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mekayim the 613? Of course…me and you-we’re brothers!

Written by Benjamin A Rose

Yaakov asked Yosef to go to Shchem to check on “Es Shalom Achecha V’Es Shalom Hatzon”; the welfare of his brothers and the welfare of the sheep. The Kerem Shlomo says that the Roshei Teivos of these words (Aleph, Shin, Aleph, Vov, Shin, Hey) equals 613 for the Taryag Mitzvos. What is the connection?

He explains that it is impossible for any individual to be mikayem all the mitzvos. Some of them are mutually exclusive. You can’t be a Kohen and Yisroel at the same time, or a woman and a man, for example. So how can we have the zechus of all 613 mitzvos? Only throughachdus (sticking together as one). If we make ourselves part of the Klal and treat each person as if they are a part of us (which according to ChaZaL they are) then their mitzvos are ours as well.


That is what Yaakov told Yosef. Go check on the welfare of your brothers. By doing that and caring about each and every Jew no matter how different they are than you or no matter how far estranged they are from you then you will have all taryag mitzvos. then you can be Mikayem the 613!!!

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