Halakhah su Deuteronomio 11:22

That is that He commanded us to associate with the sages, to gather with them and to constantly be involved with them in all manner of work and interaction - in eating and drinking and business, so that it comes to us to imitate their actions and believe the truth of their words. And that is His, may He be exalted, saying, "and to Him shall you cling" (Deuteronomy 10:20). And this command has also already been repeated - "and to cling to Him" (Deuteronomy 11:22). And in the Sifrei (Sifrei Devarim 49:2), it appears, "'And to cling to Him' - cling to the sages and their students." And they accordingly brought a proof about this obligation of a person - to marry the daughter of a Torah scholar, to feed Torah scholars and to give them business - from His saying, "and to Him shall you cling": And they said, "And is it possible for a person to cling to the Divine Presence? And behold, it is written (Deuteronomy 4:24), 'For the Lord, your God, is a consuming fire!' Rather, anyone who marries his daughter to a Torah scholar, or who marries the daughter of a Torah scholar or who benefits a Torah scholar - Scripture considers it as if he clung to the Divine presence." (See Parashat Ekev; Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions 6.)

That is that He commanded us to imitate Him, may He be exalted, according to our ability. And that is His saying, "and you shall go in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:9). And this command has already been repeated, [when] He said, "and to go in all of His ways" (Deuteronomy 11:22). And in the explanation, it appears (Sifrei Devarim 49:1), "Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called merciful; you too, be merciful. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, is called pious; you too, be pious." And this matter was already repeated in different words: He said, "Go in the ways of the Lord." And in the explanation, it appears (Sotah 14a) that He meant to say to imitate His good deeds and glorious traits by which God, may He be exalted, is described, by way of analogy - He is exalted over everything with great exaltation. (See Parashat Ki Tavo; Mishneh Torah, Human Dispositions.)

Other scholars advance less obvious sources as constituting the scriptural basis for obligations concerning za'ar ba'alei ḥayyim. R. Moses ibn Habib, Yom Teru'ah, Rosh ha-Shanah 27a, finds a source for such obligations in the verse "… and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink" (Numbers 20:8). Water was miraculously produced from the rock for the benefit of animals as well as of humans. Water was produced for the animals, states R. Moses ibn Habib, in order to obviate za'ar ba'alei ḥayyim. In the opinion of this authority, Scripture specifically records that the miracle was performed on behalf of animals as an admonition to man directing him likewise to alleviate the suffering of brute creatures. R. Moses Sofer, Hagahot Hatam Sofer, Baba Mezi'a 32b, similarly regards obligations with regard to animal welfare as predicated upon emulation of divine conduct. Thus Hatam Sofer cites the verse "And His tender mercies are over all His works" (Psalms 145:9) as imposing an obligation upon man to exercise compassion toward animals. Earlier, Sefer Haredim, chapter 4, expressed the opinion that compassion toward animals is mandated by the commandment "and you shall walk in His ways" (Deuteronomy 28:9). Rambam, Hilkhot De'ot 1:6, apparently basing himself upon Sifre, Deuteronomy 11:22, renders the verse as meaning, "just as He is merciful so also shall you be merciful."