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DEUTERONOMY — 30:14 mouth

DEUT1608 As it is written (Mishlei 20:4): "The lazy man will not plow in the winter." Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: "This refers to one who did not study Torah in his youth and wants to do so in his old age, but is not able, as the first concludes: 'Therefore, he shall ask in the harvest, but have nothing.' Thus far did king Shelomo condemn the lazy man, but Moshe our teacher, may peace be upon him, said something greater than everyone, as it is written [this verse]: 'For this thing is extremely close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it' – only take the thing from out of your mouth (Devarim Rabbah 8:6). And there is no laziness greater than that of failing to emit the words from one's mouth.

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:15 life

DEUT1610 Human life, like personality, forms an end in itself and is sacred. Life is an attribute of God, who is visioned as " the source of life" and as "delighting in life." Coming from God, it is man's highest good, which he must cherish as a trust. Life is identified with the good, and death with evil (this verse and Deuteronomy 30:19). Shedding of blood, say the rabbis, defiles the land and causes the Shechinah to depart from Israel. Yoma 85b Preservation of life has recommended itself to the Jew as the supreme duty of man. The laws of Sabbath observance, of fasting on Yom Kippur, of kashrut, etc. are set aside when life is at stake. Even where it is not certain that life can be saved, these laws may be set aside.

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:15 set

DEUT1612 ... a human being’s actions are entrusted to him. He chooses them as he pleases; They spring from his will and free choice. Accordingly, he is subject to reward and punishment for obedience and for transgression respectively, as it says: “See, I set before you this day life and good, death and evil” (Devarim 30:15); “Choose life” (ibid. 30:19); “This is your own doing” (Malachi 1:9); “For according to man's acts He pays him” (Iyov 34:11); “A man's folly warps his way” (Mishlei 19:3). All that is in our literature on the Torah, the commandments, and proper conduct confirms this; also what is mentioned in it regarding reward for obedience and punishment for transgression--all this indicates that a man's actions are entrusted to him, and that the Divine Glory is free from responsibility for his good or for his evil, for his righteous or corrupt actions.

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DEUTERONOMY — 30:15 set

DEUT1613 Let us now consider the role of reward and punishment in a theistic ethical system. What distinguishes man from animals is his need for, or at least his capacity to respond to, the Ultimate Power of the universe, an unseen reality whom he may inadequately but inevitably conceptualize as universal “Father” or “King.” Man alone experiences the presence of God and stands accountable to Him. If, as in a covenant ethic, God is Supreme Lawgiver, then good and evil become chesed [i.e., lovingkindness-AJL], faithfulness to and Chat [i.e., sin-AJL], betrayal of divine expectations. Reward and punishment remain a constant foundation of covenant ethics. At the “lowest” level man conceives of obedience and disobedience as a choice between plenty and drought, health and pestilence. “I have set before you this day life and prosperity, death and adversity...” (Deuteronomy 30:15) When in his personal life there seems to be no direct correlation between piety and reward, the religious man may conclude that he is less deserving than he imagines, for that reward is being deferred to some postmortal realm, or that God is testing him.

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