Reeh 13:1 · unit 1

TT #116 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:1

The Complete Passuk

אֵ֣ת כָּל־הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֹת֥וֹ תִשְׁמְר֖וּ לַעֲשׂ֑וֹת לֹא־תֹסֵ֣ף עָלָ֔יו וְלֹ֥א תִגְרַ֖ע מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃

The entire matter that I command you, that you shall observe to do; you shall not add to it and you shall not subtract from it.

Chabad.org — 13:1

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei.

Sefaria — Sifrei

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
לֹא תֹסֵף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ – תַּנְיָא, מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין מוֹסִיפִין עַל הַלּוּלָב וְעַל הַצִּיצִית וְאֵין פּוֹחֲתִין מֵהֶן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לֹא תֹסֵף עָלָיו וְלֹא תִגְרַע מִמֶּנּוּ.

English: “You shall not add to it and you shall not subtract from it” — It was taught: From where do we know that one may not add to the lulav or to the tzitzis and may not diminish from them? From the verse “you shall not add to it and you shall not subtract from it.”

On the daf / in context: The general prohibition against adding or subtracting is applied specifically to the fixed number of species of the lulav and the threads of the tzitzis.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — applying the ban on addition/subtraction to specific mitzvos of fixed form.

What Is Learned

One may neither add to nor subtract from the prescribed form of the lulav and of the tzitzis.