Negative Commandment 64 (Digest)
Testing G‑d
"Do not test the L-rd, your G‑d"—Deuteronomy 6:16.
Once a prophet has been established as a true prophet – either through accurately forecasting the future on several occasions, or through the testimony of another established prophet – it is forbidden to further test or doubt his words.
The 64th prohibition is that we are forbidden from testing His promises and warnings (exalted be He), that He has promised or warned us through His prophets. This would be done by doubting his words once we know that the one who has spoken to us is truly a prophet.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "Do not test G‑d your Lord as you tested Him in Massah."
Positive Commandment 8 (Digest)
Emulating G‑d
"And walk in His ways"—Deuteronomy 28:9.
We are commanded to emulate G‑d's ways. As the Midrash explains, "Just as G‑d is merciful, you should be merciful; just as G‑d is gracious, you should be gracious; G‑d is righteous, you too should be righteous; G‑d is pious, you too should be pious."
The 8th mitzvah is that we are commanded to emulate G‑d, blessed be He, to the best of our ability.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "And you shall walk in His paths."
This commandment is repeated in the verse, "To walk in all His ways." This is explained in the words of the Sifri: "Just as G‑d is called merciful, so too, you must be merciful. Just as G‑d is called kind, so too, you must be kind. Just as G‑d is called righteous, so too, you must be righteous. Just as G‑d is called pious, so too, you must be pious."
This commandment is also repeated in the verse, "Walk after G‑d your Lord." This too is explained as emulating the good deeds and fine attributes which are used to allegorically describe G‑d (exalted be He), Who is immeasurably exalted over everything.
Positive Commandment 6 (Digest)
Clinging to the Sages
"And cleave to Him"—Deuteronomy 11:22.
We are instructed to mingle with the sages and interact with them whenever possible: join in their meals, do business with them, etc. This way we will learn from their ways and come to adopt their true beliefs.
The verse tells us to "cleave" to G‑d—but is it possible to cleave to G‑d who is likened to a consuming fire? Rather this means that we must cleave to Torah scholars.
The 6th mitzvah is that we are commanded to be close to the wise and to associate with them. We should constantly be close to them and to be with them in all possible ways of friendship, such as eating, drinking and doing business, in order to thereby succeed in emulating their actions and knowing from their words the true way of looking at things.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He), "And cling to Him." This commandment is repeated, "To Him you shall cling," and is explained in the words of the Sifri: "Cleave to the Sages and their students."
Our Sages also derived from the verse, "To Him you shall cling," that one must marry the daughter of a talmid chacham, marry one's daughter to a talmid chacham, give benefits to talmidei chachamim and do business with them. Our Sages say "Is it possible for a person to cling to the Divine Presence, when the verse says, 'G‑d your Lord is [like] a consuming fire'?! Rather, whoever marries the daughter of a talmid chacham [is considered to have cleaved to the Divine Presence]."
Positive Commandment 206 (Digest)
Loving Our Fellow
"Love your fellow as yourself"—Leviticus 19:18.
We are commanded to love and care for our fellow Jew as we love and care for ourselves. We should treasure our fellow and his possessions as we treasure our own. Whatever I wish for myself, I wish also for my fellow; and whatever I dislike for myself, I should also not want to befall him.
The 206th mitzvah is that we are commanded to love each other as we love ourselves. I should have mercy for and love my brother as faithfully as I love and have mercy for myself. This applies to his financial and physical state, and whatever he has or desires. What I want for myself I should want for him, and whatever I don't want for myself or my friends, I shouldn't want for him.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "You must love your neighbor as [you love] yourself."
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