To not nullify the guarding of the Temple: To not nullify the guarding of the Temple, [but rather] to always walk around it every night, as it is stated (Numbers 18:5), “And you shall guard the guarding of the Holy.” And it is well-known that the expression of guarding takes the place of a negative commandment. And [it is] as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Eruvin 96a), “Every place in which it is stated, ‘guard yourself,’ ‘lest,’ and ‘not,’ is nothing but a negative commandment.” And they said in Mekhilta, “‘And they shall guard the guarding of the Tent of Meeting’ (Numbers 18:4), — I only [know of] a positive commandment. From where [do I know] a negative commandment? [Hence], we learn to say, ‘And you shall guard the guarding of the Holy.’” To here [are the words of Mekhilta]. And maybe they expounded a positive commandment and a negative commandment when they found two verses teaching one thing. And from the one that comes by way of a command in second person, they learned a negative commandment; and they expounded the command in third person — which is lighter than it — about a positive commandment. And anyone who weighs the things in just scales will concede about this — that the third person is lighter than a command in second person.
From the roots of the commandment — with some of its laws — are written, according to the rule of the book, in the first commandment [on this topic] (Sefer HaChinukh 388).
שֶׁלֹּא לְבַטֵּל שְׁמִירַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ – שֶׁלֹּא לְבַטֵּל שְׁמִירַת הַמִּקְדָּשׁ לָלֶכֶת סְבִיבוֹ תָּמִיד בְּכָל לַיְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יח ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֵת מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ. וְיָדוּעַ שֶׁלְּשׁוֹן שְׁמִירָה עוֹמֵד בִּמְקוֹם לָאו, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (עירובין צו, א) כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הִשָּׁמֶר פֶּן וְאַל אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. וְאָמְרוּ בַּמְּכִילְתָּא וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת מִשְׁמֶרֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בַּעֲשֵׂה, וּמִנַּיִן בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַקֹּדֶשׁ. עַד כָּאן, וְאוּלַי דָּרְשׁוּ עֲשֵׂה וְלָאו כְּשֶׁיִּמְצְאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמִּקְרָאוֹת מוֹרִים עַל דָּבָר אֶחָד וּמֵאוֹתוֹ שֶׁבָּא דֶּרֶךְ צִוּוּי לְנוֹכֵחַ לָמְדוּ הַלָּאו, וְהַצִּוּוּי הַנִּסְתָּר שֶׁהוּא קַל מִמֶּנּוּ דָּרְשׁוּ בַּעֲשֵׂה, וְכָל שׁוֹקֵל הַדְּבָרִים בְּמֹאזְנֵי צֶדֶק יוֹדֶה בָּזֶה שֶׁהַנִּסְתָּר קַל מִצִּוּוּי שֶׁהוּא לְנוֹכֵחַ.
To not nullify the guarding of the Temple: To not nullify the guarding of the Temple, [but rather] to always walk around it every night, as it is stated (Numbers 18:5), “And you shall guard the guarding of the Holy.” And it is well-known that the expression of guarding takes the place of a negative commandment. And [it is] as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Eruvin 96a), “Every place in which it is stated, ‘guard yourself,’ ‘lest,’ and ‘not,’ is nothing but a negative commandment.” And they said in Mekhilta, “‘And they shall guard the guarding of the Tent of Meeting’ (Numbers 18:4), — I only [know of] a positive commandment. From where [do I know] a negative commandment? [Hence], we learn to say, ‘And you shall guard the guarding of the Holy.’” To here [are the words of Mekhilta]. And maybe they expounded a positive commandment and a negative commandment when they found two verses teaching one thing. And from the one that comes by way of a command in second person, they learned a negative commandment; and they expounded the command in third person — which is lighter than it — about a positive commandment. And anyone who weighs the things in just scales will concede about this — that the third person is lighter than a command in second person.
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. עִם קְצָת דִּינֶיהָ כְּמִשְׁפַּט הַסֵּפֶר, כָּתוּב בְּסֵדֶר זֶה בְּמִצְוָה רִאשׁוֹנָה (שפח).
From the roots of the commandment — with some of its laws — are written, according to the rule of the book, in the first commandment [on this topic] (Sefer HaChinukh 388).