Negative Commandment 42 (Digest)
Wearing a Mixture of Wool and Linen
"You shall not wear a garment of sha'atnez"—Deuteronomy 22:11.
It is forbidden to wear a garment woven [or sewn] of wool and linen, as was the practice of ancient pagan priests, and still practiced today [Ed.'s note: in Maimonides' times] amongst Egyptian monks.
The
42nd prohibition is that we are forbidden from wearing a garment woven from wool and linen, as the idolatrous priests
of that time used to wear.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "Do not wear shatnez."
This
practice is well known even today among Coptic monks in Egypt.
One
who transgresses this prohibition is punished by lashes.
The
details of this mitzvah are explained
in tractate Kilayim, as well as in tractate Shabbos and the end of tractate Makkos.
Positive Commandment 120 (Digest)
Leaving the Edges of the Fields for the Poor
"...you shall leave them over"—Leviticus 19:10.
We are commanded to leave over the edge of our grain and fruit crops for the poor and the stranger.
This commandment applies to an individual tree as it does to a field, and only in the Land of Israel.
The
120th mitzvah is that we are
commanded to leave over [for the poor] the corner (pe'ah) of [a field of] grain, [a tree of] fruit, etc.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement — after mentioning [several prohibitions,
including taking for oneself] the corner of the field — "Leave them over [for
the poor and the stranger]."
In
tractate Makkos, it is explained that this mitzvah of pe'ah is a
prohibition with a remedial positive commandment (lav shenitak l'aseh). The prohibition is contained in the verse, "Do not completely harvest the corners of your
field." The positive commandment is contained in the verse, "Leave them over
for the poor and the stranger."
The
details of this mitzvah are explained
in tractate Pe'ah.
The
Biblical prohibition applies only in Eretz Yisroel.
Negative Commandment 210 (Digest)
Reaping an Entire Harvest
"Do not remove the corners of your field when you reap the harvest"—Leviticus 23:22.
It is forbidden to harvest an entire field without leaving over the edge for the needy.
The
210th prohibition is that we are forbidden from completely harvesting a field.
Rather, we must leave over a portion of the end of the field for the poor.
The
source of this commandment is G‑d's statement, "Do not completely harvest the ends of your
fields."
This
prohibition is a lav shenitak l'aseh
(a prohibition with a remedial positive commandment). Therefore, if one
violated this law and harvested the entire field, he must give the poor enough
of the harvested food to match what he should have left over to begin with.
This positive commandment is contained in the verse, "Leave them for the poor
and the stranger," as we previously explained.
One
must leave over the corner of a tree just like the corner of a field.
The
Biblical prohibition applies only in Eretz Yisroel.
The
details of this mitzvah are found in
the tractate devoted to this subject [i.e., Pe'ah].
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