Thursday, September 19, 2013

C'neged Kulam

This may sound bold, but I do consider that today some people actually emphasize Talmud Torah too much. It seems at times that there's only one mitzvah in their world - a kind of reform Judaism. I often ask, what's your basis for this. They cite the mishnahthat Talmud Torah is c'neged Kulam.

I have been told that R' Shlomo Wolbe has a book showing at least 7 things that are described as c'nedged kulam. here are 6 of them

Shabbos is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah. (Yerushalmi, Berachot 9a)
Great is circumcision, for it is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah. (Yerushalmi, Nedarim 12b)
The mitzvah of tzitzit is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah (Nedarim 25a, Menachot 43b)
Charity and bestowing kindness are equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah (Yerushalmi, Pe’ah 3a)
Settling the land of Israel is equal to all the mitzvot of the Torah. (Tosefta, Avodah Zarah 5)


And then in the mirror language of the mishnah in peah is Lashon hara is kneged kulam (tosfefa peah 1:2)


תוספתא פאה א, ב
על אילו דברים נפרעין מן אדם בעולם הזה והקרן קיימת לעולם הבא:
על עבודה זרה ועל גלוי עריות ועל שפיכות דמים
ועל לשון הרע כנגד כולם.

(source in the Tosefta located by Natan Slifkin)

so clearly it's not so simple as we see in the Rambam


And when you investigate this matter, you will find that Talmud Torah is weighed as equivalent to everything, because through Talmud Torah a person merits all these [mitzvot in the list], just as we explained at the beginning—that study leads to action. (Rambam, Commentary to the Mishnah, Pe’ah 1:1)

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