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DEUTERONOMY — 19:16 false

DEUT963 The fourth category [of liars]--One who lies when repeating what he has heard [from others,] deliberately changing some of the facts. He gains no benefit from his lying, nor causes loss to others; nonetheless, he acts this way out of a love for falsehood, rather than speaking everlasting righteousness [Tehillim 52:5; i.e., the truth]. Sometimes he [even] fabricates the entirety of what he recounts! In one respect, the punishment of such a person is less severe, since he has caused no loss to another through his lies and rashness [Yirmeyahu 23:32; i.e., through his flippant attitude]. But he is severely punished for his audacity and his love a falsehood; and his transgression is a heavy one, for he loves it [for its own sake] without deriving benefit. Shlomo, a"h, said (Mishlei 6:19), "One who speaks lies, a false witness." What this means is: if you see a person speaking lies in his conversations and when recounting things, know that this quality will bring him to give false testimony against his brother--to testify something totally fictitious about him [Devarim 19:16; see Rashi] -- due to his love of falsehood. (Continued at [[GEN1607]] Genesis 50:16 message GATES 367)

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DEUTERONOMY — 20:1 afraid

DEUT972 [This verse]. Herein we have been admonished that if a person foresees a calamity approaching, he should bear Hashem's salvation within his heart and trust that it will happen, similar to what the pasuk says (Tehillim 85:10), "Surely His deliverance is near to those who fear Him." The pasuk also states (Yeshayahu 51:12), "Who is [nobel like] you? [Rashi: "Who is] a daughter of tzaddikim like you, filled with merit?"] [Why, then,] do you fear a mortal, destined to die?"

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DEUTERONOMY — 20:19 destroy

DEUT1007 [This verse]. We have been admonished herein not to cut down any fruit trees, even for building [what is necessary] to besiege [an enemy], as long as sufficient non-fruit bearing trees can be found. We have also been admonished not to squander money, not even what involves [only] a perutah's worth. Concerning this, our Sages said (Bava Kama 91b), "One who unduly rents his garments over his dead is administered lashes." This surely applies to one who out of anger shatters utensils, for he has done two wrongs: he has destroyed something of value, and he has allowed his anger to rule [over him,] leading to his violating words of Torah--from here on a war rages within him, due to the yetzer of anger, as it drives him to transgress halachah, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 29:22), "A man of wrath is full of iniquity." We have already invoked for you [the First Gate, paragraph 38] the words of our Sages, z"l (Shabbos 105b): if you see a person who shatters utensils out of anger, regard him as if he had committed idolatry, for this is the way of the yetzer hara – – today it tells him, "Do this," and tomorrow and tells him, "Serve idols."

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DEUTERONOMY — 22:3 ignore

DEUT1110 "You may not ignore it" [The verse discusses returning a lost object to its owner.] We have been admonished herein not to be lax in helping recover another person's money [or property], whether they are movable possessions or land, as our Sages, z"l, said (Bava Metzia 31a), "You shall do the same for any of your brother's lost articles' [this verse] -- this comes to include the loss of land." For example, if one sees his neighbor's land threatened by flooding, he must elect a barrier against it. We are also exhorted to attempt to rescue our fellowmen and to devise ways to help them in their time of need, as the pasuk states (Vayikra 19:16), "You must not stand by while your fellow man's blood is being shed." Shlomo said (Mishlei 24:10), "If you were faint on the day of trouble, your strength will be constricted." What this means is: if it is within your power to save someone through advice or effort, and you make it seem as if you have no ability or strength [to do so]--your strength will be constricted, measure for measure. Following this the pasuk says (ibid. 12), "Lest you say, 'Indeed, we did not know this!' The One who dwells within the hearts, He understands, and the Guardian of your soul, He knows, and He repays man according to his work." So we see that one who refrains from saving [another] and from devising ways of helping [him], Hashem regard this as [that person's] "work" [I.e. as if he has actively sinned.]

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