Sefer ha-Chinuch (, "Book of Education") is a rabbinic text which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was written in 13th-century Spain by an anonymous "Levite of Barcelona".
Content
The work's enumeration of the commandments (; sing.
mitzvah) is based upon
Maimonides' system of counting as per his
Sefer Hamitzvot; each is listed according to its appearance in the weekly Torah portion and the work is structured correspondingly.
[Prior to the Frankfurt edition of 1783 the mitzvot were printed in the same order as Maimonides' work - see Gersion Appel Ch 2.]
The book separately discusses each of the 613 commandments, both from a legal and a moral perspective. For each, the Chinuch's discussion starts by linking the mitzvah to its Biblical source, and then addresses the philosophical underpinnings of the commandment (here, termed the " shoresh", or "root"). Following this, the Chinuch presents a brief overview of the halakha (practical Jewish law) governing its observance - based on Maimonides' Mishneh Torah, while cross referencing the Talmudic tractate in question - and closes with a summary as to the commandment's applicability.
Because of this structure, the work remains popular to this day. The philosophic portions are widely quoted and taught, while the legal discussion provides the basis for much further study in yeshivot. The Minchat Chinuch by "Rabbeinu Yosef" (Yosef Ben Moshe Babad, 1800–1874), Av Beit Din of Ternopil, serves as a legal commentary.
Authorship
The author does not reveal his name in any manuscript, writing only that he is a "Jew of the House of Levi in Barcelona". Scholars have proposed various attributions.
Aaron
The
editio princeps (Venice, 1523) attributes the book to "Aaron", on the basis of a purported hint within the text, but scholars have rejected this interpretation.
Relying on the
editio princeps, Gedaliah ibn Yaḥyah (
Shalshelet haQabbalah (c. 1550)) went further, suggesting that it might have been written by
Aharon HaLevi of
Barcelona (1235-c. 1303). However, there are numerous contradictions between the
Chinuch and HaLevi's works, and HaLevi's teacher (Nachmanides) is not cited by the
Chinuch.
[Rabbi Chaim Dov Chavel, Mosad HaRav Kook ed. of Sefer HaChinuch, 5762 p. 797] (1878) argues that "Aaron" is correct, but that it is a different Aaron HaLevi.
Other Proposals
David ibn Abi Zimra (
Metzudat David (1556)) attributes it to a certain "Rabbi Barukh", without giving his source. Adolf Neubauer (1872) attributes it to Abraham ben Hassan HaLevi.
Shaul Chana Kook (1940) suggests the author's name was Mordechai HaLevi.
argues that the Aharon HaLevi's brother, Pinchas ben Joseph haLevi, composed the book.
[Israel Ta-Shma, "Mehabbero ha-'amitti shel Sefer ha-hinnukh," Kiryat Sefer 55 (1980): 787-90]
See also
-
Sefer Mitzvot Gadol
-
Sefer Mitzvot Katan
Further reading
External links
