LEV731 One who speaks or believes lashon hara also transgresses the positive commandment of וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמֹ֑וךָ , “And you shall love your fellow as yourself” (Vayikra 19:18). This mitzvah requires one to be as concerned about another person's money as he is about his own; it also requires us to be sensitive to another person's honor, and to speak well of him, just as one is mindful of his own honor. Someone who speaks or believes lashon hara or rechilus about another person--even if the information is true--truly demonstrates that he does not love that other person at all, and is certainly not fulfilling the mitzvah of loving him as himself. The strongest proof of this is that every person knows his own faults, yet he still would not want anyone else to find out about even one thousandth of his faults under any circumstances. If by chance someone discovered a few of his shortcomings, and went around telling others about them, he would still hope that Hashem would cause the listeners not to believe the speaker's words. This is also so that others will not view him as a person who is not respectable--even though he knows he has committed many more sins than that which the other person revealed. Nevertheless, the great love that he has for himself overrides all that. This is precisely the approach that Torah requires one to take with regard to a fellow Jew’s honor; (Continued at [[GEN742]] Genesis 9:23 covered SEFER 51).

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV733 Self-esteem must include self-love. The Torah's most famous law, "Love your neighbor as yourself" [this verse] commands us to love the people among whom we live. But implicit in "as yourself" is the command to love ourselves. As a rule, if people don't like themselves, they will be less kind to others. For example, has there ever been an abusive parent with a decent self-image? People who despise themselves are more likely to mistreat others than are those with a positive self-image, particularly when their self image derives, at least in part, from seeing themselves as people of good character.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV736 Those who speak negatively of others also violate [this] commandment. Since people do not want damaging information about themselves shared with others, gossips cannot claim to have even tried to fulfill this fundamental law. Gossips also violate the Torah's Golden Rule by revealing and discussing people's greatest areas of vulnerability. If we entered a room and heard people talking about us, what aspects of our lives would we least like to hear them discussing? It would probably be our character flaws and intimate details of our social life. Yet most of us, when gossiping, focus precisely on these two areas.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV738 Most people who have studied the Torah or Judaism are aware of the key verse (mentioned above as possibly the very essence of Judaism) commanding Jews love their fellow as they love themselves- i.e., to treat others as they would want to be treated. But what is the verse that immediately follows these well-known and important words? God commands the Jew not to mate animals of different species, not to plant together seeds of different species, and not to wear a garment that contains wool (the symbol of the animal world) and flax (the symbol of the plant world) [this and preceding verse]. Why? What is the connection between these two verses? The second verse stresses that species and creations of God that are created as separate and different should remain separate and different. Thus, although God wants Jews to love others, he does not want everyone to become the same and homogenized as a result. A Jew should love others, even though they remain different or, perhaps, because they are different. Therefore, Judaism does not wish or attempt to change non-Jews and make them just like Jews. While conversion to Judaism is tolerated, it is not encouraged. Remaining different and still loving those who are different is at the heart of Judaism.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV739 While Rashi states that these are commandments without logical reason, Nachmanides disagrees. He believes that God is telling man that there are limits to his ability and mandate to create and tamper with God's creation. Man may not make hybrids of plants and animals, because that kind of creation is beyond man's scope. Man can create in the world, but not create new species or new creations. Ibn Ezra also states that this prohibition limits man's ability to mix species in his creation (Nachmanides and Ibn Ezra commentaries on this verse]. These opinions seem to prohibit man's ability to manipulate genes or to even attempt cloning human beings, as this should remain in God's realm, not man's. Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch also indicates that God wishes to limit man's ability to create through the prohibition of Shatnez, mixing wool and linen. He says that will represents the kingdom of animals (the source of wool) while linen represents the kingdom of plants (the source of linen) [Hirsch commentary on this verse]. Man may not mix them, in order to show symbolically that man may not interfere in the creation of any species or change of any creation by God. Thus, cloning would be a realm beyond man's mandate to create in the world.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV737 In The Special Laws (3.46-50), Philo raises an argument which can be relevant in developing a Jewish bio-medical view "according to nature." Using the prohibition of (this verse) and Deuteronomy 22:9–11 against mixing diverse types of seeds/fabrics/animals as the basis for his discussion, Philo establishes the reason for this prohibition in three separate arguments. Each argument, however, is related to the basic "according to nature" view. First, one who mixes different species "will be punished as an offender against the decree of nature, who is careful to preserve the primary species without adulteration." Second, Philo relates this "mixing" as a biblical euphemism against "unlawful forms of intercourse" and to prohibit the introduction of "monsters of the kind that may be expected to spring from such abominations." Finally, Philo argues that "even people who care little for seemliness would not continue to use (these animals)… because they no longer will serve a purpose in life, their survival, even if it is turned to some account, is just a superfluity, 'cumbering the earth, as the poet puts it." Homer, The Odyssey, 20. 379. 46 This final reason unlike the first two raises a new consideration. To Philo nature has a purpose and creation is unique. Even if the purpose of the new "creation" is profit yielding, the creation must serve human life or be judged "clutter." Though Philo is speaking about a primitive bio-medical technique only vaguely similar to modern bio-medical technology, but (sic) the principle which he raises can be applied in bio-medical and modern scientific ethical consideration.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV740 The Pentateuch itself does not give any reason for the prohibition against plowing with an ox and ass together. Conceivably it belongs to the group of laws which oppose the mixing of diverse kinds, as we have in connection with sha'atnez and kelayim [this verse]. Indeed, Maimonides sees the prohibition against working animals of two different species together as a preventative against their having intercourse. (Sefer Ha-Chinukh, mitzvah 550). It is more likely, however, that the reason for this law is the general principle of tza'ar ba'alei chayyim: the prevention of pain to animals. For an animal to have to live or work together with others not of its own species is in itself a source of uneasiness and anxiety. Or as Ibn Ezra points out, yoking animals of unequal strength together is to certainly cause pain to the weaker animal and frustration to the stronger one (See his comments on Deuteronomy 22:10. See also the interesting theory of the Ba'al ha-Turim (on Deuteronomy 22:10), who states that since the ox, as a kosher animal, ruminates constantly, while the ass, as a non-kosher animal, does not, it will appear to the ass that the ox is "eating" all day, and as a result it will become aggravated with envy.)

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV741 See [[EXOD892]] Exodus 23:19 boil SACTAB 57-9

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV742 Do not crossbreed animals. Hashem created His world with wisdom and understanding. He gave each creature its own purpose and place in the grand scheme. Knowing what every creature requires to serve its purpose, He commanded each species to reproduce only with its own kind, so that each one retains its uniqueness and will not be missing any of the traits that are needed for the achievement of its purpose. Mixing of the species undermines the grand scheme and Hashem’s blessing will not rest upon the resulting creature. Therefore, the crossbreeding of animals is forbidden. This also is one of the reasons for the Torah prohibition on grafting fruit trees and mixing seeds.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

LEV743 See [[GEN163]] Genesis 1:28 rule SACTAB 183-4

SHOW FULL EXCERPT