The Commandments in the Weekly Torah Portions — Sefer Vayikra

The Commandments in the Weekly Torah Portions — Sefer Vayikra

Sefer Vayikra Vayikra This portion contains 16 commandments: 11 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 5 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The commandment to bring salt with every offering — “melichat hakorban” — as well as a number of other commandments relating to the laws of sacrifices; - The commandment requiring a witness to a crime to testify in court — “edut”; - The commandment that a person who ate food brought to the Temple or used sacred objects must compensate for the damage caused by adding a fifth — “tosefet chomesh...”; - The commandment to return stolen property — “hashavat hagezel”.   Tzav This portion contains 18 commandments: 9 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 9 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The commandment requiring the kohanim, during the time the Temple stood, to kindle a fire on the altar every day — “hadlakat esh”; And a number of other commandments relating to sacrifices and the service of the kohanim; - The prohibition against eating chelev, a particular type of animal fat — “lo nochal chelev”); - The prohibition against eating the blood of animals and birds — “lo nochal dam...”.   Shemini This portion contains 12 commandments: 8 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 4 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The prohibition against entering the Temple after drinking wine — “lo lehikanes sh'tuyei yayin”; and a number of other commandments relating to the conduct and service of the kohanim; - The commandment to examine the kosher signs of animals intended for consumption — “bedikat simanei behemah vechayah”. An animal is considered kosher if it has split and cloven hooves and chews its cud. If one of these signs is absent, the animal is non-kosher; - The prohibition against eating the meat of non-kosher animals — “lo le'echol behemah vechayah teme'ah”; - The commandment to examine the kosher signs of fish intended for consumption — “bedikat simanei dagim”; A fish is considered kosher if it has fins and scales. - The prohibition against eating non-kosher fish — “lo le'echol dag tamei”; - The prohibition against eating non-kosher birds: the eagle, vulture, sea eagle, kite, falcon, hawk of every kind, raven of every kind, ostrich, owl, gull, hawk of every kind, little owl, cormorant, ibis, great owl, pelican, vulture, stork, heron of every kind, hoopoe, and bat — “lo le'echol of tamei”; - The prohibition against eating creeping creatures — “lo le'echol sheretz ha'aretz”; And a number of other commandments relating to kosher and non-kosher food.   Tazria This portion contains 7 commandments: 5 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 2 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The commandments concerning a woman after childbirth: to observe the laws of family purity, not to enter the Temple, and not to touch anything sacred for a specified period — “tum'at yoledet”; at the conclusion of the purification period, to bring an olah offering and a sin offering to the Temple — “korban yoledet”; A number of commandments relating to “tzara'at” and other forms of ritual impurity. Metzora This portion contains 12 commandments: 12 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), - The commandment requiring a person rendered impure by any form of ritual impurity to purify himself in a mikveh — a special pool used for purification — “tevilah latme'im”; And a number of other commandments relating to purification from “tzara'at” and other forms of ritual impurity. Acharei Mot This portion contains 28 commandments; 2 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 26 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The prohibition against kohanim entering the Temple except while performing the Temple service — “lo yikansu hakohanim bechol et”, and a number of other commandments relating to the service of the kohanim. - The commandment that after an animal has been slaughtered and its blood drained, the blood must be covered with earth — “lech asot hadam”; - The prohibition: “You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother” — “lo legalot ervat av va'em”, and a number of other prohibitions relating to the moral foundations of the family — “arayot”; - The prohibition against marital relations with one's wife during her menstrual period, until she purifies herself in a mikveh (a special pool) — “lo lavo al ishah niddah”; - The prohibition: “Do not give any of your children to be passed through to Molech” — that is, do not allow your children to be drawn into non-Jewish traditions — “lo niten mizar'enu laMolech”.   Kedoshim This portion contains 51 commandments; 13 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 38 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The commandment: “Every person shall fear his mother and his father” — “yirat av va'em”; - The prohibition against turning, even in one's thoughts, toward idols — “lo lifnot achar avodat elilim”; - The prohibition against making molten idols, even for decoration or profit — “lo la'asot avodat elilim”; - The commandment not to harvest the entire edge of one's field — “pe'ah”, and a number of other commandments requiring that part of the harvest in the field, orchard, or vineyard be left for the poor and needy — “leket,” “peret”; - The commandment: “Love your fellow as yourself” — “ahavat Yisrael”, and a number of other commandments relating to interpersonal conduct: - The prohibition against taking another person's property, even without the intention of stealing, in order to frighten or anger its owner — “lo lignov mamon”; - The prohibition against lying in order to take what belongs to another — “lo nechachesh al mamon”; - The prohibition against making a false oath — “lo nishava lasheker”; - The prohibition against fraudulently exploiting one's fellow — “lo la'ashok” - The prohibition against robbing — taking another person's property by force — “lo ligzol”; - The prohibition against delaying payment of a hired worker's wages — “lo ne'acher sechar sachir”; - The prohibition against speaking ill of others and cursing — “lo lekalel”; - The prohibition against deliberately giving bad advice — “lo lehachshil”; - The prohibition: “Do not go about as a talebearer among your people” — “lo leragel”; - The prohibition against standing by while one's fellow is in danger — “lo ta'amod al dam re'echa”; - The prohibition: “You shall not hate your brother in your heart” — “lo lisno”; - The commandment: “You shall surely rebuke your fellow.” To rebuke means to explain the laws of the Torah to him tirelessly — “tochachah leYisrael”; - The prohibition against humiliating a person — “lo lehalbin penei adam”; - The prohibition against taking revenge — “lo linkom”, - The prohibition against bearing a grudge — “lo lינטור”. A number of commandments relating to justice: - The prohibition against a judge rendering an unjust judgment — “lo le'avel hamishpat”; - The prohibition against showing favor in court to a respected or powerful person — “lo lechabed gadol badin”; - The commandment: “Judge your fellow fairly” — “lishpot be-tzedek”. A number of prohibitions relating to “mixtures”: - “You shall not mate your animal with another kind” — “lo leharbi'a behemah”; - “You shall not sow your field with two kinds of seed” — “lo lizroa kil'ei zera'im”; - The prohibition against eating the fruit of a tree during its first three years — “lo le'echol orlah”; - The commandment to dedicate the fruit of the fourth year to the L-rd and eat it in Jerusalem — “net'a reva'i”; - The prohibition against practicing divination — “lo lenachesh” — or soothsaying — “lo le'onen”; - The prohibition against consulting the dead — “ma'aseh ov” — or practicing sorcery — “ma'aseh yid'oni”. - The commandment to honor old age: “Rise before the aged” — “kibud chachamim”; - The prohibition against a man using a razor or damaging the five “corners”: the hair at the right and left temples, the right and left edges of the beard, and its center — “lo lehashchit pe'at zakan”; - The prohibition against tattooing the body — “lo lichtov bivsarenu”; - The commandment to honor the sanctity of the Temple (and of every synagogue) as the Sanctuary of the L-rd — “yir'ah min haMikdash”; - The prohibition: “You shall not commit injustice in judgment, in measures of length, weight, or volume” — “lo lehonot bamidot”; - The commandment to use only accurate scales — “tzedek hamoznayim”; - The prohibition against cursing one's father or mother — “lo lekalel av va'em”. - The prohibition against following the laws and customs of other nations — “lo lalechet bechukot ha-goyim”.   Emor This portion contains 63 commandments: 24 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 39 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): - The prohibition against kohanim becoming impure through contact with a dead body, except for their seven closest relatives: wife, mother, father, son, daughter, brother, and sister — “lo yitame kohen”, and a number of other commandments relating to the purification of a kohen. A number of prohibitions govern kohanim's marriages, including the prohibition against marrying a divorced woman — “lo yisa kohen gerushah”. Prohibitions applying to the High Priest — “Kohen Gadol”: - The prohibition against becoming impure through contact with a dead body even in the event of the death of his mother or father — “lo yitama Kohen Gadol beshum tum'ah bamet”; - The prohibition against marrying a widow — “lo yisa Kohen Gadol almanah”; and a number of other restrictions that are stricter than those applying to other kohanim. - The prohibition against kohanim with any physical defect performing the Temple service — “lo ya'avod kohen ba'al mum”; and a number of other commandments relating to the Temple service and the offering of sacrifices. - The prohibition against eating produce from which the tithe — ma'aser — has not been separated — “lo le'echol tevel”; - The prohibition against slaughtering a cow or sheep on the same day as its young — “lo lishchot beyom echad”; - The prohibition against a Jew desecrating the Name of the L-rd through his actions — “lo la'asot chilul Hashem”; - The commandment to sanctify the Name of the L-rd, even at the cost of one's life — “Kiddush Hashem”. When threatened with death, a Jew may transgress any prohibition except three: murder, incest, and idolatry.   A number of commandments relating to the holiday of Passover: - The commandments to sanctify the first and seventh days of Passover — “lishbot bayom”; - The prohibition against performing any work on these days, except preparing food for the holiday — “lo la'asot melachah”; - The commandment of the additional Passover offering — “korban musaf”; A number of commandments relating to eating produce from the new harvest — “tevua chadashah”; - The commandment to count 49 days from the second day of Passover until the holiday of Shavuot — from the Exodus from Egypt until the receiving of the Torah — “sefirat haOmer”;   A number of commandments relating to the holiday of Shavuot: - The commandment to sanctify the holiday — “lishbot mikol”; - The prohibition against performing any work on this day, except preparing food for the holiday — “lo la'asot melachah”; - The commandment of the holiday offering — “minchah chadashah”;   A number of commandments relating to the holiday of Rosh Hashanah: - The commandment to sanctify the holiday — “lishbot mikol”; - The prohibition against performing any work on this day, except preparing food for the holiday — “lo la'asot melachah”; - The commandment of the additional holiday offering — “korban musaf”;   A number of commandments relating to Yom Kippur: - The commandment to fast on this day — “ta'anit bayom”, - The prohibition against eating and drinking on this day — “lo le'echol velishtot”; - The commandment to sanctify this day — “lishbot mikol”; - The prohibition against performing any work on this day — “lo la'asot melachah”; - The commandment to offer the additional sacrifice on this day — “korban musaf”.   A number of commandments relating to the holiday of Sukkot: - The commandments to sanctify the first and eighth days of the holiday (the eighth day is called “Shemini Atzeret”) — “lishbot bayom”; - The prohibition against performing any work on these days, except preparing food for the holiday — “lo la'asot melachah”; - The commandment of the additional holiday offering — “korban musaf”; - The commandment to take the four species in one's hands during Sukkot — “etrog,” “lulav,” “hadas,” and “aravah” - and perform a specific ritual with them — “netilat lulav”; - The commandment: “You shall dwell in sukkot for seven days” — “yeshivat sukkah”.   Behar This portion contains 24 commandments; 7 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 17 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): A number of commandments relating to the laws of the Sabbatical year — the seventh year of the seven-year cycle — “Shevi'it”: - The prohibition against working the land of Israel — “lo na'avod adamah”; - The prohibition against tending trees — “lo na'aseh ba'ilanot”; - The commandment to count the years of our settlement in the Land of Israel — seven sets of seven years — “sefirat sheva shabtot shanim”; - The commandment to sanctify every fiftieth year, which is considered the Jubilee year — “kiddush shnat haYovel”, and a number of other commandments relating to that year. A number of commandments relating to interpersonal conduct: - The prohibition against misleading a seller or buyer regarding the true price of an item — “lo lehonot bemamon”, and - The commandment to observe the laws of the Torah when conducting commercial transactions — “asiyat din bein loke'ach umocher”; - The prohibition against hurting a person with words — “lo lehonot bidvarim”; - The prohibition against lending money to a Jew at interest — “lo lehalvot beribit”. - The prohibition against selling parcels of land in Israel permanently during the period in which the commandment of the Jubilee year applies — “lo limkor sadeh litzmitut”, and a number of other commandments relating to land ownership. - The prohibition: “You shall not rule over him with harshness” — “lo la'avod be'eved Ivri”, and a number of other commandments relating to the treatment of a Hebrew slave and a non-Jewish slave. - The prohibition against praying to the L-rd in places of idol worship — “lo nishtachaveh al even maskit”.   Bechukotai This portion contains 12 commandments; 7 positive mitzvot (“aseh”), 5 prohibitions (“lo ta'aseh”): A number of commandments relating to a person's dedication of himself and his property to the L-rd — “kodashim,” “arachin.” - The prohibition against exchanging an animal selected to be offered as a sacrifice — “lo namir hakodashim”, and a number of other commandments relating to sacrifices. - The commandments relating to separating the tithe from large and small livestock — “ma'aser behemah”.   (Compiled by the Sila Tehilim website based on the book “Torah — The Five Books of the Torah,” published by Baruch Malaev)