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 #258 - Kosher clothes

It's forbidden to wear clothes that include both linen and wool from sheep. This mixture is called Sha'atnez.

Even if the wool and linen are tied to opposite ends of a clothing item, it is forbidden to wear the item.

One may not cover oneself with Sha'atnez; woolen blankets may not have linen threads or labels.

Even if the Sha'atnez item is not directly on one's skin it's forbidden; even if one is sleeping under a huge pile of blankets, the top one cannot contain Sha'atnez.

By Rabbinic decree it's also forbidden to sit on Sha'atnez.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not wear Sha'atnez; wool and linen together." (Devarim 22:11)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 181

- Danny
Sunday, 23 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 #235 - Deleting Mitzvot

It is forbidden to decide that a Mitzva is no longer applicable.

This applies to Mitzvot from the Written or the Oral law.

The Rabbis have permission to prevent people from doing a Mitzva under certain conditions, like forbidding to blow the Shofar on Shabbat to ensure that people will not transgress the Torah commandment of carrying in a public domain on Shabbat.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "...and do not remove from them" (Devarim 13:1)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 160

- Danny

Monday, 12 Tishrei 5771

Mitzvah #233 - Inventing a new Mitzva

One may not add new Mitzvot to the existing 613 that Gcd commanded us.

Even declaring a Rabbinic-Mitzva to be Torah-ordained is forbidden.

If a Cohen adds a blessing to the 3-fold priestly blessing he has transgressed this Mitzva.

The Rabbis are allowed to add safeguards, decrees and thanksgiving Mitzvot (like Chanukah and Purim) - as long as they don't declare them to be Torah-ordained.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not add to it" (Devarim 13:1)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 159

Shabbat Shalom and have an easy and meaningful fast

- Danny
Thursday, 8 Tishrei 5771

Mitzvah #201 - Shmita cancels debts

If a loan was not repaid during the Shmita (7 year cycle) year, then it's a Mitzva for the creditor to forgo his debt.

If the debtor does return the debt after Shmita, the creditor may not accept it. He must say "I forgo the debt because of Shmita".

If the debtor insists and says "nevertheless", the creditor may accept the money.

Applies to everybody, everywhere. From the Torah only when the Yovel (50 year) cycle is being counted, by Rabbinic decree always.

Verse: "All creditors shall release their debt" (Devorim 15:1)

One may write a Prozbul to prevent having to forfeit the loan because of Shmita. (See Halocho-a-Day for details.)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 64

- Danny
Sunday, 21 Av 5770

Mitzvah #180 - Mother and her daughter's daughter

One may not marry and woman and her daughter's daughter.

One who marries a woman and then has relationships her mother's mother or her daughter's daughter gets burned to death by Beth Din.

If his wife died and he then has relationships her mother's mother or her daughter's daughter, he gets Karet.

By Rabbinic decree it's forbidden to have such relations even if neither are married to him.

By Rabbinic decree this applies to great-grandchildren as well.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "...her son's daughter..." (Vayikra 18:17)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 123

- Danny
Wednesday, 18 Tamuz 5770

Mitzvah #132 - Don't eat blood

There's a Mitzva to not eat the blood of any animal or bird.

One who eats blood on purpose deserves Karet. One who eats blood by mistake will need to bring a Korban-Chatat (sin offering) as soon as the Bet Hamikdash is rebuilt.

Human blood is forbidden by Rabbinic decree, once it has separated from the body.

Blood from kosher fish and kosher grasshoppers is permitted.

Applies to everywhere, everybody, always

Verse: "Don't eat any blood... from fowl and animals" (Vayikra 7:26)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 89

- Danny
Wednesday, 7 Iyar 5770 22nd day of the Omer

Mitzvah #110 - Refrain from work on the last day of Sukkoth

It's a Mitzva to not do Melacha (certain types of work) on Shemini Atzeret - the last day of Sukkoth.

Work involving food preparation is allowed, within certain parameters.

Lighting fires from an existing flame as well as carrying without an Eruv is allowed.

Outside Israel this applies to the two last days of Sukkoth (Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah), by Rabbinic decree.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "The eighth day shall be a day of gathering... called Holy" (Vayikra 23:37)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 37

- Danny
Tuesday, 23 Adar 5770

Mitzvah #107 - The 4 Species on Sukkoth

It's a Mitzva to pick up a Lulav, Etrog, 3 Hadasim and 2 Aravot on the first day of Sukkoth.

The 4 species need to be held the right way up - in the direction they grow.

All 4 species must belong to oneself; borrowed and stolen ones are invalid.

The Rabbis decreed that one shake the 4 Species on all days of Sukkoth besides for Shabbat.

On Chol HaMo'ed one may use a borrowed set of the 4 Species.

Parents have a Rabbinic Mitzva of Chinuch (education) to ensure their boys old enough to handle the 4 Species also shake them.

Applies to males, always, everywhere

Verse: "And you shall take on the first day...." (Vayikra 23:40)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 36

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 18 Adar 5770

Mitzvah #101 - Refrain from work on first day of Sukkoth

It's a Mitzva to not do Melacha (certain types of work) on the first day of Sukkoth.

Work involving food preparation is allowed, within certain parameters.

Lighting fires from an existing flame as well as carrying without an Eruv is allowed.

Outside Israel this applies to the second day of Sukkoth as well, by Rabbinic decree.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always

Verse: "The first day shall be called Holy" (Vayikra 24:34)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 34
- Danny
Tuesday, 9 Adar 5770

Mitzvah #84 - Don't be scared to make loans

At the end of the Shmita year - every 7 years - most types of loans are cancelled.

One who refrains from lending money based on the fear that they will not be paid back because the Shmita year will cancel the loan, has trangressed.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, when the Yovel 50-year cycle is in place.

Nowadays it's a Rabbinic - and not Torah - prohibition.

Verse: "Beware lest you refrain from loaning money since the Shmita year is approaching" (Devarim 15:9)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 56

- Danny
Sunday, 16 Shvat 5770

Mitzvah #66 - When is it a Mitzva to eat Matza?

It's a Mitzva to eat Matza on the first night of Pessach.

Matza can only be made from the "5 grains", traditionally translated as "wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye".

If a child is old enough to eat Matza, there's a Mitzva to educate him in the Mitzva and feed him some.

By Rabbinic decree one is forbidden to eat Matza on Erev Pessach, in order to have an appetite for it at night.

Applies to everybody, everywhere on Seder night.

Verse: "On that night you shall eat Matza" (Shemot 12:18)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 23

- Danny
Tuesday, 19 Tevet 5770

Mitzvah #64 - Denying a wife her rights

A husband is forbidden to deny his wife her Torah-given rights: food, clothes and conjugal rights.

One who denies his wife any of these has transgressed.

By Rabbinic decree a husband owes his wife another 7 rights, as needed: Her Ketuba, medical attention, redeeming her from captivity, a decent burial, the use of his estate as long as she's widowed, her daughters' use of the estate until they get married, her dowry get bequeathed only to her descendants.

Applies to husbands, everywhere, always.

Verse: "He may not deny his wife her food, clothing and conjugal rights" (Shemot 21:10)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 42

- Danny
Sunday, 17 Tevet 5770