Concise Book of Mitzvot: Sefer HaMitzvot HaKatzar

The Commandments Which Can Be Observed Today

The Jewish people are enjoined to observe the 613 Divine commandments inscribed in the holy Torah, but with the destruction of the Beith haMikdash and the dispersion of the Nation, observance of many of the mitzvoth has become impossible. In the absence of clear guidelines, the righteous modern Jew who wishes to fulfill his obligations to his Creator would have great difficulty in deciding which Torah commandments pertain today and which do not. To facilitate contemporary mitzvah observance, the venerable Chafetz Chayim compiled his "Sefer haMitzvoth haKatzar", a concise volume listing all the positive and negative commandments applicable in our time, along with his own incisive commentary. This signal work first appeared in 1931, the last sefer of the Chafetz Chayim published in his lifetime, and it remains an essential basic guide for every conscientious Jew. This new, revised edition of "The Concise Book of Mitzvoth", including the mitzvoth contingent upon the Land of Israel, renders the Chafetz Chaim's vital book accessible to all. With the assistance of Rabbi Hillel Zaks, grandson of the Chafetz Chaim, and Rabbi Zalman Nechemiah Goldberg, many important points have been clarified and errors which appeared in earlier editions have been corrected. The Hebrew text is presented here in a clear, convenient format, vowelized for easier readability and accompanied on facing pages by a meticulous English adaptation. It is hoped that this volume, a welcome additions to Feldheim's Torah Classics Library, will lead to increased awareness, understanding and fulfillment of the Torah commandments, drawing Am Yisrael ever closer to its rich heritage, as the illustrious Chafetz Chaim intended.
by The Chafetz Chayim