Etc., Etc., Etc.

Leviticus 19

So we've reached the...oh, and another thing section. Here God gives Moses a list of commands- it's basically a laundry list of how to do good.

Respect your parents and obey the sabbaths. No idols- don't turn to them, don't make them. When you sacrifice a fellowship offering, do it right- you can only eat it for two days- after that it's impure (and potentially pretty nasty anyhow). If you eat it on day three or later- you are to be cut off from your people.

When you collect your crop- don't go to the edge of your land. Don't go over the land a second time- don't pick up grapes that you dropped. Save some for the poor and alien.

Don't steal, don't lie, don't deceive each other.

Don't swear falsely by God's name.

Don't cheat or rob your neighbor. Don't hold back someone's wages over night.

Don't curse the deaf (they might not know, but don't do it anyhow), don't put things in the path of the blind that they might stumble over.

Show justice- don't favor the poor or the rich- be fair.

Don't spread slander- don't endanger your neighbor's life.

Don't hate your brother- rebuke your neighbor so you won't be guilty too. Is God commanding them to police each other? This is a tough concept- am I responsible for the wrong someone else has done? Are you responsible for me? If so... sorry.

Don't seek revenge- don't bear a grudge- love your neighbor as yourself.

Don't mate different kinds of animals- so much for koala-parrot experimentation. Don't plant multiple kinds of seed on your land. Don't wear clothing of two types of fabric.

If a man sleeps with a slave girl who is promised to someone else but is still a slave- he's to be punished for it. No putting to death though- she was a still a slave. The man has to bring a ram as a sin offering to atone for it. Two ways to read this- she was only a slave- not a very serious sin... or she was a slave and couldn't say no- she shouldn't punished as severely. My head says the former, my heart says the latter. Since the man is the one bringing the ram- and since this society is way patriarchal, I think it's another case of women as property- or certainly of less stature. Bothersome.

When you plant a fruit tree in the new land- you're growing "forbidden fruit". For three years eat none of it. Year four is a holy year- all fruit is for sacrifice. Year five, eat away. This seems part sacrifice, part horticulture lesson. As a result, your harvest will increase.

Don't eat blood in the meat. No divination or sorcery.

Don't cut the hair on the sides of your head (did the Israelites resemble Krusty the Clown?), don't trim your beard.

No self-mutilation in mourning for the dead. No tattoos.

Don't make your daughter a prostitute. The land will be overrun with prostitutes if you do.

Observe the sabbaths- have reverence for the sanctuary.

No mediums or spiritualists.

Stand up when old people are around. Show them respect.

Treat immigrants like you do natives. Love them as yourself. Don't force them to learn your language or perform menial tasks that no natives would want to perform. Never say to them love it or leave it. Oh wait, I added that last part. First two sentences came from God, though.

Use honest scales and weights. Don't cheat each other.

Basically- be kind and loving to each other- and obey my commands. There's some weird stuff in there like mixing seeds and counting years for fruit and slave sex penalties- but mostly this is basic how to be good stuff. Treat each other the way you would want to be treated. Pay heed to My laws. Throughout the chapter He repeats I am the Lord your God.

Love God and love your neighbors as yourself. Sounds familiar.