meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Ramban/Torah/Ramban on Leviticus/English/Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009.txt"}
text: Ramban on Leviticus
  רמב"ן על ויקרא
  Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009
  
  
  Ramban on Leviticus
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  And it will be favorably accepted from him to achieve his atonement. In Vayikro Rabbah (7:3), Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught: The burnt-offering is brought because of thoughts of transgression. Rabbi Levi said: This is expressed in the verse (Yechezkel 20:32): והעלה על רוחכם היו לא תהיה (but what enters your mind shall not come about) — the burnt-offering (והעלה) atones for what enters your mind (על רוחכם). Similarly, it says in Iyov (1:5): [Iyov offered] burnt-offerings according to the number of all of them, for Iyov said, Perhaps my sons have sinned and blasphemed God in their hearts. From this we see that a burnt-offering is brought for ones inner thoughts. The reason is because he sins in a way that only God knows, therefore, it is consumed entirely to God.
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  He shall skin the burnt-offering. It is a mitzvah to skin it entirely and then cut it into pieces. When it says, He shall skin… and cut it, it refers to the one who brings the offering, as it says, He shall lay… He shall slaughter, for the skinning and cutting are not part of the service and can be done by a non-kohein. Thus it emphasizes afterwards (7), The <i>sons of Aharon</i> the kohein shall place. Washing the innards can also be done by a non-kohein, and therefore it says (9), He shall wash its innards and its legs in water, referring to the offerings owner, and then it says, and <i>the kohein</i> shall burn it. It uses the plural form regarding the kohanims mitzvos: [The sons of Aharon the kohein] shall place… and they shall arrange, since there are many kohanim assembled in the House of God to bring the burnt-offering, for the Kings honor is with a multitude. However, only one kohein can fulfill the mitzvah, as it says later (12): The kohein shall arrange them.
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  A fire-offering of pleasing fragrance to Adonoy. This verse gives the reason for the offerings: they are a pleasing fragrance to God. However, the Rambam, in <i>Moreh Nevuchim</i> (3:46), says that the reason for the offerings is because the Egyptians and the Chaldeans, in whose land the Jews had dwelt, worshiped cattle and sheep; the Egyptians worshipped a lamb, and the Chaldeans worshipped demons that were represented in the form of goats. To this day, the Hindus of India will not slaughter a cow. For this reason the Torah commanded to slaughter these three species to His Honorable Name, to publicize that we sacrifice these animals to the Creator, an act they consider to be the greatest transgression, and it atones for our sins. This is the way to heal the sickness of the soul caused by false beliefs, because every sickness is healed through its opposite. These are the Rambams words, see there where he dwelt at length… However, I heard a more fitting reason for sacrifices: A persons actions are a combination of thought, speech, and deed. As a result, God commanded that a sinner should bring an offering and place his hands on it, corresponding to deed; confess orally, corresponding to speech; and burn the innards and kidneys of the offering, corresponding to the inner thoughts and desires. He burns the limbs, corresponding to a persons hands and feet with which he does all his work, and casts the blood on the altar, corresponding to a persons life-giving blood. We should have intention while doing all this that we sinned before God with our body and soul, and we deserve to have our blood spilled and our body burnt, were it not for the Creators Kindness in accepting a replacement and atonement. The offering is blood for blood, a soul for a soul, and limbs for limbs. Parts of the offering are given to sustain the teachers of Torah so that they will pray for us. The daily offering is brought because there will always be some sin amongst the people. These words are acceptable, drawing the heart like Aggadata.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
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  Verse 19
  
  
  
  Verse 20
  
  
  
  Verse 21
  
  
  
  Verse 22
  
  
  
  Verse 23
  
  
  
  Verse 24
  
  
  
  Verse 25
  
  
  
  Verse 26
  
  
  
  Verse 27
  
  
  
  Verse 28
  
  
  
  Verse 29
  
  
  
  Verse 30
  
  
  
  Verse 31
  
  
  
  Verse 32
  
  
  
  Verse 33
  
  
  
  Verse 34
  
  
  
  Verse 35
  
  At the entrance of the Tent of Meeting you shall sit. According to the Toras Kohanim this means they should not leave the entrance to the Tent of Meeting day or night until they finished the service incumbent upon them for that time. This is a mitzvah applicable to future generations: A <i>kohein</i> must not abandon the service and walk out. The punishment for it is death, as it says concerning the Kohein Godol, “He shall not depart from the Sanctuary, and he shall not profane” (21:12), which Chazal said applies at the time of service.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  To Bnei Yisrael you shall speak, saying. Moshe was to command Aharon to do this, because he wanted Aharon to be the one who commands in the name of Hashem and the one who brings the sacrifices, in order to raise his esteem in the eyes of the people. However, the correct plain meaning of “to Bnei Yisrael you shall speak” is that Aharon and the Elders previously mentioned should speak to Yisrael, and that was the reason Moshe called them. This is the same as, “Moshe called to all the elders of Yisrael, and he said to them, ‘Draw [from your flocks], etc.’” (Shemos 12:21). Another possibility is that it means Moshe said to each one of the Elders, “To Bnei Yisrael you shall speak,” and the verse is divided in this way: Moshe said to Aharon “Take, for yourself,” and to the Elders he said, “to Bnei Yisrael you shall speak, saying,” because when one speaks to more than one he will say the instructions to each one without specifying, as we find, “And I commanded you at that time saying … pass over, armed” (Devarim 3:18), and so we find in many examples in Mishneh Torah.
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  Approach the altar. Aharon saw the altar as the shape of an ox and was afraid of it. Moshe approached him and said, “Aharon, my brother, fear not from what you are afraid. Firm your resolve and draw near to it.” That is why it says, “Approach the altar” and then (v. 8) “Aharon approached” — it was done with swiftness. The reason for this is because Aharon was holy to Hashem and he had no sin besides the Sin of the Golden Calf, consequently, the Sin of the Golden Calf was foremost in his thoughts, as it says, “My sin is before me always” (Tehillim 51:5). Therefore, it seemed to him as though the form of a calf was preventing his atonement. Moshe told him, “Firm your resolve” and do not be so humble, for Hashem has already accepted your deeds.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  To Moshe and to Aharon. The mitzvos in these sections are applicable to Israelites and Kohanim, but Kohanim have more concerns because they have to continuously guard themselves from touching something impure, since they have to come to the Mikdash and eat the sacrifices. Furthermore, if the Israelites sin unintentionally in these matters they have to bring an offering that the Kohanim will bring to the altar. Moreover, Hashem commanded the Kohanim to distinguish between the holy and the profane, between the impure and the pure, and they have to rule to the Israelites what is impure and what is pure, so they can be careful about them. Therefore the Divine word came to both Moshe and Aharon, or alternatively, to Moshe that he would tell Aharon, and they were both commanded: “Speak to Bnei Yisroel.” This is why these laws were stated in Sefer Toras Kohanim [Vayikro], and the section mentions eating foods in impurity, so that the Mishkan and its holy things should not become impure.
  
  Verse 2
  
  
  
  Verse 3
  
  
  
  Verse 4
  
  
  
  Verse 5
  
  
  
  Verse 6
  
  
  
  Verse 7
  
  
  
  Verse 8
  
  And you may not touch their carcasses. This is not a prohibition against touching, but rather it is saying that you should not touch their carcasses because they cause impurity, that is to say, you will not touch them without becoming impure. This is to say that anyone who touches them should consider himself impure and be careful about the Mikdash and the offerings. Perhaps [this can be explained on the basis of] the Midrash in which Chazal said: “And you may not touch their carcasses — on the Festival.” This means that you should not touch them at the time when you wish to be pure, because they cause impurity and you will not be able to perform the mitzvah of the Festival pilgrimage if you touch them. However, the Torah does not prohibit touching them, for someone who touches a carcass on the Festival is not liable for lashes. Although Chazal said that one is obligated to purify himself for the Festival — that is only a rabbinic injunction, and there is no positive or negative commandment by Torah law.
  
  Verse 9
  
  
  
  Verse 10
  
  Of any creature that creeps in the water. Ibn Ezra writes that “creature that creeps” refers to the small creatures [such as worms] that were created from the water, and “any living creature” refers to those who reproduce from a male and female. In my view, however, “creature that creeps [<i>sheretz</i>]” includes the fish swimming in water, because the connotation of <i>shritza</i> is movement, and “any living creature” refers to the sea animals that walk on their feet like the beasts of the field. All of them have one law. The Midrash in Toras Kohanim, however, says: “‘Living’ — this refers to the beasts of the sea, ‘creature’ — this includes the mermaid. One might think it would cause impurity inside a tent, as the view of Ben Chachinoi, therefore the Torah says, ‘creature that creeps’”.
  
  Verse 11
  
  
  
  Verse 12
  
  
  
  Verse 13
  
  These you shall consider repulsive from among the fowl. From among all the bird species, the Torah only prohibits those birds mentioned in this section, together with their kinds, such as those where it states “to its kind.” This is because Scripture does not mention a sign of the impure bird to prohibit it, or for the pure bird to permit it; it only says “these you shall consider repulsive from among the fowl” — and no others besides these.
  
  Verse 14
  
  
  
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  Verse 37
  
  
  
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  Verse 39
  
  
  
  Verse 40
  
  Whoever eats of its carcass. According to the plain meaning this is speaking of one who eats in the usual way — he touches and carries what he eats and becomes unclean through touching or carrying. It was necessary for the Torah to mention this so that we would not think that his impurity would be more severe because he ate. This point was made with a permitted animal because someone might make mistakenly eat from such a carcass because he thought it had been ritually slaughtered, and one would not usually eat from other species in error; it is the Torah’s way to speak about the usual cases.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  To Moshe and to Aharon. The Divine Word came to Aharon as well because every quarrel and plague is judged by the <i>kohanim</i>, or perhaps it came to Moshe so he would tell Aharon, as Chazal said. It did not say here, “speak to the Children of Israel,” because it is the <i>kohanim</i> who see those who are impure and they will force them to be confined or declare them pure. It says in the section regarding purification (14:2), “And Hashem spoke to Moshe, saying: This shall be the law regarding the person with <i>tzora’as</i>,” [and it did not mention Aharon or the Children of Israel] because there is no need to caution Israel about purification, and also no need to warn the <i>kohein</i> about bringing the offerings since they do so willingly.
  
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  When in a garment. This is completely unnatural; it is not an occurrence of this world, and similarly, the eruptions of <i>tzora’as</i> in houses are not as well. However, the matter is that when the people of Israel are whole with Hashem then the spirit of Hashem will be on them continuously, to keep their bodies, garments, and houses in a good appearance. When a Jew stumbles in sin or wrongdoing some ugliness will appear in his flesh, his garment, or his house to show that Hashem has turned away from him. Therefore it says (14:34): “And I shall put the eruption of <i>tzora’as</i> in the house of the land of your possession” — this emphasizes that it is a plague from Hashem in that house. <i>Tzora’as</i> is only applicable in the land that is Hashem’s inheritance, as it says (ibid.): “When you will come into the land of Canaan that I will give to you for a possession.” This is not because it is an obligation that depends on the land, but rather because this matter will only occur in the chosen land in which Hashem dwells. In Toras Kohanim, Chazal derived even more: A house does not become unclean until after the land has been conquered and divided up, so that each person will know what his portion is. The reason is because then their mind will be settled to enable them to come to know Hashem and the Divine Presence will dwell among them. I think the same applies to <i>tzora’as</i> in garments as well; it applies only in the Land of Israel, and the Torah does not need to exclude the laws from applying outside of the Land, since it will never happen there.
  
  
  
  
  
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  And atone for the house and it shall be purified. This atonement is by means of the bird that is sent away, which carries all his sins beyond the city into the open field, like the atonement of the goat sent away [on Yom Kippur]. Since the punishment of an eruption that appears in a man’s house is not the same as the punishment of a eruption that appears on his body, the Torah does not require him to being a guilt-offering or sin-offering, for it is enough for him to bring the first atonement that is brought by the <i>metzoro</i> for his purification, which is the birds, the cedar-wood and hyssop.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  With this [זאת] shall Aharon come. The Sages said (Vayikro Rabbah 21:6): “Rabbi Yudan interpreted the word זאת (with this): When the Kohein Gadol entered the Holy of Holies he went with bundles and bundles of commandments in his hands: 1) With the merit of the Torah, as it says (Devarim 4:44): ‘And this (זאת) is the teaching which Moses set before the children of Israel).’ 2) With the merit of circumcision, as it says (Bereishis 17:19): ‘This (זאת) is My covenant … that every male among you be circumcised.’ 3) With the merit of Shabbos, as it says (Yishayahu 56:2): ‘Fortunate is the man who will do this (זאת) …. he who keeps the Sabbath from profaning it.’ 4) With the merit of Jerusalem, as it says (Yechezkel 5:5): ‘This (זאת) is Jerusalem.’ 5) With the merit of the tribes, as it says (Bereishis 49:28): ‘All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this (זאת) is what their father spoke to them and blessed them.’ 6) With the merit of Yehudah, as it says (Devarim 33:7): ‘May this [זאת] be for Yehudah.’ 7) With the merit of the people of Israel, as it says (Shir HaShirim 7:8): ‘This (זאת), your stature, is like a palm tree.’ 8) With the merit of <i>terumah</i> (the tithe from produce given to <i>kohanim</i>), as it says (Shemos 25:3): ‘And this (זאת) is the <i>terumah</i>.’ 9) With the merit of the tithes, as it says (Malachi 3:10): ‘And test Me now with this (זאת).’ 10) With the merit of sacrifices, as it says, ‘With this (זאת) shall Aharon come.’” The usage of the word זאת requires a lengthy explanation but it has already been explained previously in our words.
  
  
  
  
  
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  For [the] soul of the body is in the blood. The reason for the prohibition of blood is because Hashem created all the creatures of the lower world for man’s use, because from all these creatures, only man recognizes his Creator. Even so, originally, Hashem permitted man to eat only vegetation, but not animals with a living soul, as it says in Bereishis (1:29): “Behold, I have given you all seed-yielding herbs…” After the Flood, when the animals were saved in Noach’s merit and he sacrificed some of them, which fulfilled Hashem’s will, Hashem permitted man to slaughter animals, as it says (ibid. 9:3): “Every moving creature that lives, shall be yours for food; like the green vegetation [which I gave previously] I have [now] given you everything [for food]”; their life is for man. Hashem permitted the living animal bodies for man to be for his benefit and needs; the living soul (<i>nefesh</i>) in them will be for man’s atonement when they are brought before Hashem as sacrifices. They were not permitted to eat the <i>nefesh</i>; a being with a <i>nefesh</i> should not eat a <i>nefesh</i>, for all souls belong to Hashem. Man’s <i>nefesh</i> is like the animals’ <i>nefesh</i>, they belong to Him; “[For there is a happening for the children of men, and there is a happening for the beasts …] like the death of this one is the death of that one, and all have one spirit” (Koheles 3:19). The Greek philosophers saw it this way: A very clear and radiant spark comes out from the active intellect, and the spark of the animal soul comes out from it, and it is a complete soul in one side of its aspects. Therefore, it has intelligence to flee from harm and to pursue what is pleasurable for it, and it has recognition for things for which the animals have formed a habit. Animals have love, like the love of dogs for their masters; the <i>nefesh</i> has amazing recognition for the household members of their owners. Pigeons also have intelligence and recognition.
  
  
  
  
  
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  Speak to Bnei Yisroel and say to them, I am Adonoy, your God. This is as if Moshe was told, “And say to them <i>in My name</i> I am Adonoy, your God.” Similarly (19:2): “You shall be holy, for I, Adonoy, your God, am holy.” Possibly, this is because when Moshe left Hashem without the mask and spoke to Bnei Yisroel about the commandments he did not need to say, “This was spoken by Hashem.” They knew that he spoke with the Divine Spirit and that Hashem’s words were on his tongue. He did not speak of his own accord. Similarly, in many places in Mishneh Torah [Devarim] Moshe speaks this way, such as (Devarim 11:13-15): “And it will be, if you hearken to My commandments that I command you this day … I will give the rain of your land … And I will give grass in your field.” Moshe is not the one who gives rain on the land or sends water in the open areas, causing the grass to grow in the fields, but only Hashem, Blessed is He.
  
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  To vex [her]. With this the Torah explains the reason for the prohibition. It is saying that it is not proper to take a woman and her sister to make them rival wives, to vex one to another, because it is fitting they should love one another and not be rival wives.
  
  
  
  
  
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  You shall be holy. Toras Kohanim explains this as “you shall be self-denying.” This refers to the self-denial mentioned throughout the Talmud, and the masters of this self-denial are called <i>pirushim</i>. The Torah warns us about forbidden relations and prohibited foods, but permits marital relations between a man and his wife and eating meat and wine. If so, a person consumed by desire may find room to be inundated with intimate relations with his wife or his many wives, to be “among wine-guzzlers, among gluttonous eaters of meat for themselves” (Mishlei 23:20), or to speak as he wishes in all manner of depraved things, for there is no prohibition mentioned explicitly about these in the Torah. As a result, he will be a ‘scoundrel within permission of the Torah.’ Therefore, after it detailed the prohibitions that it completely prohibits, the Torah comes and gives a general commandment that we should live with self-denial from luxuries.
  
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  You shall not curse a deaf person. Rashi writes: “I [know this of] a deaf person, from where [do I know to] include everyone?” This is taught in Toras Kohanim. However, the Gemara derives something different (Sanhedrin 66a): Rather, Scripture has cautioned about the honorable people in the nation, the judge and the prince, as it says, “You shall not curse a judge, neither shall you curse a prince among your people” (Shemos 22:27). Now, it returns and warns about the nation’s wretched ones, for example, the deaf person, and from them we should draw a comparison to all the rest of the nation, for everyone is included in the warning from the highest to the lowest. From the phrase, “among your people” (ibid) we derive that the warning applies only to someone who is performing the deeds of your people, which excludes the wicked. In the plain meaning, the Torah mentions a deaf person with regard to cursing because even though he does not hear and will not become angry about the curse, still, the Torah warns one not to curse him. So much the more so it applies to hearing people who will be ashamed and extremely vexed. Furthermore, we can explain that it warns about the usual case, for a man will curse a deaf person or place a stumbling-block before the blind, because he is not afraid of them, for they will not know or understand. Therefore it says, “you shall fear your God” because He sees what is hidden.
  
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  You shall not hate your brother in your heart. The way of those who hate others is to hide their hatred in their heart, as it says (Mishlei 26:24): “An enemy puts on a false front with his lips.” Therefore, the Torah speaks of hatred in the way it usually is. It then says, You shall certainly rebuke your friend, which is another mitzvah, the rebuke of discipline. [But] you shall not bear a sin on his account. You will bear guilt if he will sin and you did not rebuke him. This is what is implied in Onkelos’ words, when he wrote, “And you shall not receive on his account a liability,” which means you should not receive punishment for his sin. Afterwards, it commands that you should love him. Thus, one who hates his fellow transgresses a negative commandment and the one who loves him fulfills a positive commandment. What appears correct in my eyes is that you shall certainly rebuke your friend is like the verse, “And Avraham contended with Avimelech [about the well of water that the servants of Abimelech had forcibly seized]” (Bereishis 21:25). The Torah is saying: Do not hate your fellow in your heart after he has done something to you against your wishes. Rather, you should rebuke him, “Why did you do it to me?” and not bear upon him sin by covering your hatred for him in your heart and never telling him. When you confront him he will ask for forgiveness, or he will repent and confess about his sin and achieve atonement. Thereupon, the Torah warns against taking revenge or bearing a grudge in your heart for what he did to you, because it could be that you do not hate him but remember his sin. Therefore, it warns us that one should erase his fellow man’s wrongdoing and his sin from his heart.
  
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  You shall regard its fruit as closed off. The reason for this mitzvah is to honor Hashem from the first of all our produce from the fruit of trees and vineyards. We should not eat from them until we bring all the fruit of one year as praises to Hashem. The fruit from the three years is not worthy to offer to Hashem, the Honored One, since it is negligible, and the tree does not provide its fruit with taste and scent during the three years. Most of them do not bring forth fruit at all until the fourth year. Therefore we wait for them all and we will not eat from them until we bring from the orchard we have planted all its good first fruit, “holy, praises to Hashem.” There, one shall eat them and praise the name of Hashem. In this respect, this mitzvah resembles the mitzvah of first fruits.
  
  
  
  
  
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  In order to defile My Sanctuary. Rashi wrote: “[This refers to] the Community of Israel, which is sanctified to me.” I have already alluded as to how the Community of Israel, which is sanctified to His Great Name, could become impure when one person sins (see Ramban on 18:23). The Sages alluded to this as well in Midrashim, when they said, “Anyone who has pleasure from this world without making a blessing is as if he has stolen from Hashem and the Community of Israel, as it says, ‘He steals from his father and his mother.’ ‘His father’ refers to Hashem, and ‘his mother’ refers to the Community of Israel. He is equivalent to a destructive individual, an associate of Yerovam ben Navat who caused Israel to sin against their Father in Heaven” (Berachos 35b). This is because Hashem desired to create the world so they would bless over its pleasures to His Great Name, and that results in the perpetuation of existence. If they do not, this is a betrayal of His Great Name, and the Divine Presence departs from Israel. This is even much more if one were to offer fruits to Molech, for he commits an abomination to the Great One of Yaakov and His abode. This is the reason why it says here, “the people of the land shall stone him to death.” It does not say, “he shall be put to death, they shall stone him,” as it usually says. Rather, it specifies the “people of the land,” to inform that all the people of the land, all Israel, are obligated to be at the lead and stone him because he harms them all, for he causes the Divine Presence to be removed from Israel.
  
  
  
  
  
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  The <i>kohanim.</i> It mentions “the <i>kohanim</i>” here because elsewhere regarding commandments of sacrifices it says “to Aharon and to his sons,” and does not use the title “<i>kohanim</i>,” for those matters concern sacrifices or higher levels of holiness. However, here it cautions that they should never become impure to the dead, even when they will not be coming to the Sanctuary, and this relates to their essence. Therefore, the verse mentions “the <i>kohanim</i>” to say that because they are the <i>kohanim</i> of Hashem and the servants of our God the Torah expects them to conduct themselves with honor and respect and never become impure. The unfit <i>kohanim</i> (<i>chalalim</i>) are excluded from this rule.
  
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  They shall be holy to their God. Holiness is self-denial, as I explained in the preceding Parshah. This tells us that the <i>kohanim</i> should deny themselves even what is permitted to Israelites. They should separate themselves from the defilement of the dead and marrying women that are not proper for them, in purity and cleanliness.
  
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  He shall not depart from the Sanctuary. The main point of this verse is to admonish the Kohein Godol not to depart from the Sanctuary during the Divine service for the sake of any dead persons. “And he shall not profane the Sanctuary” by abandoning his service to honor the dead. So much the more so he transgresses this negative commandment if he were to abandon his service for no purpose and leave the Sanctuary.
  
  
  
  
  
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  For any of their vows or for any of their free-willofferings. Our Rabbis said: Which is a vow? — One who says, “I am obligated to bring a burnt offering.” A free-will offering? — One who says, “Behold, this [I will bring].” What is the difference between a vow and a free-will offering? Concerning a vow, if the animal dies or is stolen, the person who made the vow is responsible to replace it. [With a free-will offering he is only obligated to offer the animal he designated, and need not replace it if the original is lost]. The reason for the difference between them is because someone usually vows when he is in pain, and he says, “If Hashem will help me with this I am obligated to bring a burnt offering or peace offering.” This is not a regular free-will offering; a free-will offering is when he separates it and gives it immediately, for at the time of giving he has a generous spirit. This verse is telling us that whether one offers a burnt-offering or a peace-offering because he vowed at a time of trouble, or he offers them in a generous spirit, the sacrifice must be unblemished. Perhaps we might have thought that the offering brought to fulfill a vow must be unblemished, more so than a free-will offering. This is the reason behind this verse.
  
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  You shall not profane My holy Name … Our Rabbis said it is a positive commandment that we should sanctify His Name with the commandments, even to be killed and not transgress them. “Who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your Hashem, I am Adonoy,” is an all-inclusive reason for all the commandments, for it is proper to sanctify His Name by refusing to transgress them, since we are His servants that He redeemed from Egypt.
  
  
  
  
  
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  Speak to Bnei Yisroel and say to them; when you come into the land. Because a new mitzvah, besides the resting and the holy assembly, was introduced here in each one of the Festivals, the Torah designates a <i>parshah</i> by itself [a <i>parshah</i> in this context is the paragraph between two “open spaces” in the Torah scroll] for each appointed time, and the <i>parshah</i> includes the exhortation, “Speak to Bnei Yisroel and say to them.” However, since the time of Shavuos depends on the Omer, it was all said in one <i>parshah</i> [although divided by a “closed space”]. Furthermore, since Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are in one month, and both of them relate to one matter — judgment of sins and atonement for repenters, the Torah did not add the exhortation “speak to Bnei Yisroel” by Yom Kippur, as the first utterance was sufficient. However, it put them into two <i>parshiyos</i> [divided by a “closed space”] because they are different matters.
  
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  Shall be for you a [day of] rest. The Midrash teaches that we are commanded by Torah law [<i>min HaTorah</i>] to rest on Yom Tov even in matters that are not <i>melachah</i>. We should not burden ourselves all day: To measure produce or weigh grains and the tithes, to fill wine barrels or move vessels, or move stones from one house to another, or from one place to another. If the city is surrounded by a wall and the doors are locked at night, they would load the donkeys and bring wine, grapes, figs, and every load on Yom Tov. The market would be filled with every type of buying and selling; the stores would be open and the storekeeper would give credit; and the money-changers would stand before their tables with gold coins before them. The workers would rise up early in the morning for their labor and hire themselves out for these matters like on a secular day, and the like. These things would become permitted on Yomim Tovim, and even Shabbos itself, for all these matters involve no <i>melachah</i>. Therefore the Torah says, “a day of rest,” it should be a day of cessation and rest, and not a day of burden. And this is a good, beautiful explanation.
  
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  Every native born Israelite. It mentions “every native born Israelite” to teach that everyone who is an Israelite, from the elders to the youngsters [should dwell in <i>sukkos</i>]. It is not enough that one of the household dwells in the sukkah and the rest dwell in the home. Rather, all of them should dwell in the sukkah.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  If a man shall sell a residential home. It is very difficult for a man to sell his home, and he will be ashamed when he has to sell it. Therefore the Torah wants him to redeem it within the first year. A field, though, is something a man works in and it is the source of his sustenance; therefore, the Torah mandates that the field returns in the Jubilee year. However, once a person has given up on his home and changed his residence, and has been in the other house for a year, there is no harm to him, for his livelihood is not diminished if he stays there forever. The houses of open cities, on the other hand, are built for guarding the fields and as a residence for the field workers; therefore, their law is like that of the fields.
  
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  [So] that he shall live with you. It is a positive commandment to enable him to live, and from here we derive that we are commanded to save a life as a positive commandment. The Sages derived from here (v. 36): “Your brother shall live with you” — this was interpreted by Ben-Potiri: Two men who were traveling on their way [in the desert] and one of them had a flask of water. If he alone will drink it he will reach civilization, but if both of them drink they will both die. Ben Potiri derived that it is better they both should drink and die, and let one not see the death of his fellow; until Rabbi Akiva came and taught: “So that he shall live with you” — your life has precedence over your fellow man’s life. Interest or usury. According to the plain explanation it seems to me that “נשך (interest)” is when someone will lend one hundred shekalim on condition that the borrower gives him five shekalim per year. It is called נשך because in the end it is as a snake bites (נושך), which [causes a wound that] increasingly oozes. “תרבית (usury)” is when one will lend until a certain time and then the borrower will pay him and give him five shekalim in interest, and there is no other interest after that date. This does not bite, because it will not cost more than that amount, but it is usury. Therefore it continues, “You must not give (lend) him your money with interest, and usuriously you must not advance him your food,” because the custom was to lend money with interest — that he should pay such and such each year — but one would lend food until the harvest and then he would be paid from the borrower’s threshing-floor with an additional amount set in advance.
  
  
  
  
  
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  I will provide your rains in their proper time. The Torah mentions the rains first, because when it rains in the proper time the air is pure and fresh, and the [waters of the] springs and rivers are healthy. The result is physical health. The fruit yields will increase and be blessed from the rains, as it says, “The earth shall give forth its produce and the tree of the field shall give forth its produce.” As a result, no one will be sick. There will be no bereaved or barren woman among them, or among their livestock. They will live full lives. This is because when their bodies develop their full potential and are healthy they will live like Adam’s length of days. This is the greatest of blessings. The Torah says that the heavens will provide the earth with rains at the proper time. The earth will respond with produce, which is vegetation and living beings capable of movement: livestock, wild animals, creeping creatures, fowl, and also fish. Fish are included because “earth” includes the entire lower sphere, as it says, “In the beginning Hashem created the heavens and the earth,” and, “The heavens and the earth were completed,” as well as (Tehillim 148:7), “Praise Adonoy from the earth, sea monsters and all deeps.” Similarly, we find in most places in Scripture that every being in the lower realms is [called] the earth’s produce.
  
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  I will banish evil beasts from the land. According to Rabbi Yehudah’s view that the evil beasts will cease from the world (Toras Kohanim), the verse is interpreted according to its plain meaning: Vicious animals will not enter their land. This is because there will be satiation and an abundance of goodness. As a result, the cities will be heavily populated, so the animals will not enter civilized areas. Rabbi Shimon’s view is that they will be prevented from causing harm. Accordingly, the verse means to say, “I will banish the harm of beasts from the land,” and this is the correct interpretation. This is because when the people of Israel keep the commandments, Eretz Yisrael will be as the world was in the beginning, before the sin of Adam, the first man. At that time, no beast or creeping creature would kill a person, as the Sages said (Berachos 33a): “It is not the <i>arod</i> (poisonous reptile) that kills; rather it is sin that kills.” This is reflected in the following verse as well (Yeshayahu 11:7-8): “And a cow and a bear shall graze together … and a lion, like cattle, shall eat straw. And an infant shall play over the hole of a viper.” The tendency of vicious animals to prey [on humans] came only because of Adam’s sin, for it was decreed upon him to be the prey of their fangs.
  
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  I will walk among you. The fact that you are under My guidance will be well publicized like a king who walks in the midst of his encampment; he provides them with all their needs. This is the plain meaning of the covenant, and it is true; so He will certainly do for them. Scripture does not mention here the reward of the souls’ continuation in the afterlife and in the World to Come after the resurrection from the dead. This is because their continued existence is obligated by the way of their formation, as I explained regarding being cut off. The punishment is that Hashem cuts off those souls that are liable among them, and the rest all live eternally due to the essence of their formation.
  
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  If you despise My statutes. Since the <i>chukim</i> (statutes) are mitzvos whose reasons are not revealed to the masses, the fools will despise them. They will question, “Does Hashem care if I wear this garment that is woven with linen and blue wool? Why should we burn a red heifer and cast its ashes on us?” Everyone appreciates the <i>mishpatim</i> (laws), however, and finds them necessary. Without the rule of law, civilization is impossible for a nation or a country. No one will despise the law of “One who strikes a man so that he dies …” or, “And should men quarrel …” and the laws of the ox that gores, the pit, and the guardians, etc. However, the judgment (<i>mishpat</i>) done to those who transgress the mitzvos will be resented by the wicked, such as [the <i>mishpat</i> done to] one who violates forbidden relations, profanes Shabbos, or makes an Ov or Yidoni, because these mitzvos are a heavy yoke on them. This is the <i>mishpatim</i> it refers to when it says, “And your souls loathe My <i>mishpatim</i> so as not to fulfill all My commandments,” because the loathing of the <i>mishpatim</i> is so they will not have to do the mitzvos. Thereby breaking My covenant. They will break the covenant completely and they will be without Torah, in order to permit forbidden relations in public for themselves, and every desire will be sweet to their souls (<i>Ramban</i>).
  
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  Or perhaps then their uncircumcised heart will be humbled. In my view this hints that after the confession Hashem will go contrary to them and bring them again into the land of their enemies until their uncircumcised heart is humbled. This is a hint that He brought them to Eretz Yisrael but it was not conquered before them; they had adversaries and enemies there, as it says (Nechemiah 4:5), “And our adversaries said … And it came to pass when our enemies heard.” Eretz Yisrael was in the possession of gentile nations, as Ezra said in his prayer (ibid. 9:36): “Today we are slaves, and the land that You gave our forefathers to eat of its fruit and its goodness, behold, we are slaves upon it. Its produce is increased to the kings whom You have appointed over us because of our sins, and they rule over our bodies and over our cattle as they wish, and we are in great distress”.
  
  
  
  
  
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  Any dedication that a man will dedicate regarding a man. Rashi writes: “If a person is going to be executed and someone, on seeing him, said: ‘His worth is on me’ — he has said nothing.” The Sages, however, disagreed in this matter: Some of them said this is a warning that we may not accept atonement payments from those liable the death penalty to exempt them. Perhaps this was mentioned here to say that if he gives money to Hashem like the other dedications he will not be exempt from the death penalty. According to the simple meaning, the previous verse said that if anyone dedicates his possessions, whether a man (Canaanite slave), an animal, or of the field of his ancestral land it will be holy unto Hashem — these dedications belong to the <i>kohanim</i> and there is no redemption for them. This verse speaks about someone who dedicates a person that is not his property, for instance, when they were at war with their enemies and they made a vow: “If You will deliver this people into my hand I shall consecrate their cities” (Bamidbar 21:2). In such a case all the men in these cities shall be put to death. The reason is because the people making the vows had no intention of handing their enemies over to the <i>kohanim</i>. Rather, they wanted everything in the city to become forbidden for any benefit, for they aimed at cutting off their enemies and destroying them.