וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

You shall observe My statutes and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you. I am the One who bestows upon you a unique status, and therefore you must observe My commandments, both the simple, understandable ones, and those which may appear to you as the arbitrary decrees of a King.

כִּֽי־אִ֣ישׁ אִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְקַלֵּ֧ל אֶת־אָבִ֛יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֖וֹ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת אָבִ֧יו וְאִמּ֛וֹ קִלֵּ֖ל דָּמָ֥יו בּֽוֹ׃

For each man who curses his father or his mother, even if he does not harm them in any other way, shall be put to death; he cursed his father or his mother; his blood is upon him, on his hands. He is guilty and shall be punished for his transgression in this world. The obligation to honor one’s parents also appears in the Ten Precepts. Here, however, the verse emphasizes the severity of dishonoring one’s parents and the accompanying punishment. In other cultures as well, it is considered inappropriate to curse another, let alone one’s parents. However, in the framework of the sanctity of Israel such behavior is absolutely intolerable. One who curses his parents is therefore sentenced to death.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנְאַף֙ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִנְאַ֖ף אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת הַנֹּאֵ֖ף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת׃

A man who commits adultery with the wife of a man, that is, who commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, the adulterer and the adulteress shall be put to death. The repetitive language of the verse points to the dual aspects of the crime of adultery: Transgression of a prohibition, as well as injury to one’s neighbor. The prohibition against adultery with the wife of a man points to the religious aspect, while the prohibition against committing adultery with the wife of one’s neighbor points to its social aspect. Not all prohibitions of a sexual nature directly affect a third party, but the adulterer sins against both God and his fellow man.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת אָבִ֔יו עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֖יו גִּלָּ֑ה מֽוֹת־יוּמְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם׃

The man that lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness, the act is shameful and disgraceful to his father; both of them shall be put to death; their blood is upon them.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־כַּלָּת֔וֹ מ֥וֹת יוּמְת֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם תֶּ֥בֶל עָשׂ֖וּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם׃

If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall be put to death; they have performed a perversion; their blood is upon them. Alternatively, the verse means: Father and son have mixed up one woman between them. This prohibition parallels the previous one, as lying with the wife of one’s father and lying with one’s daughter-in-law are two sides of the same coin. However, in the instance of lying with one’s father’s wife, there is an aspect of shaming one’s father, while in the instance of lying with one’s daughter-in-law, the verse stresses the repulsive intermingling and partnering.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁכַּ֤ב אֶת־זָכָר֙ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אִשָּׁ֔ה תּוֹעֵבָ֥ה עָשׂ֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם׃

A man who lies with a male, in the manner that one lies with a woman, willingly and with consent, both of them have performed an abomination. Just as in the cases involving relations between a man and a woman, this prohibition applies equally to both the active and passive participants. They shall be put to death by stoning; their blood is upon them.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקַּ֧ח אֶת־אִשָּׁ֛ה וְאֶת־אִמָּ֖הּ זִמָּ֣ה הִ֑וא בָּאֵ֞שׁ יִשְׂרְפ֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ וְאֶתְהֶ֔ן וְלֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ה זִמָּ֖ה בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃

A man who takes a woman and her mother, or a woman and her daughter, as the order makes no difference, it is lewdness . While the case where two male relatives have relations with one woman is described by the verse as a perversion, the case where one man has relations with two related women is described as lewdness. This lewdness stems from the fact that both women are intermingled in his thoughts, his imagination, and his life. He and they shall be burned in fire, and there shall be no lewdness among you.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן שְׁכָבְתּ֛וֹ בִּבְהֵמָ֖ה מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה תַּהֲרֹֽגוּ׃

A man who copulates with an animal, he shall be put to death; and the animal you shall kill. Obviously, an animal does not possess mental competence and cannot be considered guilty of a transgression. Nevertheless, it is put to death due to the shame that was brought upon the children of Israel through it, and because it was a stumbling block for people. In other words, the man is put to death for his transgression, while the animal is killed because it was used in the performance of the transgression, just as vegetation or vessels used for idol worship must be destroyed.

וְאִשָּׁ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּקְרַ֤ב אֶל־כָּל־בְּהֵמָה֙ לְרִבְעָ֣ה אֹתָ֔הּ וְהָרַגְתָּ֥ אֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֖ה וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם׃

Similarly, a woman who approaches any animal in order for it to copulate with her, you shall kill the woman and the animal. They shall be put to death by stoning; their blood is upon them.

וְאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחֹת֡וֹ בַּת־אָבִ֣יו א֣וֹ בַת־אִ֠מּוֹ וְרָאָ֨ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ וְהִֽיא־תִרְאֶ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתוֹ֙ חֶ֣סֶד ה֔וּא וְנִ֨כְרְת֔וּ לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמָּ֑ם עֶרְוַ֧ת אֲחֹת֛וֹ גִּלָּ֖ה עֲוֺנ֥וֹ יִשָּֽׂא׃

The verse now turns to prohibitions for which a punishment to be administered by the courts is not prescribed; rather, one who transgresses these prohibitions is liable to receive excision: A man who takes his sister, daughter of his father or daughter of his mother, meaning even if she is his half-sister, and he sees her nakedness, and she sees his nakedness, it is a disgrace [ h · ]. Ḥesed resembles the Aramaic term ḥisuda , disgrace. Note that ḥesed , which usually means kindness in Hebrew, is a contronym, a word with two opposite meanings. And they shall be excised in the sight of the members of their people; he has uncovered his sister’s nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. By describing a scenario in which each sibling sees the nakedness of the other, the verse makes it clear that it does not refer to a case where a young sister falls victim to incestuous rape by her older brother, but to a mutual act in which two consenting adults are aware of their actions and proceed deliberately.

וְ֠אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁכַּ֨ב אֶת־אִשָּׁ֜ה דָּוָ֗ה וְגִלָּ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָהּ֙ אֶת־מְקֹרָ֣הּ הֶֽעֱרָ֔ה וְהִ֕יא גִּלְּתָ֖ה אֶת־מְק֣וֹר דָּמֶ֑יהָ וְנִכְרְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽם׃

A man who lies with a menstruating woman, and he uncovered her nakedness, he has probed, specifically in a negative, sexual sense, her source of blood, and she has exposed the source of her blood. Once again, the verse stresses the participation of each side, as it is possible for this act to occur at the hands of the man alone, e.g., in the case of a man who forces himself on his wife who is menstruating. If the woman uncovers her nakedness knowingly and willingly, then both of them shall be excised by the hand of Heaven from the midst of their people.

וְעֶרְוַ֨ת אֲח֧וֹת אִמְּךָ֛ וַאֲח֥וֹת אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה כִּ֧י אֶת־שְׁאֵר֛וֹ הֶעֱרָ֖ה עֲוֺנָ֥ם יִשָּֽׂאוּ׃

The nakedness of the sister of your mother and the sister of your father you shall not uncover; for he exposed his kin, as they are blood relatives; they shall both bear their iniquity.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־דֹּ֣דָת֔וֹ עֶרְוַ֥ת דֹּד֖וֹ גִּלָּ֑ה חֶטְאָ֥ם יִשָּׂ֖אוּ עֲרִירִ֥ים יָמֻֽתוּ׃

A man who lies with his aunt, the wife of his father’s brother or mother’s brother, he exposed his uncle’s nakedness, they shall bear their sin; they shall die childless.

וְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִקַּ֛ח אֶת־אֵ֥שֶׁת אָחִ֖יו נִדָּ֣ה הִ֑וא עֶרְוַ֥ת אָחִ֛יו גִּלָּ֖ה עֲרִירִ֥ים יִהְיֽוּ׃

A man who takes his brother’s wife as a wife for himself, even if she is no longer married to the brother, e.g., they divorced or the brother died, it is an abhorrent act; he exposed his brother’s nakedness; they shall be childless.

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־כָּל־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹא־תָקִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֜י מֵבִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֛ם שָׁ֖מָּה לָשֶׁ֥בֶת בָּֽהּ׃

The chapter concludes with a general commandment: You shall observe all My statutes, My commandments that are not subject to human judgment, and all My ordinances, namely, the instructions to the courts, stated in this passage and the previous one; and you shall perform them, and the land to which I am bringing you to live there will not spew you out. It may be inferred that if you do not observe My statutes and ordinances, you will indeed be spewed out of the land.