EXOD749 It is a negative commandment for a judge not to hear the argument of one party to a lawsuit when the other party is not there for Scripture says, You shall not take up a false report [this verse]. A litigant (party to a dispute) is likewise adjured not to present his statement to the judge before his fellow-litigant comes; we read the text lo thissa, "you shall not take up" as though it were lo thassi, "you shall not cause to be taken up." Included in this prohibition is the rule not to accept and not to relate evil slander, and not to give false testimony.

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EXOD768 It is a negative commandment for the court not to accept the testimony of a man of sin for Scripture says, You shall not set your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness [this verse]. If one qualified witness knows that the other one is wicked while the judges do not recognize his sinfulness, he is forbidden to give testimony with the other – – even true testimony – – on account of the prohibition, You shall not set your hand with the wicked. There is no need to add that if he knows that the second witness is going to give false testimony, he is forbidden to testify with the other.

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EXOD812 [This verse]. And he has to walk with him as far as a parasang [a distance of about 3.5 miles - AJL] [to make sure all is now in order] unless the owner of the load says, "I do not need you."

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EXOD825 It is a negative commandment for a judge not to pervert justice for a sinner on account of his wickedness for Scripture says, You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his suit [this verse]; and the meaning of "your poor" is a person who is impoverished in mitzvoth.

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EXOD865 It is a negative commandment for a judge to accept no bribe as Scripture says, And you shall take no bribe [this verse] – – even to render a true judgment. He is duty-bound to return it. And even a bribe of words [flattery] is forbidden. Whoever gives it violates the prohibition, nor shall you put a stumbling-block before the blind (Ya-Yikra 19:14). As for payment for being idled, since it is evident that he is interrupted from his work while he is occupied with a judgment, it is permissible for him to take [a fee] from both litigants equally.

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EXOD873 It is a positive commandment to bear affection for a ger (stranger, convert, proselyte) as Scripture says, You shall therefore love the ger (stranger)" (D'varim 10:19). This is a religious duty in addition to the precept, you shall love your fellow as yourself (Va-yirkra 19:18) (since, plainly, a ger is also included in general Jewry). The Holy One, blessed be He, loves the ger, since it is written, He loves the stranger, in giving him food and clothing (D'varim 10:18); and it says, and you know the heart of a stranger [this verse]. The meaning of ger here is one who has come from another land or another city to live with us (Sefer haHinnuch, §431 (the precept of love for converts) seems to present this not as an actual mitzvah, but rather as a good mode of behavior which is learned from the mitzvah [Ed.]), and all the more certainly a proselyte who has converted to Judaism.

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LEV55 It is a positive commandment to return whatever one has taken in robbery as Scripture says, he shall restore what he took by robbery [this verse]. If a person seizes by robbery something worth from a p'rutah [the smallest coin] and up, he is to return it to the robbed person. If the robbed man has died, he is to return the seized object to the heirs. If the seized object is lost, he is to give its value in money. Included in this commandment there is also the duty of returning anything gained by theft or swindle.

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LEV232 It is a negative commandment not to be in close contact with consanguineous relations, even without conjugal intimacy as Scripture says, None of you shall approach anyone near of kin to him, to uncover nakedness [this verse] -- which means, for example, embracing and kissing, these being things that lead to "the uncovering of nakedness" [immorality]. If someone violates this and embraces or kisses [a forbidden consanguineous relation] or enjoys physical proximity with her, he should be given whiplashes, and is to be suspected of immorality. It is forbidden to wink or signal or play with them, or to sniff the perfume on them, or gaze at their beauty. One should do nothing that leads to improper fantasy; and it is forbidden to produce a seminal emission, this being a very severe sin. If someone deliberately brings on an erection, he is in a state of excommunication. It is a religious commitment by the Sages to marry off one's sons and daughters close to their age of maturity; for if he lets them be, they will be led to immorality or improper fantasy. It is forbidden to marry a woman to a minor, for that is like immorality. A young man should not marry an old woman, nor should an old man marry a young girl, as that leads to immorality. It is forbidden to be in private with a consanguineous relation, and it is also forbidden to be alone with a single girl. If someone is alone with a woman with whom he is forbidden to be in private, both should be flogged with whiplashes of disobedience, and their misdeed should be proclaimed--except in the case of a married woman. Then no flogging is given and it is not proclaimed, although it is forbidden to be alone with her -- so as not to give rise to slander about her children [that perhaps they are illegitimate].

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LEV255 It is a negative commandment to have no carnal intimacy with a male as Scripture says, You shall not lie with a male as with a woman [this verse]. This is an admonition to the passive partner also, reading lo thishkav ("You shall not lie") as lo thischachav (the passive form). Once there was intimacy by the intromission of the corona, both would be punishable by the death of stoning. If it was delivered but without a [prior] warning, the penalty would be kareth [Divine severance of existence]; and if it was done unwittingly, a hattath (sin-offering) would be required.

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LEV293 It is a positive commandment to have a reverent fear of one's father and mother as Scripture states, You shall fear every man his mother and his father [this verse]. Now, what is the reverent fear (meant here]? One is not to stand or sit in his [the father's] place; he is not to contradict his words or express a deciding opinion about his words; nor is he to call him by his name either during his lifetime or after his death, but is only to say, "My father, my master." The father and mother are both equally (in importance) entitled to honor and reverent fear; and Scripture equated in importance the honor and reverent fear due them with the blessed God. If someone transgresses this and is disparaging about reverent fear for them, he disobeys a positive commandment, unless he acts by their knowledge. For if a father is willing to forgo his honor, it may be overlooked.

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