DEUT474 Cleave to Torah scholars. … it enables us to learn the ways of Hashem. One violates this precept if one does not form close associations with Torah scholars, or does not fix love for them in his heart, or does not make efforts to promote their welfare when he is able to do so. He nullifies a positive commandment of the Torah. His punishment is very great, for Torah scholars uphold the Torah, keeping it strong, and because of them, many souls are saved. All who accustom themselves to being close to Torah scholars are much less likely to sin.

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DEUT481 Fear Hashem. … the best protection against sin is fear of punishment. This is one of the six “constant” mitzvos [cited in the Mishnah Berurah, Siman 1 in the Biur Halachah, Hu klal], for one always must fear Hashem. All of the days of one’s life, at all times and places, one is duty-bound to fulfill this mitzvah. If someone is about to sin, he is obligated to stir his spirit and realize that Hashem watches everyone's actions and takes vengeance, in its correct measure, for each wrong that the person commits.

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DEUT556 Do not destroy anything that is associated with Hashem's Name. Do not destroy anything that has Hashem’s name written on it. So, too, do not destroy anything that is associated with His Name, such as any part of the Beis HaMikdash, wood for the Altar, Torah sefarim and so on. Likewise, do not erase any of His holy Names. Key concept: Regarding all matters of holiness, the Jewish nation is to approach them with awe, trepidation and fear. By means of this mitzvah, fear of Hashem fills their hearts.

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DEUT557 Bring vowed objects to the Beis HaMikdash during the first festival after the vow is uttered. Key concept: When a person vows to perform a mitzvah, he must not be lazy about fulfilling the vow. After all, people are quick to fulfill the commands of kings of flesh and blood, so all the more so should we be quick regarding commands of the Holy One, the King of kings. Still, when someone makes a vow to bring something to the Beis HaMikdash or to perform a mitzvah there, the Torah does not trouble him to travel to Jerusalem immediately to fulfill the vow. That would be an undue burden, and it would cause people to refrain from making such vows, to avoid the strain of having to travel immediately. At festival time, however, almost everyone must go to Jerusalem anyway, so the Torah warns us to fulfill such vows during the first festival after the vow is made. [Regarding vows such as these, the Torah warns, “Do not delay,” but one does not violate this prohibition unless three festivals have passed and the vow was not fulfilled. On the other hand, our verse is a positive command, and if the person that vows does not fulfill his vow before the end of the first festival, he notifies a positive precept of the Torah].

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DEUT560 Bring all offerings in the Beis HaMikdash. Since the world has been given a special place where offerings are to be brought, and people constantly come there to seek Hashem, that place has a special sanctity. Hashem desires it and constantly showers great blessing upon it. Also, people’s hearts fill with awe and soften at the mere mention of this place, and when their eyes behold it, they repent their sins and return what they stole or extorted. Even were it possible to bring offerings elsewhere, the aforementioned blessing would not be present. This explanation is addressed to children, until they mature and acquire wisdom, which will enable them to understand in all of the words of the Torah deep and sublime concepts.

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DEUT561 When an offering suffers a blemish, redeem it. Hashem in His kindness lets us derive benefit from an animal that was destined for the Altar but suffered a disqualifying blemish and then was redeemed. Although it had been dedicated for the Altar--and it thereby attained special sanctity because the Name of Heaven had been called upon it--Hashem deals graciously with us. He does not command that since His sacred Name was called on the animal for a moment, the animal becomes off-limits forever. Hashem's kindness is so great, He makes it a mitzvah for us to redeem the animal, so that we will have no doubt about the propriety of the matter. Were redemption simply allowed but it was not a positive mitzvot, there would be room to think that those seeking higher levels of piety should not redeem such animals and should not derive benefit from them. For this reason, the Torah states that having redeemed offerings that become blemished, we shall eat of their meat “just as [we eat] of the deer and of the hart,” for the deer and the hart, although they are kosher, cannot be offerings at all. The sanctity of offerings never can descend upon them, and the Torah tells us that a blemished offering after redemption is just like them. The meat is permitted, and one does not need to think twice about eating it.

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DEUT564 No Kohen shall eat the first fruits before they are brought to the Beis HaMikdash and are put down in the courtyard. Key concept: The bikkurim are brought to the Beis HaMikdash so that Kohanim, Hashem’s attendants there, may eat of them [See [[EXOD897]] Exodus 23:19 fruits CHINUCH 60]. Because of the reason provided there, no Kohanim may eat of the bikkurim before they are put down in the courtyard and non-Kohanim are never allowed to eat bikkurim.

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DEUT565 Do not eat the meat of kodashim kalim until after the animal’s blood is sprinkled on the altar. Key concept: To teach us that in all matters, one attends to the matter’s benefit to the soul before one attends to its benefit to the body. It would not be fitting for the body to derive benefit from the offering’s meat before the offering’s blood is put on the Altar, for the latter atones for the soul.

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DEUT566 Do not eat meat of sin offerings or guilt offerings outside of the courtyard of the Beis HaMikdash. One eats meat of the offerings in a specially designated place, so that those to whom the meat is permitted will eat with the proper intention. Regarding sin offerings and guilt offerings, our Sages teach, “The Kohanim eat and thereby, the owners of the offerings attain atonement,” and the Kohanim must keep this idea in mind while eating. Were they allowed to eat the meat wherever they pleased, they would be distracted from the purpose of their eating.

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DEUT567 Do not eat the meat of an olah (wholly burnt offering). See [[EXOD940]] Exodus 25:8 sanctuary CHINUCH 62-5

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