Daily Mitzvah (Rambam)

The 181st mitzvah is that we are commanded regarding the eglah arufah (calf that is decapitated), in a case where a murder victim is found in a field and we don't know who the murderer was.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "When a corpse is found fallen in the field...." This is the law of eglah arufah.

The details of this mitzvah are explained in the last chapter of tractate Sotah.

Footnotes

1.

Deut. 21:1.

The 309th prohibition is that we are forbidden from sowing or working [the land around1] the 'strong river' where the calf is decapitated.2

The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement,3 "[The elders of that city shall bring the calf to a swiftly flowing stream, the land around which] must never be worked or sown."

The punishment for this prohibition is lashes. In the enumeration of transgressions which are punished by lashes in tractate Makkos, our Sages said, "But you omitted one who sows the land around the 'strong river' — which is prohibited by the verse, 'It must never be worked or sown!' " This shows that there is one prohibition4 and that it is punishable by lashes.

The details of this mitzvah are explained in the end of tractate Sotah.

Footnotes

1.

See sources quoted in Kaplan, The Living Torah.

2.

In the case of an unsolved murder (see P181 above).

3.

Deut. 21:4.

4.

Because otherwise it would have been mentioned that there is one set of lashes for working the land and another set for sowing the land.

The 298th prohibition is that we are forbidden from leaving obstacles or dangerous objects in our land and in our houses, in order not to endanger people.

The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement1 (exalted be He), "Do not place blood2 in your house."

In the words of the Sifri, "The phrase 'You must place a guard-rail' constitutes a positive commandment;3 and the phrase 'Do not place blood' constitutes a prohibition."

The details of this mitzvah are explained in the beginning of tractate Shekalim in the Jerusalem Talmud and in a number of passages in Seder Nezikin.4

Footnotes

1.

Deut. 22:8.

2.

I.e., allow a dangerous situation to remain.

3.

See P184 below.

4.

See Bava Kama 15b, 46a, 51a.

The 184th mitzvah is that we are commanded to remove obstacles and dangerous objects from our dwellings, i.e., to build walls surrounding roofs, wells, trenches, etc. in order to prevent people from falling into them or from them. The same applies to all dangerous places — they should be built and repaired in a way that prevents any danger.

The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement,1 "[When you build a new house] you must place a guard-rail around your roof."

In the words of the Sifri "The phrase 'You must place a guard-rail' constitutes a positive commandment."

The details of this mitzvah are explained in tractate Bava Kama.2

Footnotes

1.

Ibid.

2.

51a.