The Commandments in the Weekly Torah Portions – Sefer Shemot

The Commandments in the Weekly Torah Portions – Sefer Shemot

The Commandments of Sefer Shemot Bo This portion contains 20 commandments: 9 positive commandments – mitzvot “Aseh”, 11 prohibitions – mitzvot “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The commandment to establish the beginning of the Jewish months, “Kiddush HaChodesh,” and to calculate leap years; - A number of commandments relating to the Passover offering – “Korban Pesach”; - The prohibition throughout the entire festival of Pesach against allowing chametz to remain in a Jew’s possession – “Lo yera’eh velo yimatzeh chametz”; - The prohibition throughout the entire festival of Pesach against eating chametz – “Lo le’echol chametz,” as well as any food containing chametz – “Lo le’echol davar sheyesh bo chametz”; - The commandment to eat matzah on the first night of Pesach (the night of 15 Nissan) – “Achilat matzah”; - The commandment to recount the Exodus from Egypt on the first night of Pesach – “Sipur Yetziat Mitzrayim”; - The commandment to sanctify firstborn males – “Kiddush Bechorot”; - A number of commandments relating to the redemption of the firstborn donkey – “Peter chamor”; Beshalach This portion contains 1 commandment A prohibitory commandment – mitzvah “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The prohibition against walking more than 2,000 cubits beyond the city limits on Shabbat – “Lo latzet be-Shabbat chutz la-techum”; Yitro This portion contains 17 commandments: 3 positive commandments – mitzvot “Aseh”, 14 prohibitions – mitzvot “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The commandment to believe in the one G-d, Who was, is, and will be forever – “Ha’emunah”; - The prohibition against believing in any other gods – “Lo yihyeh lecha”; - The prohibition: “You shall not make for yourself a graven image” – “Lo ta’aseh pesel”; - The prohibition against creating, even for decorative purposes, a statue of a human being – “Lo la’asot tzurat adam”; - The prohibition of idolatry, applicable to Jews and non-Jews: - Do not bow down to them – “Lo tishtachaveh”; - Do not serve them – “Lo ta’ovdem”; - The prohibition: “You shall not take the Name of the L-rd, your G-d, in vain” – “Lo tisa”; - The commandment to sanctify Shabbat when it begins and when it ends – “Zachor et yom ha-Shabbat”; - The prohibition against violating Shabbat by performing activities forbidden by the Torah – “Lo ta’aseh kol melachah”; - The commandment: “Honor your father and your mother” – “Kabed et avicha”; - The prohibition against murder, applicable to all people: Jews and non-Jews – “Lo tirtsach”; - The prohibition against adultery, applicable to all people: Jews and non-Jews – “Lo tin’af”; - The prohibition: “You shall not steal,” applicable to all people: Jews and non-Jews – “Lo tignov”; - The prohibition against giving false testimony – “Lo ta’aneh… ed shaker”; - The prohibition: “You shall not covet: neither your neighbor’s house, nor his wife... nor anything that belongs to your neighbor” – “Lo tachmod”; - The prohibition against building an altar of hewn stones, that is, stones touched by iron – “Lo livnot mizbe’ach me’avnei gazit”; - The prohibition: “You shall not ascend My altar by steps” – “Lo lifso’a al ha-mizbe’ach”;   Mishpatim This portion contains 53 commandments: 23 positive commandments – positive commandments, mitzvot “Aseh”, and 30 prohibitions – prohibitory commandments, mitzvot “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The prohibition against depriving a woman, even a maidservant, of food, clothing, or marital intimacy – “Lo ligroa she’er, kesut ve’onah”; And a number of additional commandments concerning the Hebrew servant – “Eved Ivri” – and the Hebrew maidservant – “Amah Ivriyah”; - The prohibition against striking one’s parents – “Lo lehakot av va’em”; A number of commandments defining the authority of a Jewish court to judge a person who caused harm to another and punish him with a fine – “Dinei knasot”; A number of commandments defining the authority of a Jewish court to impose the death penalty – “Dinei chayavei mitah”: - For one who strikes or curses his father or mother; - For one who kidnaps a person and sells him into slavery; for one who offers sacrifices to idols: “You shall not allow a sorceress to live”; - “Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death”; A number of prohibitions ensuring the justice of the Jewish court – “Dinei bet din”: - The prohibition against hearing one of the parties in a dispute in the absence of the other; - The prohibition against calling a sinner as a witness; - The prohibition against departing from the truth by following the majority opinion; - The prohibition against favoring a person merely because he is poor and arouses pity; - The prohibition against a judge accepting a bribe. A number of commandments relating to fulfilling the obligations of safeguarding another Jew’s property – “Arba’ah shomrim”. - The prohibition against verbally wronging a convert – one who has converted to Judaism – “Lo lehonot ha-ger bidvarim” – and oppressing him financially – “Lo lehonot ha-ger bemamon”. - The prohibition: “You shall not oppress any widow or orphan” – “Lo la’anot yatom ve’almanah”; - The commandment to lend money to a poor person – “Lehalvot le’ani”; and the prohibition against demanding repayment from him while he has no means to pay – “Shelo nitba chov me’ani”; - The prohibition against acting as an intermediary, witness, or guarantor when lending money to a Jew at interest – “Shelo nasit yad ben loveh lemalveh beribit”; - The prohibition: “You shall not revile judges” – “Lo lekalel dayan”; and “you shall not curse the leader of your people” – “Lo lekalel nasi”; - The prohibition against eating tereifah (non-kosher) meat – “Lo le’echol tereifah”; - The commandment to help an exhausted animal by removing its heavy burden – “Peruk massa”; - The commandment that, during the Sabbatical year – every seventh year of the seven-year cycle – produce that grows on the Land of Israel is to be left in the field or orchard for anyone who wishes to take it – “Shmitat karka’ot”; - The commandment: “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day you shall rest” – “Shvitah be-Shabbat”; - The prohibition: “You shall not swear by the name of other gods” – “Lo lishava ba’avodah zarah”; - The commandment to go up to the Temple in Jerusalem to celebrate Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot – “Chagigah ba-regalim”; - The commandment to bring the first fruits of the new harvest to the Temple – “Hava’at bikurim”; - The prohibition against cooking meat together with milk – “Lo levashal basar bechalav”; A number of prohibitions intended to prevent idolatry in the Holy Land of Israel: - “You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods” – “Lo lichrot brit”; - “They shall not remain in your land” – “Lo lehoshiv ovdei elilim be’artzenu.”   Terumah This portion contains 3 commandments: 2 positive commandments – positive commandments, mitzvot “Aseh”, and 1 prohibition – a prohibitory commandment, mitzvat “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The commandment to build the Temple – “Binyan Beit HaBechirah”; And a number of additional commandments relating to the construction of the Sanctuary and the service performed there.   Tetzaveh This portion contains 7 commandments: 4 positive commandments – positive commandments, mitzvot “Aseh”, and 3 prohibitions – prohibitory commandments, mitzvot “Lo Ta'aseh”. - The commandment to light the lamps in the Temple – “Arichat nerot ba-Mikdash”; And a number of additional commandments relating to the service of the Kohanim.   Ki Tisa This portion contains 9 commandments: 4 positive commandments – positive commandments, mitzvot “Aseh”, and 5 prohibitions – prohibitory commandments, mitzvot “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The commandment for every man over the age of twenty to donate a half-shekel to the Temple once a year, as a contribution toward the offerings – “Machatzit ha-shekel”; - The commandment for the Kohanim to wash their hands and feet before entering the Temple – “Kiddush yadayim ve-raglayim”; And a number of additional commandments relating to the Temple service. - The commandment to give the land rest and refrain from working it during the Sabbatical year – the seventh year of the seven-year cycle – “Shvitat ha’aretz”; - The prohibition against eating meat and dairy products together – “Lo le’echol basar bechalav”;   Vayakhel This portion contains 1 commandment: 1 prohibition – a prohibitory commandment, mitzvat “Lo Ta'aseh”: - The prohibition against carrying out a death sentence on Shabbat – “Lo ya’asu bet din”.   (Compiled by the silatehilim website based on the book “Torah – The Five Books of the Torah,” published by Baruch Malaev)