To not follow the practices of the gentiles: To not follow the practices of the Amorites and so [too,] the practices of the gentiles, as it is stated (Leviticus 20:23), “And you shall not follow the practice of the nation that I am driving out before you.” And the law is the same for all the nations, since the matter is that they turn away from [following] God, and worship idolatry. And the content of the commandment is that we not behave like them in our clothing and our matters. And it is like they said in Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 13:8, “‘And do not follow their practices — that you not follow their mores with things that are fixed for them, such as theaters, circuses and amphitheaters” — and all of these are types of frivolity that they would do in their gatherings, when they gathered to do craziness, licentiousness and idolatry. And they said there, “‘The practice of the nation’ — Rabbi Meir says, ‘These are the ways of the Amorites that the Sages numbered.’ (See Shabbat 67a.) Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says, ‘That you should not grow a tassel of the head and not cut its growth’” — meaning to say that he not shave from the sides and leave hair in the middle, which is called a forelock. And this negative commandment is repeated in another place with other words, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 12:30), “Guard yourself lest you be ensnared to follow them.” And the language of Sifrei is “‘Guard’ is with a negative commandment; ‘lest’ is with a negative commandment; ‘you be ensnared to follow them’ is lest you imitate them and do like their deeds; ‘and it shall be a snare for you’ is that you not say, ‘Since they go out with velvet, I will go out with velvet, since they go with helmets, I will go with a helmet’” — and that is a type of knight’s armor. And the language of the books of prophecy (Zephaniah 1:8) is “and upon all of the dressed, there is a foreign dress.”
We have written a little from the laws of the commandment. And they, may their memory be blessed, brought some of these, along with the rest of its details, in the seventh chapter of Shabbat and in (Chapter 8 of the) Tosefta of Shabbat. (See Tur, Yoreh Deah 177.)
And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses it and does a thing of those that we mentioned, to imitate them, is liable for lashes. And one who distances himself from all of their customs and from all of their mores, and places all of his heart and his thoughts to God, may He be blessed, and to His precious commandments, “his soul will rest in the good, and his seed will inherit the Land.”
שֶׁלֹּא לָלֶכֶת בְּחֻקֹּת הַגּוֹיִם – שֶׁלֹּא לָלֶכֶת בְּחֻקֹּת הָאֱמוֹרִי וְכֵן בְּחֻקּוֹת הַגּוֹיִם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כ כג) וְלֹא תֵלְכוּ בְּחֻקֹּת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ מִפְּנֵיכֶם. וְהוּא הַדִּין לְכָל שְׁאָר הַגּוֹיִם, כִּי הָעִנְיָן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵם סָרִים מֵאַחֲרֵי הַשֵּׁם וְעוֹבְדִין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וְעִנְיַן הַמִּצְוָה הוּא שֶׁלֹּא נִתְנַהֵג כָּהֶם בְּמַלְבּוּשֵׁינוּ וְעִנְיָנֵנוּ. וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ בַּסִּפְרָא (יג ח) וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵּלֵכוּ, שֶׁלֹּא תֵּלְכוּ בַּנִּמּוּסוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, בִּדְבָרִים הַחֲקוּקִים לָהֶם, כְּגוֹן טִיטָרְאוֹת וְקִרְקְסָאוֹת וְהָאַסְטְרִיָאוֹת, וְכָל אֵלּוּ הֵם מִינֵי שְׂחוֹק שֶׁהָיוּ עוֹשִׂין בְּקִבּוּצֵיהֶם כְּשֶׁמִּתְקַבְּצִין לַעֲשׂוֹת שִׁגְעוֹנוֹת וּזְנוּת וַעֲבוֹדַת הָאֱלִילִים. וְאָמְרוּ שָׁם (עי' שבת סז א) בְּחֻקֹּת הַגּוֹי רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר אֵלּוּ דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי שֶׁמָּנוּ חֲכָמִים, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָא אוֹמֵר שֶׁלֹּא תְּגַדֵּל צִיצִת הָרֹאשׁ כָּהֵם וְלֹא תְּסַפֵּר קוֹמֵי, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא יְגַלֵּחַ מִן הַצְּדָדִין וְיַנִּיחַ שֵׂעָר בָּאֶמְצַע, וְזֶהוּ הַנִּקְרָא בְּלוֹרִית. וְנִכְפָּל זֶה הַלָּאו בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר בְּמִלּוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יב ל) הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תִּנָּקֵשׁ אַחֲרֵיהֶם. וּלְשׁוֹן סִפְרֵי (ראה שם) הִשָּׁמֶר בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה, פֶּן בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה, תִּנָּקֵשׁ אַחֲרֵיהֶם שֶׁמָּא תִּדַּמֶּה לָהֶם וְתַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְיִהְיוּ לְךָ לְמוֹקֵשׁ, שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר הוֹאִיל וְהֵן יוֹצְאִים בְּאַרְגָּמָן, אֲנִי אֵצֵא בְּאַרְגָּמָן הוֹאִיל וְהֵם יוֹצְאִין בִּכְלוּסִין אֲנִי אֵצֵא בִּכְלוּסִין וְהוּא מִין מִמִּינֵי כְּלֵי זַיִן הַפָּרָשִׁים. וּלְשׁוֹן סִפְרֵי הַנְּבוּאָה (בצפניה א ח) וְעָל כָּל הַלֹּבְשִׁים מַלְבּוּשׁ נָכְרִי.
To not follow the practices of the gentiles: To not follow the practices of the Amorites and so [too,] the practices of the gentiles, as it is stated (Leviticus 20:23), “And you shall not follow the practice of the nation that I am driving out before you.” And the law is the same for all the nations, since the matter is that they turn away from [following] God, and worship idolatry. And the content of the commandment is that we not behave like them in our clothing and our matters. And it is like they said in Sifra, Acharei Mot, Chapter 13:8, “‘And do not follow their practices — that you not follow their mores with things that are fixed for them, such as theaters, circuses and amphitheaters” — and all of these are types of frivolity that they would do in their gatherings, when they gathered to do craziness, licentiousness and idolatry. And they said there, “‘The practice of the nation’ — Rabbi Meir says, ‘These are the ways of the Amorites that the Sages numbered.’ (See Shabbat 67a.) Rabbi Yehudah ben Beteira says, ‘That you should not grow a tassel of the head and not cut its growth’” — meaning to say that he not shave from the sides and leave hair in the middle, which is called a forelock. And this negative commandment is repeated in another place with other words, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 12:30), “Guard yourself lest you be ensnared to follow them.” And the language of Sifrei is “‘Guard’ is with a negative commandment; ‘lest’ is with a negative commandment; ‘you be ensnared to follow them’ is lest you imitate them and do like their deeds; ‘and it shall be a snare for you’ is that you not say, ‘Since they go out with velvet, I will go out with velvet, since they go with helmets, I will go with a helmet’” — and that is a type of knight’s armor. And the language of the books of prophecy (Zephaniah 1:8) is “and upon all of the dressed, there is a foreign dress.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. כְּדֵי לְהִתְרַחֵק מֵהֶם וּלְגַנּוֹת כָּל הַנְהָגוֹתֵיהֶם וַאֲפִלּוּ בְּמַלְבּוּשׁ.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] in order to distance ourselves from them and disparage all of their customs, and even in dress.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. כָּתַבְנוּ קְצָתָם, וְהֵבִיאוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה מֵאֵלּוּ קְצָת עִם יֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ פֶּרֶק שְׁבִיעִי מִשַּׁבָּת וּבְתוֹסֶפְתָּא דְּשַׁבָּת (פ"ח) [י"ד סימן קע"ז].
We have written a little from the laws of the commandment. And they, may their memory be blessed, brought some of these, along with the rest of its details, in the seventh chapter of Shabbat and in (Chapter 8 of the) Tosefta of Shabbat. (See Tur, Yoreh Deah 177.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת, וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְעָשָׂה דָּבָר מֵאֵלּוּ שֶׁזָּכַרְנוּ לְהִדַּמּוֹת אֲלֵיהֶם חַיָּב מַלְקוּת. וְהַמִּתְרַחֵק מִכָּל הַנְהָגוֹתֵיהֶם וּמִכָּל נִמּוּסֵיהֶם וְיָשִׂים כָּל לִבּוֹ וּמַחְשְׁבוֹתָיו אֶל הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ וּבְמִצְוֹתָיו הַיְּקָרוֹת נַפְשׁוֹ בְּטוֹב תָּלִין וְזַרְעוֹ יִירַשׁ אָרֶץ (תהלים כה יג).
And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses it and does a thing of those that we mentioned, to imitate them, is liable for lashes. And one who distances himself from all of their customs and from all of their mores, and places all of his heart and his thoughts to God, may He be blessed, and to His precious commandments, “his soul will rest in the good, and his seed will inherit the Land.”