Sefer HaMitzvos

מצות עשה ע״ג, י׳

Day 20 of 339

This is not an error of duplication. The full-fledged version of this Mitzvah are many and change for those who are learning the one/three chapter a day. Today Positive Mitzvah #10 is added.

Positive Mitzvah 73

Confessing a sin

Leviticus 5:5 "And he shall confess that he has sinned"

"Ari, say you're sorry," advised Ari's mother.

"Admit you did something wrong," coaxed his father.

Ari felt sorry and upset that he had been careless playing with the ball and smashing his neighbor's window.

His parents were teaching him that feeling sorry is not enough.

In addition, it is very important to admit to doing wrong and apologize for it.

Feeling regret is only one step of doing Teshuvah and asking forgiveness.

This Positive Mitzvah requires us to actually state and say what we have done wrong. This is the main step of doing Teshuvah.

Positive Mitzvah 10

Reciting the "Shema"

Deuteronomy 6:7 "And you shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you travel on the road, and when you lie down and when you rise up"

HaShem commanded us to recite the Shema twice every day, in the morning and the evening.

When our Sages arranged the content of the Siddur, they included the Shema in the morning and evening prayers.

The Hebrew word Shema - gives us a hint about our three daily prayers.

The first letter Shin stands for Shacharit - the morning prayers.

The second letter Mem stands for Minchah -, the afternoon prayers.

The third letter Ayin stands for Arvit (Maariv) - the evening prayers.