LEV468 [This verse]. Our Sages, z"l, said (Ketubos 46a) that included in this injunction is not to besmirch the name of another Jew. The punishment from Heaven for this is extremely severe, as will be made clear when [we discuss] the level of death [administered by Heaven] (Paragraph 111. See also paragraphs 222-225).

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LEV505 One the essential principles of derech eretz is to help those who suffer. Rabbeinu Yonah writes (Shaarei Teshuvah 3:70): "We have been taught to attempt to help our acquaintances, to advise them and to assist them in their time of anguish, as it says, 'You shall not stand aside when mischief befalls your neighbor' [this verse]. If the Torah commands us to care for our neighbor's ox and sheep, then certainly we are obligated to care for him. If you have the ability to help him, either through advice or action, and you act as if you are not able to do so, your strength will be taken away; the punishment is proportional to the sin." Thus, Rabbeinu Yonah continues, it is necessary to appoint volunteers in every city who are willing to extend help to anyone who requires it. In Iggeres HaTeshuvah it is suggested that jovial and personable people should be appointed to make peace between Jews, as the verse says, "A soft answer turns away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger" (Mishlei 15:1). David HaMelech prayed that his son Shlomo should have these qualities: "For he shall deliver the needy when he cries; the poor also, and he who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their souls from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight (Tehillim [Psalms-AJL] 72:12-14). The Rambam writes that a king of Israel must possess these qualities: "He must be giving and merciful to meek and great people alike. He must pursue their well-being, and he must respect the honor of even the smallest of the small" (Hilchos Melachim 2:6). Rabbeinu Yonah writes in Shaarei Teshuvah 3:13: "A man must seek the well-being of his nation and exert himself for the benefit of his fellow Jew, whether he be poor or wealthy. This is one of the most essential and stringent requirements."

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LEV544 See [[EXOD796]] Exodus 23:4 enemy COHON 213

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LEV546 See [[LEV176]] Leviticus 16:16 sins GATES 235

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LEV614 The twentieth principle (of repentance) is doing whatever one can to return the many from sin, as the pasuk says (Yechezkel 18:30), "Repent and bring [others] back from all your iniquities" -- from here we learn that this is one of the principles of repentance. The pasuk also says [this verse] "Reprove your fellowman, and do not bear a sin because of him" -- from here we see that if he does not reprove the other person, he will be punished for his [own] sins (by not rebuking others, his repentance for his own sins will be lacking, and he will be punished (Kanfei Yonah). And David [HaMelech], a"h, said in the psalm [that is the foundation for the principles] of repentance (Tehillim 51:15): "I will teach the iniquitous Your ways, and sinners will return to You."

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LEV601 [This verse]. However, when the matter is clear to all – – it is known, tested, and investigated--that the sinner hates rebuke and will not listen to the voice of his instructors, nor turn an ear to his teachers, concerning this the pasuk says (Mishlei 9:8), "Do not reprove a scoffer, lest he hate you." Our Sages said (Yevamos 65b), "Just as it is a mitzvah to say what is listened to, so it is a mitzvah to not say what is not listened to," (Beitzah 30a), "Better that they be unintentional [sinners], than willful ones" (By rebuking him, he will only cause him to sin more. See Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 608:2 for the conditions to this exemption).

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LEV599 "Reprove your fellowman, and do not bear a sin because of him" [this verse]. We have herein been admonished not to bear sin as a result of our neighbors' sinning, by failing to reprove them. If one person sins, once his sin becomes public knowledge the entire congregation is punished because of him, if they fail to reprove him with the rod of their chastisement (Mishlei 22:15). Similarly, the pasuk states (Yehoshua 22:20), "Did not Achan the son of Zerach commit a sacrilege regarding the consecrated item, and wrath fell upon the entire assembly of Yisrael, and that man was not the only one to perish for his sin?" The pasuk also says (Devarim 29:28), "The exposed sins are ours and our children's forever." Even the nations of the world said (Yonah 1:7), "...that we may know on whose account this disaster is happening to us"; how much more does this obligate Yisrael, who are collectively responsible for each other! (See Sanhedrin 27b). In order to be saved from the punishment associated with this [sin], it is fitting to select men of truth and look for men of valor from the entire populace, in order to place them as the overall supervisors in every marketplace and living quarter -- to oversee their neighbors, reprimand them for any act of iniquity, and eradicate the evil.

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LEV750 "You must not practice divination nor soothsaying" [this verse]. ["You must not practice divination" – such as those who divine through weasels and birds. [Another example:] his bread fell from his mouth or a deer crossed his path, which [the diviner] then says is an omen that he will not be successful along his way, thereby causing him to turn away from it. Likewise, one should not turn to diviners, whether to do a certain deed or to refrain from doing one. "Nor soothsaying"--this derives from the root of the word referring to time periods and hours ["onah" is related to the word "t'onaynu.], whereby one says, "Today is an auspicious day for starting to work; this hour is inauspicious for going out." You should also not listen to what the astrologers have to say; rather, you must have faith in Hashem, the God of heaven and the God of earth. Therefore, the pasuk states regarding this (Devarim 18:13), "You shall be whole with Hashem"; [I.e., after the previous verses prohibit divination and soothsaying (Devarim 18:10), the pasuk says in contrast that one should have whole faith in Hashem.] this implies that diviners and soothsayers are wanting in their faith in Hashem. These immoral activities are "deeds of the Land of Canaan," as the pasuk continues (ibid. 14), "For these nations which you are taking over, listen to soothsayers and sorcerers. As for you, however, Hashem, your God, has not allowed you [to do] so."

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LEV769 The fulfillment of a positive commandment is referred to as fear of Heaven, in the same way as is vigilance over a negative commandment, as the pasuk says [this verse], "You shall stand up before the venerable and give respect to a sage, and you shall be afraid of your God (I.e., fear of Hashem leads to the fulfillment of the positive commandment); I am Hashem." The pasuk also says (Tehillim 34:12), "Fear of Hashem I will teach you," after which it says (ibid.; 15), "Turn from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it." We derive from here that anyone who is not engaged in doing good and pursuing peace has contravened the fear of Heaven, He is considered to be among the wicked, for he is not a God-fearing individual, as the pasuk says (Koheles 8:13), "But for the wicked it will not be well, and he will not live long – – like a [fleeting] shadow – – since he is not afraid God."

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LEV803 (Continued from [[LEV458]] Leviticus 19:15 judgment GATES 265). Similarly, the pasuk says: [this and next verse]. "In measure" -- this refers to land measure (I.e., the method used for measuring plots of land. See Bava Basra 89b); "in weight" -- as it implies; "in volume" -- this is liquid and dry measure; "accurate weights" -- these are the balancing weights used on a scale; "eifah" --this is dry measure; "a hin"--this is liquid measure. "I am Hashem, your God, Who took you out…" -- I differentiated in Egypt between the [seminal] drop of a firstborn and that of a non-firstborn (I.e., just like Hashem differentiated who was an Egyptian first born in order to kill him, so too He will discern who is cheating and punish him), and I can be trusted to exact punishment from one who immerses his weights in salt (I.e., In order to change their weight; Rashbam and Tosafos (ibid.) in order to mislead people who are unknowledgeable in these matters.

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