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This question is a follow up to the questions of the connection between the Mitzvot and the number of body parts.

The Facts:

  1. The Gmarrah in 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.

  1. The Gmarrah in Yevomos 63a says:

"א"ר אלעזר כל אדם שאין לו אשה אינו אדם שנאמר (בראשית ה, ב) זכר ונקבה בראם ויקרא את שמם אדם"

R' Elazar said: Any man who does not have a wife is not a man, as it is stated: “Male and female He created them…and called their name Adam”

And Zohar calls an unmarried man "פלגא גופא" - "half a body" (source needed).

  1. When human body parts are counted by the Mishnah in Ohalot 1,8, men are full of Mitzvot (248) and women even better (252).

The Kushiot:

  1. How can a man be full of Mitzvot when unmarried?

  2. When two are married the total bodyparts count sums to 500 (!?) - an unknown number in Mitzvot.

  3. Why there's no change in Mitzvot for either men or women after the marriage? (Maybe besides honoring parents for women).

How can those Gmarrot be consolidated?

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Al Berko
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    Not everything in the Talmud or Zohar is literal. – chacham Nisan Aug 30 '18 at 11:06
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – chacham Nisan Aug 30 '18 at 12:08
  • @AlBerko Yevamot 63a only emphasizes what I wrote to you yesterday on the body parts question, which was deleted by one of the moderators. The "Adam" being spoken of is the original Adam HaRishon, prior to the woman being split off and 'built' into a separate entity. And so, they both have the same number of limbs currently. This also possibly addresses the question I raised that 3 of the total mitzvot are not upon an individual, but the Tzibbur. Adam HaRishon, like G-d, has both qualities of Tzibbur and individual. – Yaacov Deane Aug 30 '18 at 14:22

1 Answers1

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How can a man be full of Mitzvot when unmarried?

What's the problem? His body still has the same number of parts, which represent the number of positive commandments. The fact that he might not be fulfilling some of them seems irrelevant.

When two are married the total bodyparts count sums to 500 (!?) - an unknown number in Mitzvot.

Why would you expect the total to add up to a number that is significant vis-a-vis mitzvot? If 10 men form a prayer quorum, their total number of body parts don't add up to any significant number either, but that's okay because the Talmud never said that it would. All the Talmud said was that one person has 248 parts.

Why there's no change in Mitzvot for either men or women after the marriage? (Maybe besides honoring parents for women).

Why would there be a change in mitzvot? The number of body parts didn't change.

How can those Gmarrot be consolidated?

They don't need to be, as there aren't any issues between these two sources.

Alex
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  • THat's what the Gemmorah calls דחאו בקש. If you don't see a problem - don't try to answer - the question is for those who see the contradiction. – Al Berko Sep 11 '18 at 23:09
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    @AlBerko Sometimes the answer is that there is no contradiction. – Alex Sep 12 '18 at 00:18