Rambam - Sefer HaMitzvos: Negative Mitzvot 353;<br>Positive Mitzvah 149: Negative Mitzvot 353; Positive Mitzvah 149

Negative Mitzvah 353: It is prohibited to act immodestly with any person that we are forbidden to marry
Leviticus 18:6 "No person shall approach a close relative and act immodestly"

A person must not act immodestly in any way.

In the previous Negative Mitzvot, the Torah listed certain cases where one person may not have a relationship with another.

In this Negative Mitzvah, the Torah further warns us that a person must should not act even slightly immodestly with any of the people with whom marriage is forbidden, even if one does not intend to take that woman as a wife or that man as a husband.

Introduction to Mitzvot 149 -153:

Signs for Kosher Animals

Can you think of the many different signs you use to set aside one type of thing from another? There are plenty! Let's try to list some together.

In the kitchen, your mother may have meat cabinets and towels marked in red, while the dairy is marked in blue.

Your older sister may have round stickers for her cassettes that play only music and square ones for songs with words. In your own school- bag, your notebook has different colored dividers to separate one subject from another.

In the Torah, we also find the use of signs to specify different things.

HaShem gave certain animals special signs to enable us to tell that they are kosher and can therefore be eaten.

There are specific kosher signs for animals and beasts, birds, fish and flying insects. If those signs are found, the animal may be then prepared in the special kosher manner and eaten.

Positive Mitzvah 149: Checking for Signs in Animals and Beasts
Leviticus 11:2 "These are the beasts which you shall eat"

The Torah commands us to search for the kosher signs on the animal. These signs are:

chewing the cud; and,
having split hooves (see Negative Mitzvah 172).

To a mother who asked advice on becoming a typist to supplement the family income:
Don't become a typist. You are a mother. Type, if you feel you need to in order to support your family. But don't become a typist.

From: Bringing Heaven Down to Earth by Tzvi Freeman - tzvif@aol.com