The Commandments of Sefer Devarim

The Commandments of Sefer Devarim

Sefer Devarim Devarim This portion contains 2 commandments: 2 prohibitions — mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": - The prohibition against appointing as a judge someone who does not know the laws of the Torah — "Lo lemanot dayan she-eino chacham"; - The prohibition against a judge allowing fear of anyone to influence his decision — "Shelo yira ha-dayan ba-din";   Va'etchanan This portion contains 12 commandments: 8 positive mitzvot "Aseh", 4 prohibitive mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": - The prohibition: "And you shall not covet... anything that belongs to your fellow" — "Lo tit'avah"; - The commandment to believe that "the Creator is One" — "Achdut Ha-El"; - The commandment to love G-d — "Ahavat Ha-El"; - The commandment to study the Torah and teach it — "Lilmod Torah u-lelamdah"; - The commandment to recite the passage "Hear, O Israel" twice a day — "Likro Kriat Shema"; - The commandment to put on tefillin on the arm and the head — "Lehaniach tefillin"; - The commandment to affix a mezuzah to the doorpost — "Likboa mezuzah"; - The prohibition: "You shall not test G-d, your Almighty" — "Lo lenasot"; - The commandment to destroy the seven idolatrous nations inhabiting the land of Canaan — "Lehacharim shiv'ah amamim"; - The prohibition against showing mercy to idolaters — "Lo lachon" — and the prohibition: "You shall not intermarry with them" — "Lo lehitchaten".   Eikev This portion contains 8 commandments: 6 positive mitzvot "Aseh", 2 prohibitive mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": - The prohibition against using any object associated with idol worship for any purpose — "Avodah zarah"; - The commandment to bless G-d after a meal — "Birkat HaMazon"; - The commandment to love converts — "Le'ehov et ha-gerim"; - The commandment: "You shall fear G-d, your Almighty" — "Lira meha-El"; - The commandment to pray to G-d every day — "La'avod Ha-El bi-tefillah"; - The commandment to learn from Torah scholars and experts and seek their company — "Lehidabek be-yod'ei Torah"; - The commandment, in times of particular need, to swear only by the name of G-d — "Lehishava bi-Shemo".   Re'eh This portion contains 55 commandments: 17 positive mitzvot "Aseh", 38 prohibitive mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": - The prohibition against destroying holy places, destroying holy books, or erasing or crossing out the inscription of G-d's holy names — "Lo le'abed devarim"; - The prohibition against offering sacrifices outside the place chosen by G-d — "Lo lehaqriv korban chutz la-azarah" and a number of additional commandments concerning sacrifices, their place and their time — "Korbanot"; A number of commandments concerning the second tithe — "Ma'aser Sheni"; A number of commandments concerning permitted and forbidden foods — "Kashrut": - The commandment to observe the laws of kosher slaughter and eat only the meat of animals and birds slaughtered according to Torah law — "Lishchot behemah"; - The prohibition against eating parts of a living animal: "You shall not eat the soul with the meat" — applies to everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike — "Lo le'echol ever min ha-chai"; - The prohibition against eating carrion — the meat of animals and birds not slaughtered according to the proper laws, killed in any other manner, or which died naturally — "Lo le'echol neveilah"; - The prohibition against eating flying insects — "Lo le'echol sheretz ha-of"; - Prohibitions concerning the Torah: - not to add to it — "Lo lehosif"; - not to subtract from it — "Lo ligroa"; A number of commandments concerning the prevention of idolatry: - The commandment to destroy idols and the places where they are worshipped — "Le'abed avodah zarah"; - The prohibition against listening to a false prophet who incites people to idolatry — "Lo lishmoa"; - The prohibition against defending or pitying him — "Lo lelamed zechut"; - The commandment to burn a city whose inhabitants have turned away from G-d — "Lisrof ir ha-nidachat", and not to rebuild it — "Lo livnot", and not to take anything from it — "Lo lehanot mi-mamono"; - The prohibition against following the customs of idolaters by making cuts on one's body or shaving a bald patch on one's head as a sign of mourning for the dead — "Lo likroach se'ar"; - The commandment to investigate the witnesses to a crime thoroughly in order to deliver a just verdict — "Lidrosh ve-lachkor ha-edim"; A number of commandments concerning charitable giving and charity: - The prohibition against hardening one's heart toward a needy person — "Lo te'ametz et levavo"; - The commandment to give charity — "Tzedakah" — generously and cheerfully; - The commandment to forgive debts after the Sabbatical year, the seventh year of the seven-year cycle — "Sheyashmit kol halvaotav"; - The prohibition against refraining from lending money before the Sabbatical year — "Lo yimaneh milehalvot"; - The prohibition against sending a Hebrew slave to freedom empty-handed — "Lo leshale'ach eved Ivri reikam"; - The commandment to go up to the Temple in Jerusalem on Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot, in order to be present in this holy place during the festivals — "Leheraot be-Veit ha-Bechirah"; - The commandment to rejoice during these festivals — "Lismoach ba-regalim".   Shoftim This portion contains 41 commandments: 14 positive mitzvot "Aseh", 27 prohibitive mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": - The commandment for the people of Israel to appoint judges and officers over themselves — "Lemanot shoftim ve-shomrim" — and the commandment to follow their decisions — "Lishmoa be-kol Beit Din"; - The prohibition against deviating from these decisions in the interpretation of Torah law — "Lo lehamrot pi Beit Din ha-Gadol"; A number of prohibitions concerning the prevention of idolatry: - The prohibition against planting trees in the Temple or near the altar — "Lo lita asherah"; - The prohibition against erecting monuments — "Lo lehaqim matzevah"; - The prohibition against offering blemished animals as sacrifices — "Lo lehaqriv korban ba'al mum"; A number of commandments concerning the appointment of a king: - The commandment: "Set a king over yourself" — "Lemanot melech"; - The prohibition against appointing a non-Jew as king — "Lo lehaqim aleinu melech nochri"; A number of prohibitions applying to the king: - not to keep many horses — "Lo yarbeh ha-melech susim"; - not to return the people to Egypt — "Lo lashuv be-eretz Mitzrayim"; - not to acquire many wives — "Lo yarbeh ha-melech nashim"; - not to possess excessive gold and silver — "Lo yarbeh ha-melech kesef ve-zahav"; The commandment for the king to copy a Torah scroll and carry it with him constantly — "Sheyichtov ha-melech Sefer Torah"; A number of prohibitions applying to the Levites: - The prohibition against receiving a portion of land (apart from certain cities and territories) — "Lo yinchal shevet Levi"; - The prohibition against participating in the division of war spoils — "Lo yikach shevet Levi"; A number of commandments concerning gifts brought to the kohanim — "Matanot Kehunah"; - The commandment for the kohanim and Levites to serve in the Temple according to the established order — "Liheyot ha-kohanim ve-ha-Levi'im ovdim ba-Mikdash"; A number of prohibitions against consulting people engaged in various forms of sorcery: - "Let there not be found among you... a diviner" — "Lo liksom"; - "...or a soothsayer, or an augur, or a sorcerer" — "Lo lechashef"; - "...or a charmer" — "Lo lachavor"; - "...or one who consults the spirits" — "Lo lish'ol be-ba'al ov"; - "...or a necromancer" — "Lo lish'ol be-yid'oni"; - "or one who inquires of the dead" — "Lo lidrosh el ha-metim"; - The commandment to listen to true prophets — "Lishmoa el navi emet" — and a number of prohibitions concerning false prophecy — "Lo lehitnabe be-sheker"; - The prohibition: "You shall not move your fellow's boundary marker" — "Lo lehasig gevul"; A number of commandments and prohibitions concerning justice: - The prohibition against showing pity to murderers or criminals who have maimed a person — "Lo lachus al ha-rotzeach"; - The prohibition against issuing a verdict based on the testimony of only one witness — "Lo yakum ha-edut be-ed echad"; - The commandment to punish a false witness in accordance with the harm he intended to cause — "La'asot le-ed zomem"; - The prohibition: "Do not destroy a tree" — "Lo lehashchit ilan ma'achal"; The commandment to perform a specific ceremony at the place where a murdered person is found — "La'arof et ha-eglah"; and the prohibition against working or sowing that land — "Lo lizroa".   Ki Tetzei This portion contains 74 commandments: 27 positive mitzvot "Aseh", 47 prohibitive mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": A number of commandments concerning the treatment of a captive woman — "Eishet yefat to'ar"; A number of commandments concerning a person sentenced to death — "Dinei chayav mitah"; - The commandment to bury the body of the deceased within one day of death — "Likvor bo ba-yom"; A number of commandments concerning one's relationship with one's fellow: - The commandment to return a lost object to its owner — "Hashavat aveidah" — and the prohibition against deliberately passing by someone else's lost property — "Lo lehit'alem"; - The commandment to help a person lift a heavy load — "Lit'on ha-masa" — and the prohibition against passing by when an animal has fallen beneath the weight of its load — "Lo lehaniach behemah"; - The prohibition against a woman wearing men's clothing — "Lo tilbash ishah", and a man wearing women's clothing — "Lo yilbash ish"; - The commandments concerning one who finds a nest with young birds: - The prohibition against taking the young birds or eggs from the nest together with the mother — "Lo yikach em al banim"; - The commandment to send the mother bird away — "Leshaleach ha-em min ha-ken"; Commandments concerning the prevention of danger: - The commandment to place a parapet around the roof of one's house so that no one will fall from it — "La'asot ma'akeh"; - The prohibition against leaving dangerous places or objects in the house or on the street, so that blood will not be spilled — "Lo lehaniach michshol"; A number of prohibitions concerning "mixtures": - The prohibition against sowing grape seeds together with two different kinds of grain — "Lo lizroa kil'ayim"; - The prohibition against plowing with an ox and a donkey yoked together — "Lo la'asot melachah bi-shnei minei behemah"; - The prohibition against wearing clothing made of a mixture of wool and linen — "Lo lilbosh shatnez"; The commandment of marriage through betrothing a wife in the presence of two witnesses and giving her the appropriate document — "Lisa isha bi-ketubah ve-kiddushin"; And a number of additional commandments establishing the foundations of family law and ensuring the purity and sanctity of the Jewish family: - The prohibition against punishing a person who committed a crime under coercion — "Lo la'anosh ha-anus be-chet"; - The prohibition against a mamzer marrying a Jewish woman — "Lo yisa mamzer"; - The prohibition against entering the Temple Mount in a state of ritual impurity — "Lo yikanes tame le-Har ha-Bayit"; Commandments concerning the purity of the Jewish military camp — "Lehatkin makom"; - The prohibition against handing a runaway slave over to his master — "Lo lehasgir eved" — or mistreating him — "Lo lehanot"; - The prohibition against bringing money obtained dishonorably into the Temple — "Lo lehaqriv"; - The prohibition against charging interest on money borrowed from a Jew — "Lo yiten haloveh ribit le-Yisrael"; - The commandment permitting one to lend money to non-Jews at interest, as well as permitting one to pay them interest on a loan taken from them — "Lehalvot la-nochri"; - The commandment to fulfill a vow that one has made — "Lekayem kemo she-nadar" — and the prohibition against delaying its fulfillment — "Lo le'acher"; Commandments concerning the rights of a hired worker: - The commandment permitting a worker to eat his fill from the produce of an orchard — "Lehaniach la-sachir"; - The prohibition against taking produce away with him — "Lo yikach be-yado"; The commandment requiring a man who decides to divorce his wife to give her a bill of divorce — "Legaresh be-get"; - The prohibition against a man taking back his former wife if she remarried and then divorced or was widowed — "Lo yachazir gerushato"; - The prohibition against a husband leaving his wife for an extended period or going to serve in the army during the first year after the wedding — "Lo yetzei ha-chatан" — and the commandment to gladden and rejoice with his wife throughout that year — "She-yismach ha-chatан im ishto"; A number of commandments concerning the taking of objects as collateral — "Dinei mashkon": - The prohibition against taking as collateral objects that a person needs; - The prohibition against entering a debtor's home to take collateral from him; - The prohibition against taking collateral from a widow. The commandment to pay a hired worker on the same day — "Latet sachar be-yomo"; - The prohibition: "You shall not pervert the law for the stranger or the orphan" — "Lo lehatot mishpat". Commandments concerning a just court: - "If the wicked one has been found deserving of lashes" — "Lehalkot la-rasha"; - "He may be given forty lashes, but no more" — "Lo lehosif be-malkut"; - The prohibition against cruel treatment of an animal: "You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing" — "Lo lachsom behemah". Commandments concerning levirate marriage — "Yibbum": - "The wife of the deceased shall not marry an outsider"; - "Her brother-in-law shall come to her and take her"; - The rite of "Chalitzah", renunciation of levirate marriage; - The commandment to save a pursued person who is in danger — "Lehatzil ha-nirdaf"; - The prohibition against keeping false measures and weights, so that there will be no temptation to deceive one's fellow, "for an abomination... is anyone who acts unjustly" — "Lo lehashot mishkalot"; - The commandment to remember forever the evil that Amalek committed against our people — "Lizkor"; - The commandment to destroy his nation — "Limchot zar'o"; - The prohibition: "Do not forget" — "Lo lishkoach"!   Ki Tavo This portion contains 6 commandments: 3 positive mitzvot "Aseh", 3 prohibitive mitzvot "Lo Ta'aseh": - The commandment, when bringing the first fruits to the Temple, to recite a prayer over them recalling that the land and its produce are a gift from G-d — "Likrot al ha-bikkurim"; - The commandment to confess before G-d after separating the tithe — "Lehitvadot vidui ma'aser" — and a number of additional commandments concerning the separation of tithes. - The commandment: "to walk in His ways" — "Lalechet be-darkei Ha-Shem yitbarach"; The meaning of this commandment is that each of us must strive to emulate G-d by being compassionate and righteous. Vayeilech This portion contains 2 commandments: 2 positive mitzvot "Aseh", - The commandment for the people of Israel to gather during the Sabbatical year, on the second day of the festival of Sukkot, to hear the Torah read — "Lehakhel kol Yisrael"; - The commandment for every Jewish man to write, or commission a professional scribe to write, a Torah scroll for himself — "Lichtov Sefer Torah."   (Compiled by the silatehilim website based on the book "Torah — Chamishah Chumshei Torah," published by Baruch Malaev)