DEUT1237 [This verse]. Our Sages, z"l, have commented (Kesubos 46a), "A person should not think [sinful] thoughts by day, thereby bringing him to a state of impurity at night," and this, even if he has no intent of acting upon them. This is derived from its context, for following this the pasuk states (Devarim 23:11), "If there is a man among you who is not pure because of a seminal discharge at night."

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DEUT1238 Concerning thought, our Sages have already said in the beginning of our baraisa (Avodah Zarah 20b): "'You shall be careful of all evil things' [this verse], which means that a person should not think [lewd] thoughts by day which will [then] lead to his becoming impure at night." (Yoma 29a): "Thoughts of sinning are worse than the [actual] sin." This is stated explicitly (Mishlei 15:26): "Evil thoughts are the abomination of the Eternal."

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DEUT1239 Regarding sight, they of blessed memory have said (Berachos 61a): "'[From] hand to hand, the evil will not be cleansed' (Mishlei 11:21) means that anyone who counts out coins from his hand to hers in order to gaze upon her will not be cleansed from the judgment of Gehinom." And they also said (Shabbos 64a): "Why did the Israelites of that generation require atonement? Because they feasted their eyes on promiscuity." "Rav Sheshes said: Why does Scripture enumerate the jewelry that is [worn] externally together with the jewelry that is [worn] under [one's clothing]? It wants to teach us that anyone who gazes at [even] the small finger of a woman is regarded as having gazed at her impurity (Berachos 24a). And they also said (Avodah Zarah 20a): "You shall be careful of all evil things' [this verse] means that one should not gaze at a beautiful woman even if she is unmarried [nor] at a married woman even if she is ugly."

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DEUT1240 I might think that this refers to [the need for circumspection vis-à-vis] uncleanliness, cleanliness, and tithe; it is, therefore, written (verse 16): "and there shall not be seen in you a thing of nakedness" [indicating this to be the "evil thing" in question]. And whence is included [in the need for circumspection] idolatry, bloodshed, blasphemy, and all the things for which the Canaanites were exiled and which caused the Shechinah to depart? From: "then you shall guard yourself from every evil thing." And "evil thing" [davar] includes even slander (Sifrei)

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DEUT1241 It was taught: R. Nathan says: "then you shall guard yourself against every evil thing [davar]" -- This constitutes an exhortation against the spreading of an evil name ["davar," also construable as "dibbur" ("speech")] (Ketuvoth 46a)

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DEUT1242 That one not gaze at a beautiful woman, even if unmarried, or a married woman, even if ugly; nor any woman's colorful clothes, nor at a male or female ass, a male or female pig, or birds when they are mating (Avodah Zarah 20b)

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DEUT1243 The Rabbis taught: "then you shall guard yourself against every evil thing" -- that one not think lewd thoughts in the daytime so that he not become unclean [with an emission] at night (Avodah Zarah 20b)

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DEUT1244 See [[DEUT1178]] Deuteronomy 22:14 evil SPERO 147

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DEUT1245 See [[DEUT989]] Deuteronomy 20:10 peace DORFF-RUTTENBERGWAR 102-3

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DEUT1246 Let one never allow anything unseemly to leave his lips; for Scripture deviated [into superfluity of] nine or ten letters [in the Hebrew] to avoid unseemly speech, it being written: "if there be among you a man who is not clean" [instead of, simply: "who is unclean"] (Pesachim 3a)

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