LEV229 [This verse]. All physical closeness is forbidden, such as touching the hands of a married woman (although the verse says "close relatives," the prohibition includes a woman married to someone else (see Sifra 18:15 [146]). According to Rabbeinu Yonah, this prohibition is from the Torah, and not Rabbinic; see his Igeres HaTeshuvah 19, and Zeh Hasha'ar on paragraph 138.); "to uncover her nakedness" means to explain that such physical closeness leads to illicit relations.

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LEV268 (Continued from [[DEUT416]] Deuteronomy 10:12 request GATES 167). The Rabbinic decrees and the restrictions are the basis [for following] the path to fear of Hashem. They create a fence and a distancing, preventing one from contact with a prohibition of the Torah, just the way an owner of a field fences in his field, because of its prized value, for he fears lest people enter his property and turn it into a place for the grazing of cattle and the roaming of sheep (Yeshayahu 7:25). [The above stated concept] is similar to what it says: "'You shall safeguard my restrictions' [this verse]--make a safeguard for My safeguards" (Yevamos 21a). Extreme vigilance, a fence, and distancing from prohibitions is fundamental to fearing Hashem; one who expands on his vigilance will come to the great reward, as the pasuk says (Tehillim 19:12), "Moreover, Your servant is careful with them; in safeguarding them there is abounding reward."

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LEV310 See [[DEUT1499]] Deuteronomy 27:16 shames GATES 191

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LEV338 "You must not steal, or make a false denial, or lie [by oath]" [this verse]. Our sages said (Bava Metzia 61b), "Do not steal with the intent of causing another distress, " i.e., one should not say, "Let me steal so-and-so's utensil so that he will be upset and distressed, [to teach him] to be more careful in guarding his utensils -- afterwards I will return it to him." It is also forbidden to take a utensil from his neighbor's house in the manner of a thief, with the intent of using it and then returning it. He should also not retrieve his own object from behind the back of the one who stole it from him, to avoid appearing like a thief [himself].

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LEV351 Lashes are administered for some of the prohibitions relating to speech, for this is what our Sages, z"l, said (Makos 16a): "Pertaining to all the prohibitions of the Torah, lashes are not administered for [the violation of] an injunction lacking a physical action, with the exception of one who swears (i.e., falsely or in vain) or curses another in Hashem's Name." Although an oath taken in vain does not involve capital punishment administered by beis din, nonetheless, its punishment through Heaven is much more severe than that of the many transgressions that do have such capital punishment -- for one who swears falsely desecrates Hashem's Name, as [this verse] says. ..., and the punishment for the desecration of God's name supersedes that of all other sins. This is not stated (i.e., that a prohibition involves desecration of Hashem's Name), [in the Torah] in respect to any transgression other than that of a false oath and idolatry, as the pasuk says [concerning idolatry] (Vayikra 20:3), "For he gave of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile that which is sanctified to Me and to desecrate My holy Name."

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LEV366 Although lashes as administered by a court of law are not given for these types of prohibitions [i.e., that can be rectified by fulfilling a positive commandment, such as sending away a mother bird], nonetheless, some of them carry severe punishment--[the sins] reach right up into the heavens, and their judgment ascends into the upper firmament (Yirmeyahu 51:9). An example of this would be theft, as the pasuk says [this verse], "You shall not rob," which is rectified by [fulfilling] the positive commandment of (Leviticus 5:23) "He must return the robbed article." (Continued at [[GEN612]] Genesis 6:13 lawlessness GATES 195).

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LEV379 "You must not curse judges (Lit., "God." The appellation of Elohim is used in the verse as a reference to both God and judges; see Rashi (Shemos 22:27). Rabbeinu Yonah here discusses only the latter), nor may you curse a leader of your people (Shemos 2:27); "You must not curse a deaf person "[this verse]. We have been admonished herein not to curse a Jew with the use of Hashem's Name, or with any of the appellations of Hashem's Name (See Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Sanhedrin 26:3). That which the Torah mentions, "You must not curse judges," "a leader," and "a deaf person," (I.e., why are these singled out when it is forbidden to curse any Jew?) comes to admonish not to curse the judge who finds one guilty, nor the leader who punishes him, delivering him into the hand of his own iniquity (Iyov 8:4). It is necessary to single out the deaf, lest one say, "There is no punishment for one who curses the deaf since he cannot hear and does not suffer as a result of his being cursed." "You must not curse judges" is stated at the end of Parashas Mishpatim, teaching us that it is forbidden to curse the judge who adjudicates in accordance with these laws (the Torah portion of Mishpatim from its beginning (Shemos 21:1) until the injunction against cursing a judge (Shemos 22:27) discusses monetary laws. Only the judge who rules in accordance with these laws may not be cursed.) However, the judge who does not rule by these laws may be cursed. (Continued at [[DEUT1554]] Deuteronomy 28:5 Name GATES 227)

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LEV412 "Do not place a stumbling block before an undiscerning person" (Lit, "a blind person.") We have been admonished herein not to instruct the Children of Yisrael [in ways that are] not in conformity with [Torah] law and halachah. Our Sages, z"l, said (Avos 1:1), "Be deliberate in judgment." Those who make haste in the grasping and rendering of halachic decisions cannot avoid placing an obstacle before an undiscerning person, and their sin carries grave implications, as the pasuk says (Tehillim 82:5), "They neither know nor understand; they will go about in darkness, all the foundations of the Earth will be shaken." (Rashi: "The judges who corrupt the judgment will not know or understand that due to this sin they will go about in darkness and the foundations of the world will be shaken.") They further said (Avos 4:13), "Be painstaking in study for carelessness in study is tantamount to willfulness" (I.e., If you make a mistake in halachah because of carelessness in your learning, Hashem sure will consider it as if you did so willfully (R. Ovadyah of Bartenura). They also said (Sotah 22a), "'For she has felled many dead' (Mishlei 7:26) -- this refers to a disciple who is not yet qualified to render halachic decisions, yet does so. 'Enormous is [the amount of] all she has slain' (ibid.) -- this refers to a disciple who is qualified to render halachic decisions, but does not do so." We have further been admonished from this pasuk to give proper advice to one who takes counsel with us, and not mislead him with foolish advice. Furthermore, one should not advise another with his own benefit in mind (Sanhedrin 76).

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LEV458 [This verse]. [T]o what [type of] "judgment" does the beginning of the verse refer to? (I.e.,., the Torah does not have any unnecessary words; thus the beginning of the verse must be referring to some type of injustice not mentioned afterward.) Our sages, z"l, said (Sifra 19:5-6) that this is a reference to [being honest in] measure, weight, and volume. This teaches us that one who measures is referred to as a judge; if he is dishonest when measuring it is as if he has carried out an injustice in judgment, and he is called iniquitous, repugnant, anathema, and loathsome. Furthermore, he causes the emergence of five phenomena, just as one who performs an injustice in judgment does: he defiles the land, desecrate Hashem's Name, drives away the Divine presence, causes the people to be downed by the sword, and leads to their being exiled from their land. (Continued at [[LEV803]] Leviticus 19:35 injustice GATES 267).

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LEV459 If you observe someone who either says something or performs a particular deed, and his words or actions can be judged in either a negative or positive way -- if he is a God-fearing individual, you must judge him favorably, by way of the truth (I.e., even though the circumstantial evidence points toward guilt, since he is God-fearing, in truth he is probably innocent), even if the facts are closer and lean more toward his guilt. If he is within the norm, people who [on the whole] are careful not to sin, and yet sometimes falter, you must give him the benefit of the doubt and judge him favorably (Here Rabbeinu Yonah does not add, "by way of the truth."), as our Sages, z"l, said (Shabbos 127b), "Whoever judges his fellow man favorably, will [himself] be judged favorably by the Omnipresent." This is a positive commandment of the Torah, as the pasuk says [this verse], "You shall judge your fellowman justly." If the facts lean toward his guilt, you must treat it as you would any uncertainty – – do not tip the scales against him. But if the majority of his deeds are [geared] towards evil, or if you have checked that within his heart there is no fear of God, then [you must allow] his words and deeds [to] tip the scales against him, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 21;12), "A righteous person understands the house of the wicked; he construes the wicked towards evil." We have already explained this (Rabbeinu Yonah elaborates upon this verse in his commentaries to Mishlei (21:12) and Avos (1:6).

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