Rambam - Sefer HaMitzvos: Negative Mitzvot 193, 153, 194;<br>Positive Mitzvah 146: Negative Mitzvot 193, 153, 194; Positive Mitzvah 146

Negative Mitzvah 193: It is forbidden to eat fruit grown in a vineyard which has been planted with different types of seeds
Deuteronomy 22:9 "You shall not plant your vineyard with different species of seeds; otherwise the fruit of the seed which you have planted and the fruit of the vineyard will be forfeited"

This Negative Mitzvah prohibits the planting of grain seeds and grape seeds together in the same vineyard.

We are forbidden to eat any grapes or crops that grow in such a vineyard and the produce must be burned.

Negative Mitzvah 153: We are forbidden to eat "Tevel"
Leviticus 22:15. "And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer to the L-rd"

It is necessary to peel an orange before eating it, or cut it open so the fruit can be separated from the peel.

Did you ever try getting at the fruit without removing or cutting through the peel?!

In the same way, the Torah teaches us that we must we must "peel away" - set aside the Terumah and Ma'aser to be given to the Priests and Levites.

Only after we "peel away" the portion that we may not eat, can we enjoy the rest of the fruit, which is our portion.

Produce which has not had the Terumah and Ma'aser separated from it, is called "Tevel".

We are forbidden to eat such food until the Terumah and Ma'aser are separated.

Today, even though the Beit Hamikdash has not yet been rebuilt, this Negative Mitzvah still applies in Eretz Yisrael.

We must still separate the amount that we would have been required to give to the Priests and Levites, and only then are we are allowed to eat the food.

In Eretz Yisrael, many food products are stamped with the seal of the Rabbinate or Beit Din, which assures us that the food is not Tevel.

The food industry hires Rabbis to fulfill this Negative Mitzvah by separating the portions required from the large amount of food brought straight from the farms before it is sold or packaged.

This makes it easy to shop in the supermarkets and grocery stores, because we no longer need to separate the portions of Terumah and Ma'aser from each package, since it has already been done for us.

However, in order to be sure, remember to look on the package for a stamp or seal from the Rabbinate or Beit Din.

Negative Mitzvah 194: It is forbidden to drink "Yayin Nesech"
Deuteronomy 32:38 "Who eat the fat of their sacrifices, and drink the wine of their libations"

This Negative Mitzvah prohibits us from drinking the wine of non- Jews that has been used for idol worship.

Our Rabbis added to this commandment and forbade the drinking of any wine which has been made or touched by non-Jews. Such wine is called "S'tam Yaynum".

Through this Negative Mitzvah, as with some others, we can see that "kosher" does not only mean the ingredients that go into a product. Food can become non-kosher in the way it is prepared or handled.

Positive Mitzvah 146: "Shechitah" - Slaughtering Animals for Food
Deuteronomy 12:21 "And you shall slaughter of your cattle and of your sheep...as I have commanded you"

If you received a new computerized game as a gift for your birthday, you would be anxious to use it. Before beginning, you would have to read the instructions and follow them precisely, otherwise the game might not work properly.

In the Torah, HaShem gave us certain laws which, when followed correctly, enable man to eat animals and get proper nourishment.

The Torah allows us to eat these animals only after specific preparation, involving proper slaughtering and koshering.

This special type of slaughtering is called Shechitah.

We may not eat any meat unless it has undergone a proper Shechitah, by a qualified individual who is called a "Shochet."

Mockery is the prime weapon of the dark impulses within Man. It is the prime obstacle to moving forward and upward -- the thought that perhaps people will say, "Why are you behaving today differently than you did yesterday? Weren't you good enough then? Are you really so great today?" And the most powerful mocker is the one within you yourself. When you start something you know is good and right, and you hear a voice inside saying, "Hold it! Who do you think you are to take on such a lofty noble path? Hypocrite! Don't you remember what you were involved in just a moment ago?" -- know that what you did a moment ago is irrelevant. All that matters is what you will do right now.
Any voice that comes to prevent you from progressing forward -- no matter how justified its case may be -- any such voice is a voice of destruction and decay, not of growth and life.

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