord God of Israel," also amounts to 61 3.
