Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy. He specified all the congregation because a congregation [edah] is not less than ten people, and there is no sacred matter [davar shebikdushah that can be said] with less than ten. Therefore, it says here, Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, to each and every congregation, that they should be holy by virtue of being permitted to participate in every sacred matter through which they sanctify His blessed name. This is what is meant by for I am holy.

And He prefaced this portion with the matter of the sanctity of Israel, for as it is written before the giving of the Torah, And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6), so too in this portion all ten commandments are alluded to, as Rabbi Levi said (see Vayikra Rabbah 24:5). Therefore, He prefaced [it] with sanctity to endear the commandments to them, saying that through them they will merit the level of sanctity. And do not say that sanctity is a minor matter, for I am holy — is it insignificant in your eyes to liken the design to its Creator, as it were? And our Sages said (Vayikra Rabbah 24:6), “Wherever you find a fence around sexual immorality, there you will find sanctity.” And you already know that the term “fence” indicates something permitted by the law, yet we make a safeguard and fence to distance ourselves from prohibition. Therefore, they said that wherever you find a fence around sexual immorality, there you will find sanctity, because all sanctity refers even to that which is permitted, as our Sages said (Sifrei Re’eh 102), “Sanctify yourself with what is permitted to you.” And the sanctity of the Nazirite proves this. Therefore, they said that in a place where a fence around sexual immorality is mentioned, you find sanctity. So too at the giving of the Torah, Do not approach a woman (Exodus 19:15), meaning even what was permitted to them, therefore He called them a holy nation. And similarly here it says, Do not approach to uncover nakedness (Leviticus 18:6) — an approach that leads to sexual immorality, which is a fence and safeguard against sexual immorality. Likewise, A woman who is a prostitute or defiled (Leviticus 21:7) refers to things permitted to ordinary Israelites, but the priest needs a fence and safeguard to forbid even what is permitted to an Israelite, in order to sanctify him with tremendous sanctity.

And regarding what it says “You shall be holy,” there is in its meaning both a language of command and a language of informing about the matter, similar to and you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exodus 19:6) which is informing about the matter. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, informed them of the reward for those who fence themselves off from forbidden sexual relationships, that through this they will be holy to their God.

A man shall revere his mother and his father, and you shall observe My Sabbaths. Rashi explains that if your father tells you to violate the Sabbath, do not listen to him. But in the section of Vayakhel, Rashi explains that since the observance of the Sabbath is mentioned before the construction of the Tabernacle, it teaches us that the construction of the Tabernacle does not override the Sabbath. Thus, we learn that what is mentioned first overrides what is mentioned later. However, in this case, the verse begins in the singular form a man shall revere his mother and his father and concludes in the plural form you shall revere and you shall observe. In the case of reverence, it is understandable that it refers to both man and woman, as Rashi explains. But regarding the Sabbath, why does it say you shall observe in the plural form? What difference does it make whether it’s a man or a woman? Rather, certainly, you shall observe refers to both the child and the parent, teaching you that both you and your father are obligated to honor Me.

And as for why it specified Shabbat more than any other commandment in the Torah, it is because the reason for the commandment to honor one’s father and mother is that it is proper to show respect to those who brought you into existence — is he not your father who created you (Deuteronomy 32:6) and made you? How could you not show respect to the one who brought you into being, for without him you would have no existence at all? And Shabbat demonstrates honor to the Holy One, blessed be He, for it attests to the creation of the world and that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought into existence both you and your father. And if your father tells you to desecrate the Shabbat in order to plant in your heart [the belief] that the world is eternal and not created, so that you will believe that you have no other father besides him, and he says all this to tempt you to nullify the will of your Father in heaven for his sake — do not consent and do not listen to him. For in truth, He is the Father of us all, and you are obligated to nullify your father’s will in the face of His will, because both you and your father are obligated to honor Him. But if your father tells you to commit another transgression, it is obvious that you should not listen to him as long as your crown of faith remains intact and you observe the Shabbat properly and believe in the creation of the world, for we all have one Father. Regarding this, He does not need to command you, except if someone comes to dispute the fundamental principles of faith — about this you need extra encouragement. Therefore, we find in many places that the commandment of Shabbat is placed adjacent to the commandment of honoring father and mother, because Shabbat also demonstrates honor to the First Father of all creation. This adjacency also includes [the concept of] the three partners in [the creation of] a person: father, mother, and the Holy One, blessed be He.

And regarding why it precedes with the fear of one’s mother before one’s father, but with honor it precedes the father before the mother, it is because even a man is obligated in the honor of his wife, as our Sages of blessed memory said (Yevamot 62b): “A person should always honor his wife more than himself.” One might think that there is not so much concern if you show disrespect to his honor, since the father is also obligated in honoring your mother. Therefore, it precedes the father [in the commandment of honor] to tell you that his honor should be great upon you like the honor of the mother, even though both of you are obligated in honoring the mother. And regarding fear, the wife needs to have fear of her husband. One might think that fear of her is not so strictly required, therefore it precedes the mother [in the commandment of fear] to tell you that in any case, her fear is required of you.

Do not turn to idols. After warning about the fear of the three who bring one into being [God, father, mother], the Torah comes to exclude idols, as it is written, They say to wood, “You are my father,” and to stone, “You gave birth to me” (Jeremiah 2:27). This tells you that there are no partners in your creation except these three and no more. And adjacent to this is And when you offer a peace offering, because it said do not turn, and unspecified turning refers to the heart, as it is written, And if your heart turns away (Deuteronomy 30:17), Whose heart turns away (Deuteronomy 29:17). For with idolatry the Holy One, blessed be He, combines thought with action, as it is said, In order to seize the house of Israel by their heart (Ezekiel 14:5). And the reason for this is that the essence of idolatry depends on the heart of the believer, and we do not find throughout the Torah that thought invalidates like action except in idolatry and with sacrifices. For if one thought during slaughter to eat it outside its designated time or place, it is an abomination, it shall not be accepted. Therefore, the commandment Do not turn to idols, which speaks of turning in the heart, is adjacent to the commandment And when you offer a peace offering to the Lord, offer it so that it may be acceptable for you. Rashi explains that you should not have invalid thoughts about it. For in the entire Torah, matters of the heart are not considered significant except for these two.

And what Rashi explained, “and our Sages interpreted” (Zevachim 47a) from here [we learn] that one who is preoccupied in [acting upon] sacred items invalidates them, as one must have intention when slaughtering [sacrifices]. With this, we can explain the juxtaposition of When you reap the harvest of your land, etc. [to the previous verse], to tell you that there is a commandment that does not require intention, and that is charity, as Rashi explained in Parashat Ki Teitzei (24:19) on the verse When you forget a sheaf in the field, etc. so that the Lord your God may bless you. Rashi explained: “Even though it came to him [the poor person] without intention [on your part].” You can say from now that if a coin fell from one’s hand and a poor person found it and sustained himself with it, behold, he [the owner] is blessed for it. And for this reason it is said To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice (Proverbs 21:3). For sacrifice requires intention, while charity [is effective] even without intention.

And regarding what is written “and when you reap” in the plural form, and afterward it says “you shall not completely reap the corner of your field” in the singular form, [this is] to tell you that even at the time of harvest when many are reaping, do not imagine in your mind to say “the poor person can sustain himself from the fields of others even if I do not leave for them gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corner.” Therefore Scripture states [in singular form], you shall not completely reap and you shall not gather. The obligation is placed upon each individual, and one cannot exempt oneself through [the actions of] others. And the singular language further hints that charity needs to be given in secret, so that it is not known to any person except for the giver and the receiver. And some say that because the harvesters are many, therefore it says and when you [plural] reap, but nevertheless, the obligation is only upon the owner of the field; therefore it says you [singular] shall not completely reap. This is how the connection of these verses appears in my view.

We can further say, regarding the connection between you shall slaughter it for your acceptance [lirtzonchem, which can also be understood as by your will] (Leviticus 19:5) and the verse Do not turn to idols (Leviticus 19:4), that they should not conduct their slaughtering to God in the manner of idol worshippers, who only sacrifice when they receive benefits and attribute those benefits to their idols, as it is written: Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by them his portion is rich and his food plentiful (Habakkuk 1:16). This is not willing sacrificing, but rather from the necessity of having received benefits. However, you shall not do so to the Lord; rather, you shall slaughter it by your will, as if you have no compelling reason forcing you to sacrifice, and you should have no foreign intention but rather intend only to give satisfaction before Him. Any foreign thought is called “outside its time” and “outside its place,” for this is neither its proper place nor time, and it is called “unaware action upon sacred sacrifices” without primarily and essentially focusing on the sacrifice. This matter is clear to those who understand and reasonable to hear.

“You shall not steal,” etc. The verse speaks of stealing money, as it says, and you shall not swear falsely by My name, implying that if you steal, you will eventually deny it, and if you deny it, you will eventually swear falsely. Since one does not take an oath regarding denial of land or slaves, this must refer to stealing money. Therefore, the plural form you shall not steal is used to warn also the person who divides the spoils with the thief, for he too hates his own soul. For typically, money can be divided, but in the case of kidnapping, there is usually not enough to divide; even though a person is sellable, perhaps buyers will not be found. Thus, generally two people do not partner in actual kidnapping, which is why the singular form is used You shall not steal (Exodus 20:13). Similarly, You shall not oppress refers to one who hires a worker, and typically two employers do not hire one worker in partnership, therefore it says You shall not oppress in the singular form. And regarding what is written, You shall not oppress your fellow and You shall not rob, while for theft it does not mention “your fellow,” this is because every thief also steals from the Divine consciousness and acts as if the Eye Above does not see, as it were [robbing being in the open whereas theft is secretive]. If so, he is not stealing only from his fellow, whereas the robber oppresses only his fellow.

Do not curse the deaf. Rashi explains that this applies to any person, and it specifies deaf to tell you that just as the deaf person is alive, etc. And a reason can be given to explain why specifically a deaf person was mentioned: Because our Sages said (Bava Kamma 85b) that if one blinds another’s eye, he pays the value of the eye, but if one causes another to become deaf, he pays the value of his entire self. Based on this premise, one might mistakenly think that a deaf person is considered like a dead person and that one is not liable for cursing him. From this, you would deduce that one is exempt from cursing the dead, while the deaf is considered alive regarding one who curses him. One cannot suggest that perhaps the verse intends to make one liable for cursing the dead, similar to the deaf who is considered like the dead. If that were the case, the verse should have remained silent and not said do not curse the deaf, and I would understand from do not curse among your people (Exodus 22:27) that everyone is included, whether living or dead, because why would we distinguish between them? Rather, it is certainly the case that according to Torah law, one who curses the dead is exempt, and one might think that the deaf is also included in the category of the dead, since causing deafness requires payment of the person’s entire value, as if his entire existence became nullified. Therefore, the verse teaches do not curse the deaf and all those like him who are alive, even though they are considered like the dead, such as the four types of people whom our Sages considered as dead (Nedarim 64a). One is liable for cursing all of them.

“And before a blind person, do not place a stumbling block.” Rashi explains: “Do not give advice, etc.” For it is not possible to interpret [this] as a literally blind person and a literal stumbling block, because it says and you shall fear your God, and this [verse] specifically refers to matters entrusted to the heart.

You shall not commit a wrong in judgment. This language is also used at the end of the section: You shall not commit a wrong in judgment, in measurement, in weight, or in volume (Leviticus 19:35). It appears that the explanation for both is the same, namely that one should not commit a wrong that is in truth and justice, meaning that the action itself is just and righteous, and logic dictates that it should be so, yet the matter is still a wrong. And how is this so? This is what [the Torah] clarifies when it states: Do not show favoritism to a poor person (Leviticus 19:15). Rashi explains: “Do not say, ‘This person is poor and the rich person is obligated to support him, so I will rule in his favor, thus enabling him to be supported in a dignified manner.’” This matter is truly proper and obligatory, since certainly the rich person is obligated to support the poor person, and thus the matter is just. Nonetheless, it is still a wrong in judgment because the word in judgment restricts the context; it means that in another context it would not be a wrong, since certainly the rich person is obligated to support the poor person, and one may extract from the rich person enough for the poor person’s sustenance. But in the context of judgment, it is a wrong, since one should not alter the course of justice for this reason. Rather, justice should follow its proper course, and at another time, the rich person should be obligated to support [the poor person]. Similarly, in the nearby matter of measurement and weight, a person might act in judgment and yet the matter is a wrong. How so? There are people who reduce their measure and sell at a lower price than others in order to attract customers, who think they are selling at a discount, not realizing that the measure has been reduced. And in truth, they are acting in judgment because they are not robbing people of anything, yet it is still a wrong since they are doing this deceptively and causing others to lose customers. All similar cases that have an aspect of justice and an aspect of wrong are included in this prohibition.

And from the fact that it says here “do not do,” it seems to me that this is not speaking about perverting justice, for that is a negative commandment that does not involve an action. Rather, it contains a warning that one should not permit for oneself what one forbids to others, for “any judge from whom money is extracted in judgment is not a judge” (Bava Batra 58b). Even though its simple meaning is even if one burns their stack of grain, etc. (see Sifrei Deuteronomy 1:17), nevertheless there is also an allusion regarding the judge, that they should be free from all blemish and injustice, and only then should they correct others. Like the story of the one who first cut down their own tree that was extending into the public domain at night (Jerusalem Talmud, Bava Batra, Chapter 2, Halakhah 11). Therefore, it says to the judges: do not do yourselves the thing that you rule as judgment, for it is an injustice. And perhaps this is what Rashi intended when he explained that the judge who corrupts judgment is called “injustice,” “hated,” etc. The language of “corruption” indicates that it is not speaking about perverting justice, but rather about corrupting righteous judgment. For when one does not fulfill what one rules for others, one corrupts the judgment, as many will protest against the ruling and will not want to fulfill it because they base themselves on the judge. Therefore, Rashi brings as proof the verse for an abomination to God… is anyone who does injustice, which is stated in the section about weights (Deuteronomy 25:16). And there it states, You shall not have in your pocket a stone and a stone, large and small (Deuteronomy 25:13). This refers to one who weighs for others with the small weight but for himself with the large one, which is like the judge who permits for himself what he forbids for others. Afterward, Rashi brings the verse, and you shall not bring an abomination into your house (Deuteronomy 7:26). For the judge from whom money is extracted in judgment is bringing an abomination into his house — what he rules as an abomination for others, he brings into his own house. And this is a correct and clear allusion, and a precious matter.

With righteousness shall you judge your fellow: Does this mean that one should judge only one’s fellow with righteousness but not one who is not one’s fellow? Perhaps due to this difficulty, they derived from here [the teaching in Shevuot 30] to judge every person favorably, but a wicked person should not be judged favorably and [such] a person should be presumed to maintain his established status. And if this is speaking about actual judgment [in court], it seems to me that it gives advice to a judge who wants to do as King David did — judgment for one and charity for the other (Sanhedrin 6b). One should not do this except for one’s fellow in Torah and commandments, but not for one who is not close to one, because they might conspire together.

And some say that for this David prayed and said, I have done justice and righteousness; do not leave me to my oppressors (Psalms 119:121) — these are the conspirators whom he called “my oppressors.” Similarly, You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people applies specifically to one who acts as your people [i.e., observes Jewish law], but it is permitted to speak lashon hara about those who cause strife (Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 1:1), and some say it is a mitzvah to do so, so that the other person will know to protect himself from him. And if one does not do so, he transgresses You shall not stand by the blood of your neighbor, which Rashi explains as “to see his death when you can save him, etc.” So too is the matter. Therefore these verses are adjacent to each other.

You shall surely rebuke your fellow, and you shall not bear sin because of him. Specifically, rebuke your fellow regarding [the observance of] commandments, to the exclusion of three groups who do not accept rebuke, and they are the wicked, the fools, and the mockers. And your mnemonic for this is [the Hebrew word] רכ“ל [rakhal, talebearer, which stands for רשעים, כסילים, לצים — the wicked, fools, mockers], as it is written Do not rebuke a mocker (Proverbs 9:8), and it is written Do not speak in the ears of a fool (Proverbs 23:9), and it is written He who rebukes a wicked person [gets] a blemish (Proverbs 9:7). For every gossiper rejoices in the misfortune [of others], and when he sees a shameful matter in his fellow, he never rebukes him to turn him from his way, but instead goes and spies on him in order to spread the news publicly and publicize his disgrace, as is the way of all gossipers. These three groups despise rebuke; therefore there is no obligation to rebuke them.

And because it is said “and you shall not bear sin on his account,” it means that if you do not rebuke him, then his sin will be borne upon you. This is because all of Israel are guarantors for one another. When a person lends to their fellow and requires a guarantor, if the guarantor sees that the borrower is squandering their money, they rebuke them out of fear of their guarantee, lest they be required to pay on their behalf. Similarly, the mutual responsibility of all of Israel causes rebuke, and if the person does not accept the rebuke, then the rebuker is free from them because the letter of the law does not dictate that one person should suffer for another who is not under their control. However, in this one matter, the people of Israel became guarantors: when one has the ability to protest but does not protest, then it is justified that they be held accountable and bear the other’s sin if they do not rebuke them. They gave a parable about this: A man was drilling beneath himself in a ship. All the people on the ship shouted at him, “What are you doing?” He replied to them, “But I am drilling only beneath myself.” They said to him, “If water enters beneath you, the entire ship will sink.” Similarly, Job said to his companions, Even if I have indeed erred, my error remains with me (Job 19:4). And what did his companions reply to him? For he adds rebellion to his sin; he strikes his fist among us (Job 34:37). Therefore, it is said, “and you shall not bear sin on his account.”

And adjacent to the commandment of rebuke is the verse “Do not hate your brother in your heart.” Because when love is prevalent among Israel, each person desires the good of their fellow and therefore rebukes them so that they will not stumble into sin. But when people hate each other, one never rebukes the other; on the contrary, they flatter them saying, “You acted properly and did no wrong,” while their entire intention is to bring evil upon them because they rejoice in their downfall. This trait, unfortunately, has been the blessing of our people from the day when the fist of baseless hatred prevailed since the destruction of the Second Temple onward, and to this day it has not departed. The affliction continues to spread until God will look down and see, and remove the heart of stone from within us.

You shall not take revenge nor bear a grudge against the children of your people. It does not say “your fellow” because revenge and grudge-bearing are evil traits in a person’s character, and it is not proper to seek revenge against any person who is from your people, whether good or bad. This is because presumably the revenge is for something done to you physically or financially, and these matters are not so precious and important that they are worthy of being avenged. However, it is permitted to take revenge against gentiles because they presumably want to make you transgress God’s commandments and lead you astray from the Lord your God, and this is an important and precious matter worthy of seeking revenge for, because it is called “God’s vengeance.” Therefore, it says here the children of your people to exclude gentiles who are not of your people, as it is said to execute vengeance upon the nations (Psalms 149:7) because it is God’s vengeance. And regarding this, our Sages of blessed memory said (Berakhot 33a): “Great is vengeance, for it is placed between two names of God, as it is said God of vengeance, O Lord (Psalms 94:1).” They pointed out that the beginning and end of vengeance should only be for the sake of God’s name, that is, when someone tries to lead you away from God’s commandments, for one who causes another to sin is worse than one who kills him, as Rashi explained on the verse You shall not abhor an Egyptian (Deuteronomy 23:8). And our Sages said that any Torah scholar who does not take revenge and bear a grudge like a snake is not a Torah scholar (Yoma 22b), and this is for the honor of God’s Torah which is within Him.

But regarding all the events that happen to bodies, God did not want a person to seek revenge for them. This is comparable to a child who plays and does childish actions in building something or some other matter, and someone comes and ruins all his works that the child built and planted. The child cries out to his father with a great and bitter cry about this, and if his father were to pay attention to him and do his will, he would kill this person. However, his father does not pay any attention to his voice at all, because even though the child, according to his limited understanding, thinks that this person has done him great harm, nevertheless, the father sees with his intellect that this is not the case, and that all the child’s activities were vanities and foolish acts, and they are not worthy enough that because of them this person should be treated as an enemy deserving vengeance, for in truth, this person did nothing to him. Such is the relationship between our Father in heaven and His creatures, who, due to their limited comprehension of intellectual matters, think that all matters of this world have some aspect of value and perfection. And someone who affects their honor, body, or property appears to them to have done them great harm, and they cry out to their Father in heaven to avenge them. But sometimes the Holy One, blessed be He, does not pay attention to the sound of their cries when this harm does not involve an admixture of something that affects a person’s soul, because in the eyes of the Blessed One, all the matters that people accumulate in this world are exactly like the play and games that the child we mentioned made for himself. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not pay attention to them, except when, through physical events, one’s Torah study and observance of commandments are disrupted — then the vengeance becomes God’s vengeance.

And on this matter is based the psalm, which begins God of vengeance, O Lord etc. (Psalms 94:1), first stating that one should not seek revenge except in matters that are God’s vengeance, as mentioned. Afterwards it says, How long shall the wicked, O Lord etc., until The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. The explanation of this matter is that it comes to quiet the complaints of those who say The Lord has forsaken the earth and decisively claim that surely The Lord does not see, nor does the God of Jacob understand all the deeds of the lowly ones. For how could He see the destruction of His homeland, the poor and oppressed, the widow, stranger, and orphan, and not take vengeance on evildoers? This must be because His providence does not extend to lowly matters. To this the psalmist responds, explaining that this is not so; rather, it is because the Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile, like a child at play, therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, is not strict with them at all times. This is the foundation of the entire psalm which says, How long shall the wicked, O Lord etc., after saying God of vengeance, O Lord. It challenges those who say, The Lord does not see etc. This is the meaning of They crush Your people, O Lord, and afflict Your heritage. They say, “The Lord does not see” etc., for otherwise, why would He not avenge us? To this he responds, Understand, you senseless among the people etc., He who formed the eye, shall He not see? etc. And if you ask, since He hears and sees, why does He not take vengeance, given that the Lord is a God of vengeance? To this he explains, The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are futile. Although the events that happen to bodies seem significant in our eyes, in God’s eyes they are a doctrine of delusion (Jeremiah 10:8), like a child at play. And if you ask, why does the Lord see toil and anger, when the wicked surrounds the righteous? To this he responds, Blessed is the man whom You chastise, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, for whom the Lord loves, He chastises with suffering, but without causing neglect of Torah study, as our Sages learned from the verse, and teach out of Your law (Berakhot 5a). For if it resulted in neglect of Torah study, the Holy One, blessed be He, would take vengeance on those who cause its neglect. Therefore it is said, You shall not take vengeance etc., because all matters of this world are not important before the Blessed One, and it is as if nothing was done to him at all. Therefore, it is not proper to seek vengeance from any person who is of your people.

“Love your neighbor as yourself.” Our Sages said this is a great principle in the Torah. In the Talmud (Shabbat 31a), there is a story about a convert who said, “Teach me the entire Torah while I stand on one foot.” Hillel taught him the verse Love your neighbor as yourself — [explaining it as] “What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. The rest is commentary; go and learn.” It appears that this convert was a sincere convert and was not mocking or joking when he asked to be taught the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Rather, he genuinely requested that all the commandments of the Torah be established for him on one foundation — that is, one “foot” upon which all the commandments could stand — so that he would not fall into forgetfulness, which is common for a convert who has not learned anything about the commandments of the Torah since his youth. Therefore, he asked for one principle that encompasses the entire Torah. Metaphorically he said “while I stand on one foot,” meaning he wanted something concise that could be stated quickly and briefly, which would also serve as a single foundation or “foot.” By remembering this principle, he would remember all of God’s commandments.

And [Hillel] taught him the verse “Love your neighbor as yourself, I am the Lord.” As our Sages of blessed memory already said (Makkot 24a) that Habakkuk came and established all [commandments] on one [principle], as it is said, The righteous shall live by his faith (Habakkuk 2:4). This does not contradict the words of Hillel, because all the commandments of the Torah are of two types: The first is the commandments between man and the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and the foundation for all of them is faith in God. The second is the commandments between man and his fellow, and the foundation for all of them is the verse Love your neighbor as yourself. For this reason, the cherubim spread their wings upward, gesturing toward above, corresponding to the commandments between man and God, and their faces were toward each other, corresponding to the commandments between man and his fellow. When he [the convert] said here “on one leg,” he meant one foundation for each type, and therefore he [Hillel] told him the verse Love your neighbor as yourself, and on this foundation he established for him all the commandments between man and his fellow. But he also told him the end of the verse, I am the Lord, which is the foundation upon which Habakkuk established all the commandments of the Torah, namely faith in God. The statement I am the Lord is similar to the commandment I am [the Lord your God], which includes all the first commandments between man and the Omnipresent, blessed be He, and concludes with honoring one’s father and mother, because from the end of His word it is evident that the beginning of His word is true, since one can make a kal vachomer [a fortiori] argument from honoring father and mother to honoring the third Partner, blessed be His name, for Is He not your Father who created you? (Deuteronomy 32:6). And the commandment You shall not covet includes all five latter commandments, and it corresponds to Love your neighbor as yourself, for both encompass all the commandments between man and his fellow. And so said Rabbi Levi (Vayikra Rabbah 24:5): “The ten commandments are written in this portion,” and he concludes that the commandment You shall not covet corresponds to Love your neighbor as yourself — see there.

For three years they shall be forbidden [arelim] to you. Many commentators have explained the reason for this commandment, that it is because it was a custom of the Amorites to employ techniques to hasten the fruiting of trees before their natural time. The Rambam wrote similarly in his Guide for the Perplexed. What appears reasonable to say is that this commandment serves as a reminder of the act of Creation, for all things were created on the first day, and each brought forth in its appointed day. Likewise, all vegetation of the earth was covered until the third day, and although they sprouted on the third day, they were not visible until the fourth day, when the luminaries were hung, which ripen all fruits, as they all depend on the sun and moon, as it is written with the finest produce of the sun, and the choicest yield of the moon (Deuteronomy 33:14). Thus, they were covered and not visible for consumption until the fourth day. Therefore, He commanded to make a remembrance of the act of Creation, that they should be covered and sealed for three years, as orlah refers to covering and sealing. And on the fourth day, although their ripening was complete, there was not yet any living creature in the world, and there was no mouth to eat them, as if their existence on the fourth day was only to give thanks and praise to their Creator who created them. Therefore, it is stated here as a remembrance of the act of Creation: In the fourth year all its fruit shall be sacred, for giving praise to the Lord. And on the fifth day some of the living creatures were created, which needed plant food; therefore it says: In the fifth year you may eat its fruit. And it does not say “all its fruit,” as it says regarding the fourth year: All its fruit shall be sacred. This is to teach that one should not eat all the fruit, but should give some to the poor and the stranger, because the commandments of gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and corners of the field were mentioned regarding grain but not trees, and our Sages said (Jerusalem Talmud, Peah 1:4): “How do we know trees are included? Because it says your field.” Therefore, it does not say “all.” And concerning the attribute of charity, He said to increase for you its produce, for there is one who scatters and yet increases (Proverbs 11:24). And since some people seek a guarantor and assurance for this, therefore He said: I am the Lord your God — trustworthy to repay.

You shall rise before the gray-haired and show deference the face of the elder. It appears that “showing deference” is greater than “rising,” as rising is included within showing deference. Likewise, being an elder [zaken] is more esteemed than being gray-haired [seivah], for it is worth considering why our Sages, of blessed memory, interpreted “zaken” as “one who has acquired wisdom” (Kiddushin 32b) instead of taking it literally. The Sages found it difficult that showing deference is more important than rising; yet it is more fit to honor the gray-haired rather than the elder, since a 60-year-old is considered an elder while a 70-year-old is considered gray-haired. The explanation must be that the reason for honoring the gray-haired is because of the wisdom typically found in them more than in others, as it is written With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days understanding (Job 12:12). Therefore, Issi ben Yehuda said that all gray-haired people are included, even the unlearned (Kiddushin 32b), since wisdom is more likely found in them than in others, and they deserve honor for their wisdom. Nevertheless, the elder who has actively acquired wisdom and strived for it — as the term “acquired” implies effort on the part of the acquirer who labored to obtain it, referring to the intellect that a person acquires — is certainly more deserving of honor than the gray-haired person whose wisdom came naturally with age, “for many days will they speak about wisdom.”

And according to what we find regarding honoring one’s father, mother, and teacher, that the Holy One, blessed be He, equated their honor to His honor, and fear of them to fear of Him (Kiddushin 30b), you might say that just as honoring the elderly and the sage is incumbent upon you, so too fear of them is incumbent upon you. Therefore, the verse states and you shall fear your God — specifically, fear of your teacher should be like fear of Heaven, for he is called your God, as it says See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh (Exodus 7:1), and as our Sages of blessed memory said The Lord your God you shall fear includes Torah scholars (Pesachim 22b). This speaks specifically about fear of your teacher. And the reason they called him zaken [elder/sage] as a compound word is to inform that after he has acquired his perfection in few days, he is like a seventy-year-old man.