541. "And all things that I have said to you be mindful of (Heb. tishameru)" (Shemot 23:13). HE ASKS, Why is it the passive voice, 'tishameru?' Should it not use the active voice? HE ANSWERS, 'Tishameru' is correct referring to "all things that I have said to you" meaning, I stressed the point of serving Me, be mindful that no harm will befall you. "Tishameru (also: 'be guarded'):" by My protection alone. "And make no mention of the name of other Elohim" (Ibid.), is to be understood as we established. Another explanation of the verse "and make no mention of the name of other Elohim" meaning, Do not refer to it, lest you will fall among nations in other lands and may become fulfilled what is written in a verse "and there shall you serve other Elohim... (Devarim 28:36).
541. וּבְכָל אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וְגוֹ.' מַאי תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ, תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ וַדַּאי, מַאי אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם, כְּלוֹמַר דְּאַגְזִימִית לְכוֹן עַל מֵימָר פּוּלְחָנִי. תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ, דְּלָא יַמְטֵי עֲלֵיכוֹן שׁוּם בִּישׁ. תִּשָּׁמֵרוּ מֵהַהִיא שְׁמִירָה וּנְטוּרָא דִּילִי בִּלְבַד. וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ, לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ כְּמָה דְּאוֹקִימְנָא. ד"א וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ, כְּלוֹמַר, לֹא תְּסַבְּבוּן, דְּתִפְּלוּן בֵּינֵי עֲמַמְיָא בְּאַרְעָא אַחֲרָא. וִיקוּיָם בְּכוּ מַה דִּכְתִּיב, וְעָבַדְתָּ שָׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְגוֹ.'
542. Another explanation for "And all things that I have said to you be mindful of." Rabbi Yehuda commenced, "Hear, My people, and I will testify against you...there shall be no strange El among you... I am Hashem your Elohim who brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Tehilim 81:9-11). David spoke these verses with the Holy Spirit; Let's examine them. "Hear, My people:" in numerous places Torah cautions man, in numerous places the Holy One, blessed be He, cautions man and it is for the benefit of man, so he will observe the precepts of the Torah. He who is observant of Torah ways, and is occupied with it, is considered as occupied with the Holy Name.
542. ד"א וּבְכָל אֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם תִּשָּמֵרוּ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח, שְׁמַע עַמִּי וְאָעִידָה בָּךְ וְגוֹ,' לֹא יִהְיֶה בְּךָ אֵל זָר וְגוֹ.' אָנֹכִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמַּעַלְךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם וְגוֹ.' הָנֵי קָרָאן, אֲמָרָן דָּוִד בְּרוּחַ קוּדְשָׁא, וְאִית לְאִסְתַּכָּל בְּהוּ. שְׁמַע עַמִּי בְּכַמָּה אַתְרִין אַזְהָרָא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְב"נ. בְּכַמָּה אַתְרִין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַזְהִיר בֵּיהּ בְּבַר נָשׁ. וְכֹלָּא לְתוֹעַלְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ. בְּגִין דְּיִנְטַר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּיִנְטַר אָרְחֵי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְאִשְׁתָּדַּל בָּהּ, כְּמַאן דְּאִשְׁתָּדַּל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא.
543. We learned, the whole Torah is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and one who is occupied with it is considered to be occupied with the Holy Name, as the whole Torah is one Holy Name, a supernal name, a name incorporating OTHER names. One who deducts one letter from it is considered causing a defect in the Holy Name. We learned, "and make no mention of the name of other Elohim." MEANING, do not add or detract from the Torah, AS HE CAUSES A DEFECT IN THE HOLY NAME AND STRENGTHENS OTHER ELOHIM. Rabbi Chiya said, "The name of other Elohim" refers to those occupied with foreign books not of Torah. "Neither let it be heard out of your mouth;" it is forbidden even to mention them, learn from them, especially AN EXPLANATION on the Torah.
543. דְּתָנֵינָן, אוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא שְׁמָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַאן דְּמִשְׁתַּדַּל בָּהּ, כְּמַאן דְּמִשְׁתַּדַּל בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא כֹּלָּא, חַד שְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא הוּא. שְׁמָא עִלָּאָה, שְׁמָא דְּכָלִיל כָּל שְׁמָהָן. וּמַאן דְּגָרַע אוֹת חַד מִינָהּ, כְּאִילּוּ עָבִיד פְּגִימוּתָא בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא. תָּאנָא, וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירוּ, לֹא תּוֹסִיף עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא תִּגְרַע מִינָּהּ. רַבִּי חִיָּיא אָמַר, וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, דָּא מַאן דְּיִתְעֲסָק בְּסִפְרִין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּלָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. לָא יִשָּׁמַע עַל פִּיךָ, דְּאָסוּר אֲפִילּוּ לְאַדְכְּרָא לוֹן, וּלְמֵילַף מִנַּיְיהוּ טַעֲמָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא.
544. Rabbi Yehuda taught it thus. What is the reason for the verse, "the name of the other Elohim" and adjacent to it is this verse, "You shall keep the feast of unleavened bread" (Shemot 23:15)? The explanation is that one who keeps not this, "THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD," is equivalent to one who lacks faith in the Holy One, blessed be He. Why? The matter is closely connected to it. Rabbi Yitzchak said, So it is with all other holidays and festivals, as they are all connected with the Holy Name. About this we learned, it is written, "Three times in the year" (Ibid. 17), because from them is Faith suspended, BEING THE SECRET OF THE THREE COLUMNS THAT MALCHUT, CALLED FAITH IS CONSTRUCTED FROM.
544. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מַתְנֵי הָכִי, מַאי טַעֲמָא כְּתִיב וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, וְסָמִיךְ לֵיהּ אֶת חַג הַמַּצּוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר. אֶלָּא, מַאן דְּלָא נָטִיר הַאי, כְּמַאן דְּלָא נָטִיר מְהֵימְנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. מַאי טַעֲמָא. מִשּׁוּם דְּבֵיהּ אֲחִידָא מִלָּה. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, וְכֵן בְּכָל שְׁאַר זִמְנִין וְחַגִּין, דְּהָא כֻּלְּהוּ אֲחִידָן בִּשְׁמָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב שָׁלֹֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה, מִשּׁוּם דִּבְהוּ תַּלְיָא מְהֵימְנוּתָא.