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LEVITICUS — 19:11 steal

LEV340 Rava said: Why does Scripture states: "Do not steal"? [Derived it (the prohibition against taking another's property) from the interdiction of usury and of cheating.] [We are being taught] "Do not steal" [even if only] to taunt [i.e., with the intention of returning the stolen object]; "Do not steal" [even if] to increase the liability of kefel [paying double in order to benefit the other!] (Bava Metzia 61b)

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LEVITICUS — 19:12 falsely

LEV346 It is a negative commandment not to swear an oath of expression over a falsehood as Scripture says, And you shall not swear by My name falsely [this verse], this being called an oath of expression. A person is punishable for this if he takes a [false] oath over things that it is possible to do, whether in the future or in the past: for example, "that I ate" or "I threw a stone into the sea," or "that so-and so spoke with so-and so," or "that I did not eat" or "I did not throw a stone into the sea," or "that so-and-so did not talk with so-and-so." And in the future: for example, "that I shall eat" or "I shall not eat," or "that I shall throw a pebble, or a stone, into the sea" or "I will not throw." If a person swore to one of these statements, he would violate this prohibition.

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LEVITICUS — 19:12 hate

LEV348 "You shall not hate your brother in your heart" if you act in a friendly manner toward someone in his presence but speak against him behind his back, you violate this prohibition. This prohibition refers only to concealed hatred (Sifra). When you openly tell someone about your dislike for him, you do not transgress this prohibition but are guilty of not fulfilling the mitzvah of loving a fellow Jew.

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LEVITICUS — 19:12 swear

LEV351 Lashes are administered for some of the prohibitions relating to speech, for this is what our Sages, z"l, said (Makos 16a): "Pertaining to all the prohibitions of the Torah, lashes are not administered for [the violation of] an injunction lacking a physical action, with the exception of one who swears (i.e., falsely or in vain) or curses another in Hashem's Name." Although an oath taken in vain does not involve capital punishment administered by beis din, nonetheless, its punishment through Heaven is much more severe than that of the many transgressions that do have such capital punishment -- for one who swears falsely desecrates Hashem's Name, as [this verse] says. ..., and the punishment for the desecration of God's name supersedes that of all other sins. This is not stated (i.e., that a prohibition involves desecration of Hashem's Name), [in the Torah] in respect to any transgression other than that of a false oath and idolatry, as the pasuk says [concerning idolatry] (Vayikra 20:3), "For he gave of his offspring to Molech, so as to defile that which is sanctified to Me and to desecrate My holy Name."

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LEVITICUS — 19:12 swear

LEV353 Witnesses in court testify under oath and in God's name ("so help me God"), or affirm, with the understanding that they are doing so in God's Name, that they are telling the truth (Obviously, atheists do not swear or affirm in God's Name, but they are a very small percentage of the population.) Therefore, lies told in court constitute a Chillul Hashem ("profanation of God's Name), since they associate God with a lie: "And don't take an oath, then lie in My Name and profane the Name of your Lord" (this verse; the prohibition against bearing false testimony is also one of the Ten Commandments; Exodus 20:13). [(Because of the profanation of God's Name, the Bible regards perjury as among the worst of crimes and, in writing of the punishment inflicted on perjurers, appends, "And you shall wipe out the evil from your midst" (Deuteronomy 19:19)]. Furthermore, since justice is so important a commandment (the Torah ordains, "Justice, Justice you shall pursue"; Deuteronomy 16:20), thwarting justice undermines a society. It is bad enough that a society contains criminals and corrupt individuals. If, however, the justice system itself is corrupt, then there is no hope for the society to improve itself. Therefore, lying under oath undermines a society's hope of being, or becoming, just.

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