Unraveling the Mystery of 'Sefer HaChinuch'

The Era: The 13th century. The Place: Barcelona, Spain. The Suspect: Rabbi Aharon HaLevi - the Ra'ah.

The Author's Identity - A True Enigma

"I asked myself, how can I please those esteemed warriors? My answer was to compose the 613 mitzvot, hoping to engage young minds, entertain them on Shabbats and holidays, steering them away from aimless wandering in street plazas, to enlighten them with the light of life, exchanging questions among themselves: How many mitzvot does this Shabbat hold? And thus, the world will be filled with knowledge and wisdom."

These famous words meet anyone beginning their journey with the revered 'Sefer HaChinuch'. Witnessing the humility of its rabbinic author who considered that perhaps only street-gallivanting youths on Shabbat would find his work engaging.

It turns out the identity of this brilliant author, whose writings inspired numerous interpretations and deep analyses over the centuries, remains a grand mystery, known to all who delve into scholarly texts.

What we know today is that the book was crafted in Spain during the 13th century by a distinguished student from the school of Rabbeinu Ramban. The student left no trace of his identity aside from calling himself "Levi from Barcelona" in the introduction. This led publishers to attribute it to Rabbi Aharon HaLevi of Barcelona, thus becoming the accepted attribution.

Rabbi Aharon ben Yosef HaLevi from Barcelona, famously called "the Ra'ah", was born into a family of rabbis in 13th century Barcelona, Spain. He was a contemporary and fellow city-mate of the Rashba, both studying under Rabbeinu Yonah and the Ramban. Later, both taught in Barcelona, mentoring great scholars like the Ritva.

The Ra'ah authored many works, including commentaries on the Talmud and the Rif—though only fragments have survived. He also penned critiques called 'Bedeq HaBayit' on Rashba’s major work 'Torat HaBayit', to which Rashba responded sharply with 'Mishmeret HaBayit'.

Yet, attributing 'Sefer HaChinuch' to the Ra'ah lacks solid foundation, and there are considerable arguments against it. Some attribute the book to R' Pinchas HaLevi, the Ra'ah’s elder brother and mentor, but it seems the author might have been a student of the Rashba. Either way, the truth is welcomed from whoever said it, and though the mystery persists, his teachings continue to echo across time.

The Rambam's Count of Mitzvot

'Sefer HaChinuch' counts the 613 mitzvot. This is not the first work to list mitzvot, preceded by the 'Sefer Mitzvot Gadol', 'Sefer Mitzvot Katan', and Rambam's 'Sefer HaMitzvot', among others. 'Sefer HaChinuch' primarily relies on the Rambam's enumeration of mitzvot.

Unlike other books that tally the Torah’s commandments, 'Sefer HaChinuch' doesn't stop at enumeration. It offers additional insights on each mitzvah: its mention in the Torah, appearances in Chazal's words, the exact manner of its observance; the rationale behind it; various laws connected to it; specifics about to whom and when it applies, whether during the times of the Temple or after its destruction; and the punishment for its transgression.

Want to learn more about 'Sefer HaChinuch'? Click here.

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