LEV992 See [[EXOD685]] Exodus 22:24 act TZADIK 155

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LEV990 See [[EXOD663]] Exodus 22:21 afflict TZADIK 153

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LEV991 See [[EXOD685]] Exodus 22:24 act TZADIK 155

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LEV993 The second category [of slanderers] consists of one who speaks slander that is true. If one man reminds another in private of the evil deeds of his forbears, he transgresses the Scriptural exhortation [this verse]: "And you shall not wrong one another," the verse referring to wrongdoing with words (Bava Metzia 58b).

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LEV998 Great reward awaits the man who guards himself against envy and desire. For with most of the transgressions a man stands to suffer shame if he transgresses, and he restrains himself because of this. For example, he restrains himself from robbery and theft out of fear that he will be revealed, exposed, and publicized, and that he will be put to shame and suffer a great loss. But envy and desire are in the heart and not subject to public scrutiny, but only to one's conscience. About such matters it is written [this verse]: "And you should fear your God." Even though envy is an extremely evil trait, there is an area in which it is extremely good and noble--the area of fear of Hashem, as it is written (Mishlei 23:17): "Let your heart not envy sinners, but be in the fear of Hashem all the day." It is in this regard that our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Bava Bathra 21a): "The envy of the scribes increases wisdom." If one sees another learning, he should generate envy in his heart and say: "He learns a whole day; I will do likewise." The same applies to all mitzvos and good traits--everyone should envy his neighbor and seize upon his good traits. If one sees an evildoer with a single good trait, let him envy him for the trait and emulate it.

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LEV1007 It is the way of penitents to be exceptionally lowly and humble. If fools shame them with their former deeds, saying: "Yesterday you did this-and-this," or "You said this-and-this," they should pay them no heed but listen and rejoice, knowing that this is to their merit. For as long as they are ashamed of the previous transgressions and are humiliated because of them, their merit increases and they grow in stature. It is a great sin to tell a penitent: "Remember your former deeds," or to mention them before him with the intent of shaming him. On this it is written [this verse]: "Let a man not wrong his fellowman" (Bava Metzia 58b). The penitent should pursue good deeds and keep himself far from thoughts of this world. He should strengthen himself in the counsel of the Blessed One, take shelter in His shade, bear the yoke of the Blessed One's Torah, and abide the shame and scorn of fools, making himself as one deaf, and blind, and dead, as it is written (Tehillim 69:8,11,14): "Because for You I have born shame… I have made sackcloth my garment… And as for me, my prayer is to You, O Hashem, in a time of favor."

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LEV1122 See [[DEUT1650]] Deuteronomy 31:17 evils TZADIK 517-9

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LEV1133 See [[DEUT615]] Deuteronomy 13:6 remove TZADIK 419-21

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LEV1139 See [[LEV41]] Leviticus 5:5 confess TZADIK 495

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LEV1148 One must remember how much one is inclined to love another who looks with favor upon him, as it is written (Mishlei 27:19): "As in water, face is reflected to face, so the heart of man to man." And certainly, if one sees the king looking upon him with favor and showing that he loves him, how much more will one love him and praise him and glorify him for this! And much more so with respect to the Blessed Creator, who made it known to us that He loves us and Who helps us and Who promised to love us in all generations, as it is written [this verse]. How much more so must we love the Blessed Creator every day and every moment!

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