Mitzvah #268 - Save the trees

It is forbidden to destroy fruit trees - and one who does so deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

If a fruit tree is causing damage to other trees or nearby fields, it may be chopped down.

Non-fruit bearing trees, and fruit trees that no longer produce a significant amount of fruit can be chopped down without any special reason.

By Rabbinical decree it's forbidden to needlessly destroy any item, including vessels, clothes, buildings and food.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "when you besiege a city... do not destroy its trees" (Devarim 20:12)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 191

- Danny
Sunday, 5 Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #257 - Ploughing with an ox and a donkey

It is forbidden to use an ox and a donkey, to pull a plough or a wagon together.

One who does any type of work using a Kosher and a non-Kosher animal at the same time, deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

Even one who sits in a wagon drawn by an ox and a donkey deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not plough using an ox and a donkey" (Devarim 22:10)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 180

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 20 Marcheshvan 5771

Please daven for the complete recovery of Rivka bat Tirtzel.

Mitzvah #250 - Inquiring of a Yid'oni

In Mitzvah #248 we described the forbidden Yid'oni ceremony; which gave the Yid'oni the ability to foretell the future.

It is forbidden to inquire from a Yid'oni about the future.

One who inquires from a Yid'oni about the future - and does an action during the Yid'oni ceremony - deserves 39 lashes by Beth Din.

If one does not do any action, one deserves Makat Mardut; lashes by Rabbinic decree.

Applies to everybody, always, everywhere.

Verse: "There shall not be found amongst you... those who inquire of... a Yid'oni" (Devarim 18:10 - 11)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 173

- Danny
Tuesday, 11 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #249 - Inquiring of an Ov

In Mitzva 247 we described the forbidden Ov ceremony; which gave the Ov the ability to foretell the future.

It is forbidden to inquire from the Ov about the future.

One who inquires from the Ov about the future - and does an action during the Ov ceremony - deserves 39 lashes by Beth Din.

If one does no action, one deserves Makat Mardut; lashes by Rabbinic decree.

Applies to everybody, always, everywhere.

Verse: "There shall not be found amongst you... those who inquire of an Ov" (Devarim 18:10 - 11)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 172

- Danny
Monday, 10 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #246 - Witch Doctors as doctors

Chanting gibberish in order to heal is forbidden.

Chanting gibberish as a protection from snakes and wasps is forbidden.

If one does either of the above while waving one's hand or a stick, or while making any other motion, one deserves 39 lashes by Beth Din.

By Rabbinic decree it's forbidden to do the above even without any motions.

By Rabbinic decree it's forbidden to ask somebody else to do the above for one's own protection or convalescence.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "There shall be no... Witch Doctors amongst you" (Devarim 19:10-11)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 169

- Danny
Wednesday, 5 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #240 - Tattoos

It is forbidden to get a permanent tattoo.

One who punctures their skin and inserts die or coloring agents, deserves 39 lashes in Bet Din.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "... and do not get a tattoo." (Vayikra 19:28)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 163

- Danny
Tuesday, 27 Tishrei 5771

Mitzvah #239 - Monuments

One may not erect a stone monument - where the multitudes gather - for the sake of worship; be it idol worship or even worshipping Hashem.

One who erects such a monument deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "Do not erect any monuments" (Devarim 16:22)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 162

- Danny
Monday, 26 Tishrei 5771

Mitzvah #206 - Keep the Cohen away from corpses

A Cohen is not allowed to become ritually impure - except for his parents, his father's sons and unmarried daughters, his own children and his wife.

He may not touch nor carry corpses, nor be under the same roof nor hover over a corpse.

The same applies to body parts as well as to blood from a corpse.

A Cohen who becomes ritually impure deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

A Cohen may help in the burial of a מת מצוה - if the burial will not happen without his assistance.

Applies everywhere, always, to Kosher male Cohanim, but not to a Chalal

Verse: "He may not become impure for a non relative" (Vayikra 21:1)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 141

- Danny
Sunday, 28 Av 5770

Mitzvah #205 - A Cohen cannot marry a divorcee

A Cohen is not allowed to marry a divorcee; if he does then their children are Chalalim and he deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

By Rabbinic decree a Cohen is prohibited from marrying a widow whose husband died without offspring and she underwent Chalitza by a surviving brother.

Applies to Cohanim, everywhere, always

Verse: "And a woman divorced from her husband he may not marry" (Vayikra 21:7)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 140

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 25 Av 5770

Mitzvah #162 - Kissing and cuddling

One may not have affectionate contact with close of kin - even if it does not involve marital relations.

One who hugs, kisses or has close physical contact with those they may not marry (except for one's children and parents), deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din, and is considered to be suspect of being promiscuous.

One is not allowed to seclude oneself with those one may not marry (except for one's children and parents), a prohibition known as Yichud.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "None of you shall approach anybody who is near of kin to him" (Vayikra 18:6)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 110

- Danny
Sunday, 24 Sivan 5770

Please daven for a complete recovery for

Chagai Yitzchak ben Pnina - חגי יצחק בן פנינה

Mitzvah #145 - Don't eat fruit worms

One may not eat insects that grow in fruit, vegetables or grain.

One who eats an olive-size worth of such insects, or one who eats an entire insect deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "All creepy thing on earth don't eat" (Vayikra 11:42)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 98

- Danny
Monday, 26 Iyar 5770 - 41st day of the Omer

Mitzvah #142 - Not eating Kosher flying insects

One may not eat flying insects, except for some Kosher grasshoppers.

One who eats an olive-size worth of flying insects, or one who eats an entire insect (no matter how small) deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din,

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "Flying insects are impure to you, do not eat them" (Devarim 14:19)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 96

- Danny
Wednesday, 21 Iyar 5770 - 36th day of the Omer

Mitzvah #139 - Non-Kosher birds

One who eats a non-Kosher bird or its eggs deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

The Torah gives us a list of non-Kosher birds.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "..from the birds you shall not eat..." (Vayikra 11:13)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 94

- Danny
Sunday, 18 Iyar 5770 - 33rd day of the Omer

Mitzvah #134 - Don't eat limbs from a live animal

One may not eat any part of an animal that was cut off before the animal was slaughtered.

One who eats such, deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "Don't eat the soul and the meat" (Devarim 12:23)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 90

- Danny
Sunday, 11 Iyar 5770 - 26th day of the Omer

Mitzvah #127 - Eating animals that died

A Neveila is an animal that died a natural death or was slaughtered incorrectly - and may not be eaten.

One who eats a Neveila - animal or fowl - deserves 39 lashes by Bet Din.

A stillborn is considered to be a Neveila.

One may not eat a newborn animal until it is 8 days old unless one is sure it was born after a full term pregnancy.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "Do not eat any Neveila" (Devarim 14:21)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 86

- Danny
Monday, 28 Nissan 5770, 13th day of the Omer

Mitzvah #94 - Cursing a judge

Besides for the prohibition of cursing any Jew, one may also not curse a Dayan - a judge in a Bet Din.

One who curses a Dayan with reference to Hashem gets two sets of 39 lashes by Bet Din.

Included in this verse is the prohibition of cursing Gcd; one who transgresses gets stoned to death by Bet Din.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not curse the judge" (Shemot 22:26)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 63

Chodesh Tov,

- Danny
Sunday, 1st day Rosh Chodesh Adar 5770

Mitzvah #65 - Striking a fellow-Jew

It is forbidden to hit another Jew.

This is learned from the prohibition of Bet Din to give more than 39 lashes.

One who strikes another Jew needs to compensate him. If the compensation is less than a Peruta (a few cents) then Bet Din give him 39 lashes instead.

One who lifts his hand to strike a fellow Jew - even if he didn't strike - is called "wicked".

Parents and teachers who hit their children and students for educational purposes when appropriate, do not transgress this Mitzva.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not strike him more" (Devorim 25:3)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 43

- Danny
Monday, 18 Tevet 5770