RABBI MORDECAI KORNFELD'S
WEEKLY
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ROSH HASHANAH 5758

THE THREE FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES

Among the early scholars of the Torah, there were many who attempted to quantify the laws of the Torah. The assertion of the Gemara (Makot 23b) that the Torah contains 613 Mitzvot, or commandments, is the subject of many a scholarly work. This number represents the number of specific *actions* and *inactions* that the Torah bids us to follow. The fundamental principles of *belief* upon which Judaism rests are a much narrower set, which is not even included in the 613 count. Surprisingly, the Gemara nowhere offers an explicit list of these principles. The Rambam, in his introduction to the tenth chapter of Mishnayot Sanhedrin, compiled a list of 13 principles of belief, culled from Talmudic sources, which has become accepted at the cornerstone of Judaism. In condensed form, the Rambam's 13 principles are recited by many after the morning prayers. At the start of the morning prayers, the "Yigdal" poem with its 13 stanzas provides a prosaic representation of the Rambam's principles.

However, as the Sefer ha'Ikarim points out, the Rambam's list includes many specific points which can be summed up an even smaller set of general tenets. According to the Ikarim, there are *three* basics tenets of belief in Judaism:

(1) There is a G-d Who Created all that exists;

(2) G-d, the Creator, is aware of everything that transpires on this world and He will eventually reward the righteous deeds and penalize the unworthy ones.

(3) G-d, the Creator, gave us the Torah in which He defined for us His will.

Upon examination of the Rambam list of 13 principles, it becomes immediately evident that this short list includes all of the Rambam's principles in concise form.

II

As proof for his thesis that there are 3 basic principles of belief, the Ikarim refers us to the Musaf prayer of Rosh Hashanah. This unusual prayer consists of three unique primary sections, which are referred to in Mishnaic literature as "Malchiyos, Zichronos and Shofros." In these each of these three sections we cite 10 verses that refer, respectively, to Hashem's kingship, Hashem's record of man's deeds, and the Shofar that heralds Hashem's presence. The Ikarim asserts that it is appropriate for the Sages to have instituted in the prayers of the Day of Judgment sections that reinforce the basic tenets of Judaism. Accordingly, he proposes that these three sections represent the three basic principles of belief cited above.

(1) In Malchiyos, we affirm that Hashem is the Creator of the world and He therefore rules over all that exists.

(2) In Zichronos, we affirm that Hashem remembers and records all that occurs in this world, and He will eventually reward Man according to his deeds.

(3) Most of the verses of Shofros discuss the Shofar-blow that was heard upon the Giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, representing the third of the principles.

The Ikarim explains a verse in Yeshayah 33:22 as well based on this grouping of the tenets of belief. The verse states, "Hashem is our Judge, Hashem is our Lawgiver, Hashem is our King - He will bring us salvation!" Again, explains the Ikarim, the verse is referring to the three basic tenets of belief in Hashem: He created the world ("Hashem is our King"), He gave us the Written and Oral Law ("Hashem is our Lawgiver") and He will eventually judge us and reward us according to our deeds ("Hashem is our Judge").

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