LEV719 In explaining the prohibition against taking revenge in the Torah, Chizkuni writes that the feeling of seething rage completely overtakes a human being [Chizkuni commentary on this verse].

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV738 Most people who have studied the Torah or Judaism are aware of the key verse (mentioned above as possibly the very essence of Judaism) commanding Jews love their fellow as they love themselves- i.e., to treat others as they would want to be treated. But what is the verse that immediately follows these well-known and important words? God commands the Jew not to mate animals of different species, not to plant together seeds of different species, and not to wear a garment that contains wool (the symbol of the animal world) and flax (the symbol of the plant world) [this and preceding verse]. Why? What is the connection between these two verses? The second verse stresses that species and creations of God that are created as separate and different should remain separate and different. Thus, although God wants Jews to love others, he does not want everyone to become the same and homogenized as a result. A Jew should love others, even though they remain different or, perhaps, because they are different. Therefore, Judaism does not wish or attempt to change non-Jews and make them just like Jews. While conversion to Judaism is tolerated, it is not encouraged. Remaining different and still loving those who are different is at the heart of Judaism.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV739 While Rashi states that these are commandments without logical reason, Nachmanides disagrees. He believes that God is telling man that there are limits to his ability and mandate to create and tamper with God's creation. Man may not make hybrids of plants and animals, because that kind of creation is beyond man's scope. Man can create in the world, but not create new species or new creations. Ibn Ezra also states that this prohibition limits man's ability to mix species in his creation (Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra commentaries on this verse]. These opinions seem to prohibit man's ability to manipulate genes or to even attempt cloning human beings, as this should remain in God's realm, not man's. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch also indicates that God wishes to limit man's ability to create through the prohibition of Shatnez, mixing wool and linen. He says that will represents the kingdom of animals (the source of wool) while linen represents the kingdom of plants (the source of linen) [Hirsch commentary on this verse]. Man may not mix them, in order to show symbolically that man may not interfere in the creation of any species or change of any creation by God. Thus, cloning would be a realm beyond man's mandate to create in the world.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV812 See [[LEV161]] Leviticus14:35 something AMJV 222-3

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV813 See [[NUM390]] Numbers 33:35 Etzion-geber AMJV 343

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV850 See [[LEV245]] Leviticus 18:22 abhorrence AMJV 138

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV865 See [[DEUT920]] Deuteronomy 18:9 soothsayer AMJV 20-1

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV907 Finally, when greedy Jewish people are finally exposed for what they truly are, then they are often guilty of probably the greatest sin in the Torah--desecrating God's name [this verse]. If the greedy person is identified as an observant Jew, the desecration of God's name is even greater, because when someone thinks less of God because of this Jew's actions, this sin has been perpetrated (Yoma 86a). The entire purpose of Judaism and one's life as a Jew is to sanctify God's name in the world (Midrash, Tana Debei Eliyahu 26:2). The greedy person who gets caught doing illegal activities does just the opposite. The Torah commands each Jew to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5). Part of that love is to make God beloved to others through one's actions and one's words (Yoma 86a). Thus, a greedy Jew who causes others to despise God has also violated this commandment. Pele Yo'etz calls this the worst sin in the Torah and the most difficult one from which to repent. He says that sanctifying or desecrating God's name often occurs in the realm of business and how people act around money. In our days, when every observant Jew is considered God's "representative" in the sense that he affects how God is perceived by most others, it is especially crucial that all actions by a Jew who supposedly keeps the commandments should uphold God's image. Therefore, for an observant Jew today, there are additional reasons not to engage in any activity even slightly resembling greed (Pele Yo'etz on "Chilul Hashem").

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV919 How does the traditional Jew remind himself or herself (especially in ancient times) that the focus is about God and not about him? In almost every endeavor (in the time of the Torah when most of the economy was connected to farming), the Torah says that before a Jew can enjoy the fruits of his or her labor, before a person pats himself on the back for his achievements, he must first give something back to God and acknowledge that it was God that made this all possible [this verse; also, Exodus 23:9, Numbers 15:20, Deuteronomy 18:4]. Therefore, in an agrarian society, where possessions were not measured by how much money was in the bank, but by crops and sheep, before a person could eat any food he or she had produced with his or her hands and months of toil, he or she first had to give a small percentage to God. This is Jewish law with regard to grain, domestic animals that are born, and any other physical achievement in that society. We could and should learn to translate that pattern to many activities today, besides the usual ten-to-twenty percent to set aside for Tzedaka-charity, in Jewish law. Sefer HaChinuch explains the reasons for these Commandments in the manner described above (Sefer HaChinuch, Mitzvah 606). One lowers one's own self esteem if one realizes that no achievement could have been accomplished without God's help. In order to preclude people developing a self-esteem that is too strong, the Rabbis also advise acting like Hillel, who was very modest, and not with the personality of exactitude that was displayed by Shammai (Shabbat 30b). On the other hand, Hillel was no shrinking violet who thought very little of himself. As he entered a Sukkot celebration, Hillel once remarked, "If I am here, all is here" (Sukkah 53a). (This statement should not be understood on the simple level, since a modest person would never say something so outlandish. The explanation is beyond the realm of this volume.) But a balance must be struck between a good, healthy self-esteem and too much or too little self-worth, both of which cause the person problems. That is why right after stating that man is "nothing," equal to a mosquito, the next verse states that man is just a little lower than the angels (Psalms 8:5-6 with Midrash, Yayikra Rabbah 14:1). A person with low self-esteem should concentrate on the second verse, while a person who has too much self-esteem should study the first verse. The prophet Jeremiah warned about the person who has so much success in areas such as knowledge, strength, and finances. These achievements can easily go to the person's head and raise his or her self-esteem to an unacceptable level. Therefore, he says that a person should not attribute achievements to oneself, but only to God, and only he who concentrates on becoming closer to God can truly be proud (Jeremiah 9:22-23). And a little anxiety in this area--lowering one's self-esteem--is good for a person, to help prevent that individual from becoming evil (Proverbs 28:14). Finally, although the verse in its simple reading seems to say, "God's Torah is perfect and revives the soul," (Psalms 19:8), the term "Meshivat Nafesh" can be translated as "self-esteem." Thus, when a person realizes that it is God's Torah, not his or her Torah, and that all efforts in life should be God-centered, then that individual's self-esteem will be perfected.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV1015 Very often, human beings put others down and cause them to feel anguish. Where does the Torah discuss this? What is the actual definition of the sin, and where and when is it permitted or prohibited? In three verses in the Torah, it says the words "Lo Tone" twice, which can be translated as "You shall not defraud," or more accurately, "You shall not cause distress" to your neighbor [this verse and Leviticus 25:14]. Why twice? What is the difference between the two verses? Rashi explains based on the Talmud (and it is clear from the context of the verse) that the first verse refers to defrauding or distressing a customer in a sale, since the verse refers to selling. This signifies that it is forbidden to overcharge a customer for an item, make the sale price significantly greater than the going rate (usually at least one-sixth above market value). The second verse refers to causing distress to a person with words. When Rashi explains this verse, he brings two different cases that cause distress to a person and represent the sin. First he says it is forbidden to "Yaknit," which is most accurately translated as teasing a person--i.e., making the person feel anguish by saying something that will distress him. The second example is asking the advice of a person in an area that he or she has absolutely no knowledge or expertise. Like the teasing, this will expose the person, make him or her feel embarrassed, and cause psychological pain. Therefore, both types of Ona'ah, grief, which cause a person needless distress--financial and psychological--are forbidden (Rashi commentary on this verse.]

SHOW FULL EXCERPT