Chapter 23

אלא יקח. אֵין לוֹ בָּהּ לִקּוּחִין וְאֵין קִדּוּשִׁין תּוֹפְסִין בָּהּ (עי' קידושין ס"ז):

1לא יקח — This does not mean “he shall not take” but “he cannot take” his father’s wife: there can be no question of a legal marriage for him in regard to her, because the marriage ceremony (קדושין) has no legal hold on her (cannot make her his wife: it is no marriage) (Kiddushin 67b; cf. Rashi on Kiddushin 67b s. v. לא יקח)

בולא יגלה כנף אביו. שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם שֶׁל אָבִיו הָרְאוּיָה לְאָבִיו, וַהֲרֵי כְּבָר הֻזְהַר עָלֶיהָ מִשּׁוּם עֶרְוַת אֲחִי אָבִיךָ (ויקרא י"ח) אֶלָּא לַעֲבֹר עַל זוֹ בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוִין, וְלִסְמֹךְ לָהּ לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר, לְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין מַמְזֵר אֶלָּא מֵחַיָּבֵי כָּרֵתוֹת, וְקַל וָחֹמֶר מֵחַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין, שֶׁאֵין בָּעֲרָיוֹת מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כָּרֵת (יבמות מ"ט):

2ולא יגלה כנף אביו AND HE SHALL NOT UNCOVER HIS FATHER’S SKIRT — This refers to the שומרת יבם of his father (the widow of his father’s brother who died without issue, and who is waiting (שומרת) for her brother-in-law (יבם) either to marry her or to put her through the ceremony of release, חליצה), who is thus destined for his father. But has he not already been prohibited about her (i.e. forbidden to marry her) on account of the law (Leviticus 18:14) “the nakedness of thy father’s brother [thou shalt not uncover]”?! But the prohibition is repeated here in order to make him transgress two negative commands if he takes her (Yevamot 4a), and in order to put into juxtaposition to it the law (v. 2) “one born of incest or adultery (ממזר) shall not come [into the assembly of the Lord]”, and thereby to teach that one is termed ממזר only if he is born from those liable to the penalty of excision on account of the intercourse between them, as is the case with one who take’s his father’s שומרת יבם, who is forbidden to him under the penalty of כרת as אשת אחי אביו; cf. Leviticus 18:14 and Leviticus 18:29 (but not if he was born of a woman intercourse with whom involves only flagellation), and it logically follows that the term applies also to one born from those liable to one of the death penalties by sentence of the court, for amongst the cases of forbidden intercourse there is none punishable with death by the sentence of the court which does not involve the penalty of excision (if it was not preceded by a warning) (Yevamot 49a; cf. also Rashi on Kiddushin 67b s. v. מהנ״מ).

אפצוע דכה. שֶׁנִּפְצְעוּ אוֹ שֶׁנִּדְכְּאוּ בֵיצִים שֶׁלּוֹ:

1פצוע דכא means, one whose stones have been bruised (פצוע) or crushed (דכא) (Sifrei Devarim 247:1).

בוכרות שפכה. שֶׁנִּכְרַת הַגִּיד וְשׁוּב אֵינוֹ יוֹרֶה קִלּוּחַ זֶרַע אֶלָּא שׁוֹפֵךְ וְשׁוֹתֵת וְאֵינוֹ מוֹלִיד (ספרי; יבמות ע'):

2וכרות שפכה means, one whose membrum has a cut in it, so that it no longer forcibly ejects a continuous flow of sperm but it pours it forth slowly, and he thus cannot beget children (Sifrei Devarim 247:2; Yevamot 75b).

אלא יבא ממזר בקהל ה'. לֹא יִשָּׂא יִשְׂרְאֵלִית:

1לא יבא ממזר בקהל ה׳ ONE BORN IN INCEST OR ADULTERY SHALL NOT COME INTO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LORD — i.e. he shall not marry an Israelite woman (Yevamot 78b).

אלא יבא עמוני. לֹא יִשָּׂא יִשְׂרְאֵלִית:

1לא יבא עמוני AN AMONITE [OR MOABITE] SHALL NOT COME [INTO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LORD] — i.e. he shall not marry an Israelite woman (Yevamot 77b).

אעל דבר. עַל הָעֵצָה שֶׁיָּעֲצוּ אֶתְכֶם לְהַחֲטִיאֲכֶם:

1על דבר may be translated BECAUSE OF THE WORD — i.e. because of the advice which they gave you in order to entice you into sin (Sifrei Devarim 250:1).

בבדרך. כְּשֶׁהֱיִיתֶם בְּטֵרוּף (ספרי):

2בדרך IN THE WAY — when you were in a state of exhaustion (Sifrei Devarim 250:2).

אלא תדרש שלמם. מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עִמְּךָ יֵשֵׁב בְּקִרְבְּךָ יָכוֹל אַף זֶה כֵּן, תַּ"לֹ לא תדרש שלמם (עי' ספרי):

1לא תדרש שלמם THOU SHALT NOT SEEK THEIR PEACE [NOR THEIR GOOD] — Since it states, (v. 17) “He (the runaway slave) shall abide with you, even among you, … [where it shall be good for him]” one might think that this (a Moabite or Ammonite runaway slave) should also be treated likewise, therefore Scripture states לא תדרש שלמם THOU SHALT NOT SEEK THEIR PEACE [NOR THEIR GOOD] (Sifrei Devarim 251:2).

אלא תתעב אדמי. לְגַמְרֵי, וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁרָאוּי לְךָ לְתַעֲבוֹ שֶׁיָּצָא בַּחֶרֶב לִקְרָאתֶךָ:

1לא תתעב אדמי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EDOMITE utterly, although it would be proper for you to abhor him because he came out against thee with the sword (Numbers 20:18—20).

בלא תתעב מצרי. מִכֹּל וָכֹל, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁזָּרְקוּ זְכוּרֵיכֶם לַיְאוֹר. מַה טַּעַם? שֶׁהָיוּ לָכֶם אַכְסַנְיָא בִּשְׁעַת הַדְּחָק. לְפִיכָךְ —

2לא תתעב מצרי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EGYPTIAN all in all (utterly), although they cast your male children into the river. And what is the reason that you should not abhor him utterly? Because they were your hosts in time of need (during Joseph’s reign when the neighbouring countries suffered from famine); therefore although they sinned against you do not utterly abhor him, but —

אבנים אשר יולדו להם דור שלישי וגו'. וּשְׁאָר אֻמּוֹת מֻתָּרִים מִיָּד, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁהַמַּחֲטִיא לָאָדָם קָשֶׁה לוֹ מִן הַהוֹרְגוֹ, שֶׁהַהוֹרְגוֹ הוֹרְגוֹ בָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְהַמַּחֲטִיאוֹ מוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּמִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, לְפִיכָךְ אֱדוֹם שֶׁקִּדְּמָם בַּחֶרֶב לֹא נִתְעַב, וְכֵן מִצְרַיִם שֶׁטִּבְּעוּם, וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֶחֱטִיאוּם נִתְעֲבוּ (ספרי):

1בנים אשר יולדו להם דור שלישי וגומר THE CHILDREN THAT ARE BORN UNTO THEM [MAY COME INTO THE ASSEMBLY] IN THEIR THIRD GENERATION — other nations, however, since they did not sin against you may be admitted at once if they acknowledge the tenets of Judaim. — Thus you learn that he who causes a man to sin does him greater harm than if he kills him, for he who kills him, kills him only as regards this world, while he who causes him to sin puts him out of this world and the world to come. Therefore Edom, though he met them with the sword was not to be abhorred utterly, and similarly the Egyptians who drowned them (their male children), while those (the Ammonites and Moabites) who caused them to sin were to be utterly abhorred (Sifrei Devarim 252:3).

אכי תצא וגו' … ונשמרת. שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן מְקַטְרֵג בִּשְׁעַת הַסַּכָּנָה (תלמוד ירושלמי שבת ב'):

1כי תצא וגו׳ ונשמרת WHEN [THE HOST] GOETH FORTH [AGAINST THINE ENEMIES], THEN KEEP THEE [FROM EVERY EVIL THING] — because Satan accuses men in time of danger (Jerusalem Talmud Shabbat 2:6; Midrash Tanchuma, Vayigash 1 on Genesis 42:4; cf. Rashi on that verse and our Note thereon).

אמקרה לילה. דִּבֵּר הַכָּתוּב בַּהוֹוֶה (ספרי):

1מקרה לילה [IF THERE BE AMONG YOU ANY MAN THAT IS NOT CLEAN BY REASON OF] UNCLEANNESS THAT CHANCETH HIM BY NIGHT — By night: Scripture speaks of what usually occurs (but the law applies also if the uncleanness happens at day time) (Sifrei Devarim 255:3).

בויצא אל מחוץ למחנה. זוֹ מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה:

2ויצא אל מחוץ למחנה THEN HE SHALL GO ABROAD OUT OF THE CAMP — This is a command,

גלא יבא אל תוך המחנה. זוֹ מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה (שם), וְאָסוּר לִכָּנֵס לְמַחֲנֵה לְוִיָּה, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן לְמַחֲנֵה שְׁכִינָה (עי' פסחים ס"ח):

3לא יבא אל תוך המחנה HE SHALL NOT COME WITHIN THE CAMP — This is a prohibition (Sifrei Devarim 255:4). He is forbidden to enter the “camp of the Levites”, and all the more so, the "camp of the Shechinah". (cf. Sifrei Devarim 255:5; Pesachim 68a and Rashi on Numbers 5:2).

אוהיה לפנות ערב. סָמוּךְ לְהֶעֱרֵב שִׁמְשׁוֹ יִטְבֹּל, שֶׁאֵינוֹ טָהוֹר בְּלֹא הֶעֱרֵב הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ (עי' ספרי):

1והיה לפנות ערב BUT IT SHALL BE WHEN EVENING COMETH ON, [HE SHALL LAVE HIMSELF WITH WATER] — He should immerse himself close before the setting of the sun, for under no circumstances is he clean without having waited for the sunset (cf. Sifrei Devarim 256:2).

אויד תהיה לך. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, כְּמוֹ אִישׁ עַל יָדוֹ (במדבר ב'):

1ויד תהיה לך THOU SHALT HAVE A יד [WITHOUT THE CAMP] — Understand the word יד as the Targum does: ואתר (and you shall have a place). Similar is, (Numbers 2:17) “Each man at his place (ידו)” (Sifrei Devarim 257:1).

במחוץ למחנה. חוּץ לֶעָנָן:

2מחוץ למחנה WITHOUT THE CAMP — i.e. outside the area enclosed by the clouds of glory.

אעל אזנך. לְבַד מִשְּׁאָר כְּלֵי תַּשְׁמִישְׁךָ:

1על אזנך [AND THOU SHALT HAVE A PIN] על אזנך — i.e. besides (על, “in addition to”, not “upon”) your other implements.

באזנך. כְּמוֹ כְּלִי זַיִן:

2אזנך has the same meaning as זין in the phrase כלי זין.

אולא יראה בך. הַקָּבָּ"ה ערות דבר:

1ולא יראה בך THAT HE SEE NOT IN THEE — that the Holy One, blessed be He see not in thee ערות דבר A NAKEDNESS OF ANYTHING.

אלא תסגיר עבד. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ; דָּ"אַ — אֲפִלּוּ עֶבֶד כְּנַעֲנִי שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבָּרַח מִחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (גיטין מ"ה):

1לא תסגיר עבד THOU SHALT NOT DELIVER [UNTO HIS LORD] THE SERVANT [WHO IS ESCAPED FROM HIS LORD UNTO THEE] — Understand this as the Targum has it: עבד עממין the servant of the heathens. Another explanation is: that it implies even a Canaanite servant belonging to an Israelite who fled from outside the Land (from a foreign country) into the Land of Israel (Gittin 45a).

אלא תהיה קדשה. מֻפְקֶרֶת מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת וּמְזֻמֶּנֶת לִזְנוּת:

1לא תהיה קדשה THERE SHALL BE NO קדשה [OF THE DAUGHTERS OF ISRAEL] — i.e. a prostitute, — one who is devoted to and ever ready for illicit intercourse (cf. Rashi on Genesis 38:21 s. v. הקדשה; Rashi on Exodus 19:22 s. v. יתקדשו).

בולא יהיה קדש. מְזֻמָּן לְמִשְׁכַּב זְכוּר; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "לָא תְהֵא אִתְּתָא מִבְּנָת יִשְׂרָאֵל לִגְבַר עָבֵד", שֶׁאַף זוֹ מֻפְקֶרֶת לִבְעִילַת זְנוּת הִיא, מֵאַחַר שֶׁאֵין קִדּוּשִׁין תּוֹפְסִין לוֹ בָּהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי הֻקְּשׁוּ לַחֲמוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שְׁבוּ לָכֶם פֹּה עִם הַחֲמוֹר" – עַם הַדּוֹמֶה לַחֲמוֹר, וְלָא יִסַּב גַּבְרָא מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִתְּתָא אָמָה, שֶׁאַף הוּא נַעֲשֶׂה קָדֵשׁ עַל יָדָהּ, שֶׁכָּל בְּעִילוֹתָיו בְּעִילוֹת זְנוּת, שֶׁאֵין קִדּוּשִׁין תּוֹפְסִין לוֹ בָּהּ (עי' קידושין ס"ח):

2AND THERE SHALL BE NO קדש (OF THE SONS OF ISRAEL] — one ever ready for pederasty (Sanhedrin 54b). Onkelos, however, rendered the verse by לא תהא אתתא מבני ישראל לגבר עבר, “A woman of the daughters of Israel shall not become the wife of a slave”. Such a woman may also be termed a קדשה. because she, too, becomes a prostitute to illicit intercourse, since no marriage ceremony with her (קידושין) can for him have a hold on her (can be a valid ceremony), — for you see, they (the slaves) are compared to asses, as it is said, (Genesis 22:5), “Abide ye here עם החמור”, which is taken to mean (Kiddushin 68a), “[Abide ye here] עם החמור", “O ye peop1e who are like asses”. And the second half of the verse Onkelos renders by ולא יסב גברא מבני ישראל אתתא אמה “and no man of Israel shall marry a bondwoman”, which is also an adequate translation, since he, too, becomes a קדש, “one devoted to illicit intercourse” through her, since every intercourse with her is an illicit intercourse, since his marriage to her is not binding (cf. Rashi on Kiddushin 69a s. v. או דיעבד קאמר‎).

אאתנן זונה. נָתַן לָהּ טָלֶה בְּאֶתְנַנָּהּ פָּסוּל לְהַקְרָבָה:

1אתנן זונה [THOU SHALT NOT BRING] THE PROSTITUTION HIRE OF A WHORE [… INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, THY GOD FOR ANY VOW] — This means, if he (the paramour) gave her a lamb as the hire of her prostitution it is unfitted for sacrifice (Sifrei Devarim 261:1; Temurah 29a).

בומחיר כלב. הֶחֱלִיף שֶׂה בְכֶלֶב (ספרי; תמורה כ"ט):

2ומחיר כלב [THOU SHALT NOT BRING …] THE PRICE OF A DOG [INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD …], if one has exchanged a lamb for a dog (Sifrei Devarim 261:2; Temurah 30a).

גגם שניהם. לְרַבּוֹת שִׁנּוּיֵיהֶם, כְּגוֹן חִטִּים וַעֲשָׂאָן סֹלֶת (שם ל'):

3גם שניהם FOR EVEN BOTH THESE ARE [ABOMINATION UNTO THE LORD, THY GOD] — The words גם שניהם taken as גם שנוייהם are intended to include in the prohibition the things into which they (whatever is given as hire) are changed, as, e.g., if he gave the woman wheat and she made it into flour (Temurah 30b).

אלא תשיך. אַזְהָרָה לַלֹּוֶה שֶׁלֹּא יִתֵּן רִבִּית לַמַּלְוֶה (עי' ספרי) (וְאַחַר כָּךְ אַזְהָרָה לַמַּלְוֶה אֶת כַּסְפְּךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ בְּנֶשֶׁךְ):

1לא תשיך implies a prohibition addressed to the borrower that he should not pay interest to the creditor (cf. Sifrei Devarim 262:1; Bava Metzia 75b) [and afterwards (Leviticus 25:37) follows the prohibition addressed to the creditor, “thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest”].

אלנכרי תשיך. וְלֹא לְאָחִיךָ, לָאו הַבָּא מִכְּלַל עֲשֵׂה, עֲשֵׂה, לַעֲבֹר עָלָיו בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוין וַעֲשֵׂה:

1לנכרי תשיך UNTO AN ALIEN THOU MAYEST LEND UPON INTEREST (according to Rashi: TO AN ALIEN THOU MAYEST PAY INTEREST) — but not to thy brother. Such a prohibition which is not plainly stated but can only be drawn by inference from a positive command is itself regarded only as a positive command — so that one who pays interest to his brother transgresses two negative commands: לא תשיך in v. 20, ולאחיך לא תשיך in v. 21 and a positive command לנכרי תשיך — ולאחיך לא (cf. Sifrei Devarim 263:1; Bava Metzia 70b; also cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 14:20).

אלא תאחר לשלמו. שְׁלוֹשָׁה רְגָלִים, וּלְמָדוּהוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ מִן הַמִּקְרָא (ראש השנה ד'):

1לא תאחר לשלמו [WHEN THOU SHALT VOW A VOW UNTO THE LORD THY GOD] THOU SHALT NOT DELAY TO PAY IT — beyond three festivals after the vow has been made. Our Rabbis have deduced it (the fact that one does not transgress the prohibition before three festivals elapse) from a Scriptural text (Rosh Hashanah 4b).

אמוצא שפתיך תשמר. לִתֵּן עֲשֵׂה עַל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה (שם ו'):

1מוצא שפתיך תשמר THAT WHICH HATH GONE OUT OF THY LIPS THOU SHALT KEEP — This is intended to add a positive command to the prohibition of delaying one’s vows (mentioned in the previous verse) (Rosh Hashanah 6a).

אכי תבא בכרם רעך. בְּפוֹעֵל הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:

1כי תבא בכרם רעך WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THE VINEYARD OF THY FELLOW MAN, [THEN THOU MAYEST EAT GRAPES AT THY FILL] — Scripture is speaking of a laborer (who is engaged in gathering in the grapes, but not of one who is doing other work in the vineyard, nor of one who enters the vineyard with no intention to do work; cf. Rashi in the next passage) (Bava Metzia 87b).

בכנפשך. כַּמָּה שֶׁתִּרְצֶה:

2כנפשך means as much as you like.

גשבעך. וְלֹא אֲכִילָה גַסָּה (בבא מציעא פ"ז):

3שבעך AT THY FILL — but not excessive eating (Bava Metzia 87b).

דואל כליך לא תתן. מִכָּאן שֶׁלֹּא דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה אֶלָּא בִּשְׁעַת הַבָּצִיר, בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתָּה נוֹתֵן לְכֶלְיוֹ שֶׁל בַּעַל הַבַּיִת (ספרי; בבא מציעא פ"ט), אֲבָל אִם בָּא לַעֲדֹר וּלְקַשְׁקֵשׁ אֵינוֹ אוֹכֵל (שם פ"ז):

4ואל כליך לא תתן BUT THOU SHALT NOT PUT ANY IN THY VESSEL — From here we may derive that Scripture is referring only to the period of the vintage, to the time when thou puttest grapes into the owner’s vessel, — then thou mayest eat but not put any into thy vessel; but if he comes to hoe or to weed (i.e. to do other work than harvesting) he must not eat of the grapes (Bava Metzia 89b).

אכי תבא בקמת רעך. אַף זוֹ בְּפוֹעֵל הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:

1כי תבא בקמת רעך WHEN THOU COMEST INTO THE STANDING CORN OF THY FELLOW MAN [THOU MAYEST PLUCK THE EARS WITH THINE HAND] — In this case too, Scripture is referring to a labourer in the field (cf. Sifrei Devarim 267:1; Bava Metzia 87b).

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org