DEUT1530 "Walk in His Ways". We are required to emulate the attributes of Hashem Yisborach. "Just as He is merciful and compassionate, so too, we must be merciful and compassionate" (Shabbos 133b). Among God's attributes is His hatred for loshon hora. When Jericho was conquered, a ban was put on taking spoil from the city. When his army was defeated in a subsequent battle, Joshua was told by God that the ban was violated. Joshua asked God for the identity of the transgressor, but God replied, "Am I an informer? Make a lottery to find out." (Joshua 7; Sanhedrin 11a). Anyone speaking loshon hora has failed to emulate God, and violates this commandment.

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DEUT1532 One who speaks or listens to lashon hara also transgresses the commandment of וְהָלַכְתָּ֖ בִּדְרָכָֽיו׃, “And you shall follow in His ways” (Deuteronomy 28:9). This mitzvah obligates us to emulate the ways of Hashem, all of which are purely good, as Chazal say (Shabbos 133b), “Just as He is compassionate, so should you be compassionate; just as He is gracious, so should you be gracious.” The same applies to all other good qualities as well, as the Rambam explains (Hilchos Dei’os 1:5-6). We find among the holy and pure traits of Hashem that He detests derogatory speech under any circumstances, even if it is about a very lowly person. We see this from the Gemara in Sanhedrin (11a) that says, with regard to the sin of Achan, that Hashem replied to Yehoshua, “Am I an informer to you?”

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DEUT1535 Antigonos of Socho received the tradition from Simeon the Just. He used to say… Let the fear of Heaven be upon you. Pirkei Avot, Perek I, mishnah 3. Although up to this point we have emphasized the desirability of serving God out of sheer disinterested love, this in itself is not sufficient. Man cannot overcome temptation with love alone. He must also experience fear of the Lord, which is an admixture of awe and reverence. "Love" can supply the motive power for positive acts of service. But only "fear" can restrain man from violating the prohibitions. Another way of interpreting this last assertion of Antigonos is not that you should cultivate fear of the Lord, but rather that your presence will evoke a fear of the Lord in those about you – – as we read, "And all the nations of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, they shall be afraid of you" [this verse]. Our mishnah indicates, then, the only when we serve God in love, and truly dedicate ourselves as Jews to the observance and fulfillment of Torah, can we hope to gain the regard and understanding of our neighbors. When the non-Jew sees a Jewish community separate and apart, but with no real loyalty to Torah, belief in God or dedication to tradition, he is bewildered. But when others can see the Jew "called by the name of the Lord," and perceive a dedication to values of the spirit, then will come understanding for the God of Israel. (Then we may interpret the last part of the verse: and they shall revere [the Almighty] because of you.)

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DEUT1536 See [[NUM287]] Numbers 22:32 angel AMEMEI 8

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DEUT1538 See [[DEUT1558]] Deuteronomy 28:61 diseases BLOCH 271-3

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DEUT1537 (Continued from [[EXOD315]] Exodus 19:5 heed TZADIK 253). Concerning the curses it is written [this verse]: "And it shall be if you do not listen to the voice of Hashem your God to observe to do our His mitzvos and statutes that I command you this day, then there shall come upon you all of these curses and they shall overtake you," and ( ibid.11:27-28): "The blessing, if you listen to the mitzvos of Hashem your God... and the curse, if you do not listen to the mitzvos of Hashem your God." All of these "listenings" denote not the listening of the ear alone, but rather willingness to do. And so we find with our father Yaakov of blessed memory, that he acquiesced to his mother's will and heeded her counsel in the episode of the blessings and succeeded in receiving them; and he acquiesced in listening to his father and mother and took a wife as directed by them. For this reason, he merited the twelve tribes issuing from him. And it is written (Mishlei 1:33): "And he who listens to me will dwell securely and in tranquility from fear of evil."

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DEUT1539 See [[LEV1118]] Leviticus 26:14 obey DORFFWITO 41

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DEUT1540 See [[LEV1120]] Leviticus 26:16 wreak COHON 89

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DEUT1541 See [[LEV1119]] Leviticus 26:16 wreak OXFORD 313-4

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DEUT1542 See [[DEUT1537]] Deuteronomy 28:15 curses TZADIK 253-5

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