Mitzvah #261 - Keep your promises

It is forbidden to break a promise; if you promise something you have to keep to it.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "One who makes a promise... should not break his promise" (Bemidbar 30:3)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 184

- Danny
Wednesday, 26 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #229 - Laws of inheritance

It's a Mitzva to bequeath one's estate using the laws of inheritance as defined in the Torah.

In a nutshell: When there are sons the daughters have no share in the estate. If there are no sons - or descendants of the sons - then the order is: daughters and her descendants, father, brothers.

Part of the Mitzva is that a firstborn son gets a double portion of the estate.

By Rabbinic decree a husband inherits his wife's estate.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "If a man dies without sons, his estate gets inherited by his daughters" (Bemidbar 27:8)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 73

- Danny
Sunday, 4 Tishrei 5771

Mitzvah #228 - Thinking the Jewish way

One may not think thoughts that could cause one to reject Judaism, nor thoughts that are immodest.

Since worshipping Gcd requires a clear head, it's important to control one's thoughts.

Included in this Mitzva is pursuing pleasure for the sake of pleasure, as opposed to relaxing with the purpose of having renewed energy for doing Mitzvot..

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not stray after your eyes and after your minds" (Bemidbar 15:39)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 156

With wishes for a Ketiva Vechatima Tova

- Danny
Wednesday, Erev Rosh Hashana 5770

==> Do a Mitzva: Call a friend and remind them to do Eruv Tavshilin - details at http://tinyurl.com/EruvTav

Mitzvah #181 - Bless the nation

Every Cohen has a Mitzva to bless the Jews with the blessing:

יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' וְיִשְׁמְרֶךָ:  יָאֵר ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וִיחֻנֶּךָּ: יִשָּׂא ה' פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם

"May Hashem bless you, and guard you: May Hashem shine His face on you, and be gracious to you:  May Hashem lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." (Bemidbar 6:24 - 26)

If a Cohen does not go to up to bless the congregation when the leader calls out "Cohanim" (before the last Bracha in the Amida) he has missed doing this Mitzva.

Applies to Cohanim, always, everywhere.

Verse: "So shall you bless the children of Israel..." (Bemidbar 6:22)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 58

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 19 Tamuz 5770

Mitzvah #178 - Separating Challah

It's a Mitzva to separate Challah from dough and give it to a Cohen. (Nowadays, since the dough is impure, the Challah is burned, and not given to a Cohen.)

Applies to dough made of the 5 types of grains: wheat, barley, oats, spelt or rye.

Applies to dough the size of at least 43 1/5 eggs. (Opinions vary between 1.2 Kg and 2.5 Kg)

Applies to everybody, always, in Israel, and by Rabbinic decree outside of Israel, where it is burned.

Verse: "The first of your dough you should separate " (Bemidbar 15:20)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 57

- Danny
Monday, 16 Tamuz 5770

Mitzvah #171 - Firstborn donkeys

A firstborn male donkey needs to be redeemed by giving a Cohen a sheep in its stead.

Even if the sheep costs a fraction of the price of the donkey, it can be used.

If one does not own a sheep, one can give the Cohen the monetary value of the donkey.

If the donkey belongs to a Cohen or Levi it need not be redeemed.

Applies to Israelites, everywhere, always

Verse: "...and a firstborn donkey redeem with a sheep" (Shemot 34:20) - "...the firstborns... shall be yours" (Bemidbar 18:15)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 55

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 5 Tamuz 5770

Mitzvah #168 - Redeeming the firstborn

Thirty days after a firstborn son is born, his father needs to redeem him, by giving 5 Shekalim (~117 grams of silver) or items of equivalent value to a Cohen.

The Cohen can use the money for anything he wants, it has no Kedusha - sanctity.

One who had no father at the time, needs to redeem himself when he becomes an adult.

If the firstborn's father or mother are Cohanim or Levi'im, he does not need to be redeemed.

Applies to Israelites, everywhere, always

Verse: "..redeem the firstborn male son. Redeem him at one month old." (Bemidbar 18:15-16)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 54

- Danny
Monday, 2 Tamuz 5770

Mitzvah #160 - Redeeming a firstborn Kosher animal

It is forbidden to redeem a firstborn male Kosher animal.

It has to be given to a Cohen, who may sell it, but the buyer has to continue treating it with all the laws of a firstborn.

If the firstborn is blemished permanently, it may be sold live or slaughtered, but not in the meat market.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "but the first born ox... shall not be redeemed" (Bemidbar 18:17)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 109

- Danny
Wednesday, 20 Sivan 5770

Mitzvah #120 - Annulling vows and oaths

It's a Mitzva to see if a vow or oath can be annulled.

If a person accepts upon himself to do something - and unforeseen circumstances cause him to regret his decision - he may go to an expert in Jewish law or to 3 Jews knowledgeable in the laws of oaths, to try annul his vow.

If they suspect that he would not have accepted his stringency had he known then what he knows now, they ask him if he regrets his acceptance.

If he does, then they say to him "your vow is annulled, allowed and forgiven".

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "When a man makes a vow to Gcd.." (Bemidbar 30:3)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 40

- Danny
Tuesday, 8 Nissan 5770

Mitzvah #117 - Keep your promises

It's a Mitzva to keep your word and to do what you promised.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "The words you say you shall do" (Devarim 23:24 and Bemidbar 30:3)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 39

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 3 Nissan 5770

Mitzvah #98 - Repent!

It's a Mitzva to repent from your sins, and to acknowledge them (privately to Hashem).

To fulfill this, one should say - in all honesty - something to the effect of "Please Hashem, I have sinned against you and done (mention the sin), and I regret doing so and am embarrassed, and I intend to never repeat the offense."

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Man and woman.... should acknowledge their sins" (Bemidbar 5:7)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 33

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 4 Adar 5770

Mitzvah #88 - Hearing the Shofar on Rosh Hashana

It's a Mitzva to hear the Shofar being blown on the first day of the month of Tishrei.

One has to hear 3 sets of "Tekia (long single sound), Teru'a (broken-up sound), Tekia".

Since there are 3 possibilities as to what constitutes a Teru'a, we need to blow a total of 9 sets to properly fulfil this Mitzva.

Applies to males, always, everywhere.

Verse: "It shall be a day of Teru'a-blowing for you" (Bemidbar 29:1)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 30

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 20 Shvat 5770

Mitzvah #27 - Tzitzit

It's a Mitzvah to put Tzitzit on all 4-cornered garments that are worn during the day.

Both wool garments and linen garments require Tzitzit from the Torah. Other garments require Tzitzit by Rabbinic decree.

Garments with more than 4 corners also require Tzitzit.

Applies to males, everywhere, always.

Pasuk: "Make for yourselves Tzitzit on the corner of your garments". (Bemidbar 15:38)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 10

- Danny
Wednesday, 24 Marcheshvan 5770