EXOD806 One must even keep far from cruelty to animals, as it is written (Mishlei 2:10): "The righteous man knows the desires of his animal." He must not overwork it or make it go hungry, and in this regard is written [this verse]: "If you see your foe's donkey lying under his burden, will you forbear from helping him? You shall surely help him!" (Bava Metzia 3b): "It is forbidden by the Torah to cause pain to animals."

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EXOD831 There is no quality greater than speaking the truth, to wit (Tehillim 119:160): "The crown of Your word is truth." And we have exhorted [this verse]: "Keep yourself far from a false word." Even one's insinuations should be truthful, for the reward for truth is very great. One should, therefore, accustom himself to walk in truth, and he should study Torah to know the truth in order to be able to perform the mitzvos truthfully, according to the Halachah. One should always acknowledge the truth, and he should even study matters of Aggadah which do not involve the fulfillment of mitzvos, so that the heart will believe a truthful thing. One should not be ashamed to accept the truth from anyone. Even if one is the smallest of the small and completely spurned, still accept the truth from him, for a precious pearl, even the hands of the small and despised, is still a precious pearl.

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EXOD919 When one hears chastisement from the wise and from those who reprove him, his heart should be aroused to repent and he should accept upon himself all the words of rebuke. When he does so, this man achieves great merit, and in a moment he goes from darkness to a great light, and receives reward and merit for all the mitzvos and chastisement, for having resolved in his heart to take them upon himself. Fortunate is this accepter, who has achieved merit in a moment. In this connection our Sages of blessed memory have said (Mechilta Shemos 12:28, regarding the Pesach sacrifice): "'And the Children of Israel went and did so' -- Now did they do so immediately? Did they not do so only upon the fourteenth of the month? But since they took it upon themselves to do so, the Torah accredits it to them as if they had done so immediately." And they said further (Avos 3:9): "One whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures, as it is written [this verse]: 'We shall do and we shall hear' (Avos d'Rabbi Nasan 22:1). That is, when one takes it upon himself in faithfulness of heart to observe and do all that is stated in the Torah, and to carry out what the Sages tell him, and, after having taken it upon himself to fulfill everything, seeks, and inquires, and asks of the Sages what to do--such a man receives reward even for those mitzvos and admonitions of which he is unaware, having resolved in his heart to fulfill them. This corresponds to Israel's declaring at Sinai: "We shall do and we shall hear," placing doing before hearing (Shabbos 88a). It is not conceivable otherwise that one's deeds could exceed his wisdom.

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EXOD921 See [[EXOD315]] Exodus 19:5 heed TZADIK 253

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EXOD927 {Abridged Excerpt from the Rambam's Introduction to Mishneh Torah). All of the mitzvos given to Moshe at Sinai were given with their explanations, as it is written [this verse]: "And I will give you the tablets of stone, the Torah, and the mitzvah." "Torah" refers to the written Law, and " mitzvah" to its explanation (Berachos 5a). And he commanded us to observe the Torah by means of the mitzvah, namely, the Oral Law. Moshe wrote the entire Torah in his own hand before his death and gave a scroll to each tribe. One scroll he placed in the Ark as a testimony (Devarim Rabbah 9:9), as it is written (Devarim 31:26). ... The "mitzvah," which is the explanation of the Torah, he did not write, but he commanded it to the elders and to Yehoshua and all the rest of the Jews, as it is written (ibid.13:1): "Everything that I command you, that you shall observe to do, do not add to it and do not detract from it." Because of this it is called the Oral Law.

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EXOD983 See [[EXOD366]] Exodus 20:5 children TZADIK 161-3

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EXOD995 See [[EXOD38]] Exodus 2:12 smote TZADIK 279-281

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EXOD997 See [[EXOD155]] Exodus 12:17 matzos TZADIK 291-3

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EXOD1003 [Among the fundamentals of repentance are] Humility of deed. One must be given to responding with soft answers. If someone shames him about his early deeds, he should be still, or he should say: "I know that I have sinned." And he should not fashion beautiful garments and ornaments, as it is written [this verse]: "And, now, put off your ornaments from you." And his eyes should be constantly lowered, as it is written (Iyov 22:29): "And He saves him whose eyes are lowered." The signs of humility are a soft answer, a low voice, and lowered eyes. These humble the heart.

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EXOD1004 One should be given to soft words, as it is written (Mishlei 15;1): "A soft answer turns away wrath," and a low voice, this being an aspect of lowliness, as it is written (Yeshayahu 29:4): And you will be low. You will speak from the earth, and your speech will be low from out of the dust." And one should not preoccupy himself with beautiful garments and adornments, as it is written [this verse]: "Remove your ornaments." And his eyes must be constantly (Iyov 22:29): "And him of lowered eyes will He help." And he must not be given to luxury, as it is written (Mishlei 13:25): "The righteous man eats to satisfy his soul." All these are signs of humility. Humility is the ladder by which one ascends to the ways of the Holy One Blessed be He, as it is written (Tehillim 25:9): "He guides the humble in justice and teachers the humble His way." And by means of humility one acquires fear of the Blessed One, (Mishlei 22:4): "Upon the heels of humility comes fear of Hashem" (Shekalim 9b).

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