Positive Mitzvah 238: Injury Caused by an Obstruction
Exodus 21:33 "And if a man shall open a pit...

One rainy day, Suri was playing on the floor in the lobby of the apartment building. Her mother was busy chatting with a friend and Suri was kept busy with a bottle of bubbles.

Accidentally, she tripped over the bottle as she ran to catch a huge bubble floating in the air. Just then, Suri's mother walked out of her friend's doorway.

"Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed. "What a mess! I'd better wipe up this soapy water right away. Someone may walk by and slip. It's very dangerous."

Suri's mother was aware of this mitzvah, which concerns harm that may befall an innocent passer-by.

The Torah holds a person responsible for digging a hole in public property and leaving it uncovered.

This mitzvah also includes other similar situations which could cause damage to a person or his belongings.

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Do not give charity

Giving charity means being nice and giving away your money. But who says it is your money to begin with? It is money put in your trust, to be disbursed for good things and for others when they will need it. Change your attitude and instead, do what is right. Do what is right and put the money where it belongs. This we call tzedaka.

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Do not pray

Prayer means one entity petitioning a higher one. Instead, connect. Become one with your Maker, so that divine energy will come through you and into our world to heal the sick and to cause the rain to fall. This we call tefilla.

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Do not repent

Repentance means to stop being bad and to become good. Instead, return. Return to the essential self and to what is rightfully yours.. This we call t'shuva.

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