The mitzvot of Re’eh

To destroy idolatry and its auxiliaries

Positive · Deuteronomy 12:2

The mitzvah comes to wipe out the name of idolatry and all memory of it from the world. Therefore we were commanded to destroy its places in whatever way destroys them most quickly, so that no trace of it remains.

Not to destroy things upon which His name, may He be blessed, are called

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:4

The root of this mitzvah is plain - when the children of Israel approach what is holy with awe and reverence, a great fear of God enters their hearts. Therefore it is forbidden to destroy or erase His name and the things upon which His name is called, so that their honour is preserved in our hearts.

That one brings all of his vows on the first festival

Positive · Deuteronomy 12:5

It is not fitting for a person to be lazy about what he vowed to do, just as people take care to carry out the commands of earthly kings promptly, and all the more so the commands of the King of kings. Yet the Torah did not burden him to go up at once, so that people would not refrain from making vows and freewill gifts, but commanded him to fulfil his vow at the first pilgrimage festival, when he goes up to God's House in any case.

Not to sacrifice a sacrifice outside of the Temple yard

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:13

God set one place for Israel to bring their offerings and prepare their hearts, and through the greatness of the place and the awe of it hearts soften and humble themselves to accept the full kingship of Heaven. Therefore He forbade offering anywhere else, so that we may have complete atonement. Moreover, God permitted taking the life of animals only for atonement or for human need, and one who offers outside the chosen place sheds blood to no purpose, so Scripture counts it for him as bloodshed.

The commandment to sacrifice all the sacrifices in the Choice House

Positive · Deuteronomy 12:14

When there is one special place in the world for offerings, and people come to it constantly to seek God, the place becomes holy, and God's favour and the abundance of His blessing rest upon it. Hearts are awed and softened at the sight of it, and each person turns back from his evil way and from the wrongdoing in his hands. If every place were fit for offerings, none of them would be like this, and beyond this simple reason the matter holds wondrous secrets.

To redeem consecrated things upon which a blemish developed

Positive · Deuteronomy 12:15

It is of God's kindness to us that He allowed us to benefit from an offering animal that developed a blemish, even though it had already been consecrated to His Name. He does not deal strictly with His creatures, saying, do not touch what was Mine even for a single moment. He went further in His kindness and made it a positive mitzvah, for had He merely left it to our discretion we might have held back out of piety, and now that there is a mitzvah in it, no hesitation remains in our hearts.

To not eat from the second tithe of grain outside of Jerusalem

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

The second tithe is eaten only in Jerusalem, the seat of the Sanhedrin, of wisdom and of Torah, so that its owner will go up there and study Torah, or send one of his sons to study there and live on that produce. In this way every house in Israel will have someone wise and learned in Torah who will teach his whole household, and the land will be filled with the knowledge of God.

To not eat the second tithe of wine outside of Jerusalem

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

Like the tithe of grain, the second tithe of wine too is meant to be eaten only in Jerusalem, the place of Torah and wisdom. Whoever goes up there to eat his produce studies Torah himself or sends his son to study, and so in every house in Israel there are more people who know Torah and teach their households to fear God.

To not eat the second tithe of oil outside of Jerusalem

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

The second tithe of oil too is eaten only in Jerusalem, to bind its owner's heart to the place where the sages of the Torah sit. By going up there with his produce he studies himself or settles one of his sons there to study, and so every house in Israel has someone who teaches his household to walk in the ways of God.

To not eat an unblemished firstborn animal outside of Jerusalem

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

The firstborn is given to God so that we know that everything is His, and that a person has nothing in the world but what God allots him in His kindness, and also in memory of the miracle He did for us with the plague of the firstborn. Therefore it is holy, and is eaten only by the kohanim, the servants of God, and only in the place of holiness, Jerusalem, not by an outsider and not anywhere else.

To not eat higher level consecrated foods outside of the Temple yard

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

Every offering is eaten in a designated place, so that those who eat it direct their hearts to the atonement for whose sake it is eaten, as the sages said, the kohanim eat and the owners are atoned. Were they to eat it elsewhere, their minds would wander from the matter.

To not eat meat of a burnt offering

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

A person who sins leaves the realm of reason for a time and becomes like a beast, so he brings a body of flesh like his own and burns it in the holy place, to engrave on his heart that a body without reason perishes and comes to nothing. A burnt offering goes entirely to God and its memory is wiped out completely, so it is forbidden to eat anything of it, for the prohibition follows from that very same reason.

To not eat lower level consecrated foods before the sprinkling of the bloods

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

The mitzvah teaches us always to put the good of the soul before the good of the body, in everything in the world. Therefore it is not fitting for the body to enjoy eating the offering before its blood has been sprinkled, for the blood comes to atone for the soul.

That the priest not eat the first fruits before their placement in the Temple yard

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:17

Bringing the first fruits to God's House is meant to set God's word at the head of our joy, and to remember that all the blessings of the world come to us from Him. Through acknowledging His kingship and thanking Him for the fruit, we become worthy of blessing. Therefore they are given to the kohanim, the servants of God, and must not be eaten before they have been set down in the Temple courtyard before God.

To not forsake the Levite, from giving him his gifts

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:19

God wished Israel to be a wise and understanding people, so He set a whole tribe, the tribe of Levi, apart without a share of land and without work in the fields, so that it would devote its time to study and to understanding God's ways, and teach His laws to its brethren everywhere. Since all Israel must seek Torah from their mouths, God wished their brethren to provide their livelihood, lest their wisdom be lost through want. And the Torah reminds the owners of the land that God is the Levite's inheritance, so they must not look down on him and must not forsake him.

The commandment of slaughter

Positive · Deuteronomy 12:21

More of the body's blood leaves through the neck than through any other place, so we were commanded to slaughter the animal there before we eat it, so that its blood drains out and we do not eat the life together with the flesh. Moreover, slaughter at the neck with an inspected knife is meant to spare living creatures more pain than necessary. The Torah permitted them to man because of his higher standing, for his food and all his needs, but not to cause them pain for nothing.

To not eat a limb from the living

Negative · Deuteronomy 12:23

The mitzvah is meant to keep us from training our souls in cruelty, a most shameful trait, and there is no greater cruelty than cutting a limb or flesh from a creature while it is still alive and eating it. When we acquire good traits and distance ourselves from bad ones, we cleave to the good, and the good God desires to do good, so He commands His people to choose the good.

To bring consecrated things to the Choice House

Positive · Deuteronomy 12:26

Offerings consecrated outside the Land too must be brought to the place God chose, for the same reason that all offerings are brought only there. A single place to which people constantly come to seek God becomes holy, God's blessing rests upon it, and hearts are softened at the sight of it and turn from their evil ways. Perhaps a separate mitzvah was given for this because bringing them from afar is a greater burden.

To not add to the commandments and their understanding

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:1

God, who commanded us the Torah, is perfect in the utmost perfection, and all His deeds and commandments are complete and good. Therefore any addition to them is a flaw and not an improvement, and all the more so any subtraction from them.

To not subtract from the commandments of the Torah

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:1

God's commandments are complete and good just as He gave them, and nothing in them is superfluous. Whoever takes away from them damages the perfection that God set, and if adding to them is a flaw, taking away from them is all the more so.

To not listen to one who prophecies in the name of idolatry

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:4

People err constantly, and their minds do not easily reach the full truth. The Torah was concerned that through the false arguments of one who prophesies in the name of idolatry, and a long debate with him, a person might be enticed by his words, or at least doubt in his heart even for an hour. Although his words can stand only for a moment and the truth will expose his lie, the Torah took pity on us, so that we would not lose even one hour of our lives to such an evil doubt.

To not love the seducer

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:9

As with the previous mitzvah, the Torah knows that the human mind is prone to error, and one who is close at heart to a person enticing him to idolatry may lend an ear to his words. Therefore we are forbidden to love him, so that affection does not open a door to doubt in our faith.

To not leave the hatred towards the seducer

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:9

Like the two previous mitzvot, this one too comes to keep far away anything to do with idolatry, so that we do not stumble into it in any way. Were the one enticed to give up his distance from the enticer, he would draw close to him again and could be drawn after his words.

To not save the seducer

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:9

This mitzvah too follows from the root of the previous mitzvot about the enticer, all of which come to keep every trace of idolatry far from us. One who tried to lead his fellow away from the service of God has committed a very grave sin, and the Torah commanded the one he tried to entice not to take pity on him, so that everyone would understand how far removed this matter must be from the people of Israel.

Not to advocate innocence for a seducer

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:9

Like the other mitzvot about the enticer, this one too comes to keep far away anything to do with idolatry. One who tried to entice others to it does not deserve that the person he enticed should plead in his favour, so that this grave sin will not seem light in the eyes of the people, nor appear to be something one can defend.

Not to refrain from advocating guilt for the seducer

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:9

This mitzvah too follows from the same root, to keep idolatry away from every side, so whoever knows something against the enticer may not remain silent. And from the many warnings about the enticer one may learn that it is permitted to hate the wicked who have so corrupted their deeds that there is no hope for them, who do not listen to rebuke and whose aim is to do harm, as King David said, do I not hate those who hate You, God.

To not seduce one of Israel to worship idolatry

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:12

The reason for this mitzvah is plain to all. Idolatry is the gravest of all sins, and one who entices his fellow to it does not only sin himself but seeks to lead another soul away from the service of God, so the Torah warned that no one in Israel should do such an evil thing.

The commandment of investigating the witnesses well

Positive · Deuteronomy 13:15

Judgment must be built on complete truth, so we were commanded to question the witnesses thoroughly and inquire well, so that we are not hasty in judgment and put the innocent to death or cause him to lose his money. The Torah repeats the command in different words, to inquire, to investigate and to ask well, to warn us strongly, for this is a mighty pillar on which people's lives depend.

The burning of an enticed city and to kill its people

Positive · Deuteronomy 13:17

The people of a city who agreed together to abandon the service of God and worship idols have made a wicked and most loathsome agreement. It is fitting to blot out their name and destroy their memory from the world, so that no trace of them remains, and there is no destruction more complete than burning.

To not rebuild an enticed city

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:17

A city whose people agreed together to worship idols deserves to have its memory wiped out from the world. Therefore it is forbidden to rebuild it as a city, so that no place remains in the world to recall that wicked agreement.

To not benefit from the property of an enticed city

Negative · Deuteronomy 13:18

The ban on benefiting from the property of a city led astray comes from the same reason, that the memory of a city which abandoned the service of God should be wiped out entirely. All its spoil is burned with it, and no one may take anything from it, so that nothing of it remains.

To not gash ourselves, like the worshipers of idolatry

Negative · Deuteronomy 14:1

The mitzvah is meant to keep us from doing anything resembling the practices of idol worshippers. And we were kept from gashing ourselves over the dead, for it does not befit the chosen people, bearers of the wisdom of the Torah, to grieve over God's doing beyond what He commanded us. Harming the body like fools is not the way of the wise and the understanding, and from here the sages learned that one should not mourn the dead excessively.

To not make a bald spot for the dead

Negative · Deuteronomy 14:1

Like the ban on gashing, the ban on making a bald spot for the dead comes so that we do not resemble idol worshippers in their customs. Moreover, it does not befit a people that received the wisdom of the Torah to disfigure its body out of excessive grief over God's doing, but to grieve only as He commanded us.

To not eat from consecrated animals that have been disqualified

Negative · Deuteronomy 14:3

The Torah keeps us from approaching holy things and touching them, to plant in our hearts awe of holy matters and to make them precious in our eyes. Through this our spirit is stirred and our heart softened, and a steadfast spirit is renewed within us when we come to ask forgiveness for our sins, and God answers us and saves us from all our troubles.

To check the signs of a bird

Positive · Deuteronomy 14:11

The body is the instrument of the soul, and any harm to the body impairs some working of the mind, so the Torah kept us away from forbidden foods, even when we do not know how they harm us, for the faithful Physician who commanded us about them is wiser than us all. And since some birds were forbidden to us, it is right and necessary to check the signs of a bird carefully before eating it, as with anything that carries a prohibition.

To not eat from the flying swarming creatures

Negative · Deuteronomy 14:19

The body is the instrument through which the soul acts, and when it is harmed, the working of the mind is impaired as well. Therefore the perfect Torah kept us away from any food that causes harm, and if there are foods whose harm is unknown to us and to the physicians, we should not wonder at it, for the One who commanded us is wiser than them all.

To not eat from the meat of a domesticated beast, a wild animal or a bird that has died by itself

Negative · Deuteronomy 14:21

As with a torn animal, so with one that died by itself, the simple reason is that the body is the instrument of the soul, and any defect in it also impairs the working of the mind. Therefore the Torah kept us away from meat that harms the body, and the faithful Physician knows the harm even when we do not understand it, and He did not reveal the reasons, so that people would not come and say that the prohibition does not apply to them.

The commandment of the second tithe

Positive · Deuteronomy 14:22

The verse itself states the reason, so that you may learn to fear God always. The second tithe is eaten in Jerusalem, the seat of the Sanhedrin and of the Torah, and its owner goes up there and studies, or settles one of his sons there to study and live on the produce. In this way every house in Israel will have someone who teaches his household Torah and the fear of Heaven.

To separate the poor tithe

Positive · Deuteronomy 14:28

God wished His creatures to become practised in kindness and mercy, a praiseworthy trait, and by refining themselves with good traits they become worthy of receiving good. God Himself could supply all the needs of the poor, but in His kindness He made us His messengers, in order to give us merit.

To not claim a debt that the seventh year passed

Negative · Deuteronomy 15:2

The release of debts comes to teach our souls generosity and a good eye, and to set in our hearts great trust in God. It is also a strong fence against robbery and covetousness, for if the Torah commanded us to release even a debt owed to us, all the more must we keep far from anything that is not ours. Therefore one who demands his debt after the release undoes everything the mitzvah comes to teach.

The commandment to press the foreigner

Positive · Deuteronomy 15:3

The mitzvah is meant to keep us from training ourselves in such compassion and pity toward those outside the covenant that we would be drawn after their deeds and their counsel. The Ramban holds that this is not truly a positive mitzvah, and that the main point of the verse is to warn us to show compassion to our brothers of Israel and not to press them.

That he release all of his loans in the seventh year

Positive · Deuteronomy 15:3

The release of debts comes to teach our souls the lofty traits of generosity and a good eye, and to set in our hearts great trust in God, and then our souls will be fit to receive good and blessing from the Master of all. It is also a strong fence and an iron wall against robbery and covetousness, for if the Torah commanded the lender to release even what he himself lent, all the more must we keep far from anything that belongs to our neighbour.

To not steel his heart against the poor

Negative · Deuteronomy 15:7

God wants His creatures to become practised in kindness and mercy, and thereby to become worthy of receiving His goodness. He could supply the poor man's needs without us, but in His kindness He made us His messengers to give us merit, so we must not harden our hearts or close our hands against our poor brother.

The commandment of charity

Positive · Deuteronomy 15:8

God wished His creatures to be taught and accustomed to kindness and mercy, and by refining themselves with good traits to become worthy of blessing, for goodness and blessing always rest on the good. God could sustain the poor Himself, but out of His kindness He made us His messengers in order to give us merit.

To not refrain from lending before the sabbatical year

Negative · Deuteronomy 15:9

The mitzvah comes to strengthen and fix generosity in our hearts and to banish stinginess entirely, and there is no one as generous as a person who lends his money knowing that the Sabbatical year is near and may cause him to lose the loan. One who spreads his wealth to the needy only gains, for God grants a person of His blessing according to his deeds. Stinginess is an iron wall between a person and blessing, while generosity is itself a part of the blessing.

To not send a Hebrew slave empty

Negative · Deuteronomy 15:13

Like the mitzvah of endowing the servant, this prohibition too comes so that we acquire noble and precious traits in our souls, and with a precious soul we merit the good. Our honour and glory is to show mercy to one who served us and to give him of our own in kindness, so it is forbidden to send the servant away empty-handed.

To endow him upon his leaving to freedom

Positive · Deuteronomy 15:14

The mitzvah comes so that we acquire noble and precious traits in our souls, and with a precious and lofty soul we merit the good, for the good God desires to do good to His people. Our honour and glory is to show mercy to one who served us and to give him of our own in kindness, beyond what we undertook to pay him as his wage.

To not work with consecrated things

Negative · Deuteronomy 15:19

The Torah keeps us from approaching consecrated things and making use of them, to plant in our hearts awe of holy matters and to make them precious in our eyes. When a person takes care not to work with an animal consecrated to God, his spirit is stirred and his heart softened, and he is more fit to ask forgiveness and to be answered.

To not shear the wool of consecrated animals

Negative · Deuteronomy 15:19

Like the ban on working with consecrated animals, the ban on shearing them comes to keep us from using what has been consecrated to God. In this way awe of the holy is preserved in our hearts, and consecrated things become precious in our eyes rather than ordinary.

To not eat chamets after midday

Negative · Deuteronomy 16:3

The ban on chametz on Pesach is especially severe, for the Exodus from Egypt is a sign and proof of the creation of the world, the great pillar on which the whole Torah rests, so every mitzvah that commemorates the Exodus is very weighty and dear to us. Because of this severity the Torah commanded us to begin the prohibition six hours before the time of the miracle, so that we understand the greatness of the mitzvah when we see the Torah building a fence around it.

To not leave over from the festive sacrifice to the third day

Negative · Deuteronomy 16:4

The mitzvah of Pesach is a strong foundation of our Torah, so we were commanded to make the day of its slaughter a day of joy, and there is no complete joy for people without plenty of meat. Therefore one must not leave over the meat slaughtered in honour of the joy of Pesach until the third day, but eat it in its time and increase joy with it. Moreover, holy meat whose time has passed is burned entirely, and in this too there is a hint of trust in God, that a person should not worry too much about saving his food for tomorrow.

To not sacrifice the Pesach sacrifice on the bamah of an individual

Negative · Deuteronomy 16:5

The mitzvah comes to fix in our souls the greatness of Pesach and the preciousness of its mitzvah. The honour of the mitzvah and its public renown are greater when everyone performs it together in one appointed place, and not each individual wherever he pleases.

The commandment to rejoice on the festivals

Positive · Deuteronomy 16:14

Human nature needs to rejoice from time to time, just as it needs food, rest and sleep. God wished to give us merit and commanded us to rejoice for His sake, and set festivals for us in which to remember the miracles and kindnesses He did for us. When the joy is for His sake and in His remembrance, that thought guards us from straying in our joy from the right path.

To appear on the festivals in the Choice House

Positive · Deuteronomy 16:16

Three times a year all Israel come to God's House, so that they see and take to heart, through the act of offering that stirs the heart, that they are all God's portion and inheritance, a holy people chosen to keep His laws. In coming they are like servants entering under the shelter of their Master's roof, and through this act awe and love of Him are fixed in their hearts, and they merit His kindness and blessing.

To not go up for the festival without a sacrifice

Negative · Deuteronomy 16:16

Like the mitzvah of appearing at the Temple, the ban on coming for the festival without an offering is meant so that the act of offering will stir the hearts of Israel. Coming to God's House with an offering in hand, they recognise that they are His servants and His inheritance, and so awe and love of Him are fixed in their hearts.