DEUT592 Do not add onto any mitzvah. Hashem is absolute perfection, and so are all of His deeds and commands. Therefore, any addition to any of His mitzvos actually detracts the mitzvah and spoils it, and all the more so if one leaves something out from the mitzvah.

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DEUT593 See [[DEUT44]] Deuteronomy 4:2 add DORFFWITO 52-3

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DEUT594 … every positive commandment carries with it a general prohibition, [as well,] as the pasuk says [this verse], "You must not add to it nor detract from it."

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DEUT595 See [[DEUT595]] Deuteronomy 18:22 prophet DORFFDRAG 40-1

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DEUT596 At the very beginning of the Torah, it states that the human being was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). Since God does not have any physical image, there are many interpretations of what this verse signifies. But it is clear that more than any other creature, man has the ability to imitate God's greatness and uniqueness through his actions. In fact, imitating God by following in His ways seems to be a prime directive of the Torah (Deuteronomy 28:9). Imitating Godly activities complement keeping the Torah's commandments [this verse]. How does a Jew, who is merely human, follow in God's footsteps when God is purely spiritual? One way to follow God is to imitate the "actions" of God in the Torah, says the Talmud. Thus, just as God visited the sick (visiting Abraham in Genesis 18:1), so too should each Jew visit the sick (Sotah 14a). Another Talmudic passage derives this commandment from a different verse (Exodus 18:20) (Bava Mezia 30b) The Midrash also uses the same verse to derive this Mitzvah–commandment, but stresses that it is inferred from the words "they shall go" in the verse, indicating that part of the commandment is to walk to visit the sick person (Midrash, Mechilta of Rabbi Yishmael, Amalek 2). Another Talmudic passage draws this commandment from yet another verse (Numbers 16:29) (Sefer Mitzvot Gedolot, positive Mitzvah 8).

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DEUT601 When the Torah commands the Jew to follow the ways of God, the Talmud asks how it is possible for a man of flesh and blood to be like the Creator of the universe. It answers that Jews are commanded to imitate God's characteristics [this verse, Deuteronomy 28:9, Sotah 14a]. Which characteristics of God are we meant to imitate? The answer is that we should perform His acts of kindness that show caring about other people, such as giving clothing to those that lack clothes, visiting the sick, and comforting the mourning. Later on that same Talmudic page says that the beginning of the Torah has the story of God's kindness to man (when God gave clothing to undeserving Adam and Eve) and also at the end of the Torah is an instance of God's kindness to a man (when God buries Moses), implying that everything in between these two stories should also be connected to kindness, as this is the essence of God and the Torah (Sotah 14a). The Torah teaches us (the word "Torah" technically translates as "that which teaches us") to follow God's lead and be kind always. In the weekday Shmoneh Esreh, the Silent Prayer, traditional Jews recite three times daily that God's ongoing kindness to all human beings in the world every day, all the time, is lauded (First and second blessings of the daily Shmoneh Esreh). In the first lesson, God is described as a God who grants great kindnesses constantly, and in the second blessing, God is described in many ways, but in particular as One who sustains the world economically, lifts those who have fallen, heals the sick, and frees those who are bound. Chofetz Chaim summarizes all of the above ideas and urges the Jew to imitate God by practicing these traits shown to man by God (Shemirat HaLashon 1:7).

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DEUT599 Rabbi Hama, son of Rabbi Hanina, said: What is the meaning of the verse, “You shall follow the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? … [It means that] a person should imitate the ways of the Holy Blessed One. Just as God clothes the naked... so too you should clothe the naked [poor]. The Holy Blessed One visited the sick... so too you should visit the sick. The Holy Blessed One buried the dead... So too you should bury the dead. The Holy Blessed One comforted mourners... so too you should comfort mourners.  Babylonian Talmud, Sotah 14a (By Uzi Weingarten and the Editors) DORFF-RUTTENBERGSOC 5

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DEUT597 Given the strong emphasis on the integration of body and soul, it is not surprising that in Jewish law the community's obligations to support healing include not only medical ministrations but psychological and social support as well. The major advances in contemporary medicine, and the American culture of seeking technological solutions for every problem, have accustomed us to focus exclusively on the physical aspects of healing. Long before medicine could do very much to conquer illness, though, the Rabbis realized that social support could make a big difference in the struggle to regain health. They thus decreed the obligation of visiting the sick (biqqur holim), claiming that in visiting the sick we imitate God: "Follow the Lord your God" (this verse). What does this mean? Is it possible for a mortal to follow God's Presence? The verse means to teach us that we should follow the attributes of the Holy One, praised be He. As He clothed the naked, for it is written "And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife coats of skin and clothed them" (Genesis 3:21), so you should clothe the naked. The Holy One, blessed be He, visited the sick, for it is written (after the description of Avraham's circumcision), "And the Lord appeared to him near the oaks of Mamre" (Genesis 18:1), so you should visit the sick. The Holy One, blessed be He, comforted those who mourned … and so should you comfort mourners. The Holy One, blessed be He, buried the dead ... and so should you bury the dead. (B. Sotah 14a.)

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DEUT600 See [[GEN430]] Genesis 3:21 clothed LEHRMAN 6

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DEUT598 God represents the ultimate biblical model for character-building. … The best way for us to emulate God is to become a blessing in other people's lives.

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