The Online Edition of Sefer Hamitzvot Hayom "Modern Book of MItzvot", a commentary on and trabslation of Sefer Hamitzvot Ha'qatzar "Book of Concise MItzvot" by R Israel Kagan.
Liberals do not do enough mitzvot.This little book is a commentary on another little
book, the last book written by R’ Israel Meir Kagan,a giant of Torah scholarship and very possibly thegreatest single rabbi of the 20th century.
R’ Kagan is most-oft called “Chafetz Chaim”after the title of his most enduring book. His lastbook, written in 1933 before he died, is a smallwork: the Sefer Hamitzvot Ha’qatzar “ConciseBook of Mitzvot” (SHQ).
The Chafetz Chaim saw Polish Jewry changing.Even his Orthodox constituency was modernising.He wrote SHQ to keep his followers committed. Hechose mitzvot to cover based on two factors:
1. The mitzvot were listed in the Sefer Hamitzvotof Rambam
2. The mitzvot were applicable today. Rambam’slist was eternal.
Put another way, Chafetz Chaim was concernedwith relevance. Respect for elders; paying yourworkers on time; helping people in need; these arealways relevant. These mitzvot form the backboneof SHQ.
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Introduction `FAn
Shabbat observance, nida, holy observances –these also form a core within the SHQ. You may becritical of this. What is your resistance about? Isthis an issue of practicality?
I would say not. Liberals need to become adeptat spiritual consideration. This little book is a placeto start.
The Sefer Hamitzvot Hayom “Modern Book ofMitzvot” is written as a commentary. ChafetzChaim has done all the work. I am merelycommenting on his monumental erudition. Mycomments reflect a liberal perspective andchallenge liberal Jews to practice mitzvot withintent.
I believe you may take what you like and leavethe rest behind. Observance is a continuum and woebetide the Jewish religious leader who thinksotherwise.
Rabbi Arie CharkOttawa, OntarioMonday, December 28, 2009r"yz ,zaha `"i ,ipy mei
1. Not to believe in God,only that God Exists.
2. This restates theShma: God as Iunderstand God is not thechief god, such as Zeus orOdin; neither is Godmanifest in tangible realityas a human being; nordoes God rely on a dualityin which goodness is Godand evil is some otherforce, such as Satan orLucifer or Ahriman. Mostcertainly God Does not relyon me — as we see in thebrakhot elsewheredescribed
3. God is a noun in English; in Ivrit a verb; but I teachmy students that God is an abbreviation: G"O"D. Whywouldn't you believe in G"O"D? Surely you crave GoodOrderly Direction no less than anyone else? Or GettingOver Depression. I have also heard Grow Or Die.
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1. It is imperative tobelieve God Exists. Sh20, 2
2. It is imperative toaccept the indivisibleunity of God;furthermore, to believewith complete faith thatGod Is One, without anypartner or associate. Dv6, 4
3. It is imperative tolove God ver 6, 5
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4. The Ivrit root “to fear”also animates the verbs “tosee” and “to revere”; it alsonames “awe” and“reverence”. Fear is oftenmistaken for reverence.Knowing the differencebasically defines thedistinction between thereligious and the spiritual.The truly spiritual knowfear is an abbreviation –Face Everything AndRecover.
5. And if you do notbelieve in God? Behave asif you do. The religiousknow. The spiritual behave.
6. The Sacred Highway is translated in the SHQ as “theways of the blessed God”. Not precisely: who is thesource of blessing, us or God? Jacob Emden(1697-1776), one of the great rabbis of Ashkenaz,proved in his grammar that “Barukh” jExA is a nounnaming God,not a verbal adjective describing God.(See EJ 6:721-24; the discussion
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4. It is imperative tobe in awe of God. Dv 6,13
5. It is imperative tobiblically perform GodlyActs. Vy 22, 32
6. It is imperative towalk on the SacredHighway to the best ofyour ability. Dv 28, 9 ofhis grammatical proof isnear the end of he article,page 724.)
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7. To pray is to speak toGod. To meditate is tolisten to God. To confess isto pray and meditate.Confess now.
8. Why the hand? Thehand is the only part of thebody which can link whatis above to what is below:It extends from above thehead to below the belt.What if one is notreligious? This question willapply often to the mitzvot.Tefilin is a spiritual tool. Itmay be used religiously. Itmost often is, but need notbe, and so for all otherspiritual tools.
9. Why the head? So the head may see the feet. Thistefila has two long straps which hang down on eitherside of the trunk. It tangibly links the sefirot of keter,tiferet, yesod and malkhut. These are the four medialsefirot. The Adam Qadmon has keter as the head andmalkhut as the feet. As for the hand tefila? It points tothe heart. When extended upward it merges tiferet (inwhich the heart is located) with bina and hochma andextends into keter. See Part 3 Asafa: Sefirot.
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7. It is imperative topray daily and seek God’sBlessing. Dv 7, 13
8. It is imperative toconnect tefilin to yourhand. Dv 7, 8
9. It is imperative torest tefilin upon yourhead. Dv 7, 8
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10. It is a pious act towear a four corneredgarment so as to attachtzitzit. One does notnormally wear a fourcornered garment today.The pious go out of theirway to to wear one. I do.Many now also include thetekhélet thread. I do. Thisis praiseworthy. Mordechaiwore tekhélet as he left thepresence of KingAhash’verosh; how much
more so should we wear it in the presence of ouremployers? Tekhélet fell into disuse when Gamaliel VIwas deposed as Nasi. I admire the efforts of PtilTekhélet to teach us how to tie tzitzit with tekhélet, etc.,but the kashrut of tekhélet is compromised by animalcruelty and does not meet my definition of greenkosherto permit its use. Any colourfast blue thread is fine. Ourbrothers and sisters among the Qaraites also weartekhélet; for them a simple blue thread suffices, as itshould for us.
11. And if you’re are not religious? Shma is notabout religion – it is about listening, for shma means"listen". Religion is about doing – do this, do that.
12. The mezuza is a parchment on which is writtenthe first two paragraphs of Shma. We already see ourhouses; how many of us hear them? There is much tohear in a house. How many times have you heardsomeone say “If only these walls could talk”? They can.
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10. It is imperative tomake tzitzit for thecorners of garments. Bm15, 35
11. It is imperative torecite qriat shma morningand evening. Dv 6, 7
12. It is imperative toattach mezuza to theportals of your house. Dv6, 9
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But can you listen? Can you hear your child crying him- orherself to sleep at night? Can you hear your spouse storinghis or her resentment for a matter you think is trivial? Can youhear the fear in your pet when you distractedly brush pastwithout thought to its needs for affection? The RebbeElimelekh of Lizhensk did t’shuva with every member of hishousehold on erev Shabbat because could hear his walls.
13. And if you are notreligious? This is aboutmindfulness andgratitude, not religion. Iseating about religion? Issatisfaction? Blessing?Perhaps. Rather, I think itis about connecting towhat is beyond yourself,to Good OrderlyDirection.
14. The Torah is thefoundational culture ofwestern civilisation. Jews
belie that identity when ignorant of Torah. This is notIgnorance of religion. A young rabbi knew an elderwhose library was filled with learned Jewish books andwas scarcely observant. R’ Riskin could not understandhow the owner of such a wonderful library could be notobservant. "Rabbi", he replied, "I am an epikoros, notan ignoramus." An epikoros is a free-thinker. We needmore free-thinkers and fewer ignoramuses.
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13. It is imperative to receive blessing from God forour sustenance at mealtimes. Dv 8, 10
14. It is imperative to teach Torah and to learn it. Dv6, 7
15. It is imperative toensure that every Jewwrites for themselves asefer Torah. Dv 31, 19
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15. A supremely religious act? Only if "Love your neighbouras yourself" is a religious act. "Love your neighbour asyourself" the entire Torah, according to our sage Hillel, andthe rest is commentary. Go learn the commentary.
16. Rabban Gamalieltaught: Provide yourselfwith a teacher, avoiduncertainty, and do notestimate your obligationsin assisting society. And
Hillel: If I am not for me, who will be? Yet if I care onlyfor me, what am I? If not now, when? Avtal’yon:“Sages! Be cautious with your words! You may be liableto banishment...” for heresy may follow. Find teacherswith eternal, positive, Jewish and life-affirming values;and use the brain God Gave you to think for yourself.See PA 1:11, 14, 16. This is simply respectful. Nor is itconfined to Torah scholars, rabbis, etc. Were this sothere would be not be discrete brakhot for Torahscholars, general scholars, not to mention monarchs,presidents of nations, and such. Note that the mitzvadoes not assert we say a brakha,merely that we standin the presence of these people. Chafetz Chaimcombines respect for elders with respect for religiousleaders; this is the approved conduct recommendedalso in Pirqé Avot –Rebbe Meir taught: "Do not look atthe flask but what it contains". See PA 4:27, comparewith 4:25, 26.
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16. It is imperative to cleave to the Sages and theirdisciples. Dv 10, 20
17. It is imperative tovalue seniority; one mustarise before the aged, andalso the learned elder. Vy19, 32
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18. It being so I do notunderstand why theGemara on MasekhtaBrakhot is far less studiedthan Talmud Naziqin norwhy Hullin is the basis ofKashrut instead of theremark in Br "For you thisshall be food" (Br 1, 29).Nor do I regard anysynagogue as sanctified.Impressive. Inspirational.But not holy.
19. A supremely religious act! Yet I often wonder: How?Is visiting friends religious? Refraining from mundaneacts? Perhaps synagogue attendance is "religious".Shabbat is much more the synagogue attendance. TheSHQ translates this in English as "Declare the Sabbathholy, with words". It was the custom of Ramban todeclare each day before Shabbat, i.e., "today is the firstday before Shabbat on Sunday; today is the secondday on Monday, etc. Chafetz Chaim makes plain hismeaning when he goes on to say that we sanctify thearrival of Sh with Qidush, we sanctify the departure withHavdala; to this I would add that we add-on to the BirkatHamazon, and some have the custom of saying gracebefore dessert in order to make more blessings, for wethen make separate Brakhot on the dessert foods andsay the corresponding Brakha ahrona over each one.
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18. It is imperative torevere holy places. Vy19, 30
19. It is imperative tosanctify Shabbat in allthat we do. Sh 20, 8
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Yet there is more to this; the verb devar means also; thingthus one must sanctify Shabbat in actions as well as words. Itwas the habit of Elimelekh of Lizhensk, one of the lights of thesecond Hasidic generation, to seek his entire household everyerev Shabbat and beg their forgiveness for whatever sins hehad inflicted on them. This is the essence of sanctifyingShabbat in all that we do.
20. I have reversed the order of thismitzva with the last. It seems to memore orderly to that we first dealwith the delights of Shabbat beforethe rituals. Sanctify Shabbat withwords (dvarim, which also means“things”)? Perhaps I have not reallyreversed anything; the delights ofShabbat are words – song lyrics,conversation,laughter – yes, butalso considerable things such asrest, rejuvenation, personallearning, time with friends. Thesame root for Shabbat gives usalso yoshev, yishuv, yeshiva, etc.–situate, settle, college. Clearly,rest is more than cessation of work,it is a settlement of the mind, thespirit, the body, and the soul.Shabbat is fundamental to thewell-being of the entire person.
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20. It is imperative to cease work on Shabbat. Sh 23,12
21. It is imperative to be joyful on festivals. Dv 16,14
22. It isimperative tocease usinghametz on the14th day ofNisan. Sh 12, 16
23. It isimperative to eatmatza at thePassover seder.Sh 12, 18
24. It isimperative to toretell ourdeparture fromEgypt at thePassover seder.Sh 13, 8
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21. Pesah, Shavuot, and Sukkot. The other festivetimes? Chanuka, Purim, and Lag B’omér are all festivebut not festivals for they were innovations of either theMacabees (Chanuka) or the Sages (Lag B’omér). Purimdescribes events in a foreign country (Persia) so eventhough it is based on the Tenakh (Megillat Ester) it ismerely like a festival, but is not a festival. Because it islike a festival the Sages mandate a festive meal, the"Purim seuda".
22. ung is a clever word-play. It is mg (hot) and uin(essence). Read backwards? gnv (growth). Pesah is aplanned annual attempt to discard the intense pressurewe put on ourselves. We need to reverse course andsimply grow. And the more urban we become the moreessential it is we attend to these agriculturalperspectives; this reality grounds our Jewish past and isessential to our Jewish present.
23. Three pieces of matza are used at the seder. Theplural of matza is matzot, and this is the same as theplural mitzvot – only the pronunciation differs.
24. Egypt in Hebrew is Mitzra'im. This literally means"between extremes" but also "the essence (mitz) ofevils (ra'im)." The yetzirat Mitzraim (Exodus) story is auniversal story of overcoming the stark difficulties whichoften confront us. It is imperative to to retell ourdeparture from Egypt at the Passover seders. Themitzva is actually worded "on the eve of 15th Nisan". Itis only a mitzva at the First Seder. Halakha mandatesthe observance of two festive days outside Israel. Theretelling of our history is imperative on both days. Thereare those who reject the second day; we will discussthis more fully below, so I will confine my thoughts to
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Passover alone. Many are now accustomed to a women’sseder and I believe the second day is an ideal time for suchcommemoration. There are also other alternative observanceswhich may suggest a third or even a fourth seder, and whynot? The final two days are also festive days on the Jewishcalendar. I see no reason why they cannot mark anobservance, even if it be seen as "politically correct" by some.Political correctness is essential, temporarily, to redressprevious political incorrectness. Tradition is the memory of acommunity, and woe betide the community which rememberseverything, for then it accomplishes nothing.
25. The three Festivals are all likeShabbat with respect to work.These comments on Pesah applyequally to Shavuot and Sukkot.Rest is a religious obligation. Moreso is it essential to the personaldramas of daily life. These dramas
are essential to Pesah, to Shavuot, and to Sukkot. OurFestivals are each, in their own way, about foodsecurity, about having our basic needs for nutrition andsustenance met. Rest is also a metaphor. Rest is thepause in our personal story – a comma, a semi-colon, aperiod. Work also stops on the second day of each ofthe Three Festivals observed outside Israel; Reformand Reconstructionist trends deny the validity of thesecond day and they are very much mistaken in thisattitude. The assertion that there is no historical reasonfor the second day since the the calendar intercalationalmost 1600 years ago is correct; but these trends fail
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25. It is imperative to cease work on the first day ofPassover. Vy 23, 7
26. It is imperative: count 49 days from the day theomér was broughtto the Temple. Vy23, 15
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to consider that the second day can be modernised: whatis to stop the observance of a civic memory in thesereligious contexts? Victoria Day in Canada or U.S.Memorial Day are close to Shavuot; Canada’sThanksgiving Day is very close to Shavuot. Should notthe efforts of a great hero like Martin Luther King uniquelyqualify for commemoration during Passover (or Shavuot,which given the dietary restrictions of Passover might bemore practical)? The second day of Sukkot is an excellentopportunity to commemorate the Fair Trade movement oracknowledge the concept of greenkosher. Reform, with itssingular attachment to social actions and ethics, shouldlead the charge in this matter.
26. A collection of seven days is shavu'a. A collection ofseven weeks is shavu'ot. The omer was brought from thesecond day of Passover,and links the Passover andShavuot festivals; essentially, it is a single agriculturalfestival representing first planting (Passover) and firstreaping (Shavuot). In modern times a spiritual practicehas evolved wherein the daily counting of the omer islinked to the seven emotional mystical concepts called“sefirot”. The spirituality of emotion? It is linked to thespirituality of the land. In our largely urban age therelationship of anger, jealousy, sadness, love, and otheremotional attributes to our separation from the landcannot be ignored. The Torah observances are alsolinked. Passover marks our Independence Day, Shavuotmarks the day we received our Constitution. The Torahtext plainly mandates counting from the Shabbat ofPesah. Samaritans and Qaraites both count 50 days fromthe Shabbat after Passover; there is thus a fixed day ofobservance for Shavuot in these traditions – Sunday – butno fixed date. The Rabbinic innovation (it must be seenthis way, since the plain meaning of the text is apparent)created a fixed date, Sivan 6.
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27. Passover and Sukkotare each seven days. Theseventh day is the same as thefirst with respect to work.
28. Shavuot is uniqueamong the Festivals because itis a single day.
29. Rosh Hashana marksanother 50 day period. It is 50days after Tish B'Av (9th Av),the only major fast day in theJewish calendar other thanYom Kippur, and like YomKippur it is kept for 25 hours.
30. What is a shofar? Whatis a shofar's sound? A shofar isthe horn of any kosher animal,most commonly a ram but thehorns of cows, sheep, andother kosher animals are allacceptable. A shofar is atangible, natural connection tothe land. Its sound? A singletone. What does it sound like?It sounds like the voice ofHeaven. Even those not movedby religion fail to be moved bythe sound of the shofar.
31. Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveitchik, ORBM, wasparticular to use the designation Yom Ha’kipurim, not“Yom Kippur”. He felt that it was indeed a day (“Yom”)like (“ki-”) a lottery (“purim”).
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27. It is imperativeto cease work on thethe day of Passover.Vy 23, 8
28. It is imperativeto cease work on thefirst day of Shavuot.Vy 23, 21
29. It is imperativeto cease work on thefirst day of Tishré,which is RoshHashana. Vy 23, 24
30. It is imperativeto hear the shofar onthe first day of RoshHashana. Bm 29, 1
31. It is imperativeto cease work onYom Ha’kipurim. Vy23, 32
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32. This is the only Holy Daywhich is a fast. Yet this is notclear from the Torah text,which states "afflict your souls"but does not state in whatmanner to do so. WhetherJewish, Samaritan or Qaraite,the universal understanding isto fast.
33. Who is a sinner? One who scoffs at God. This isnot as the person who rejects God. We are taught inTalmud Brakhot "All is in the hands of Heaven but forbelief in the hands of Heaven". Scoffing is not rejection.It is malice. Some equate sin with crime. This confusesthe barn with the cow. If more people avoided sin crimewould be almost redundant. It always astounds me: Thefirst words on waking up each morning are... Modehani lefanekha... Most assume the first word is modeh"grateful" (from todah, gratitude); in fact, it is m'vahdeh(from hit'vahdeh, personal confession). See YD 338:1,where it clear that Mehaber is not suggesting gratitude(!) over an impending death. And so in this short prayer.Gratitude is also an appropriate feeling. There is thus astrong connection between gratitude and confession,well beyond the scope of our comments here, butnevertheless worth exploring very briefly. Appropriateconfession is a type of meditation which focuses me onovercoming my personal and inter-personal limitations;this, in turn, is a reason for gratitude, for should I not begrateful I am ever able to achieve and improve?
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32. It is imperative to fast on Yom Ha’kipurim. Vy22, 27
33. It is imperativeto repent! Sinners!Turn back from sin;confess before God.Bm 5, 6-7
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34. And so for our otherholy days. Even though Ibelieve the second dayshave value, I question ifthey should be treated asthe first day with respect towork.
35. The spirituality of a sukkah? It is physicallyinsecure. It has no foundation. It encourages spiritualreliance. It is imperative to settle in a sukkah during theseven days of Sukkot. What means "settle?" Manyinterpret it to mean actually dwell in the sukkah. Thisworks for Vancouver, Los Angeles or Miami but notoften for Montreal, Winnipeg or Boston, especially ifSukkot is in October. I can personally attest that living ina sukkah in Montreal in October can result inpneumonia. One fulfills the mitzva merely by eating ameal in the hut. If it is unseasonably cold, I suggestsitting in the hut long enough to make a Brakha on fruit,eat it, and then a Brakha ahrona; then eat the mainmeal, with appropriate Brakhot, indoors.
36. The four species of lulav, hadass, arava andetrog represent the human organs: the spine, eyes,mouth and heart — these are understanding,steadfastness, wisdom, and confession. This midrashichypostasis informs us that we sanctify by beingsanctified.
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34. It is imperative to rest from work the first day ofSukkot. Vy 23, 35
35. It is imperative tosettle in a sukkah duringthe seven days ofSukkot.. Vy 23, 42
36. It is imperative towave the arba minimduring Sukkot. Vy 23, 40
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37. This holy day fascinates: it is a festival but is notamong the Shalosh Regalim, the only such holy day,and unique again:it immediately follows another holyday. Shavu’ot is separated from Pesah by 50 days andSukkot is separated from Shavu’ot by 127 days; there isno separation from Sukkot to Shmini Atzeret. Two orthree days in a row (the final day of Sukkot and ShminiAtzeret, which is two days hutz le’aretz) arenon-working days. Shmini Atzeret is a liturgical festivalfor agriculture and for Torah — we pray for rain and wealso begin reading the Torah from Bréshit. The cycle foragriculture concludes with the prayer for rain (which isthe last thing we want while gathering the harvest) andthe cycle for Torah concludes with the Ve’zot Ha’Brakhain Dvarim. Rabbi Shefa Gold has a wonderful insight:Moshe Rabénu’s grave is unknown and “the messagebecomes, Don’t look to Moses, it is not really about him:The Torah is about YOU.” This insight applies to theharvest also: Don’t look to where you plant, look towhere you grow. Rosh Ha’Shana, Yom Ha’kipurim,Sukkot are all about planting. Shmini Atzeret is aboutgrowing.
38. Tzedaqa is not charity: a mitzva is an obligationand tzedaqa is a mitzva; charity is voluntary. Rambamorganised eight levels of tzedaqa: [a] Givingbegrudgingly without joy; [b] Giving cheerfully, but lessthan one can afford or do; [c] Giving only when onedirectly asks; [d] Giving without request directly to therecipient: both know from where the help came; [e]Giving without knowing who has received the benefit:
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37. It is imperative to cease work on Shmini Atzeret.Vy 23, 36
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38. The recipient knows the donor but the donor does notknow the recipient’s identity; [f] Giving anonymously: Thedonor knows the beneficiary but the recipient does not thedonor’s identity; [g] Giving in such a way that neither donornor recipient know each other; [h] Preventing poverty.
39. Have you doneeverything you said youwould? I always saysomething like “I will dothat, bli neder”. In worksituations where suchlanguage would beinappropriate? “I canprobably accomplish it by...but can’t promise a duedate at the moment.” Insuch situations muchdepends on the urgencyattached to the project byyour supervisor.40. No amount of legalintervention will nullify avow, oath, or promise
unless the party to whom you are obligated releasesyou of your promise. This requires spiritual direction.Two advanced, spiritual people will both approach theBet Din: one to seek release, the other to testify that therelease has been granted; the court will then merelyprovide a remedial solution. It becomes more complex ifone of the parties is uncooperative or has died. In suchcircumstances it is the Bet Din which provides thespiritual direction. Release from vows, oaths, orpromises is never just a legal, administrative matter.
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38. It is imperative toprovide tzedaqa to theJewish poor. Dv 26, 8
39. It is imperative tostand by your word andfulfil your promises andvows. Dv 23, 24.
40. It is imperative toprovide religious andspiritual direction innullifying promises andvows. Bm 30, 3
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41. This mitzva mustsurely challenge some! Afundamental reason forspiritual direction is tointuitively know how tohandle situations whichused to baffle us; surelyrespecting one not worthyof respect follows from thisnew-found skill? It is not amitzva to love or like yourparents.
42. This mitzva must surely add to the challenge ofsome; yet I note that is follows the mitzva of respect. Itseems to me that the respect which flows from spiritualdirection might soon become an innate understandingthat a deeply flawed parent influenced your effects ofcharacter no less than any other part of you; that isworthy of reverence.
43. The mitzva is procreation, not marriage, thisconcept being absent from the pasuq. Some cannotand others will not conceive; are we to condemn themas sinners? Yet another challenge. There may be verydifferent attitudes to sex between the spouses. It isimperative, rather, that two people who mutually respecteach other attain joy through this most intimate of actsand never let it become a weapon.
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41. It is imperative torespect your father andmother. Sh 20, 12
42. It is imperative torevere your mother andfather. Vy 19, 3
43. It is imperative tomarry and procreate. Br1, 28
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44. This is the sacral act ofmarriage; the municipal act isnesu’in and involves thenegotiation of the ketuba. Thusthe ketuba’s final clause, whichestablishes the marriage as anact according to the law ofMoses (qidushin) and Israel(nesu’in). This imperative doesnot limit the possibility of “civilunion” as opposed to marriagein civil law.
45. The Rabanut in Israel have issued taqanot againstthe procedure of Levirate Marriage.
46. This is required by the taqanot of the Rabanut andthe yevama may be jailed for not complying.
47. This is so unless the son is, God Forbid, jaundicedor unwell. In such instances the circumcision ispostponed until the child is well enough to undergo theprocedure. We must also be sensitive to the needs ofblended faith families who enquire if circumcision iscorrect or appropriate. It is always so if the child will beraised in affiliation, even if not Jewish al pi halakha.
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44. It is imperativeto marry by way ofqidushin. Dv 24, 1
45. It is imperativeto marry the widowof your brother if themarriage waschildless. Dv 25, 5
46. It is imperativeto perform halitzawith the yevama. Dv25, 7-9
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48. The proper rendering ofgame or livestock requiressensitivity to animal welfareand the imposition ofsupervision to ensure animalwelfare occurs. The animalmay not be stunned prior toslaughter. Neither may fowl begassed prior to slaughter. Theshokhet says a brakha prior torendering, from which thepopular imagination assumesthat Kosher meat is “blessed”as opposed to slaughtered inaccordance with the zoningregulations imposed byrabbinic convention.
49. It is more imperative toensure the welfare of thelivestock prior to rendering.
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47. It is imperativeto circumcise babyboys on the eight dayafter they are born.Br 17, 12
48. It is imperativeto properly renderlivestock, game, orfowl, if you wish toconsume meat. Dv12, 21
49. It is imperativeto cover the blood ofthe slaughteredanimal. Vy 17, 13
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50. It is imperative tohonour leaders; these neednot be Kohanim.
51. How is one to do thisin an urbanised societythoroughly removed fromthe land? Rather youshould determine therelative value of theforeleg, cheeks and mawand the equivalent in cashshould be donated toMazon: A JewishResponse to Hunger or areputable food bank.
52. It is imperative topurchase warm beddingand coats and donate themto the nearest shelter.
53. Many now consecrate first born daughters. Thisis to be encouraged.
54. Pidyon Ha’Ben does not apply to Levi’im, whoare members of a Tribe permanently in service to G!d;the redemption fee is traditionally $5, payable to aKohén, who then donates it to tzedaqa. A similar ritualfor baby girls is encouraged.
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50. It is imperative tohonour the Kohén. Vy 21,8
51. It is imperative toprovide the Kohén withthe foreleg, cheeks, andmaw of a Kosher animal.Dv 18, 3
52. It is imperative toprovide the Kohén withthe first shearing of thewool. Dv 18, 4
53. It is imperative toconsecrate a first bornmale if he is your firstchild. Sh 13, 2
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55. The donkey is a gentlecreature, suited for guard duty,naturally aggressive with dogs;Torah does not permit it, nor anyequine species, for livestock. SeeEJ 3:16 (bottom). The donkeywas not banned; if it must beredeemed, it was obviously bornon a ranch subject to Torah law.The lamb is also a gentlecreature; it must be guarded andis naturally shy of dogs.
56. An unransomed donkeyputs kosher livestock in pastureat risk: Donkeys on grazing landstend to overeat, competing withthe sheep and cattle for food.
57. This applies to bread andcake made from the five speciesof grain: barley, oats, rye, spelt,and wheat. The modern customof burning the hala must bediscouraged; in the majority ofhomes which purchase from abakery or supermarket, I suggest
that hala entails, instead, purchasing a non-perishablefor immediate donation to a food bank. As to bakers? Isuggest the separation of hala in your case be thedonation of 1% of your monthly output to soup kitchensor similar missions.
58. It is imperative that Israel bless itsleadership,both paid and voluntary.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
54. It isimperative toransom your firstborn male, if he isyour first child andborn to a Jewishwoman. Bm 18, 15
55. It isimperative toredeem a first borndonkey for a lamb.Sh 34, 20
56. It isimperative to breakthe neck of adonkey notredeemed. Sh 34,20
57. It isimperative toseparate hala bypinching it away
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59. There is a mistakenimpression that Kohanimmay not enter a cemeteryeven to bury their close kin;untrue. Furthermore, it isunclear whether such ritualeven pertains,when noTemple stands, and Iadvise you who areKohanim to make your owndecision in this matter.
60. This mitzva is not particular, as will be evident byMitzva 61 below. The love two Jews show for eachother is by its nature different because they sharecultural values – some language (even if not fluent),gestures, religious traditions, and so on. While it is sothat most Jews by far are secular, they neverthelessshare much, though it is perhaps true that secular Jewsand religious Jews are separated by quite a chasm. It ismy own experience, having known both secular andreligious Judaisms, that secular Jews tend to do theseparating; religious Jews owe it to their secular friends,neighbours, and relatives to merely be a stablepresence, a source of wisdom when necessary, butnever to preach or teach. No one likes a know-it-all.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
from the dough and offer it to a Kohén. Bm 15, 258. It is imperative
that Kohanim bless Israel.Vy 21, 2-3
59. It is imperativethat Kohanim bury theirclose kin. Vy 21, 2-3
60. It is imperative tolove all Jews as you loveyourself. Vy 19, 18
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61. The translator of SHQ into English lists “stranger”,“convert” and “proselyte” as three ways of expressing gér.We will leave the last aside, for it is used primarily in Christiantheology, though it seems close in meaning to how Torahuses gér; see the Catholic Encyclopedia website. Both“stranger” and “convert”” apply to gér. In Torah one could liveamong Israel but not be of it – a gér toshev “resident alien”.One who accepted Torah and joined the People Israel, notmerely one who lived among them, was called gér tzedeq“righteous convert”. In our time, when so many of all creedsare actually of none, it is honourable to treat all who are not ofJudaism as in Israel. Interfaith and multicultural activities,ministry to blended faith couples, extending the obligation oftzedaqa to those who are not Jewish, all these are appropriateexpressions of loving the gér.
62. Chafetz Chaim suggests one is more obligated tothis mitzva than to tzedaqa. The mitzva is great if therecipient will be able to start a business, or learn skillsfor business or vocation. The mitzva is greater still ifyou can provide the recipient also with businessacumen, or assist in the preparation of a business plan,and so forth.
63. This includes tools or anything required for anindividual to make a living. This mitzva would put themodern pawnbroker out of business and well it should,and so also for the so-called pay-day loan industry.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
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61. It is imperative to love the gér. Dv 10, 1962. It is imperative to lend money to poor Jews. Sh
22, 2463. It is imperative to return a pledged item back to
its owner when required. Dv 24, 13
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64. This is a spiritualobligation; by the taqana ofHillel Ha’Zaqén calledprozbul a loan due in theshmitta year remainspayable.
65. But a labourer isprohibited to eat producewhile working in the fields.It must be consumed on ascheduled break fromlabour or after the work iscompleted, unless theowner or the managementdoes not object to eating inthe field, but it must beexplicitly stated.
66. This does not mean you need pay for work notperformed; after the work is complete the rate ispayable immediately.
67. The mitzva is for Jewish judges to resolve suchdisputes. Many think Jewish law cannot or does notapply in modern commerce. It is a mitzva not only tosettle commercial disputes at a Bet Din but it is yourobligation as a citizen: you release the Bet Shofet toresolve other disputes.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
64. It is imperative torelease debts in theshmitta year. Dv 15, 2
65. It is imperative topermit farm laborers toeat of the produce thepick. Dv 23, 25
66. It is imperative toprovide a laborer his orher wage the same day itis earned. Dv 24, 15
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68. The mitzva is for Jewish judges to resolve suchdisputes. Many think Jewish law cannot or does notapply in modern commerce. It is a mitzva not only tosettle commercial disputes at a Bet Din but it is yourobligation as a citizen: you release the Bet Shofet toresolve other disputes.
69. The mitzva does not use “Ysraél”, which weunderstand to mean “Jew”, it uses the word “brother”. Irefuse to believe Chafetz Chaim, who goes out of hisway to ensure that the mitzva of loving strangers is wellknown, would for an instant counsel someone not toreturn a lost item to someone who is not Jewish.Chafetz Chaim was a merchant. He closed his financialbooks monthly, and was known to close his spiritualbooks the same way. We must not do less.
70. Whom do you know with a beast of burden? Betteryou should await an opportunity to assist someone withhis or her groceries, or any similar burden, even a flattire or dead battery, especially if infirm or elderly or frail.Even if you do not like this person, so long as he or sheis willing to accept your help.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
67. It is imperative to judge commercial disputes. Vy25, 14
68. It is imperative to return that which has beenstolen. Vy 5, 23
69. It is imperative to return whatever has been lostby a Jew. Dv 22, 1
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71. Even if you do not like this person, so long as heor she is willing to accept your help. We are obligatedto love, which is how we tangibly show our love for God.We are not obligated to like people.
72. There is a skill to this not many possess. Mystrongest suggestion is to ignore someone else’s sinsand concentrate on your own. The best rebuke you canoffer a sinner is your friendship and your leadership byexample. Actions speak louder than words.
73. As with commercial disputes; see above, 67. Andmore so – it is easier to find the spirituality in a propertydispute, most especially in one which involves suchemotional and mental anguish. Of course, not everyonewants a spiritual solution. That's why God Invented ajudicial system. Sahara is no less required here. But, inmy opinion, you are not obligated to judge, arbitrate, ormediate in an atmosphere of tension or intimidation;see especially HM 12, 13, 17, 22; more generallyChapters 7-10, 26, 27.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
70. It is imperative to assist in unloading the burdenunder which a domestic animally struggles. Sh 23, 5
71. It is imperative to assist someone load the burden.Dv 22, 4
72. It is imperative to rebuke a sinner. Vy 19, 17
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74. Have you ever tried to distract a bird from itsbrood? If you value your personal safety, don’t try. Thismitzva is directed at human greed – the individual whostumbles upon something she or her clearly believescan be had for nothing. You can pay the Devil or youcan pay the Lord, but you have to pay somebody.
75. This is a classic zoning bylaw in any moderntown or city and a tangible example that mitzvot havecurrent applicability as “municipal law”, e.g., the law ofgood governance.
76. They attacked from the rear.77. We do not know who Amaleq is. It is less
important to identify Amaleq than to identify thebehaviours of Amaleq. Know what behaviours to avoid:that destroys Amaleq’s descendants.
And you shall live among them mdA eige
73. It is imperative to judge inheritance propertydisputes. Bm 27, 8.
74. It is imperative to send away from the nest. Dv22, 7.
75. It is imperative to make a parapet and to removehousehold hazards. Dv 22, 8
76. It is imperative to remember what Amaleq did Dv25, 17
77. It is imperative to destroy Amaleq and itsdescendants. Dv 25, 19
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And you shall live among them mdA eige
Thus the the mitzvot now applicable, enumerated as77, which in the Holy Language is known to be
mda eige “And by this they shall live”
Here is my commentary on the mitzvot enumerated byChafetz Chaim as now applicable. And the number 77 is
