DEUT914 See [[DEUT377]] Deuteronomy 8:11 forget TZADIK 27

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DEUT1119 One must also pity beasts, it being forbidden to cause pain to living creatures (Bava Metzia 31a). About this the Torah has said [this verse]: "You shall surely lift them [the fallen animals] up with him." And one must feed his animals before eating himself, as it is written (ibid.11:15): "And I shall give grass in your field to your beasts," followed by: "And you shall eat and you shall be sated" (Berachos 40a).

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DEUT1222 The ninth category [of flattery] consists of one who honors the wicked by way of courtesy. He does not speak well of the wicked man and he does not honor him in such a way as to lead others to believe that he respects him, or he will apportion him honor only in the manner that men honor the rich, by way of "preening" and expectation of gain because their ways have prospered and not because of their intrinsic worth. But herein, too, lies sin and wrongdoing, for though it is permitted to honor the rich, it is not so with the wicked. It is permitted to honor the wicked only on the grounds of fear, fear that they will cause injury or loss at a time when they have the upper hand. It was thus permitted to honor them as men honor the powerful, out of fear and fright by standing, deferring, and the like, but it was not permitted to praise them or speak well of them to others. And thus have our Rabbis of blessed memory said (Sotah 41b): "It is permitted to flatter the wicked in this world." And there are some wicked men whom it is not permitted to flatter, as we find in the case of Mordecai, who is told: "Flatter Haman," and who replied [this verse]: "Do not seek their peace or their good." And even when he was told: "Our Rabbis taught that it is permitted to flatter the wicked to keep the peace," he refused to accept it, as it is written (Esther 5:9): "And he did not stand or stir for him." A man should flatter his wife to preserve household harmony; his creditor, that he not press him; and his teacher, that he teach him Torah. And it is a great mitzvah to flatter one's students and friends so that they learn and listen to his words, to accept his rebuke toward the fulfillment of the mitzvos. Similarly, any man that one thinks he can draw to himself to listen to him to fulfill the mitzvos, who will not respond to severity, but who will accept his chastisement if flattered – – it is a great mitzvah to flatter such a man, to extract what is precious from what is base. There are some men who accept chastisement not through rebuke but through gentle speech, as it is written (Koheles 9:17): "The words of the wise, spoken gently, are heard." And there are some who must be rebuked, as it is written (Mishlei 17:10): "A rebuke enters more deeply into an understanding man." And there are some who require stripes, as it is written (ibid. 19:29): "And stripes to the back of fools." And there are some who even blows will not help, as it is written (ibid.17:10): "Than 100 blows to the fool." If so, what can be done with him? There is no remedy for him but banishment.

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DEUT1352 See [[NUM102]] Numbers 12:1 spoke TZADIK 65-7

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DEUT1492 [Among the fundamentals of repentance]: (13) The regarding of the lesser transgressions as severe ones, such as gazing at women or over-engaging in conversation with them, idle talk, idling, or mentioning God's name in vain. All of these and many others like these, which are considered minor in the eyes of many – even in the eyes of the great men of this generation--all of these should be regarded by the penitent as extremely severe, for four reasons: First, one should consider not the smallness of the transgression, but the greatness of Him who warned against it. This is an analogous to a king's commanding two of his subjects – – one to bring him something to drink to slake his great thirst, and the other to do something that he is not greatly in need of, exhorting each one upon his life to fulfill his respective task. It goes without saying that either of them who transgressed would incur the death penalty – – the stealer of one dinar being hanged just as one who has stolen a thousand dinars, each one having transgressed the king's command. So, in respect to all of the Torah, we have been commanded [this verse]: "Observe all the mitzvah that I command you today," and (ibid:26): "Cursed is he who does not fulfill the words of this Torah to do them." Second, if one commits a minor transgression many times it comes to be regarded as major, the punishment accumulating for each violation. Third, when one is accustomed to certain transgressions, he comes to see them as permissible and does not guard against them, then he comes to be numbered among those who cast from themselves the yoke of Heaven and are considered apostates in a particular respect. Fourth, it is the way of the evil inclination that if it is victorious in a minor matter, it will likewise be victorious in a grave one. Our Sages have, therefore, said (Avos 2:1): "Be as hateful of a lesser mitzvah as of a greater one," and (ibid.4:2): "For a mitzvah draws a mitzvah in its wake, and a transgression draws a transgression."

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DEUT1514 See [[DEUT1492]] Deuteronomy 27:1 all TZADIK 493-5

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DEUT1537 (Continued from [[EXOD315]] Exodus 19:5 heed TZADIK 253). Concerning the curses it is written [this verse]: "And it shall be if you do not listen to the voice of Hashem your God to observe to do our His mitzvos and statutes that I command you this day, then there shall come upon you all of these curses and they shall overtake you," and ( ibid.11:27-28): "The blessing, if you listen to the mitzvos of Hashem your God... and the curse, if you do not listen to the mitzvos of Hashem your God." All of these "listenings" denote not the listening of the ear alone, but rather willingness to do. And so we find with our father Yaakov of blessed memory, that he acquiesced to his mother's will and heeded her counsel in the episode of the blessings and succeeded in receiving them; and he acquiesced in listening to his father and mother and took a wife as directed by them. For this reason, he merited the twelve tribes issuing from him. And it is written (Mishlei 1:33): "And he who listens to me will dwell securely and in tranquility from fear of evil."

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DEUT1542 See [[DEUT1537]] Deuteronomy 28:15 curses TZADIK 253-5

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DEUT1544 See [[DEUT569]] Deuteronomy 12:18 rejoice TZADIK 175-7

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DEUT1551 Cruelty is the opposite of mercy, as it is written (Yirmeyahu 50:42): "They are cruel and have no mercy." This trait is not found in the righteous, but in the souls of the wicked, as it is written (Mishlei 12:10): "And the mercies of the wicked are cruel." This trait is also found among the arrogant, as it is written [this verse]: "An arrogant nation, that does not respect the old and is not merciful to the young." The evil of the trait of cruelty is well known, as may be induced from the fact that the punishment of the wicked, rebellious man is thus epitomized (Mishlei 17:11): "The wicked man seeks only rebellion, but a cruel messenger it will be sent against him." The cruel man does not possess lovingkindness, as it is written (ibid.11:17): "The man of kindness is good to his soul, but the cruel one despises his flesh."

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