EXOD1052 To be ethically-minded is to be pure in the eyes of God [Num. xxxii.22]; avoiding the slightest breath of suspicion [Hull. 44b], and being always pleasant [Ket. 17a] and respectful of another's views. In the words of Derekh Eretz Zuta -- he must not be "Awake among those who sleep, or asleep among those who are awake; not weeping when others laugh, or vice versa; not sitting when others stand, or vice versa; not learning out loud, when others are reading quietly, or the reverse". In general, he will not be awkward or angular in the company of others. He will be considerate of others. When the three angels visited Abraham in his tent they ate and drank with him, although it was not their custom so to do [Gen. xviii.8]. When Moses ascended on high he did not eat for forty days and nights, for such was the custom in heaven [this verse].

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EXOD1053 The most significant individual fast in the Torah is Moses's abstinence from food and drink for forty days and nights on Mount Sinai. (This verse). When Moses retells the story in Deuteronomy 9, he reports a second forty-day period of fasting. The midrash teaches that this supernatural abstinence raised him to the status of celestial, non-corporeal beings and prepared him to meet with the Holy One. Embodied readers know that a fast of several hours produces a somewhat altered state of consciousness; how much more so a fast of days and weeks! “As Moses came down from the mountain bearing the two tablets of the Pact, Moses was not aware that the skin of his face was radiant, since he had spoken with God” (Exodus 34:29). Both his body and his spirit were transformed by his fast and his encounter. While Jewish tradition focuses on communal, rather than individual fast, a full or partial fast to mark singular personal events, particularly one’s wedding and the observance of a parent’s yahrzeit, offers a unique opportunity to focus on and be attentive to one's relationship with oneself, one’s beloveds, and with the Source of all love. In addition to the fast of the firstborn that is observed primarily by traditional Jews on Erev Pesach, some may choose to refrain from eating or drinking to prepare themselves for communal service, such as serving as sh’lichei tzibur [i.e., communal prayer leaders—AJL]. And some contemporary Jews may fast as a way to atone for or distance themselves from negative behaviors or actions. It is not uncommon today to fast in preparation for medical tests or procedures. We may consider these periods of intentional abstinence as an opportunity for reflection or spiritual growth. At times of intense engagement or at times of stress, we may find ourselves forgetting or unable to eat. Recognizing the spiritual energy of such times may help us to be more intentional about naming and claiming this abstinence as intentional rather than accidental. (By Sue Levi Elwell, “TZOM: Fasting as a Religious/Spiritual Practice”)

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EXOD1054 See [[DEUT96]] Deuteronomy 4:13 ten SPERO 26-7

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EXOD1055 See [[EXOD1058]] Exodus 34:28 forty SACTAB 449-50

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EXOD1056 [Compiler's note: It is not clear to me why the translator/editor associated this verse (or any word therein) to Rabbi Yonah's commentary; I have associated the word "said" because the commentary deals with speech]. The fourth category [of those who speak lashon hara is] avak lashon hara [Lit., "dust of lashon hara," i.e. just a tinge of lashon hara. See paragraphs 137-139 for similar use of the word avak. Avak Lashon Hara is ostensibly innocent speech that can lead to lashon hara or damage to another.] Our Sages said (Bava Basra 165a), "The majority of people succumb to theft, a minority to illicit relations, and everyone to avak lashon hara." They explained that avak lashon hara entails a persons saying something that causes others to speak lashon hara. [Thus,] they said (Arachin 16a), "One should never say positive things about another person, for the positive things [said] about him lead to disparaging things [being said] about him." We must explain this passage: It is known that speaking praise of the sages and the tzaddikim is a beautiful trait, as the pasuk said (Mishlei 25:27), "Searching out their honor is honorable" [See paragraph 149]. They also said that a fool does not speak the praises of the world [So, what do Chazal mean when they say, "One should never say positive things when referring to another person"?] But the meaning of the matter is this: One should say positive things about another person only one-on-one [this verse], i.e., a man speaking to his friend, and not in public where many people are congregated--until it becomes clear to him that in this place there is no one who possesses hate or jealousy for the person he will speak about positively [i.e., for it will lead that person to say disparaging words against the man he hates or is jealous of. Consequently, the one who said positive things will be guilty of avak lashon hara]. However, if he wants to praise a person who has already been publicly accepted and acknowledged as an upright person and within whom no evil or guilt can be found, he can then praise him even in the presence of one who hates him or is jealous of him. For he will not be able to disparage him; and [even] if he does, everyone will know that he has spoken false [words]. His tongue will [only] become a pitfall for himself.

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