SeMaG (Sefer Mitzvot Gadol) by Rabbi Moses of Coucy: what it is
The Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (ספר מצוות גדול), “Great Book of Commandments,” known by its Hebrew acronym SeMaG, is a 13th-century work composed in France that enumerates the 613 commandments. Its author is Rabbi Moses of Coucy.
Quick facts
| Title | Sefer Mitzvot Gadol (SeMaG) |
| Author | Rabbi Moses of Coucy |
| Composition | Between 1243 and 1247 (according to Sefaria) |
| First printing | 1480 (according to Sefaria) |
| Place | France |
Basis and sources
It is based on Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, which is quoted on every page. According to Sefaria, the work marks the penetration of the Sephardic Maimonides into Ashkenazic legal works. It also incorporates sources from the Talmud, the Midrashim and the early French and German commentators, and includes legal discussions and moral teachings.
Structure
Sefaria’s table of contents distinguishes the negative commandments (lavin) and the positive ones (asin), each with an introduction and remazim (allusions), and the rabbinic commandments, with the laws of eruvin, mourning, Tisha B’Av, Megillah and Chanukah.
Influence
Sefaria notes that its great influence is evidenced by the large number of preserved manuscripts and the many commentaries it inspired. In the era preceding the publication of the Shulchan Aruch, the SeMaG was the principal legal text studied in Ashkenazic academies.
Frequently asked questions
What does SeMaG mean?
It is the acronym of Sefer Mitzvot Gadol, “Great Book of Commandments.”
What does it enumerate?
The 613 commandments, with legal discussions and moral teachings.
Sources
- Sefer Mitzvot Gadol, entry and table of contents on Sefaria