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According to the Gemmorah sources:

  1. Women have much less positive Mitzvot than men, as they are freed from most of the time-related Mitzvot (Mishna Kiddushin 1:7).

  2. Women have more body parts than men, 251-253 vs 248 (see "Is-the-male-skeleton-different-from-female"

  3. Positive Mitzvot are linked to body parts:

Makot 23b: "דרש רבי שמלאי: שש מאות ושלש עשרה מצות נאמרו לו למשה, שלש מאות וששים וחמש לאוין כמנין ימות החמה, ומאתים וארבעים ושמונה עשה כנגד איבריו של אדם"

" Rabbi Simlai taught: There were 613 mitzvot stated to Moses in the Torah, consisting of 365 prohibitions corresponding to the number of days in the solar year, and 248 positive mitzvot corresponding to the number of a person’s limbs"

How come women have more body parts and fewer Mitzvot?

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Al Berko
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  • I personally suspect the number of Mitzvot and body parts is "accidentally" [and artificially made] the same but there's no "causality" between them. – Al Berko Aug 28 '18 at 18:36
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    Just because one thing corresponds doesn't mean all have to. Especially if we're talking about midrash –  Aug 28 '18 at 20:03
  • @Orangesandlemons It doesn't only "correspond" it clearly contradicts. – Al Berko Aug 28 '18 at 20:10
  • @AlBerko The relationship is not "accidental". It relates to the principle of resurrection. Each positive commandment corresponds to a specific bone that receives its reward for fulfilling the act of its particular commandment by being resurrected. And ultimately, this principle of faith (resurrection) is a derivative of the commandment to build the Temple in its place. – Yaacov Deane Aug 28 '18 at 20:16
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    @YaacovDeane OK, and how this explains the woman's part? – Al Berko Aug 28 '18 at 20:21
  • @AlBerko Although I haven’t reflected on this question in detail, a possible suggestion would be in the context of what is found in Sanhedrin 20b in the name of Rabbi Yehuda that 3 mitzvot were given to the nation as a whole (not as individuals, men or women) upon entry into Israel. That removes them from the count of 613, whether negative or positive. – Yaacov Deane Aug 29 '18 at 00:59
  • @Al berko wouldn't this really require your other question to be answered in what exactly this means that woman have more bones when they really don't? Also do women have MORE Mitzvot when we include voluntary Mitzvot? How many Mitzvot do women have exclusively (that men cannot do even voluntarily like not commiting adultery.) and how many do men have exclusively? (this obviously doesn't include Mitzvot that a women is just discouraged from or even rabbinically forbidden) – Orion Aug 29 '18 at 03:38
  • @Orion His question is only related to positive mitzvot that are obligatory to the individual. Also, voluntary observance is not something they are commanded about. Also, the question is not pertaining to derivative mitzvot. – Yaacov Deane Aug 29 '18 at 04:39
  • @yaacov how do you know the 248 are referring to only OBLIGATORY positive Mitzvot? – Orion Aug 29 '18 at 14:51
  • @Orion & Yakov I agree that the list of 248 P.M. includes Mitzvos for Kings only and Kohanim only and men only etc. So we would say - as a "Generic" Adam (the Jewish nation) has 248 parts the whole JN keeps 248 PM. But what with women then - why should they have more body parts? – Al Berko Aug 29 '18 at 16:45
  • @AlBerko You are not understanding what I pointed out. That there are mitzvot done only by a Kohen or a Jewish King only means that an individual must be reincarnated as those types of individuals in order to fulfill all of the 248 positive commandments which are obligatory upon an individual. The 3 commandments I mentioned are not an obligation upon an individual. They are the obligation of the Tzibbur, Klal Yisrael. In halacha, the Tzibbur is not equated with the group of individuals. It is a completely different entity. – Yaacov Deane Aug 29 '18 at 18:17

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