There Is a God
What Are Rabbinic Commandments? Understanding the Sages’ Role in the Oral Torah
How the rabbis were divinely authorized to create safeguards, establish traditions, and preserve the Torah’s eternal wisdom for every generation
(Photo: shutterstock)The Oral Torah is composed of two main parts:
Biblical (Torah-based) commandments (mitzvot de’oraita) — including laws derived through the 13 hermeneutical principles by which the Torah is interpreted.
Rabbinic commandments (mitzvot derabbanan) — the focus of this final article in the series.
What Are Rabbinic Commandments?
These are ordinances and decrees established after the giving of the Torah, enacted by the Sanhedrin and the prophets of each generation, according to the authority granted to them by the Torah to establish boundaries and safeguards that strengthen the observance of God’s law.
The Torah itself commands this concept: “You shall safeguard My charge” (Vayikra 18:30), which the Sages interpreted as: “Make a safeguard for My safeguard” (Yevamot 21a).
The Torah not only forbids sin but also commands us to distance ourselves from it. For example:
Regarding forbidden relationships, it says:
“Do not approach to uncover nakedness; I am the Lord” (Vayikra 18:6).“Let there be no indecent matter among you” (Devarim 23:15).
“Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house” (Mishlei 5:8).
Similarly, the Torah forbids idolatry, and also commands to remove it from our homes: “You shall not bring an abomination into your house” (Devarim 7:26).
Rabbinic Decrees in the Bible
Even within the Tanach, we find examples of rabbinic enactments:
Ezra the Scribe established public Torah reading during the days of return from Babylon.
Mordechai and Esther instituted the reading of the Book of Esther (Megillah) on Purim.
Nechemiah ordered the closing of Jerusalem’s gates on Shabbat (Nechemiah 10:32).
Amos rebuked those who sought to trade on Shabbat (Amos 8:4).
Yeshayahu warned the people to guard even their speech and behavior on Shabbat (Yeshayahu 58:13).
Daniel prayed three times a day facing Jerusalem (Daniel 6:11), a tradition preserved by the Sages.
Mourning practices, too, are rooted in rabbinic tradition and seen throughout Tanach (e.g., Yechezkel 24:16).
Examples of Rabbinic Commandments
The Sages instituted seven major rabbinic mitzvot:
Reciting Hallel – established in the time of the prophets.
Reading the Megillah – instituted by Mordechai and Esther.
Eruvin (joining domains) – enacted by King Solomon.
Blessings and Prayers – formulated by the Men of the Great Assembly.
Lighting Shabbat candles – enacted by the Tannaim.
Lighting Chanukah candles – instituted by the Sages of the Hasmonean era.
Washing hands (Netilat Yadayim) – established by the Tannaim.
Rabbinic Laws Are Not Additions to the Torah
It is crucial to understand that rabbinic laws are not additions to the 613 Torah commandments. They do not increase the number of Torah mitzvot, nor do they carry Torah-level punishments (such as karet or capital penalties).
Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel compares this to adding a refrigerator to your home — you are not adding a “room” that requires a new building permit. Likewise, rabbinic mitzvot are not new “rooms” in the structure of the Torah, but extensions that help protect and preserve it.
Obeying the Sages Is a Torah Command
Although there is a distinction between Torah and rabbinic commandments, disobeying the Sages still means violating God’s will, because He commanded us in the Torah to heed their rulings: “Ask your father, and he will tell you; your elders, and they will inform you.” (Devarim 32:7) “You shall come to the priests, the Levites, and to the judge who will be in those days… and you shall act according to the instruction which they teach you.” (Devarim 17:8–11)
From here the Sages learned: “You are obligated to follow the judge in your generation” (Mishnah, Eduyot 1:5).
The Torah warns strongly: “According to the teaching which they shall teach you… you shall not turn aside from the word they tell you, right or left.” (Devarim 17:11)
King Solomon summarized: “He who breaches a fence shall be bitten by a serpent.” (Kohelet 10:8)
Ignoring rabbinic decrees opens the door to neglecting the entire Torah, as God Himself appointed the Sages as His representatives to guide each generation. Thus, some authorities hold that one who disobeys rabbinic law violates a Torah commandment under “Do not turn aside.”
The Greatness of Obedience to the Sages
The Talmud tells of Rabbi Akiva, who, though imprisoned and lacking water to drink, still used his small supply to wash his hands for Netilat Yadayim — a rabbinic commandment — saying: “Better I should die my own death than transgress the words of my colleagues.” (Eruvin 21b)
Rabbi Yose said: “All my life, I never transgressed the words of my colleagues. I know I am not a Kohen, yet if they told me to ascend the platform [to bless], I would go up.” (Shabbat 118b)
Such was their devotion to the Sages’ authority. Even when we do not understand a law, we fulfill it with trust and humility, for it expresses God’s will through His Torah leaders.
The Oral Torah — composed of both Torah commandments (de’oraita) and rabbinic enactments (derabbanan), is recorded in the Mishnah and expounded in the Talmud. Each law in the Mishnah is analyzed in the Gemara for its source, logic, and application, distinguishing between what was given to Moshe at Sinai, what was derived through the 13 hermeneutical principles, and what was established by the prophets and sages in accordance with divine will.
