55. Foundations of the Torah
The mitzvos in the first of the 14 categories (detailed in section 54) are those that the Rambam discusses in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah (the laws of foundations of the Torah) in his magnum opus, the Mishneh Torah. The reason for these mitzvos, he tells us, is self-evident. [III, 36] If you examine them one by one, he says, you will be able to verify this for yourself.
The obligations to learn and to teach are important because there can be no knowledge or moral conduct without wisdom. Likewise, the obligation to honor teachers is necessary because if they were not held in esteem, people would not turn to them for guidance.
The obligation only to swear in God’s Name and the prohibition against swearing falsely or in vain serve to glorify God. Similarly, the obligation to turn to God with prayer when facing troubles reinforces within us the idea that God is in control. He is aware of our deeds and He has the ability to assist us, or the opposite, based on our actions; our fates are not random.
The obligation to repent our misdeeds is necessary because it is impossible for a person to be free from sin. Sometimes we just don’t know which course of action is the right one; other times, we’re just victims of our desires. If we didn’t know that there was a way to right the errors we have made, we would simply continue in our improper paths. If anything, we would add to our sins under the assumption that we had no way to improve!
The rationale underlying these and similar mitzvos is apparent.
