Mitzvah #271 - Never forget Amalek's evil deeds

We are commanded to never forget the evil that Amalek did for us when he ambushed us on our journey from Egypt to the Promised Land.

The Mitzva is to never forget our hatred and animosity towards them.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Remember what Amalek did to you... don't forget" (Devarim 25: 17-19)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 194

This ends the

 77 positive and 194 negative

Torah commandments

that are applicable nowadays.

- Danny
Wednesday, 8 Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #270 - Ascending the Temple Mount

Anybody who is Tameh (spiritually impure) is not allowed to go into the "Levite Camp" - which is the Har HaBayit; where the Bet HaMikdash stood.

Since nowadays we are all Tameh, (for example, having been under the same roof as a corpse,) and we cannot become ritually pure since we don't have the Para Aduma (Red Heifer) ashes, therefore this restriction applies to all of us.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "...who is impure, shall not come into the camp" (Devarim 23:11)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 193

- Danny
Tuesday, 7 Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #269 - Leaving Israel

It's forbidden to live in Egypt; however one may go there temporarily for business.

It's forbidden to leave the Land of Israel ever, except to learn Torah, or to get married, or to escape from enemies or to do business.

To leave Eretz Yisrael to settle permanently in the Diaspora is forbidden - unless there's a serious famine in the land.

Whoever lives in Eretz Yisrael - his sins are forgiven. Even walking 4 cubits in Eretz Yisrael is a Mitzva.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "You shall not go back on that way again" (Devarim 17:16)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 192

- Danny
Monday, 6 Kislev 5771

--> Rare and hard to find sefarim about Eretz Yisrael available on VirtualGeula <--

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 #267 - Keep your house safe

It is forbidden to have anything dangerous in one's house, like an unsafe fence (or no fence) around one's roof or pool, or owning dangerous dogs.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "..do not put dangerous objects in your house" (Devarim 22:8)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 190

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 4 Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #266 - Hunting birds

If one finds a bird roosting on her eggs or hatchlings, it is forbidden to capture her.

(Compare to Mitzva 232 - http://mitzvoh.blogspot.com/2010/09/mitzvah-232-free-eggs.html)

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "...do not take the mother when she is roosting on the eggs" (Devarim 22:6)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 189

- Danny
Wednesday, 3 Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #265 - Let the animals eat while they work

It is forbidden to prevent an animal from eating while it works - especially from the produce it is working with.

One may not muzzle the animal even before starting to work. One may not even yell at it to prevent it from eating.

This is true even if the animal belongs to a non-Jew.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not muzzle an ox while it's threshing" (Devarim 25:4)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 188

- Danny
Tuesday, 2 Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #264 - Feeding others while you work

When allowed to eat during the final harvesting stages, a worker may not pick up (with the intention of eating) more than one mouthful at a time.


He may also not pick up anything and give it to others to eat.


Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.


Verse: "...and into your vessels do not put any" (Devarim 23:25)


Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 187

Chodesh Tov

- Danny

Monday, 2nd day Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #263 - Eating while you work

A worker may not eat from the food he is working with, except in a field during the final stages of harvesting. While reaping he may not yet eat from the crop.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "...do not lift a sickle onto your neighbors's crop" (Devarim 23:26)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 186

Chodesh Tov

- Danny
Sunday, 30 Marcheshvan - 1st day Rosh Chodesh Kislev 5771

Mitzvah #262 - Don't delay; keep your promise

It's forbidden to delay the fulfillment of a promise.

One does not transgress "delaying" until all 3 festivals (Pessach, Shavuoth and Succoth) has gone by.

However, when pledging to give Tzedaka, one transgresses "delaying" as soon as one meets someone who deserves to get the charity, or a representative of the institution one pledged the money to.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "When you promise... do not delay its fulfillment" (Devarim 23:22)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 185

Shabbat Shalom uMevorah

- Danny
Thursday, 27 Marcheshvan 5771

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 #260 - Ignoring animals in distress

If one sees an animal that has collapsed under its burden, one may not ignore it and choose not to assist unloading it.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "When seeing the animal collapse under it's burden, you may not ignore it" (Devarim 22:4)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 183

- Danny
Tuesday, 25 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #259 - Lost property; don't ignore it

It is forbidden to ignore lost property that belongs to a fellow-Jew; if you notice it, you must pick it up.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not ignore your friend's lost property..." (Devarim 22:1-3)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 182

- Danny
Monday, 24 Marcheshvan 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 #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 #253 - Payot; the Torah haircut

One is forbidden to shave off the corners of the head of a Jewish male.

Even cutting them off with scissors is forbidden. Trimming them is allowed.

("The corners of the head" is the hair that grows in the triangular area from the top of the ear to the forehead to the sideburns all the way to the bottom of the skull near the hole in the ear.)

One who shaves off both corners has transgressed twice.

The one who does the shaving has transgressed; a woman's "corners" may be shaved, but a woman may not shave a man's "corners".

The one being shaved has not transgressed, unless he assists in the process.

It is also forbidden to shave a boy's "corners" - even if he is under Bar Mitzva.

Applies to everybody, on males only, everywhere, always.

Verse: "Do not round off the corners of your heads" (Vayikra 19:27)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 176

- Danny
Sunday, 16 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #252 - The fake prophet

It is forbidden to prophecise falsely as a representative of Gcd.

One who claims - falsely - that Hashem spoke to him, and then informs us of Hashem's message, deserves to be put to death by Beth Din by strangulation.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: "The prophet who purposely speaks in My Name things that I did not tell him to say..." Devarim (18: 20)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 175

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 13 Marcheshvan 5771

Mitzvah #251 - Communicating with the dead

It is forbidden to communicate with those who are no longer alive.

For example, one who starves himself and then sleeps in a cemetery so that the deceased comes to him in a dream and answers his questions, has transgressed this Mitzva.

No matter what method is used to communicate with the dead, they are all forbidden.

Applies to everybody, everywhere, always.

Verse: There shall not be among you... one who communicates with the dead" (Devarim 18:10-11)

Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer haMitzvot haKatzar; Prohibition 174

- Danny
Wednesday, 12 Marcheshvan 5771

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