LEV553 Do not harbor hatred towards your fellow Jew. Concealed hatred is worse than observable hatred, so the Torah particularly warns against harboring hatred in one's heart. [He who lets his hatred show does not violate this command, but he does violate the negative commands, “Do not bear a grudge” (לא תטר) and “Do not take vengeance” (לא תקם). Moreover, he also violates the positive command, “Love your neighbor as yourself.”] … hatred in one's heart causes many serious problems between people. It gives rise to every type of slander, informing and talebearing, and no trait is more evil and abominable to any thinking person.

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LEV587 It is a positive commandment to upbrade a sinner as Scripture says, you shall surely rebuke your fellow [this verse]. He is to inform him that he does himself a wrong by his evil acts; and he is to inform him that he is telling him this only for his own benefit, to bring him to life in the world-to-come. It is his duty to reprimand him until he listens to him, or until he strikes him and says, "I will not listen to you." There are some early authorities who are lenient about this, holding that it is enough until there is an angry retort [that the other gives us and rejecting our efforts]. But even the first view applies specifically when the person violates a prohibition by Torah law, and when he estimates that it will be effective for the future, that the other person will not do this thing again. Even a person of lower stature is duty-bound to rebuke a person of higher stature. Whoever has it in his power to oppose [a sinner in his act] and does not do so, falls victim to the guilt of his sin. Now, even though it is a religious duty to rebuke him [a sinner], he should not shame him first. It is a religious requirement to accept rebuke and to bear the chastiser affection. We find in the teachings of the Sages (Talmud Bavli, Shabbath 40a) that even if a person willfully violates a prohibition enacted by the Sages, it is permissible to call him a transgressor.

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LEV589 Rebuke your fellow for his improper behavior. Constructive criticism brings peace and blessing to the world. When someone wrongs his neighbor, if the victim speaks to the offender about it in private and in soft tones rebukes him for his act, the guilty party will apologize and peace will be restored between them. On the other hand, if the victim remains quiet and does not offer rebuke, he will develop hatred in his heart for the one who wronged him. In time, he will try to take revenge upon him.

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LEV620 It is a negative commandment not to shame one's fellow-man as Scripture says, and you shall not bear sin because of him [this verse]; and all the more certainly so in public. It is a great wrong; the Sages of blessed memory said (Talmud Bavli, Baba M'tzi'a 59a): Whoever shames his fellow-man in public has no share in the world-to-come. We must therefore take care not to disgrace anyone, be he of low or high stature. Nor should we call him by any name of which he is ashamed. This applies, however, specifically to a matter between one man and his fellow-man. In matters of Heaven, though, if a person [sinned and he] did not repent when he was rebuked in private, he is to be shamed publicly, and his sin is to be made known in public, until he returns to the good path.

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LEV617 Do not cause shame to your fellow Jew. People cannot bear embarrassment. There is no greater type of suffering, so Hashem forbids us to embarrass our fellow Jews. When a Jew sins, one must rebuke him privately, not in public, so that he will not suffer undue embarrassment.... This is so when he has wronged his fellow Jew. On the other hand, if he has sinned against Hashem—i.e., his wrong is only between him and his Maker--if he does not heed rebuke that is given to him in private, it is a mitzvah to rebuke him in public and thereby cause him embarrassment. One continues to rebuke him and publicize his sin, until he is overcome by shame and repents.

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LEV670 Love your fellow Jew. Feel love and concern for your fellow Jew. Show mercy on him. Be concerned about him and his belongings as much as you are concerned about yourself and your belongings. … as a person treats his neighbor, so, too, his neighbor will treat him. Mutual good will leads to peaceful co-existence.

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LEV718 Do not take vengeance against your fellow Jew. Each of us must realize that whatever happens to him is only because Hashem decrees it. Therefore, if someone causes us pain or suffering of any sort, he must realize that he is not the root cause. Rather, the root cause is our sins, and Hashem decreed that the pain or suffering befall us. If this fact is clear to us, we will not take vengeance on those who harm us or cause us suffering. In addition, a great benefit derives to us from this mitzvah, for it quells hatred before it has a chance to grow, so it prevents outbreaks of strife and quarrelling. When people do not take vengeance and do their best to live in peace with one another, Hashem will bless them and grant them peace.

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LEV742 Do not crossbreed animals. Hashem created His world with wisdom and understanding. He gave each creature its own purpose and place in the grand scheme. Knowing what every creature requires to serve its purpose, He commanded each species to reproduce only with its own kind, so that each one retains its uniqueness and will not be missing any of the traits that are needed for the achievement of its purpose. Mixing of the species undermines the grand scheme and Hashem’s blessing will not rest upon the resulting creature. Therefore, the crossbreeding of animals is forbidden. This also is one of the reasons for the Torah prohibition on grafting fruit trees and mixing seeds.

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LEV749 Do not eat and drink as a low-life. Generally speaking, most of a person's sins stem from overindulgence in food and drink. [Such is written explicitly (Devarim 32:15),וַיִּשְׁמַ֤ן יְשֻׁרוּן֙ וַיִּבְעָ֔ט שָׁמַ֖נְתָּ עָבִ֣יתָ כָּשִׂ֑יתָ וַיִּטֹּשׁ֙ אֱלֹ֣והַ עָשָׂ֔הוּ--But Yeshurun waxed fat and kicked; you became fat, thick--and forsook God Who made him.” Similarly, our Sages teach (Berachos 32a), מלי כרסיה זינא בישא--Having filled his stomach, a man will come to do wretched deeds”]. The reason is that food is עיסת החומר—“yeast (an ingredient that causes ‘rising’) of the physical.” By contrast, reflection upon wisdom, fear of Heaven and Hashem's precious commandments is “yeast” of the soul. Man's body and soul are diametrical opposites, so that at a time when one's body is “rising” because of its “yeast,” one’s soul is weakened to a certain extent. For this reason, there were Sages who did not partake of food more than what was necessary to sustain their souls. For our benefit and with this idea in mind, the Torah forbids us to overindulge in food and drink, for such excesses cause an “uprising” of the body to the point where the soul is virtually crushed and destroyed. Why is the Torah’s warning about this excess addressed specifically to an adolescent [the laws of the “rebellious son” apply only during the first three months after a boy’s bar mitzvah]? Is because just then his desires peak and he becomes obligated to take precautions for the sake of this soul. From a law that applies to but three months of adolescence, he must learn an ethical lesson that is critically important for as long as he lives.

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LEV751 Do not heed superstition. Included in the prohibition is belief in all “bad omens” and superstition. Such beliefs are utter nonsense. For the Jewish nation--recipients of the Torah of Truth--it is inappropriate to lend any credence to any falsehood. In addition, matters such as these can undermine a person's belief in Hashem and His Holy Torah. Lending credence to superstition can lead to heresy and denial of the Torah, for one behaves as if things that happened to him, good or bad, are chance occurrences that have independent power over him, as if Hashem is not watching and is not in control. In effect, therefore, lending credence to superstition can cause a person to forget the most basic tenant of the Jewish faith. Since Hashem wants good for us, He commands us to clear our minds of such nonsense and establish in our hearts that all that happens to us is from Him, according to our deeds, and omens have no power over us whatsoever, positive or negative.

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