There is a short passage in the morning prayers that follow the קרבנות, the rules of the sacrifices. This passage is attributed to the Tanna, Rabbi Yishmael.

He presented the “Thirteen principles through which the Torah is expounded.” Many make the mistake of assuming that these principles were formulated by Rabbi Yishmael, himself.

The reality is that he is listing for us the principles that were given on Mount Sinai, as part of the Oral Law, that went together with the Written Law.

These rules serve as a kind of microscope for enlarging the precise wording of........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)