לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־תָּ֤שֶׁת יָֽדְךָ֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע לִהְיֹ֖ת עֵ֥ד חָמָֽס׃ (ס)

A collection of laws involving the court and the execution of justice is now presented. The first command is addressed to judges: You shall not accept a false report, testimony that is false or which is stated for no practical purpose other than to tarnish someone’s reputation. Do not place your hand with the wicked to be a corrupt witness. Do not collaborate with a wicked person to submit testimony even if you know that the testimony is true. Additionally, one may not join false witnesses even if their testimony would be admitted regardless of your participation. This is an elaboration of one of the Ten Precepts: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים לְרָעֹ֑ת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת׃

You shall not follow the majority for evil. Do not be influenced by the actions or opinions of the majority if you do not agree with them. This statement is always applicable, but is particularly important for a judge, who is obligated to reach a just verdict. It is absolutely prohibited for him to rely on the majority opinion and to ratify their ruling against his better judgment. And you shall not respond in a dispute to distort justice, by inclining after the majority.

וְדָ֕ל לֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃ (ס)

You shall not favor a poor man in his legal dispute. This law, which is addressed to a judge, refers to the tendency to have mercy for the weaker litigant. A judge must issue a just verdict, even if a pitiful individual will thereby suffer.

כִּ֣י תִפְגַּ֞ע שׁ֧וֹר אֹֽיִבְךָ֛ א֥וֹ חֲמֹר֖וֹ תֹּעֶ֑ה הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֶ֖נּוּ לֽוֹ׃ (ס)

If you encounter the ox of your enemy or his donkey lost and wandering, you shall return it to him. Not only is it prohibited to harm your enemy by injuring his animal, you must take positive action to return the animal to its owner.

כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ׃ (ס)

If you see the donkey of your enemy crouching under its burden, because it was laden with an overly heavy load and will not stand until part of the burden is removed, shall you refrain from assisting him, its owner? Not so; rather, you shall assist with him. You must help the owner to lighten the donkey’s burden.

לֹ֥א תַטֶּ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט אֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃

You shall not distort the judgment of your poor in his dispute. In the earlier prohibition against favoring the poor (verse 3), the Torah warned the judge not to follow blindly his noble instinct in order to help those who are disadvantaged. It is no less common for judges to favor wealthy, powerful litigants to the disadvantage of the poor, whose ability to protest injustice is more limited.

מִדְּבַר־שֶׁ֖קֶר תִּרְחָ֑ק וְנָקִ֤י וְצַדִּיק֙ אַֽל־תַּהֲרֹ֔ג כִּ֥י לֹא־אַצְדִּ֖יק רָשָֽׁע׃

You shall distance yourself from falsehood. From the context it appears that this instruction is also directed at judges. When they receive the impression that one of the litigants is presenting a false claim, even if their suspicion cannot be proven, they should rely on their intuition and reject that claim. And you shall not kill the innocent and the righteous. If a judge thinks that an innocent person is being accused of a crime based upon false testimony he should not convict him, as I will not vindicate the wicked who kill innocent people.

וְשֹׁ֖חַד לֹ֣א תִקָּ֑ח כִּ֤י הַשֹּׁ֙חַד֙ יְעַוֵּ֣ר פִּקְחִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽים׃

You shall not take a bribe, a gift or any form of benefit from one of the litigants; as a bribe will blind the perceptive from recognition of the truth, and corrupt the words of the righteous.

וְגֵ֖ר לֹ֣א תִלְחָ֑ץ וְאַתֶּ֗ם יְדַעְתֶּם֙ אֶת־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַגֵּ֔ר כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

You shall not oppress a stranger. Do not harm him, discriminate against him, or issue demands that he cannot fulfill. As a defenseless foreigner, the Torah specifically warns against persecuting him. For you Israelites know the soul of a stranger, as you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

וְשֵׁ֥שׁ שָׁנִ֖ים תִּזְרַ֣ע אֶת־אַרְצֶ֑ךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ֖ אֶת־תְּבוּאָתָֽהּ׃

The following law will become relevant only when the children of Israel enter the land of Israel: Six years you shall sow your land, perform other agricultural labors, and gather its produce.

וְהַשְּׁבִיעִ֞ת תִּשְׁמְטֶ֣נָּה וּנְטַשְׁתָּ֗הּ וְאָֽכְלוּ֙ אֶבְיֹנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְיִתְרָ֕ם תֹּאכַ֖ל חַיַּ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֑ה כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְכַרְמְךָ֖ לְזֵיתֶֽךָ׃

But the seventh year you shall leave it fallow and relinquish it. You must cease your agricultural activities and consider the field as though it does not belong to you. You shall render your field ownerless so that the poor of your people may eat its produce, and their leftovers, the beast of the field shall eat. So you shall do to your vineyard, and to your olive grove. This command is not limited to grain, as it applies to all forms of agricultural produce.

שֵׁ֤שֶׁת יָמִים֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה מַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָ וּבַיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִ֖י תִּשְׁבֹּ֑ת לְמַ֣עַן יָנ֗וּחַ שֽׁוֹרְךָ֙ וַחֲמֹרֶ֔ךָ וְיִנָּפֵ֥שׁ בֶּן־אֲמָתְךָ֖ וְהַגֵּֽר׃

Similarly, six days you shall perform your activities, and on the seventh day you shall rest, so that your ox and your donkey will also rest, and the son of your maidservant, even if he is young and does not get tired from his work, and the stranger who works as a hired laborer will be invigorated. The Sages explain that this “stranger” is a gentile who resides in the Land of Israel and observes the Noahide laws. He too must be given leave to relax on Shabbat, despite the fact that he is not obligated to keep Shabbat, unlike gentile slaves owned by Jews.

וּבְכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־אָמַ֥רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם תִּשָּׁמֵ֑רוּ וְשֵׁ֨ם אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ לֹ֣א תַזְכִּ֔ירוּ לֹ֥א יִשָּׁמַ֖ע עַל־פִּֽיךָ׃

You shall observe everything that I have said to you. This general command comes toward the end of a series of laws that touched upon a wide range of topics. It serves to preclude the notion that one can fulfill his obligations by keeping only some or even most of the Torah’s commandments. God’s instructions are not recommendations but a system of laws that is obligatory in its entirety. You shall not mention the name of other gods; they shall not be heard from your mouth. This law serves to ensure that one keep his distance from anything related to idolatry.

שָׁלֹ֣שׁ רְגָלִ֔ים תָּחֹ֥ג לִ֖י בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃

Three times in the year you shall hold a festival to Me.

אֶת־חַ֣ג הַמַּצּוֹת֮ תִּשְׁמֹר֒ שִׁבְעַ֣ת יָמִים֩ תֹּאכַ֨ל מַצּ֜וֹת כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר צִוִּיתִ֗ךָ לְמוֹעֵד֙ חֹ֣דֶשׁ הָֽאָבִ֔יב כִּי־ב֖וֹ יָצָ֣אתָ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וְלֹא־יֵרָא֥וּ פָנַ֖י רֵיקָֽם׃

You shall observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you when I took you out of Egypt (12:15). The consumption of unleavened bread is one of the defining characteristics of the festival of Passover. This festival shall be observed at the appointed time in the month of the ripening, for during it you came out from Egypt; they shall not appear before Me empty-handed. You shall express respect toward Me and My Sanctuary by bringing offerings.

וְחַ֤ג הַקָּצִיר֙ בִּכּוּרֵ֣י מַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּזְרַ֖ע בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְחַ֤ג הָֽאָסִף֙ בְּצֵ֣את הַשָּׁנָ֔ה בְּאָסְפְּךָ֥ אֶֽת־מַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

The festival of the wheat harvest, Shavuot, will be with your harvesting the first fruits of your handiwork that you sow in the field; and the festival of the ingathering, Sukkot, at the end of the year, when you gather your handiwork, the grain and most of the summer fruit, from the field.

שָׁלֹ֥שׁ פְּעָמִ֖ים בַּשָּׁנָ֑ה יֵרָאֶה֙ כָּל־זְכ֣וּרְךָ֔ אֶל־פְּנֵ֖י הָאָדֹ֥ן ׀ יְהוָֽה׃

Three times during the year, on Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot, all your males shall appear before the Master, the Lord. On these three major festivals, which have agricultural significance, the men must appear in the Temple in the manner of subjects before their master.

לֹֽא־תִזְבַּ֥ח עַל־חָמֵ֖ץ דַּם־זִבְחִ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָלִ֥ין חֵֽלֶב־חַגִּ֖י עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃

You shall not slaughter the blood of My offering with leavened bread. In addition to the general prohibition against owning leavened bread on Passover, there is a further requirement to destroy all one’s leavened bread by the time one’s paschal lamb is offered. The Sages disagree with regard to the precise application of this prohibition. And the fat of My offering that must be burned on the altar shall not remain overnight until morning. The sacrificial rites of the paschal lamb and the festival peace offering brought on the eve of Passover must be completed on that day, rather than left until the following day.

רֵאשִׁ֗ית בִּכּוּרֵי֙ אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ תָּבִ֕יא בֵּ֖ית יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁ֥ל גְּדִ֖י בַּחֲלֵ֥ב אִמּֽוֹ׃ (ס)

You shall bring the choicest of the first fruits of your land to the house of the Lord your God. This can mean the best first fruits or simply the first fruits. This commandment does not have to be performed specifically on a festival; it can be fulfilled any time from the beginning of the harvest until the gathering of the crops, which is between Shavuot and Sukkot. The bringing of the first fruits is presented in greater detail in Deuteronomy (26:1–15). You shall not cook a kid in its mother’s milk. Cooking a kid in the very milk from which it should have gained its sustenance is considered cruel. The tradition of the Sages extends this prohibition to cooking any milk and meat together, as well as eating meat and milk that were cooked together. It is possible that these extensions of this law are based on the fact that one who buys meat and milk from the marketplace cannot be certain that they have no original connection to each other. Nonetheless, in practice the prohibition applies even when it is known with certainty that the milk is not from the mother of that kid.

הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י שֹׁלֵ֤חַ מַלְאָךְ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמָרְךָ֖ בַּדָּ֑רֶךְ וְלַהֲבִ֣יאֲךָ֔ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֲכִנֹֽתִי׃

Behold, I am sending an angel as a messenger before you to protect you along the way, and to take you to the place that I have prepared. God’s angel represents His presence in the midst of the Jewish people.

הִשָּׁ֧מֶר מִפָּנָ֛יו וּשְׁמַ֥ע בְּקֹל֖וֹ אַל־תַּמֵּ֣ר בּ֑וֹ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשָּׂא֙ לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י שְׁמִ֖י בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃

Beware of him and heed his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive your transgression, since God alone can pardon; His messenger cannot do so independently. Nonetheless, you must listen to him, for My name, God’s manifestation in the world, is in him.

כִּ֣י אִם־שָׁמֹ֤עַ תִּשְׁמַע֙ בְּקֹל֔וֹ וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ כֹּ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲדַבֵּ֑ר וְאָֽיַבְתִּי֙ אֶת־אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ וְצַרְתִּ֖י אֶת־צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃

For if you heed his voice and perform all that I say through him, then I, God, will be an enemy to your enemies and I will be hostile to those who are hostile to you.

כִּֽי־יֵלֵ֣ךְ מַלְאָכִי֮ לְפָנֶיךָ֒ וֶהֱבִֽיאֲךָ֗ אֶל־הָֽאֱמֹרִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהַפְּרִזִּי֙ וְהַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֔י הַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִ֑י וְהִכְחַדְתִּֽיו׃

For My angel shall go before you and he will take you to the Emorites, the Hitites, the Perizites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Yevusites, and I will annihilate them.

לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֤ה לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א תָֽעָבְדֵ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם כִּ֤י הָרֵס֙ תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔ם וְשַׁבֵּ֥ר תְּשַׁבֵּ֖ר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃

In addition to these general warnings, the Torah reiterates a prohibition: You shall not prostrate yourselves to their gods, and you shall not serve them in any manner, and you shall not act in accordance with their actions in their religious rites; rather, you shall actively destroy them and smash their monuments and all their places of religious worship.

וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵרַ֥ךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ֖ וְאֶת־מֵימֶ֑יךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִ֥י מַחֲלָ֖ה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃

You shall serve the Lord your God and He will bless your bread and your water, and I will remove illness from your midst.

לֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֛ה מְשַׁכֵּלָ֥ה וַעֲקָרָ֖ה בְּאַרְצֶ֑ךָ אֶת־מִסְפַּ֥ר יָמֶ֖יךָ אֲמַלֵּֽא׃

There shall be no woman who miscarries or is barren in your land; I will fill the number of your days; you will merit long lives.

אֶת־אֵֽימָתִי֙ אֲשַׁלַּ֣ח לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְהַמֹּתִי֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּבֹ֖א בָּהֶ֑ם וְנָתַתִּ֧י אֶת־כָּל־אֹיְבֶ֛יךָ אֵלֶ֖יךָ עֹֽרֶף׃

When you arrive in Israel, you will not have to rely solely on your own military power: I will send My fear before you and I will stun, unnerve and throw into panic, all the people into whose midst you shall come for war; and I will thereby cause all your enemies to turn their backs to you and flee from you.

וְשָׁלַחְתִּ֥י אֶת־הַצִּרְעָ֖ה לְפָנֶ֑יךָ וְגֵרְשָׁ֗ה אֶת־הַחִוִּ֧י אֶת־הַֽכְּנַעֲנִ֛י וְאֶת־הַחִתִּ֖י מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ׃

I will send the hornet before you to join the attack, and it shall expel the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hitites from before you.

לֹ֧א אֲגָרְשֶׁ֛נּוּ מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בְּשָׁנָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת פֶּן־תִּהְיֶ֤ה הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ שְׁמָמָ֔ה וְרַבָּ֥ה עָלֶ֖יךָ חַיַּ֥ת הַשָּׂדֶֽה׃

I will not expel them from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field multiply against you. The attack of the hornets will empty the land of its inhabitants slowly and gradually. Had the Canaanites been killed all at once, such as through a plague, the land would have become desolate, which would have made it difficult to repopulate.

מְעַ֥ט מְעַ֛ט אֲגָרְשֶׁ֖נּוּ מִפָּנֶ֑יךָ עַ֚ד אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּפְרֶ֔ה וְנָחַלְתָּ֖ אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

I will expel them from before you little by little, until you increase and inherit the entire land.

וְשַׁתִּ֣י אֶת־גְּבֻלְךָ֗ מִיַּם־סוּף֙ וְעַד־יָ֣ם פְּלִשְׁתִּ֔ים וּמִמִּדְבָּ֖ר עַד־הַנָּהָ֑ר כִּ֣י ׀ אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּיֶדְכֶ֗ם אֵ֚ת יֹשְׁבֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ וְגֵרַשְׁתָּ֖מוֹ מִפָּנֶֽיךָ׃

I will set your border from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, the Mediterranean, much of whose southern coast had been settled by the Philistines, and from the wilderness of the Arabian Desert, on the eastern side of the Land of Israel, to the Euphrates River, for I will deliver into your hand the inhabitants of the land and you shall expel them from before you and take possession of the entire land.

לֹֽא־תִכְרֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם בְּרִֽית׃

You shall not establish a covenant with them or with their gods.

לֹ֤א יֵשְׁבוּ֙ בְּאַרְצְךָ֔ פֶּן־יַחֲטִ֥יאוּ אֹתְךָ֖ לִ֑י כִּ֤י תַעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־אֱלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ לְמוֹקֵֽשׁ׃ (פ)

They shall not live in your land lest they cause you to sin against Me. You must entirely destroy them from your land lest you come to imitate their ways and be influenced by their culture. For you will serve their gods, for they will be a snare for you. You will be unable to ignore their deep roots in the land. A state of isolation is critical for the development and shaping of your new society.