וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־כָּל־עֲדַ֧ת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֥ אֲלֵהֶ֖ם קְדֹשִׁ֣ים תִּהְי֑וּ כִּ֣י קָד֔וֹשׁ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy. Before giving the Torah to the children of Israel, God declares and demands that they “shall be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” Now it is time for the people to actualize this declaration: Their holiness must express itself in deed. Holiness is not the performance of a specific deed, ritual, or initiation. Rather, the holiness of the children of Israel is due to their special relationship with God, and the ramifications of this relationship include a tremendous collection of requisite actions.

אִ֣ישׁ אִמּ֤וֹ וְאָבִיו֙ תִּירָ֔אוּ וְאֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֖י תִּשְׁמֹ֑רוּ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Each of you shall fear his mother and his father and you shall observe My Sabbaths: I am the Lord your God. Some explain that the juxtaposition of these two laws indicates that although one must take great care to fear one’s parents and obey them, the obligation to observe the Sabbath takes precedence over this commandment; one is not obligated to obey one’s parents when their instructions involve a transgression of the Sabbath or other commandments.

אַל־תִּפְנוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים וֵֽאלֹהֵי֙ מַסֵּכָ֔ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Do not turn to the false gods, and do not fashion for yourselves cast gods, because you are holy and I am the Lord your God.

וְכִ֧י תִזְבְּח֛וּ זֶ֥בַח שְׁלָמִ֖ים לַיהוָ֑ה לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֖ם תִּזְבָּחֻֽהוּ׃

And when you slaughter a peace offering to the Lord, for your propitiation you shall offer it, of your own goodwill, or in order to find favor in God’s eyes.

בְּי֧וֹם זִבְחֲכֶ֛ם יֵאָכֵ֖ל וּמִֽמָּחֳרָ֑ת וְהַנּוֹתָר֙ עַד־י֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י בָּאֵ֖שׁ יִשָּׂרֵֽף׃

To this end, you must observe the laws of the offering: On the day of your slaughter it shall be eaten and on the next day, in accordance with that which was stated previously (7:16); and the leftover until the third day, it shall be burned in fire.

וְאִ֛ם הֵאָכֹ֥ל יֵאָכֵ֖ל בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֑י פִּגּ֥וּל ה֖וּא לֹ֥א יֵרָצֶֽה׃

And if it, the offering, is eaten on the third day, it is detestable [ piggul ]. According to rabbinic tradition, sacrificial meat that was left until the third day is considered leftover [ notar ]. Piggul refers to an offering that was initially offered with intent to consume its flesh on the third day. Although it is prohibited to eat notar , the offering itself is accepted so long as it was offered with proper intent; it is not disqualified retroactively. Piggul , however, since it is offered with improper intent, shall not be accepted by God at all, no matter when its flesh is consumed in practice.

וְאֹֽכְלָיו֙ עֲוֺנ֣וֹ יִשָּׂ֔א כִּֽי־אֶת־קֹ֥דֶשׁ יְהוָ֖ה חִלֵּ֑ל וְנִכְרְתָ֛ה הַנֶּ֥פֶשׁ הַהִ֖וא מֵעַמֶּֽיהָ׃

And he who eats it shall bear responsibility for his iniquity, because he profaned that which is sacred to the Lord; and that person shall be excised from his people.

וּֽבְקֻצְרְכֶם֙ אֶת־קְצִ֣יר אַרְצְכֶ֔ם לֹ֧א תְכַלֶּ֛ה פְּאַ֥ת שָׂדְךָ֖ לִקְצֹ֑ר וְלֶ֥קֶט קְצִֽירְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תְלַקֵּֽט׃

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not finish reaping the corner of your field; do not harvest it. And the gleanings of your harvest, the sheaves that fall from the sickle during the harvest, you shall not gather; rather, you must leave them in the field.

וְכַרְמְךָ֙ לֹ֣א תְעוֹלֵ֔ל וּפֶ֥רֶט כַּרְמְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְלַקֵּ֑ט לֶֽעָנִ֤י וְלַגֵּר֙ תַּעֲזֹ֣ב אֹתָ֔ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Your vineyard you shall not harvest completely [ te’olel ], do not gather the small, incompletely formed clusters of grapes [ olelot ], and the fallen fruit of your vineyard, the grapes that have separated and fallen off the cluster, you shall not gather. All this produce, meaning the the corner of your field, the gleanings of your harvest, the incomplete clusters, and the fallen grapes, you may not gather from your field. Rather, for the poor and for the stranger, who is financially unstable, you shall leave them: I am the Lord your God.

לֹ֖א תִּגְנֹ֑בוּ וְלֹא־תְכַחֲשׁ֥וּ וְלֹֽא־תְשַׁקְּר֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ בַּעֲמִיתֽוֹ׃

In addition to charity, the following prohibitions, some of which are designed to prevent social injustices, are important for the establishment of a holy congregation: You shall not steal; nor shall you falsely deny a claim that you owe another money, nor shall you lie to one another.

וְלֹֽא־תִשָּׁבְע֥וּ בִשְׁמִ֖י לַשָּׁ֑קֶר וְחִלַּלְתָּ֛ אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

You shall not take an oath in My name falsely, as you will profane the name of your God by using it for wrongdoing: I am the Lord, and invoking My name among your falsehoods is doubly wrong.

לֹֽא־תַעֲשֹׁ֥ק אֶת־רֵֽעֲךָ֖ וְלֹ֣א תִגְזֹ֑ל לֹֽא־תָלִ֞ין פְּעֻלַּ֥ת שָׂכִ֛יר אִתְּךָ֖ עַד־בֹּֽקֶר׃

You shall not use your power, status, or authority to exploit your neighbor, that is, you shall not prevent him from receiving that which he rightfully deserves. Such exploitation might occur during business negotiations or during disagreements, or may relate to the hiring of workers. And you shall not rob someone of that which belongs to him; you shall not keep the wages of a hired laborer with you overnight until morning. You must pay your employees without delay. In particular, if you employ a day laborer who is to receive his wages after each day’s work, you must pay him during the same evening in which he completes his labor.

לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃

You shall not curse a deaf person; you shall not place an obstacle before the blind. Upon these prohibitions, the Torah adds the warning: You shall fear your God: I am the Lord. In many instances, an injured person is unaware of who harmed him, and an offender can easily escape responsibility, especially if his victim is deaf, blind, or otherwise helpless with no one to argue on his behalf. Moreover, one may harm another in a discrete manner, unnoticeable even to those surrounding the victim. Therefore, the verse stresses that even when one has no reason to fear the reactions of the victim or society, he must fear God, before whom all actions and intentions are revealed.

לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃

You shall not perform injustice in judgment. This is a general demand for honesty in judgment. Furthermore, not only is it prohibited to discriminate against those on the margins of society, but you shall not favor the impoverished as well, and conversely, you shall not defer to the great; do not favor either of the litigants. With righteousness you shall judge your counterpart, regardless of his identity or status.

לֹא־תֵלֵ֤ךְ רָכִיל֙ בְּעַמֶּ֔יךָ לֹ֥א תַעֲמֹ֖ד עַל־דַּ֣ם רֵעֶ֑ךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

You shall not go as a gossip among your people : Do not recount in one place certain rumors or private matters that you heard or witnessed in another place. Additionally, when you see a member of Israel in danger or distress, you shall not stand by the blood of your neighbor. That is, one must attempt to come to his aid if he is in distress. This is true even if the matter is not actually one of life and death. I am the Lord, and My commands must be obeyed. Furthermore, given that one might easily shirk this responsibility by claiming that he was unaware of his neighbor’s distress, that he was in a hurry or was busy, that he did not think his assistance was critical, or that the situation was too dangerous to intervene in, God declares: I am the Lord, and I know the truth.

לֹֽא־תִשְׂנָ֥א אֶת־אָחִ֖יךָ בִּלְבָבֶ֑ךָ הוֹכֵ֤חַ תּוֹכִ֙יחַ֙ אֶת־עֲמִיתֶ֔ךָ וְלֹא־תִשָּׂ֥א עָלָ֖יו חֵֽטְא׃

You shall not hate your brother in your heart. Although this would seem to be a general commandment, its practical ramifications are limited. The verse does not refer to actions that express hatred, but to the harboring of negative feelings in one’s heart. Indeed, the verse instructs an alternative course of action: You shall rebuke your neighbor, and thereby you shall not bear a sin because of him . If you keep these matters in your heart and do not reprove him, this will be considered a sin.

לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

You shall not take vengeance upon someone who has wronged you or withheld some benefit from you; do not treat him as he treated you. Now, there are some who will refrain from seeking actual vengeance, but will harbor anger in their hearts. To counter this, the verse states: You shall not even bear any grudge in your heart. Although taking vengeance or bearing a grudge may be legitimate courses of action against foreign enemies, it is prohibited to do so against members of your people . You shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord. As above, the declaration “I am the Lord” serves to emphasize two points: On the one hand, although it is morally appropriate and even socially beneficial to love one’s neighbor, these are not the motivations for this commandment. Rather, you must love your neighbor as yourself because God has commanded it. On the other hand, since God alone can judge the relationship between one’s deeds and emotions, it is crucial to remind the people that this commandment, which pertains to the inner feelings of the individual, comes from God, and He can see what hides in one’s heart.

אֶֽת־חֻקֹּתַי֮ תִּשְׁמֹרוּ֒ בְּהֶמְתְּךָ֙ לֹא־תַרְבִּ֣יעַ כִּלְאַ֔יִם שָׂדְךָ֖ לֹא־תִזְרַ֣ע כִּלְאָ֑יִם וּבֶ֤גֶד כִּלְאַ֙יִם֙ שַֽׁעַטְנֵ֔ז לֹ֥א יַעֲלֶ֖ה עָלֶֽיךָ׃ (פ)

You shall observe My statutes; you shall not breed your animal with diverse kinds , you shall not crossbreed them. The verse does not state that such diverse kinds are unpleasant, harmful, or otherwise dangerous. This prohibition is a divine decree for which there is no utilitarian explanation. Likewise, you shall not sow your field with diverse kinds of seeds; and a garment that is a mixture of diverse kinds, of wool and linen, shall not be put on by you.

וְ֠אִישׁ כִּֽי־יִשְׁכַּ֨ב אֶת־אִשָּׁ֜ה שִׁכְבַת־זֶ֗רַע וְהִ֤וא שִׁפְחָה֙ נֶחֱרֶ֣פֶת לְאִ֔ישׁ וְהָפְדֵּה֙ לֹ֣א נִפְדָּ֔תָה א֥וֹ חֻפְשָׁ֖ה לֹ֣א נִתַּן־לָ֑הּ בִּקֹּ֧רֶת תִּהְיֶ֛ה לֹ֥א יוּמְת֖וּ כִּי־לֹ֥א חֻפָּֽשָׁה׃

A man, if he lies sexually with a woman, and she is a maidservant, designated for a man, and she was not redeemed with money, or full freedom was not granted her , there shall be an inspection. If she was a willing participant, she receives a punishment. However, they shall not be put to death, unlike in the case of a married woman, because she, the maidservant, was not freed. This transgression is not a capital offense. So long as she has not been fully freed, her bond to a man has an intermediate status, and she is not considered a married woman.

וְהֵבִ֤יא אֶת־אֲשָׁמוֹ֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה אֶל־פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֣הֶל מוֹעֵ֑ד אֵ֖יל אָשָֽׁם׃

Nevertheless, since he has sinned, he shall bring his guilt offering to the Lord, to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, a ram of a guilt offering. Although he is not subject to formal punishment, his act must be remedied, and to that end he brings a ram as an offering.

וְכִפֶּר֩ עָלָ֨יו הַכֹּהֵ֜ן בְּאֵ֤יל הָֽאָשָׁם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה עַל־חַטָּאת֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָטָ֑א וְנִסְלַ֣ח ל֔וֹ מֵחַטָּאת֖וֹ אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָטָֽא׃ (פ)

The priest shall atone for him with the ram of the guilt offering before the Lord for his sin that he has sinned; and he shall be forgiven for his sin that he has sinned.

וְכִי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ וּנְטַעְתֶּם֙ כָּל־עֵ֣ץ מַאֲכָ֔ל וַעֲרַלְתֶּ֥ם עָרְלָת֖וֹ אֶת־פִּרְי֑וֹ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ שָׁנִ֗ים יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶ֛ם עֲרֵלִ֖ים לֹ֥א יֵאָכֵֽל׃

The following law is also built on a foundation of behavioral restraint and moderation: When you come into the land and plant any food tree, then you shall seal [ araltem ] its fruit. The first fruit must be treated as orla . The term orla appears elsewhere in reference to the foreskin which is removed in circumcision, as well as in the expressions: sealed lips, sealed ears, and sealed heart. In all these cases, orla refers to a seal or covering that is unusable and must be removed. For the first three years it, the food tree, shall be sealed for you; it, its fruit, shall not be eaten.

וּבַשָּׁנָה֙ הָרְבִיעִ֔ת יִהְיֶ֖ה כָּל־פִּרְי֑וֹ קֹ֥דֶשׁ הִלּוּלִ֖ים לַיהוָֽה׃

And in the fourth year, all its fruit shall be sacred for praise to the Lord. Fourth-year produce maintains a level of sanctity. According to tradition, it is not completely sacred, not completely set aside from the needs of people. Rather, its sanctity is expressed in the obligation to eat it in the environment of the Temple in an atmosphere of holiness and praise.

וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַחֲמִישִׁ֗ת תֹּֽאכְלוּ֙ אֶת־פִּרְי֔וֹ לְהוֹסִ֥יף לָכֶ֖ם תְּבוּאָת֑וֹ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

And in the fifth year, you may eat of its fruit, as the tree is now considered ordinary. Not only may you eat of its fruit, but I will also cause the tree to increase its yield for you, as reward for observing My commandments: I am the Lord your God. This declaration is repeated here due to the difficulty in observing these commandments. It is difficult for one who has invested in a tree to refrain from eating its fruit day after day, year after year. In order for one to successfully do so, he must remember who commanded him to act in this manner.

לֹ֥א תֹאכְל֖וּ עַל־הַדָּ֑ם לֹ֥א תְנַחֲשׁ֖וּ וְלֹ֥א תְעוֹנֵֽנוּ׃

You shall not eat over, alongside, the blood. It seems that this prohibition relates to the gentile custom of pouring the blood of animals and eating nearby, either as some form of an offering or based on a popular belief that the blood is offered to the dead, or to demons and the like. You shall not practice divination. It is prohibited to perform an action that involves divination through the use of appurtenances or various rituals. And you shall not practice soothsaying in order to discern the future by looking at the shapes of clouds or by attributing certain qualities to seasons or times. For example, it is prohibited for one to say: Today is a propitious day for going away on a journey; tomorrow is propitious for purchasing successfully. Such actions are prohibited because they involve an aspect of idolatry, if not actual idol worship.

לֹ֣א תַקִּ֔פוּ פְּאַ֖ת רֹאשְׁכֶ֑ם וְלֹ֣א תַשְׁחִ֔ית אֵ֖ת פְּאַ֥ת זְקָנֶֽךָ׃

You shall not round the edge of your head, the hairs that grow on the sides of your head. It is prohibited for one to shear all the hair around his head in an equal manner; rather, the hairs between one’s ears and eyes must be left to grow. And you shall not mar the edge of your beard. It is prohibited to completely shave off the hairs of one’s beard.

וְשֶׂ֣רֶט לָנֶ֗פֶשׁ לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בִּבְשַׂרְכֶ֔ם וּכְתֹ֣בֶת קַֽעֲקַ֔ע לֹ֥א תִתְּנ֖וּ בָּכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

You shall not make a laceration for the dead in your flesh. In ancient times, it was customary for mourners to lacerate their flesh as a sign of mourning. This prohibition constitutes one of the limitations imposed by the Torah on customs of mourning. And the imprint of a tattoo you shall not place upon you. Once again, the verse reiterates: I am the Lord, the ultimate authority, and I do not want you to practice such customs.

אַל־תְּחַלֵּ֥ל אֶֽת־בִּתְּךָ֖ לְהַזְנוֹתָ֑הּ וְלֹא־תִזְנֶ֣ה הָאָ֔רֶץ וּמָלְאָ֥ה הָאָ֖רֶץ זִמָּֽה׃

Do not profane your daughter to pander her as a harlot. That is, do not hand over your daughter to prostitution. To a certain degree, the requirement to guard a daughter’s modesty is connected to her father’s honor. Nevertheless, even if a father forgoes his honor and permits his daughter, or even encourages her, to engage in harlotry, the practice is entirely prohibited. And on a broader scale, the land shall not become licentious, and the land will be filled with lewdness. Casual sexual relationships between unmarried individuals are also forbidden. Although this is not explicitly formulated in the verse as a distinct prohibition, the verse stresses that sexual relations must be clearly defined, organized, and sanctified. When these relations are treated with abandon, the land is filled with licentiousness and even becomes impure.

אֶת־שַׁבְּתֹתַ֣י תִּשְׁמֹ֔רוּ וּמִקְדָּשִׁ֖י תִּירָ֑אוּ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

You shall observe My Sabbaths and you shall revere My Sanctuary: I am the Lord.

אַל־תִּפְנ֤וּ אֶל־הָאֹבֹת֙ וְאֶל־הַיִּדְּעֹנִ֔ים אַל־תְּבַקְשׁ֖וּ לְטָמְאָ֣ה בָהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Do not turn to mediums, who communicate with the dead, or to necromancers, magicians or witches who claim to communicate with the dead and acquire important information from them. Do not seek to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

מִפְּנֵ֤י שֵׂיבָה֙ תָּק֔וּם וְהָדַרְתָּ֖ פְּנֵ֣י זָקֵ֑ן וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃ (פ)

You shall rise out of respect before the graybeard, an old person, and show deference before the elderly, a distinguished individual. Since an encounter with such distinguished individuals might occur outside the public eye, or even in a manner such that the distinguished individual is unaware of the encounter, one could avoid the elder or simply neglect to accord him due respect. Therefore, the verse warns: You shall fear your God; the reverence of these individuals is closely related to the reverence of God. I am the Lord.

וְכִֽי־יָג֧וּר אִתְּךָ֛ גֵּ֖ר בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תוֹנ֖וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃

If a stranger, someone of foreign origin, resides with you in your land, you shall not mistreat him. Do not cause him distress through hurtful comments, by cheating him, or in any other manner. Obviously, it is prohibited to mistreat any person; however, since a stranger is unprotected and unfamiliar with local customs, there is greater opportunity, or even temptation, to upset, mock, or otherwise demean him.

כְּאֶזְרָ֣ח מִכֶּם֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם הַגֵּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֗ם וְאָהַבְתָּ֥ לוֹ֙ כָּמ֔וֹךָ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃

Like a native of your own shall be for you the stranger that resides with you. You must treat him like one of your own, and you shall love him as yourself, since you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God, that is, both your God and his. Alternatively, the verse means: Your fear of God will be confirmed through your respect and love for the stranger.

לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֖וֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֑ט בַּמִּדָּ֕ה בַּמִּשְׁקָ֖ל וּבַמְּשׂוּרָֽה׃

You shall do no injustice in judgment. It is prohibited to deviate from the truth and from proper balance in judgment. Similarly, there may be no injustice or deviation in measure, measurements of area or volume, in weight, or in liquid volume. Likewise, it is prohibited to tamper with measuring implements.

מֹ֧אזְנֵי צֶ֣דֶק אַבְנֵי־צֶ֗דֶק אֵ֥יפַת צֶ֛דֶק וְהִ֥ין צֶ֖דֶק יִהְיֶ֣ה לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִי֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵ֥אתִי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

The verse elaborates: Accurate scales, accurate weights, an accurate dry measure, and an accurate liquid measure, you shall have. You must take care to ensure that all such measuring implements are precise. I am the Lord your God, who took you out of the land of Egypt.

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־כָּל־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃ (פ)

You shall observe all My statutes, and all My ordinances, namely My instructions for how to interact with others and with the world at large, and perform them: I am the Lord.