Title: Badei HaMitzvos, Volume 1: Bereishis and Shemos: A Concise, Easy-to-Read Review of the Taryag Mitzvos and their Halachos
By: Rabbi Yitzchok Weber
Feldheim
The newly released English-language sefer Badei HaMitzvos goes through the mitzvos mentioned in the weekly parsha along with sources from Sefer HaChinuch, Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, various Acharonim, and other sources. Volume 1, which is out now, covers Sefer Bereishis and Sefer Shemos. This sefer is an excellent resource for student and teacher alike to better understand the 613 mitzvos as well as the parsha of the week. Richly sourced footnotes in Hebrew enable the reader to engage in in-depth study. Badei HaMitzvos has received extensive haskamos (approbations) and excellent reviews for being a comprehensive yet accessible guide to the Taryag mitzvos.
In Badei HaMitzvos, Rabbi Yitzchok Weber first lists a pasuk, then the mitzvah derived from that pasuk, followed by the reason for the mitzvah, halachos, applicability, and the consequence of transgressing said mitzvah. The footnotes provide an explanation and source for each section. This sefer can help one better understand the parshios as well as the mitzvos contained therein.
According to Rabbi Weber, Badei HaMitzvos helps people “learn about the mitzvos in an enjoyable way. You can learn it on your own level. It is ideal for bachurim, Beis Yaakov girls, teachers, and the like.” Anyone can go through the text and sources according to their level of learning. In turn, they will better appreciate each mitzvah.
The process for writing Badei HaMitzvos began around six years ago while Rabbi Weber was studying Sefer HaChinuch. There are thousands of seforim on machshava which cite to the Chinuch as a source. Rabbi Weber became interested in the reason for the mitzvos, their halachos, and sources through Shnayim Mikrah. He found Sefer HaChinuch to be tremendously instrumental towards that end. However, Badei HaMitzvos is unique in that it focuses solely on explaining the Taryag mitzvos without machshava. There could very well be more reasons for any particular mitzvah, but Rabbi Weber offers possible reasons derived from the Chinuch. He also sources to Rambam, Shulchan Aruch, and Rashi.
An example of a mitzvah mentioned in this week’s parsha, Bo, is the first mitzvah in Sefer Shemos: Kiddush hachodesh. This teaches us, says the Chinuch, that preparation for the mitzvah (for example, preparing for yom tov) is itself a mitzvah. This is a lesson we can extrapolate and derive from all mitzvos. Indeed, we should start learning about a yom tov 30 days beforehand. It’s a mitzvah!
Mitzvos form the basis of our relationship with Hashem; they are our bread and butter. Rabbi Weber’s sefer is intended to help us strengthen our relationship with Hashem by explaining each mitzvah based on the Chumash. This sefer fills a void in that a lot of people go through the motions without understanding the mitzvos. Through Badei HaMitzvos, the parshios are opened up to us in a way we never understood before. We learn about birchas hachodesh, matzah, gid hanashe (which stems from the story of Yaakov and the malach), and other mitzvos in a digestible manner. And you will have a greater appreciation for the mitzvos as well.
Rabbi Yitzchok Weber grew up in Toronto where his father, Rabbi Yehoshua Weber, shlita, was the rav of Clanton Park Synagogue. Rabbi Yitzchok learned in Ner Yisroel of Toronto. He then went on to learn in Yeshiva Darchei Torah and the Mir Yerushalayim. Presently, Rabbi Weber learns in Beis Medrash Govoha in Lakewood. Badei HaMitzvos, volumes 2 and 3, cover Vayikra, Bamidbar and Devarim, and will, iy”H, be released in the coming years.