LEV113 [This verse] We have been here admonished not to eat of those things that are repugnant to the soul. (For example,] not to eat fish or grasshoppers (I.e. that are kosher. See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 83:1, 85:1.) unless they are dead, and not to drink from the horn that is used by blood-letters. One who restrain his bowel movements also transgresses "Do not make yourself abhorrent."

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LEV176 Whoever does not firmly contend against those who stand on the path that is not good and draw [themselves] towards transgression [Tehillim 35:5, Yeshayahu 5:18], will be punished for their iniquitousness and for their sins [this verse; Chatas is the term used for inadvertent sinning), and he has violated a negative commandment, as the pasuk says (Vayikra 19:17), "Do not bear a sin because of him." The pasuk further says (Hoshea 10:9), "Since the days of Giv'ah you have sinned, Yisrael. They stood there – they would not have achieved in Giv'ah a war against the children of iniquity." What this means is that had this generation been there it would not have gone out to war in Giv'ah to eradicate the evil, as that generation had (See Shoftim (chapters 19-20), where the Jewish people went to war against Binyamin due to the terrible crime perpetrated in their city of Giv'ah). ("They stood there," [should be interpreted] as, "If they had stood there," as in Bereishis 44:22), "He will leave his father," i.e., "If he will leave." (I.e. The word "if" needs to be added.) The intent of the pasuk is that the sin of their generation was similar in nature to that of Giv'ah; yet, the generation of Giv'ah was superior to them, for they assembled together, willing to give their lives to eradicate the evil. The pesukim [verses -- AJL] also say (Shoftim 5:23), "'Curse Meroz,' (the inhabitants of Meroz did not come to Deborah and Barak's aid in the battle against Sisera) said the angel of Hashem, 'curse--cursed are its inhabitants--for they fail to come to the aid of Hashem sham, to the aid of Hashem against the mighty"; and (Devarim 1:17), "Do not be afraid of any man." (I.e., do not be afraid to stand up to Hashem's protagonists, even if it means creating dissension." (Continued at [[EXOD994]] Exodus 32:26 come GATES 235-6)

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LEV180 Now we will clarify fully what pertains to the various categories of atonement. Our Sages, z"l, (Yoma 86a): Rabbi Masya ben Charash asked Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah in Rome, "Have you heard about the four categories of atonement upon which Rabbi Yishmael expounded?" He answered, "There are three, and repentance accompanies each one of them. If a person transgressed a positive commandment and repented – – before he can move, he is immediately forgiven, as the pasuk says (Yirmeyahu 3:22), 'Return, rebellious sons, and I will [immediately] heal your rebelliousness.' If he has transgressed a negative commandment and has repented – repentance suspends (I.e. suspends atonement until Yom Kippur) and Yom Kippur atones, as the pasuk says [this verse]. If he has transgressed prohibitions that incur excision or capital punishment administered by beis din, and has repented--repentance together with Yom Kippur suspend, and suffering purges [and completes the atonement], as the pasuk says (Tehillim 89:33), 'Then I will punish their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with plagues.' However, one who is guilty of the transgression of desecrating Hashem's Name--repentance does not have the power to suspend, nor Yom Kippur to atone, nor suffering to purge. Rather, they all suspend [the atonement] and death purges, as the pasuk Pacific says (Yeshayahu 22:14), '[I promise] that this sin will never atone for you until you die.'" (Thus, the three categories of atonement are Yom Kippur, suffering, and death. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah does not consider repentance as a unique category because it is always necessary for atonement (Rashi). Our Sages, z "l, said (Yoma 36a) that a burnt-offering atones for the transgression of a positive commandment after one has repented. For although his sin is [immediately] atoned for through repentance, nonetheless the burnt-offering will enhance the atonement and will bring one to find even greater favor before Hashem.

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LEV181 This concept (I.e. that repentance alone is not enough for atonement] is further clarified in the Torah, for [this verse]. We see that after repentance there [still] is a need for the atonement of Yom Kippur (since the main atonement of Yom Kippur is effected by repentance) [Yom Kippur cannot atone without repentance Yoma 85b; see Mishneh Torah, Hilchos Teshuvah 1:3, with Kesef Mishneh). Perforce there must be repentance; still, it is not enough.]

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LEV182 When our Sages, z"l, said (Yoma 86a) that for transgressions that incur excision or capital punishment administered by beis din, repentance together with Yom Kippur suspend, and suffering purges [and completes the atonement]--the question that arises is: doesn't the pasuk state [this verse], "[For on this day…] you shall be purified of all your sins before Hashem"? (I.e., this pasuk is referring to the day of Yom Kippur, and implies that Yom Kippur atones for everything, and does not just suspend.) The answer is as follows: When the pasuk says "you shall be purified [of all your sins] before Hashem," this is a positive commandment to repent, I.e., to examine and analyze our ways, and return to Hashem on Yom Kippur (It is not a statement that Yom Kippur atones for everything, but a commandment to do what we need to in order to achieve atonement, I.e., "shall" is understood as "must." See the Second Gate, paragraph 14.) Although we are required to [purify ourselves of sin] at all times, there is a greater obligation to do so on Yom Kippur, and the purification [process] that is at our disposal for doing so is repentance and the righting of deeds. On the other hand, that which the [beginning of the] pasuk [this verse], says "For on this day [the Kohen Gadol] will make atonement for you to purify you"--referring to Hashem's purifying us from transgression and granting us complete atonement on Yom Kippur, without the need for suffering--this was in reference to the negative Commandments (I.e., this actually does state that Yom Kippur atones fully, but only for the transgression of negative commandments that do not incur excision or capital punishment. See paragraph six.). But for transgressions that incur excision or capital punishment administered by beis din, repentance together with Yom Kippur suspend and suffering purges.

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LEV184 See [[LEV58]] Leviticus 5:24 repay GATES 481-3

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LEV187 The fifth way [of repentance] is [as follows]: During the Ten Days of Repentance, one who fears Hashem will be filled with trepidation, knowing that all his deeds are "inscribed in the book" (Avos 2:1), and that at that time He will bring him to judgment for all his actions, for all that is hidden, whether good or bad [Koheles 12:14] This refers to even slight sins (Chagigah 5a) -- for man is judged on Rosh Hashanah and his sentence is sealed on Yom Kippur. When one knows that his judgment will be brought before a king of flesh and blood, he is seized with great trembling, takes counsel with himself, and will assiduously hasten to find a way to save himself [Tehillim 55:9]. It will never enter his mind to turn right or left and be occupied with his other [mundane] concerns. He will disregard [the need] to develop and till his plot of land and to tend to his vineyards [Iyov 24:18]. When troubled times befall him, he will not relax from his readiness to rescue himself, like a deer from the [trapper's] hand (Mishlei 6:5]. As such, how foolish are those who go out to work and to their laborers until evening [Tehillim 104:23] during the Days of Awe [I.e., the Ten Days of Repentance], the days of justice and judgment, not knowing what their judgment will be. Indeed, their hearts should be dwelling on what to answer on the day when their sentence will be rendered, as the pasuk says (Shir haShirim 8:8), "What shall we do for our sister, on the day she is spoken of?" (I.e., a reference to the neshamah, on the Day of Judgment). It is befitting for every God-fearing individual to limit his [mundane] affairs and fill his thoughts with trepidation. He should set aside times, both day and night, to be alone in his chambers, to examine his ways and to analyze them. He should arise during the [latter part of the] night (I.e., the "latter watch of the night (Berachos 3b), when he can more readily find favor in Hashem's eyes (Zeh Hasha'ar), and occupy himself with the pathways of repentance and with improving his deeds. He should pour forth in supplication, offer prayer and psalm, and plead for clemency--for this time is one of finding favor, when prayer is heard, as the pasuk says (Yeshayahu 49:8), "At the time of favor I have answered you, and on a day of salvation I have assisted you." Our Sages, z"l, said (Rosh Hashanah 18a): "'Seek Hashem when he is to be found' (Yeshayahu 55:6)--these are the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur." It is a positive commandment of the Torah that one arouse his spirit to repentance on Yom Kippur, as the pasuk says: [this verse]. Therefore, the pasuk exhorts us to purify ourselves before Hashem by repenting, that he may grant us atonement on this day, which will lead to our [complete] purification.

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LEV189 [Another example of those whom the Mishnah lists as incurring misah bidei Shamayim (death at the hands of Heaven): one who robs the poor, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 22:2-23), "Do not rob the destitute because he is destitute … For Hashem will take up their grievance, and will exact life from those who rob them." We have already elaborated upon this in the Third Level (See Paragraph 24). Our Sages, z"l, said (Bava Kama 119a) that whoever robs a poor person is as if he had taken his life from him, as the pasuk says (Mishlei 1:19), "Such is the way of everyone who robs; it takes away the soul of its owner" [(Although Rabbi Yonah interpreted the verse in paragraph 24 to mean that robbery takes away the soul of the thief, it can the same time be understood as he explains here: because the thief is likened to a murderer, he forfeits his own life (Zeh Hasha'ar).) (Sometimes one deprives another of his livelihood, even though the theft of something valued at less than that of a perutah. As such, it is considered for that man as bloodshed--he has spilled blood [this verse] -- if he robbed him of a perutah's worth.

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LEV203 "You must not follow their customs" [this verse]. We have been admonished herein to distance ourselves from all Emorite customs, among them the use of incantations and amulets whose proficiency for healing has not been ascertained. … We have referred to some of the things in which many are negligent unknowingly, for no one has made them aware; and to some things which people know are forbidden, but do not know the severity of the prohibition. We have mentioned them so that the erring populace will not stay with them. Let the wise hear and add [his own] learning [Mishlei 1:5], in order to warn the populace concerning all such similar matters. The enlightened will remind others, and they will shine like the brightness of the firmament.

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LEV225 The ninth level (of The Stringency of Mitzvos and Classification of Punishment) is the severity of sins that require one to forfeit his life rather than transgress them. Our Sages, z"l, said (Sanhedrin 74a), "If one is told regarding any transgression in the Torah, 'Sin, and then you will not be killed,' he must sin and not submit himself to death, as the pasuk says [this verse], '… which a person shall do, that he may live by them' -- that he may live by them and not die through them." [This, however, is] to the exclusion of idolatry, illicit relations, and murder: if regarding any one of these three he is told, 'Sin, and then you will not be killed,' he must submit himself to death rather than sin – – even if he is told to sin in private. [Even] regarding any one of the mitzvos of the Torah, if he is told to sin in public, then he must submit himself to death rather than sin, as the pasuk says (Yayikra 22:32), "I shall be sanctified among the Children of Yisrael"; and in times of religious persecution, even [when forced to sin] in private, one must submit himself to death rather than sin.

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