meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Ramban/Torah/Ramban on Leviticus/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Ramban on Leviticus
  רמב"ן על ויקרא
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Ramban on Leviticus
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  as a burnt offering: [the kohen] must burn the animal with the intention that it is a burnt offering. (Torat Kohanim 1:58) a fire offering: When he slaughters [the animal], he must slaughter it with the intention [to burn it completely in] fire. Every [instance of the word] אִשֶּׁה in Scripture, is an expression related to אֵשׁ, “fire." pleasing: gives Me contentment, for I said [My commandment], and My will was fulfilled!” End quotation from Rashi. But the Rav did not explain what "for the fire" means. And in Gemara (Zevachim 46:b) they said: "To exclude unfinished burning," and he explains here that we slaughter it in order to place it over the burning wood fire upon the altar, not to place it over the coals that chill and go dim. And it seems to me that one needs to intend that the fire consume it completely, and not to roast it a little. And this relates to the rebellious son (Sanhedrin 70a): "Like midcooked thieve's meat." And in Tractate Eruvin: "Neither cooked nor consumed." (Eruvin 29b) And there are some that explain there: "To exclude unfinished burning." (Zevachim 46a) His intention was to place over wood fire, as it is written "over the fire on the wood," and not over straw fire nor kindling fire. It is like the matter we learned: "finished oven with straw and mulch." (Shabbat 36b) And behold, in this verse the reason for the sacrifices is that they are "a fire offering with a pleasing odor to the Lord." But the Rambam said in the Guide for the Perplexed (3:46) that the reason for the sacrifices was for the sake of the Egyptians and Chaldeans, in whose lands Israel used to live and dwell, who would worship the bull and the sheep. Because the Egyptians worshipped a lamb, and the Chaldeans worshipped demons that appeared to them as goats. And the people of India to this day never slaughter a cow. For this reason (God) commanded to slaughter these three species in God's name to make known that the matter which (the pagans) thought of as the ultimate sin is what (the Israelites) will sacrifice to their Creator and their sins will be attoned for. For thus are bad beliefs healed, which are ailments of the soul, since every ailment and illness is healed through its opposite. These are his words and he continues at length. This is rubbish! They have healed a great hurt and a great difficulty lightly! The table of the Eternal is made polluted. (Malachi 1:12) For they are not only to remove [false beliefs] from the hearts of the wicked and fools of the world.  Doesn't Scripture say that they are "food of the gift offering, for a pleasing odor?" (Leviticus 3:16) And also due to the idiocy of the Egyptians their illness won't be healed this way.  Rather it would increase suffering, because the intention of the aforementioned wicked ones was to worship the constellations of the sheep and the ox, which have power, according to their thinking.  And therefore they don't eat them in deference to their power and strength.  But if they are slaughtered for the Revered Name, this would be an honor for them... Since the deeds of people are determined by thought, speech and action, God, may He be blessed, commanded that when he sins, he brings a sacrifice and place his hands upon him corresponding to the deed, and confess with his mouth corresponding to the speech, and burn the innards and the kidneys, as they are the instruments of thought and desire. And the limbs [of the sacrifice] correspond to the hands and feet of a person that does all of his work. And he sprinkles the blood on the altar corresponding to the blood of his soul, so that a person think in doing all of this that he sinned to God with his body and his soul, and it is fit for him that his blood be spilled and his body burnt; were it not for the kindness of the Creator, who took an exchange and ransom from him [in] the sacrifice - that its blood be instead of his blood and its soul be instead of his soul. And the central limbs correspond to his central limbs. And the portions with which to sustain the teachers of Torah [are so] that they will pray for him. And the daily sacrifice is because there is no saving the community from always sinning. And these words are tenable [and] grab the heart, like the words of classic homiletic teachings (Shabbat 87a). And in the way of truth (mysticism), the sacrifices contain a hidden secret...
  
  
  
  
  
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  You shall not cease to salt the offering, it is the covenant of your God. "Because a covenant was made during creation, assuring the subterranean waters that on the altar would be offered salt [from the sea] and a libation of water during the festival [of Sukkoth]." This is the language of Rashi, and it is a midrash of the sages. Rabbi Avraham [ibn Ezra] says that the plain meaning is, "God has entered you into a covenant and sworn you not to offer a bland sacrifice, nor should such a sacrifice be eaten because it is humiliating." And because there is a sacrificial covenant, the Torah also uses this covenant as a model for other covenants, as both the priestly covenant (Numbers 18:19) and the Davidic covenant (2 Chronicles 13:5) are called `covenant of salt' because they are upheld just as the sacrificial covenant of salt. But Rabbi Avraham [ibn Ezra] explains (Ibn Ezra on Numbers 18:19), "A covenant was made that land (Jeremiah 17:6) should be barren [of produce, just as a field of salt does not bring forth grasses at all, or, similarly, a place of sulfurous salt.]" His reasoning is incorrect, because the verse here says, 'covenant of your God,' and not 'covenant of Hashem,' as is the language of the passage and the general tendency of the sacrificial instructions, or even `covenant of Hashem your God.' I am of the opinion that the significance is that the salt is water, which by the power of the sun that comes is made into salt, while the water saturates the Earth, impregnates it and makes plants flourish. Afterwards, salt cuts through every place that is not seeded and does not flourish. This covenant is a part of all of these processes, and the water and fire come in it. {Unclear phrase}. The first government of the kingdom of Hashem came like salt, which gives taste to all kinds of foods, and upheld it and agreed to its salting. The salt is like a covenant, so the Torah says, (2 Chronicles 13:5) "Surely you know that Hashem, the God of Israel, gave a kingdom to David over Israel eternally, for his descendants, a covenant of salt." Eternally, because this is also an aspect of [the] David[ic covenant]. Similarly it says about the offerings (Numbers 18:19), "it is an eternal covenant of salt," because the covenant of salt is in the world upheld. And I have already taught (Ramban on Exodus 31:13) to understand from our words in other places this exact phrase: "it is an eternal covenant."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Take Aaron: ... According to the straightforward approach, Moses was commanded about the work of the Tabernacle before the story of the [golden] calf. And once the Holy One, blessed be He, was appeased, and He promised that He would have His Divine Presence dwell among them, [Moses] knew on his own that the commandments of the Tabernacles were [reinstated]. So he commanded Israel about it, as I explained in Parshat Vayakhel (above on Exodus 35:1)...
  
  
  
  
  
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  He said to Aaron: “Take a calf of the herd...": Our teacher Moses was commanded regarding these sacrifices as was said at the end of the previous section, "This is what the Lord has commanded that you do," even though it was not explicitly mentioned.  Likewise, "Moses said, 'This is what the LORD has commanded: Let one omer of it be kept...'" (Exodus 16:32) And likewise, "I am the God of Beth-El..." (Genesis 31:13) Jacob told this [to Rachel and Leah] even though it was not explicitly mentioned.  And I already showed this to you in the sections on the commandments of the Pesach offering (Exodus 11:1) - there are many [examples] like this.
  
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  And the meaning of "And speak to the Israelites, saying..." is that Aaron should say thus to them. Because God's will was that Aaron be commanded in the name of God, and that he offer sacrifices to magnify God in the eyes of the people. And the correct meaning of "And speak to the Israelites" is - you, and the elders who were mentioned. That thus should they say to Israel, just like "Moses then summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, pick out..." (Exodus 12:21) Or [another explanation is], he said to each one of the elders: "Speak to the Israelites." And the meaning of the section, "He said to Aaron: 'Take...'" [is that] He said to the elders, "Speak to the Israelites, saying..." Because one who speaks to many addresses each one with his command, as with "At that time I charged you, saying...You must go as shock-troops..." (Deuteronomy 3:18) And there are many examples in Deuteronomy. But R. Ibn Ezra said (in verse 6) that the meaning of, "Moses said: 'This is what the LORD has commanded that you do,'" is that Moses already said to them, "This is what...". But if so, it is possible that the meaning of these verses is thus: "Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel"..."Moses said: 'This is what the LORD has commanded' <u>me</u>'that you do, that the Presence of the LORD may appear to you.'"..."He said to Aaron: 'Take a calf"..."And speak to the Israelites, saying: Take a he-goat." And [he spoke] briefly at the outset, and he explained later. But this is not correct. Rather, after he mentioned the sacrifices to them, and they took what was commanded, Moses returned and said to them, "This is was the LORD has commanded that you do." That they should offer the sacrifices in the order they were commanded. And afterward, the Presence would appear to them. And once he said, "For today the LORD will appear to you," he returned and said that God will appear to them in God's glory. And these sacrifices are not mentioned in the section "This is what you shall do to them in consecrating them to serve Me as priests." (Exodus 29) 
  
  
  
  
  
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  This is what the LORD meant when He said: Where had He spoken this? In the statement (Exodus 29:43), “And there I will be met by the children of Israel and it (the Tabernacle) shall be sanctified by My glory (בכבודי).” Read not here בִכְבוֹדִי, “by My Glory” but בִּמְכֻבָּדַי, “through My honoured ones” (Zevachim 115b). Moses here said to Aaron: “My brother, Aaron! I knew that this House was to be sanctified by those who are beloved of the Omnipresent God and I thought it would be either through me or through thee; now I see that these (thy sons who have died) are greater than me and than thee!” (Leviticus Rabbah 12 2).  these are [the words] of Rashi from a midrash of our Rabbis. But if so, its understanding would be [as if the words stated], "and I will be sanctified by My glory," such that I will be holy in the eyes of all of the people and of My honored ones." And [R. Ibn Ezra] also said, "'This is what God has told me' - God has already told me that He will manifest His holiness through those who are near Him — even if they must suffer for it, as in the passage 'You only have I known…' (Amos 3:2) [etc.," as in the citation above].Thus the verse means, “When I manifest myself in holiness among them, then I shall be glorified; and I shall be glorified in the face of all the people, and they shall fear Me.” But if so, it was told, but not written down [in the Torah] - that God informed him of His ways, that this trait of His is like this. And in my opinion, according to the plain-sense, there is no need for all this because God "said" God's decrees, and thoughts, and the matter of God's ways. And this "speech" is entirely <i>"I said to myself,"</i> (Ecclesiastes 1:16) i.e. "I thought this." <i>"This is the reason why Joshua had the circumcision performed."</i> (Joshua 5:4) This is the matter of <i>"because of the money."</i> (Genesis 43:18) And so to, <i>"and let her be a wife to your master’s son, as the LORD has spoken."</i> (Genesis 24:51) And similarly, <i>"He laid its foundations at the cost of Abiram his first-born, and set its gates in place at the cost of Segub his youngest, in accordance with the words that the LORD had spoken through Joshua son of Nun."</i> (1 Kings 16:34) So behold, really Moses said in this verse was: <i>"This is what the LORD meant when He said</i> to Himself, <i>through those near to Me I show Myself holy</i> so that my holiness will not be ruined <i>and I will gain glory before all the people</i> so that they will behave respectfully in my Tabernacle. And the reason that <i>Aaron was silent</i> was that he was crying loudly and fell silent.  
  
  
  
  
  
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  THE LORD SPOKE TO MOSES AND AARON...SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. The commandments in these sections (Leviticus 11:1-47) apply to Israelites and priests, but there are more details regarding the priests, because they need to constantly guard against coming into contact with tum’ah because they need to be ready to serve in the Temple and to eat of kodshim. Further, if an Israelite errs in these commandments, they must bring a sacrifice that a priest will offer for them. And further, that which was commanded “and to separate between the holy and the profane and between the tameh and tahor (Leviticus 10:10), they [the priests] need to instruct the Israelites what is tameh and tahor that they be cautious around. 
  
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  The reason for certain birds being forbidden as food is on account of their cruel nature. It is also possible that the reason for certain animals being forbidden is similar, since no animal that chews the cud and has a parted hoof is a beast of prey, while the rest all devour others. There has also been found a difference in nature between animals fit for food and those which are unfit, as the Sages have mentioned, namely that all milks of animals fit for food curdle, whereas all milks of those unfit for food do not coagulate and cannot ever be made into cheese. Thus they are physically different. It is possible to say on the basis of this difference in their natures that those animals unfit for food harm human beings who eat them.
  
  
  
  
  
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  ... Because the constitution of the female is cold and wet, and the dampness in the womb of the mother is very great and cold. And therefore, she gave birth to a female. And hence she requires a big cleansing because of the multitude of dampness and the blood decaying  in her and because of her coldness. And it is well-known that the cold sicknesses require a longer time to be cleansed than the hot ones.
  
  
  
  
  
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  And the garment if there be in it a pock of <i>tsaraat</i>: This is not natural at all and it does not happen in the world; and so [too] pocks of houses. But since Israel are complete for God, the spirit of God is always upon them, to keep their bodies and clothing and houses in good appearance. And when sin and iniquity happen to one of them, his skin or his clothing or his home becomes ugly, to show that God has departed from him. And hence the verse states (Leviticus 14:34), "and I shall put a pock of <i>tsaraat</i> in the house in the land of your possession" - as it is a plague of God in that house. And behold, it is only practiced in the land that is the inheritance of the Lord, as it states (Leviticus 14:34), "When you come to the land of Canaan, that I give to you as a possession." And the reason for this is not because it is an obligation on the soil [of the land], but [rather] because this matter will only come in the chosen land that the glorious God will dwell within.       And in Torat Kohanim (Sifra, Metsora 5:3), they also expounded that a house only becomes impure after the conquest and division of the land and [when] each and every one knows what is his. And the reason [for this] is that [only] then did their minds become settled about them - to know the Lord - and that the [Divine] presence should dwell among them. And so do I think with the pocks of clothing, that it is only practiced in the land, and [that] it was not necessary to [specifically] exclude outside the land from them, as they would never occur there. And because of this, they are also only practiced on white clothes, and not with colored ones - as maybe the dye released that ugliness in that place according to its nature, and it is not 'the finger of God.' And therefore, clothes that become colored by the Heavens, can become impure, like the words of Rabbi Shimon (Mishnah Negaim 11:3). And according to its simple understanding, it is because of this that Scripture goes back in each and every verse [to mention], "the garment or the skin or the warp or the woof," because the matter is a miracle. And our rabbis have homilies about them and they are all in Torat Kohanim.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  And the explanation of "after the death of the two sons of Aaron" is that immediately after his sons died, [God] cautioned him about wine and strong drink, that he not die. And he also said to Moses that he should caution him not to die by coming close in front of God (when inappropriate). And what is more likely is that these two commandments were [given] the day after their death; as in the day [of their death], he was bereaving (onen) - and the holy spirit does not descend upon sadness... However Scripture had the prohibition - so "they not die through their uncleanness by defiling My Tabernacle which is among them" (Leviticus 15:31) - wherein he warned all of Israel, precede, and it wrote the prohibition for the individual afterward. And, in my opinion, the whole Torah is in [chronological] order; for in all the places in which that which is earlier is recounted, it is explicitly mentioned - such as (Leviticus 25:1), "And the Lord spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai"; and such as (Numbers 7:1), "And it was on the day that Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle"; and similar to them. And that is why it mentions, "after the death," here - to make known that [these laws were given] immediately after their death. And according to the words of our Rabbis who say that it is "so that you should not die the way x died, [since] that this is a greater warning than the first," the wording of the verse that the Lord said to Moshe should [have been], "After the the two sons of Aaron died when they approached in front of the Lord, tell him not to come at any time to the Holy, so that he not die."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  And the land was defiled and I visited the iniquity upon it and the land vomited: The verse was strict with sexual immorality because of the land that became defiled with them and vomited the souls that do [it]. And behold [the laws of] sexual immorality are a personal obligation and they do not depend on the land, but the secret of the matter is in the verse (Deuteronomy 32:8-9), "In the Most High's giving inheritances to the nations, in His separation of people, the borders of the peoples were set up, etc. For the portion of the Lord is His people, etc." And the matter is that the honorable God created everything and placed the power over the ones below in the ones above and placed over each and every people in their lands according to their nations a star and a specific constellation, as is known in astrology. And this is that which is stated (Deuteronomy 4:19), "that the Lord, your God, distributed them to all of the peoples" - as He distributed constellations in the skies to all of them. And above them he placed the highest angels to be their ministers, as the matter that is written (Daniel 10:13), "And the minister of Persia stood across from me"; and it is written (Daniel 10:20), "And behold the minister of Greece is coming." And they are [also] called kings, as it is written (Daniel 10:13), "And I remained alone there with the kings of Persia." And behold the honored God is the God (Power) of powers and the Master of masters of the whole universe, but upon the land of Israel - the center of the [world's] habitation, the inheritance of God [that is] unique to His name - He did not place a captain, officer or ruler from the angels, in His giving it as an inheritance to his nation that unifies His name - the seed of His beloved one. And this is what it stated (Exodus 19:5), "and you will be for Me a treasure from all of the nations, as all of the world is Mine"; and it is written (Jeremiah 11:4), "and you will be for Me a people and I will be for you a God" - that you should not be to other gods (powers) at all. And behold, He sanctified the people that dwells in His land with the holiness of [the laws of] sexual immorality and with a multitude of commandments, that they should be [dedicated] to His name. And therefore it stated (Leviticus 20:22), "And you will guard all of My statutes and all of My judgments and do them and the land will not vomit you out"; and it is written (Leviticus 20:24), "And I said to you, 'You shall inherit their land and I will give it to you to inherit it, I am the Lord, your God, that separated you from the nations" - it is stated that He separated us from all of the nations, over which He placed ministers and other powers, in His giving us the land, such that He, may He be blessed, be the Power for us and that we be designated to His name. And behold, the land that is the inheritance of the honorable God vomits out all that defile it and it does not tolerate those that worship idols and engage in sexual immorality. And this section mentions the (idol) Molekh, to include idol worship with the mention of sexual immorality; and about them all, it states (here), "Do not become defiled with all of these, as the nations became defiled with all of these[...] and the land vomited out its inhabitants." And so [too], it stated in the second section (Leviticus 20:24), "And I said to you, 'You shall inherit their land and I will give it to you to inherit it, I am the Lord, your God, that separated you from the nations." And behold, outside of the land - even though everything belongs to the honorable God - purity is not complete in it, because of the servants that rule upon it. And the nations err after their ministers, to worship them also. And hence, the verse states (Isaiah 54:5), "He will be called the God of all the earth," as he is the Power of powers that rules over everything. And "He will govern" in the end "over the host of the heights in the heights" - to remove the government of the high ones and to destroy the system of servants; and afterwards, He will govern "over the kings of the earth on the earth" (Isaiah 24:21). And this is the matter that is written, that he said (Daniel 4:14), "By the decree of the wakeful ones is the matter, and by the word of the holy ones is the sentence" - it is stating that that thing which was decreed on Nevuchadnetsar is a decree of the watchful ones (the matter and by the word of the holy ones is the sentence) that they decreed upon the forces that emanated from them to do this. And they are called "wakeful ones," as it is from their emanations that the forces are awoken to to do all of the actions; as he said (Daniel 4:10-11), "and behold a watchful one and a holy one came down from the Heavens. He called out loudly, and so did he say, 'Cut the tree, etc.'" "And by the word of the holy ones is the sentence (question)," which is to say that they asked what is the will of the Most High, and afterwards they decreed to do this. And this is what Daniel said to him (Daniel 4:21), "it is a decree of the Most High"; as everything is from Him, may He be blessed. And behold the honorable God, may He be blessed, is the Power of powers outside of the land and the God of the land of Israel, which is the inheritance of the Lord. And this is the explanation of [the phrase] (Deuteronomy 31:16), "and stray after the gods foreign to the land," as the deities are foreign in the land of God and in His inheritance. And this is [the understanding of] what is stated (II Kings 17:26), "they did not know the law of the God of the land and He sent lions against them, and behold, they kill them because they do not know the law of the God of the land." And behold the Cuthites were not punished in their land when they served their gods, to send lions against them - and when they came to the land of God and did like their earlier actions, He sent  lions against them that would kill them. And so did they learn in the Sifra (Kedoshim 11:14), "'And the land not vomit them out, etc.' - the land of Israel is not like other lands; it does not sustain worshippers of idols." And in the Sifrei (Haazinu 315), "'There [was] no foreign god with him' (Deuteronomy 32:12) - that there not be allowance for one of the ministers of the nations to come and rule over you, as the matter that is stated, 'and I go out, and behold the minister of Greece, etc.'" And this is [the meaning of] their statement (Ketuvot 110b), "Anyone that lives outside of the land is similar to one who does not have a God, as it is stated (Leviticus 25:38), 'to give to you the land of Canaan, to be for you a God,' [...] and it states (I Samuel 26:19), 'for they have driven me away from attaching  myself to the inheritance of God saying, "Go worship other gods."'"  And they said in Tosefta Avodah Zarah 5:2, "Behold, it states (Genesis 28:21), 'and I shall return to my father's house in peace and the Lord will be for me God,' and it states (Leviticus 25:38), 'to give to you the land of Canaan' - all the time that you are in the land of Canaan, I will be for you God; [when] you are not in the land of Canaan - as if it were possible - I will not be for you God. And so [too] it states (Joshua 4:13), 'About forty thousand vanguard soldiers went over before the Lord,' and it states (I Chronicles 22:18), 'and the land was conquered in front of the Lord and in front of the people'- and does it come to your mind that Israel conquer the land in front of the Omnipresent; but rather all the time that they are upon it, it is as if it is conquered - behold, [when] they are not upon it, it is not conquered." And about this matter they said in the Sifrei, Ekev 43, "'And you will quickly be destroyed' (Deuteronomy 11:17) - even though I exile you from the land to outside of the land, be outstanding with the commandments, so that when you return, they will not be new to you. There is an allegory of a master that became angry against his wife and sent her to her father's house. He said to her, 'Wear your adornments so, when you return, they will not be new to you.' And so [too], Yirmiya said (Jeremiah 31:20), 'Set up markers (<i>tsiyunim</i>) for yourself' - these are the commandments that Israel will be outstanding (<i>metsuyanim</i>) with them." And behold the verse that stated (Deuteronomy 11:17-18), "And you will quickly be destroyed[...] And you shall place these words, etc." is, in exile, only obligating personal obligations, like tefillin and mezuzot. And they explained about them, [that they are] in order that they not be new for us when we return to the land, since the essence of all of the commandments are for those that are dwelling in the land of the Lord. And therefore they said in Sifrei Re'eh, 80, "'And you shall possess it and you shall dwell in it. And you will guard to keep' (Deuteronomy 11:31-32) - dwelling in the land of Israel is equal to all of the [other] commandments in the Torah." And so is it in Tosefta  Avodah Zarah 5:2. And this is the thought of the evildoers (Sanhedrin 105a), who would say to Yechezkel, "Our teacher, Yechezkel, does the master of a slave who sold him have anything upon him?" - as it is stated (Ezekiel 20:32), "And that which comes upon your spirits shall not be; that which you say, 'Let us be like the nations, like the families of the earth, to serve wood and stone.'" And this is the commandment of Yaakov, our father, to his household and to all who were with him at the time of their coming to the land (Genesis 35:2), "Remove the foreign gods that are among you and purify yourselves." 'And to the Lord alone are machinations prepared,' as Rachel died on the way, at the beginning of their coming to the land; since in her merit, she did not die outside the land, and in [Yaakov's] merit, he did not dwell in the land with two sisters. And she was the one that was married with the prohibition of sisterhood. And it appears that she became pregnant with Binyamin before their coming to Shechem (in the land of Israel), and he did not touch her at all in the land because of the matter that we have mentioned. And the prophet said (Jeremiah 16:18),  "And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have profaned My land; they have filled My inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable things and their abominations." And this matter is in many places in Scripture, and you will see it explicitly in them, after I have opened your eyes to it. And Rabbi Avraham (Ibn Ezra) wrote in Parshat Vayelekh (Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 31:16), "We know that God is one and the difference [in human perception of Him] is from the side of the receivers, and God does not change His acts, as they are all with wisdom. And it is from the service to God to guard the power of receptivity according to the place. Therefore, it is written (II Kings 17:26), 'the law of the God of the land,' and Yaakov said, (Genesis 35:2), 'Remove the foreign gods.' And the opposite of the Omnipresent is the clinging to sexual immorality, which is flesh, and the enlightened one will understand." These are his words, may his memory be blessed. And do not answer me with the verse (Daniel 10:21), "Michael, your minister," as he is [only] a ministering angel that seeks mercy on Israel, not a magisterial and governing minister. And so [too] was the minister of hosts that appeared to Yehoshua at Jericho (Joshua 5:13) - he showed him that God had sent him to fight their wars, like the matter with Chizkiyahu (II Kings 19:35). And [there is no objection from Michael] also, as this was when we were outside of the land. And it is not allowed to explain more than this about the matter of the land, but if you merit to understand [the meaning of] the first "land" (earth) mentioned in the verse, "In the beginning," and mentioned in Parshat Eem Bechukotai (Leviticus 26:42), you will know a sublime and hidden secret and you will understand that which our rabbis stated (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayakhel 7 on Parshat Vayakhel), "The Temple above is pointing to the Temple below. And I have already hinted [this] to you on the verse, "for the whole earth is mine" (Ramban on Exodus 19:5). And behold, the verse mentions that the people of the land of Canaan were punished because of [the laws] of sexual immorality, and the rabbis stated (Sanhedrin 56b) that they were prohibited about them from the time of the Creation to Adam and [later] to Noach - as He did not punish unless He warned. But the verse does not mention the prohibition, but it does state that the land vomited them out since the land abominates all of these abominations. And behold, it was not only the people of Canaan that were prohibited - and [see, that] the section mentions (Leviticus 18:3), "like the actions of the land of Egypt"; as they would also do all of these abominations, but the land [of Egypt] did not vomit them out, nor did the other lands, their peoples. But the whole matter concerns the virtue of the land [of Israel] and its holiness. And the verse stated (here), "and the land vomited out" [in the past tense], since from the time that He judged their iniquity, He decreed about the Canaanites to cut them off; [hence] it was as if it already vomited them out. Or, the matter of "and vomited out" above is like the matter of "their protection is removed from upon them" (Numbers 14:9).
  
  
  
  
  
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  To all the congregation of the Children of Israel: Our rabbis already said (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1) that this section was stated in assembly, since the majority of the corpus of the Torah depends on it - and this is the reason [it states,] "to all the congregation of the Children of Israel." However, it is mentioned here in <i>Torat Kohanim</i> (Leviticus), because it will mention the peace offerings in [this section] and because it will mention the judgement that it will command [about] what to do to those that do the abominations that are mentioned in it. And the sexual transgressions and the abominations are mentioned in this book because of the reason that we wrote at the beginning of the book. You shall be holy: "One should be separate from sexual transgressions and from sin, for any place that one finds a fence [before] sexual transgressions, one [also] finds  holiness (<i>kedusha</i>)" - this is the language of Rashi. But in Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 1, Chapter 2, I saw only, "You shall be holy." And [so,] they learned there (Sifra, Shemini, Chapter 12:3), "'And you shall sanctify yourselves and be holy, since holy am I'  (Leviticus 11:44) - Just like I am holy, you should be holy; just like I am separate, you should be separate." But according to my opinion, this separation is not to separate from sexual transgressions, like the words of the rabbi (Rashi). But [rather], the separation is the one mentioned in every place in the Talmud where its [practitioners] are called those that have separated themselves (<i>perushim</i>). And the matter is [that] the Torah prohibited sexual transgressions and forbidden foods, and permitted sexual relations between husband and wife and the eating of meat and [the drinking of] wine. If so, a desirous person will find a place to be lecherous with his wife or his many wives, or to be among the guzzlers of wine and the gluttons of meat. He will speak as he pleases about all the vulgarities, the prohibition of which is not mentioned in the Torah. And behold, he would be a scoundrel with the permission of the Torah. Therefore, Scripture came, after it specified the prohibitions that it completely forbade, and commanded a more general [rule] - that we should be separated from [indulgence of] those things that are permissible: He should minimize sexual relations, like the matter that they stated (Berakhot 22a), "That Torah scholars should not be found with their wives [constantly] like chickens." And he should only have relations according to the need for his execution of the commandment. And he should sanctify himself from wine by minimizing it - just as Scripture calls the Nazarite, holy (Numbers 6:5); and mentions the evil that comes from it in the Torah with Noach (Genesis 9:21) and with Lot (Genesis 19:33). And so [too], he should separate himself from impurity - even though we are not prohibited from it in the Torah - as they mentioned (Chagigah 18b), "The clothing of ignorant people are [considered] <i>midras</i> (a type of impurity) for <i>perushim</i>." And just as the Nazarite is also called holy for his guarding [himself] from the impurity of the dead. And he should also guard his mouth and his tongue from becoming defiled from the multitude of coarse food and from disgusting speech, as mentioned by Scripture (Isaiah 9:16), "and every mouth speaks a vulgarity." And he should sanctify himself with this, until he comes to separation (<i>perishut</i>) - as they said about Rabbi Chiya, that he never spoke idle conversation in his life. For these [things] and similar to them comes this general commandment - after it listed all of the sins that are completely forbidden - until he includes in this general rule the command of cleanliness of his hands and his body. As they stated (Berakhot 53b), "'And you shall sanctify yourselves' - these are the first waters (to wash hands before the meal), 'and be holy' - these are the last waters (to wash hands after the meal), 'since holy' - this is fragrant oil (to ward off bad odors)." As even though these commandments are rabbinic, the essence of Scripture prohibits things like these; that we should be clean and pure and separate ourselves from the masses of people, who dirty themselves with those things that are permissible and with those things that are ugly. And this is the way of the Torah to state the particulars and [then] the general rules. And similar to this is when after the prohibition of the specific laws of trade among men - do not steal, do not burglarize, do not deceive,  and all of the other prohibitions - it states the general principle, "And you shall do the straight and the good" (Deuteronomy 6:18), so that it places into a positive commandment, uprightness, compromise and going beyond the letter of the law towards the will of his friend - as I will explain (there), when I get to its place, with the will of the Holy One, blessed be He. And so [too] with the matter of the Shabbat, it forbade the types of work with a negative commandment and the exertions with a general positive commandment, as it states, "rest"; and I will explain this more (Ramban on Leviticus 23:24), with the will of God. And the explanation of the verse saying, "since Holy am I the Lord, your God," is to say that we merit to cling to Him by our being holy. And this is like the matter of the first statement in the ten statements (Ten Commandments - Exodus 20:3). And it commanded (Leviticus 19:3), "A man, his mother and father must fear" [here], since there (in the Ten Commandments), it commanded about honor, and here it will command about fear. And it said [here] "and guard my Shabbats," since there it commanded on the remembering [of the Shabbat] and here on the guarding and we have already explained the matter of both of them (Ramban on Exodus 20:8).
  
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  You shall not hate your brother in your heart: Since it is the way of haters to hide their hatred in their hearts, as it stated (Proverbs 26:24), "A hater  makes his lips foreign," the verse mentioned what is common. And [then] it stated, "you shall surely rebuke your kinsman," [as] a separate commandment to teach him ethical reproofs. And "and you shall not carry sin for him" [is] that there will be guilt upon you if he sins and you had not reproved him. And the language of Onkelos inclines to this [understanding], as he says, "that you not receive liability for what is his" - that you do not receive punishment for his sin. And afterwards (Leviticus 19:18), it commanded  that you love him. And behold, one who hates his neighbor transgresses a negative commandment and one who loves him, fulfills a positive commandment. And what is correct in my eyes is that "you shall surely rebuke your kinsman," is like "And Avraham rebuked Avimelekh" (Genesis 21:25). And the verse states, "You shall not hate your brother in your heart" in his doing to you that which is not like your will; but rather, rebuke him [by saying], "Why did you do like this to me." [Hence the meaning of] "And you shall not carry sin for him" [is] to cover up your hatred for him in your heart and not to tell him. As in your rebuking him, he will make amends with you or repent and admit his sin, and it will be atoned for him. And afterwards it warns that you not take revenge from him and not bear a grudge in your heart [about] what he did to you. As it is likely that he will not hate him but he will remember the sin in his heart. And therefore it warns him that he erase the crime and sin of his brother from his heart. And afterwards it commands him, "and you shall love your neighbor as yourself." The phrase "love your neighbor as yourself" is an exaggeration, since the heart of a person will not accept  that he love his fellow as he loves himself. Moreover, Rabbi Akiva has already taught (Bava Metzia 62), "Your life comes before the life of your fellow." Rather, the Torah here enjoins us that one should love his neighbor with every item with which he loves himself, [to receive] every benefit [that he wish upon himself]. It is likely that this is the reason for the dative (literally, "to your neighbor") instead of the accusative form of the verb phrase; we find the same in "and you shall love to him as yourself" (Leviticus 19:34) regarding the convert - the understanding of which is to equalize the love of both of them in his mind. As sometimes a person may wish upon his neighbor certain benefits, but only wealth, not wisdom and the like. But even if he wishes his cherished friend well in everything, i.e. wealth, honor, knowledge, and wisdom, he will not make him equal to him, but rather he will still desire in his heart a larger share of all the benefits. And [so] the Torah commanded that there not be this petty jealousy in his heart. Rather, a man should wish his fellow well in everything, just as he does in his own case, and place no limitations on his love. Therefore, in the case of Yonatan and David (I Samuel 20:17), it stated that Yonatan "loved him as his own soul," since he had removed all jealousy from his heart, and stated "and you shall rule over Israel, etc." (I Samuel 23:17). And our Rabbis have already explained the matter of vengeance and grudges (Sifra, Kedoshim Chapter 4 10-11), that it is with something that has no monetary liability [such as if he says], "Lend me your sickle, lend me your spade." As with something that his fellow has a monetary liability to him, such as with damages and similar to it, he is not obligated to leave him alone. Rather, he should make a claim against him in court and be paid by him, from the verse (Leviticus 24:19), "as he has done, so shall it be done to him." And when he pays that which he borrowed or which he stole, he himself is obligated to pay [it]. And all the more so with the matter of souls, that he take vengeance and a grudge through a court that instructs with the laws of the Torah, until he redeems the blood of his brother from his hand.
  
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  You shall keep my statutes: [And he cites the words of Rashi above]. But our Rabbis only mentioned that the reason is hidden and that the evil inclination and the idolaters question them about the wearing of shatnez (clothes made from linen and wool together), and not about forbidden mixtures of animals. And the intention about them is not that there be any decree of the King of the kings of kings in any place without a reason, since 'every word of God is pure' (see Proverbs 30:5). Rather, statutes are decrees of a king who imprints it with his authority without revealing their purpose to the people; such that the people do not benefit from them but rather question them in their hearts. Yet they accept them out of fear of the monarchy. So too, the statutes of the Holy One, blessed be He, are secrets that He has in the Torah that the people do not benefit from, according to their thoughts. But all [of His laws] have a correct reason and a perfect purpose. And the reason for forbidden mixtures is that God created species in the world - in all of those with spirits, in plants and in animate beings - and gave them the ability to reproduce, such that the species survive with them forever, so long as He, may He be blessed, wants the world to exist. So He commanded that they be able to produce according to their species, and that they never ever change; as it is stated about all of them, "according to its species" (Genesis 1). And this is the reason that we breed animals one with the other; for the continuation of the species - just as men have conjugal relations with women in order to be fruitful and multiply. And one who crosses two species together, changes and denies [God's] act of creation, as if he is thinking that the Holy One, blessed be He, did not perfect His world completely, and he wants to help with His creation of the world [by] adding creatures to it. [Moreover,] species of animals will not give birth when one specie is crossed with another. And even those that are close enough in nature so as to give birth - such as mules [that are born from crossing horses and mules]; their seed will be excised, as [the resultant mixed-breeds] will not give birth. And behold, on account of these two things, the act of mixing species has already been rejected and abandoned. And the fruits of plants that have been mixed from two species also do not grow afterwards; such that both of the reasons mentioned exist in their prohibition. And this is the reason for "you shall not seed forbidden mixtures" - which is grafting, according to the opinion of our Rabbis. And it also prohibited planting forbidden mixtures; because when they derive sustenance one from the other, it changes their nature, as well as their form. And it is as if each seed is grafted from two species. And the prohibition of plowing with an ox and a donkey is because it is the way of all those that work the land to bring the pair from the same barn, such that they would come to mixing [them].
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  ...And since the sacrifices are for the will of the glorious God, they should not come from things that have a strong hand to change the nature [of things]; and so [too], they should not come from things that are completely sweet like honey, but rather from [things that are] mixtures - as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bereishit Rabbah 12:15) about the creation of the world, "He combined the trait of mercy with the trait of kindness and created it."...
  
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  ...It appears to me that the meaning of the midrash [interpreting the phrase “Shabbaton”] is that we are commanded on Yom Tov to rest from those activities that technically do not qualify as melacha, we should not be disturbed all day to measure our grain, to weigh our fruit and possessions, to fill our vessels with wine, to move our wares, and even building stones, from house to house and place to place, and if located in a walled city, load up our donkeys, and even wine, grapes, figs and all packages could indeed be delivered on Yom Tov; and the marketplace would be filled with ongoing commerce, and the shops would be open and money changers tables strewn with coins, and the workers would arise for their duties and establish their daily wages, like the rest of the week, and so on. These and similar activities, whether on Yom Tov or even Shabbat itself, all these activities do not technically constitute melacha. Therefore, the Torah commands us “Shabbaton” -- that these should be days of rest and cessation of work, and not days of labor and toil. And this is a good and beautiful interpretation.
  
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  It is a convocation (<i>atseret</i>): "I have held you up (<i>atsarti</i>) with Me. It is similar to a king who invited his children to a banquet for a certain number of days. When the time arrived for them to leave, he said, 'Children, I beg of you, stay one day more with me, as your leaving is hard for me!'" [That is] the language of Rashi, and this homily is taught in Vayikra Rabbah. And in the way of truth, [it means] "Since in six days did God make the Heavens and the Earth" (Exodus 20:11), and the seventh is Shabbat; and [since] it has no match, the community of Israel is its match, as it is stated, "and the earth" - and behold, it is the eighth. "It is a convocation," since everything is stored (<i>ne'etsar</i>) there. And He commanded seven days on the Festival of Matsot, with holiness before them and after them, 'since they are all holy and amongst them is the Lord.' And He counted from it forty-nine days - seven weeks - like the days of yore, and He sanctified the eighth, like the eighth [day] of the Festival (Sukkot). And the days that are counted between them are like the intermediate days of the festival (<i>chol ha-moed</i>) between the first and eighth day of the Festival. And it is the day of the giving of the Torah, on which He showed them His great fire. And therefore in every place, our rabbis, may their memory be blessed, called the Festival of Weeks, the convocation - as it is like the eighth day of [Sukkot], that the verse called the same. And this is [the meaning of] their statement (Chagigah 17a), "The eighth [day of Sukkot] is a holiday on its own, with regard to lots, time, festival, sacrifice, song and blessing, [but] it is a time of making up the first [days]," since it is an emanation of the first [days], but it is not like their unity. And therefore in Parshat Kol HaBakhor (Deuteronomy 16:15), it mentions in the three pilgrim festivals, The Festival of Matsot, the Festival of Weeks (Shavouot) and the Festival of Booths (Sukkot), seven days [of Sukkot] and it does not mention the eighth [day] - since there it states, "every one of your males should appear, etc." And behold, this is elucidated.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  A Shabbat unto the Lord: “For the sake of the Lord, in the same way that it is stated regarding the Shabbat of creation (the seventh day in the weekly cycle)” - that is the language of Rashi. And our rabbis did not intend this in their midrash; as all Shabbats – and even holidays – are for the sake of the Lord, and it did not say about [even] one of them, “unto the Lord.” But [rather], it stated (Leviticus 23:24), “It will be a day of rest (<i>shabbaton</i>) for you,” and it stated regarding Yom Kippur, (Leviticus 23:32), “It is a Shabbat that is a day of rest for you. And the language of the bereita in Torat Kohanim 1:2 is, “'A Shabbat unto the Lord' - in the same way that it is stated regarding the Shabbat of creation, so [too] is it stated regarding the seventh [year], 'A Shabbat unto the Lord.'” But the explanation of “a Shabbat unto the Lord, your God,” that is stated about the Shabbat of creation is that 'since upon it, He rested and took leisure; therefore, you should not do work.' And therefore they said that so [too] was it said regarding the sabbatical year, since it is the seventh of the years.