Chumashחומש

לא תונו. אוֹנָאַת דְּבָרִים; לֹא תֹאמַר לוֹ אֶמֶשׁ הָיִיתָ עוֹבֵד עֲ"זָ וְעַכְשָׁו אַתָּה בָא לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה שֶׁנִּתְּנָה מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה (בבא מציעא נ"ח):

לא תונו [AND IF A STRANGER SOJOURN WITH THEE IN THY LAND], YE SHALL NOT VEX HIM — This implies vexing him with words (cf. Rashi on Exodus 22:20) — do not say to him, “Yesterday you were an idolator and now you come to study the Torah which was given from the mouth of the Almighty!” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8 2; Bava Metzia 58b, 59b.)

כי גרים הייתם. מוּם שֶׁבְּךָ אַל תֹּאמַר לַחֲבֵרְךָ (שם נ"ט):

כי גרים הייתם FOR YE WERE STRANGERS [IN THE LAND OF EGYPT] — "Do not reproach thy fellow-man for a fault which is also thine” (cf. Rashi on Exodus 22:20).

אני ה' אלהיכם. אֱלֹהֶיךָ וֵאלֹהָיו אֲנִי:

אני ה' אלהיכם I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD — Thy God and his God am I! (אלהיכם “your” God — the God of both of you).

לא תעשו עול במשפט. אִם לְדִין, הֲרֵי כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט (פסוק ט"ו), וּמַהוּ מִשְׁפָּט הַשָּׁנוּי כָּאן? הוּא הַמִּדָּה וְהַמִּשְׁקָל וְהַמְּשׂוּרָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַמּוֹדֵד נִקְרָא דַיָּן, שֶׁאִם שִׁקֵּר בַּמִּדָּה הֲרֵי הוּא כִמְקַלְקֵל אֶת הַדִּין, וְקָרוּי עַוָּל, שָׂנאוּי וּמְשֻׁקָּץ, חֵרֶם וְתוֹעֵבָה, וְגוֹרֵם לַחֲמִשָּׁה דְבָרִים הָאֲמוּרִים בַּדַּיָּן — מְטַמֵּא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּמְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם, וּמְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה, וּמַפִּיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּחֶרֶב, וּמַגְלֶה אוֹתָם מֵאַרְצָם (ספרא):

לא תעשו עול במשפט YE SHALL NOT DO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN משפט — If this has a reference to the execution of justice it would be redundant, for it has already been stated (v. 15) “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment”. What, then is the meaning of משפט mentioned here? It refers to what is right in respect to measure of length, to weight and to measure of capacity. The use of the word משפט here teaches us, therefore, that one who has to do with measuring (in trade or commerce) is termed (is regarded as) “a judge” so that if he gives false measure he is like the judge who perverts justice and he is therefore called "an unjust person” (עַוָּל), hateful, detested, doomed to destruction, and an abomination (cf. Rashi v. 15). He brings about those five things which are mentioned in connection with the judge who perverts justice: he defiles the land, profanes the Name of the Lord, causes the Shechinah to depart from Israel's midst, Israel to fall by the sword and to be exiled from their land (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8 5).

במדה. זוֹ מִדַּת הָאָרֶץ (שם):

במדה — This denotes land measure (linear and square measure);

במשקל. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:

במשקל is what the word literally implies (“in weight", from שקל, to weigh);

ובמשורה. הִיא מִדַּת הַלַּח וְהַיָּבֵשׁ (בבא מציעא ס"א):

ובמשורה — This denotes liquid and dry measure (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8 6; Bava Metzia 61b).

אבני צדק. הֵם הַמִּשְׁקוֹלוֹת שֶׁשּׁוֹקְלִין כְּנֶגְדָּן:

אבני צדק are stones used for weights wherewith one weighs.

איפת. הִיא מִדַּת הַיָּבֵשׁ:

איפת — The “Epha” is a certain dry measure.

והין. זוֹ הִיא מִדַּת הַלַּח:

והין — The “Hin” is a certain liquid measure.

אשר הוצאתי אתכם. עַל מְנָת כֵּן; דָּ"אַ אֲנִי הִבְחַנְתִּי בְּמִצְרַיִם בֵּין טִפָּה שֶׁל בְּכוֹר לְטִפָּה שֶׁאֵינָהּ שֶׁל בְּכוֹר, וַאֲנִי הַנֶּאֱמָן לִפָּרַע מִמִּי שֶׁטּוֹמֵן מִשְׁקְלוֹתָיו בַּמֶּלַח לְהוֹנוֹת אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין בָּהֶם (בבא מציעא ס"א):

אשר הוצאתי אתכם WHO BROUGHT YOU FORTH [FROM EGYPT] for this purpose, that you shall be honest in your actions (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 8 10). Another explanation is: I distinguished in Egypt between those who were firstborn and those who were not firstborn (a matter which is hidden from human cognizance), I am also certain to exact punishment from him who secretly puts his weights in salt in order to take advantage of people who are not aware of it (cf. Bava Metzia 61b).

ואל בני ישראל תאמר. עוֹנְשִׁין עַל הָאַזְהָרוֹת:

ואל בני ישראל תאמר AGAIN THOU SHALT SAY TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL the punishments for the transgression of the prohibitions mentioned in the previous chapters.

מות יומת. בְּבֵית דִּין, וְאִם אֵין כֹּחַ בְּבֵית דִּין, עַם הָאָרֶץ מְסַיְּעִין אוֹתָן (ספרא):

מות יומת HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH by sentence of the court; and if the court has not sufficient authority to carry this out, then, ‎ 'וכו‎‎ עם הארץ the people of the land shall assist them (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 4).

עם הארץ. עַם שֶׁבְּגִינוֹ נִבְרֵאת הָאָרֶץ, עַם שֶׁעֲתִידִין לִירַשׁ הָאָרֶץ עַל יְדֵי מִצְווֹת הַלָּלוּ (שם):

עם הארץ THE PEOPLE OF THE EARTH — that people for whose sake the earth was created: Israel (cf. Rashi on Genesis 1:1); or, that people which is destined to remain in possession of the Land (Canaan) through obedience to these commands (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 4).

אתן את פני. פְּנַאי שֶׁלִּי — פּוֹנֶה אֲנִי מִכָּל עֲסָקַי וְעוֹסֵק בּוֹ (שם):

אתן את פני ‎ is taken in the sense of, פנאי שלי, My leisure — I shall turn away from everything else that I am occupied with, and will busy Myself with him alone (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 13; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 17:10).

באיש. וְלֹא בַצִּבּוּר (שם), שֶׁאֵין כָּל הַצִּבּוּר נִכְרָתִין:

באיש AGAINST THAT MAN — but not against the whole congregation if they thus sin (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 13), for the community as a whole is never punished with excision.

כי מזרעו נתן למלך. לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ (דברים י"ח), בֶּן בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בִּתּוֹ מִנַּיִן? תַּ"ל כִּי מִזַּרְעוֹ נָתַן לַמֹּלֶךְ, זֶרַע פָּסוּל מִנַּיִן? תַּ"ל בְּתִתּוֹ מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ (ספרא; סנהדרין ס"ד):

כי מזרעו נתן למלך BECAUSE HE HATH GIVEN OF HIS SEED TO THE MOLECH — These words appear to be redundant since in v. 20 the nature of the sin is already mentioned, but because Scripture states (Deuteronomy 18:10) “[There shall not be found among you] any one that maketh his son or his daughter pass through the fire", one might think that this law applies only to ones children; whence do we know that it applies also to one’s son's son and one's daughter’s son? Because Scripture states here, “because he hath given of his offspring to the Molech". Whence do we know that illegitimate offspring are also included in this law? Because Scripture states again (v. 4) “when he giveth of his seed to the Molech” — whether legitimate or not (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 6-7; Sanhedrin 64b).

למען טמא את מקדשי. אֶת כְּנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהִיא מְקֻדֶּשֶׁת לִי, כִּלְשׁוֹן וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל אֶת מִקְדָּשַׁי (ויקרא כ"א):

למען טמא את מקדשי TO DEFILE MY מקדש — This means the “Congregation of Israel" which is sanctified to Me. The word מקדש does not imply the Sanctuary only but anything that is holy to God, as in the expression (Leviticus 21:23) “that he profane not my holy things (‎‎‏מקדשי‎).

ואם העלם יעלימו. אִם הֶעְלִימוּ בְּדָבָר אֶחָד, סוֹף שֶׁיַּעְלִימוּ בִדְבָרִים הַרְבֵּה; אִם הֶעְלִימוּ סַנְהֶדְרֵי קְטַנָּה, סוֹף שֶׁיַּעְלִימוּ סַנְהֶדְרֵי גְדוֹלָה (ספרא):

‎ואם העלם יעלימו AND IF [THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND] DO ANY WAYS HIDE THEIR EYES [FROM THE MAN] — If they hide their eyes in one thing they will in the end hide their eyes also in many other matters (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 9); if the Small Sanhedrin (a judicial court of twenty-three) hide their eyes, in the end the Great Sanhedrin (the Supreme Court of seventy-one) will also hide their eyes (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 11).

ובמשפחתו. אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעון וכִי מִשְׁפָּחָה מֶה חָטְאָה? אֶלָּא לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאֵין לְךָ מִשְׁפָּחָה שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ מוֹכֵס שֶׁאֵין כֻּלָּם מוֹכְסִין — שֶׁכֻּלָּן מְחַפִּין עָלָיו (ספרא; שבועות ל"ט):

ובמשפחתו [THEN I WILL SET MY EYES AGAINST THAT MAN], AND AGAINST HIS FAMILY — R. Simeon asked, "But how did his family sin that it should be punished?" But the family is mentioned to teach you that you may take it as a rule that there is no family in which there is one tax-collector (a calling held in great reprobation by Jews) which may not be regarded as consisting entirely of tax-collectors, for they all try to protect him (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 13; Shevuot 39a).

והכרתי אתו. לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ובמשפחתו יָכוֹל יִהְיוּ כָל הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה בְּהִכָּרֵת, תַּ"ל אֹתוֹ — אוֹתוֹ בְּהִכָּרֵת וְלֹא כָל הַמִּשְׁפָּחָה בְּהִכָּרֵת אֶלָּא בְּיִסּוּרִין (שם):

והכרתי אתו AND I WILL CUT HIM OFF — Why is this stated (it appears to be a mere repetition of the statement in v. 3)? Because since Scripture says here for the reason stated above, “[I will set My face…] against his family", I might think that the whole family is also doomed to excision; Scripture therefore states “[I will cut] him [off]"— he alone is subject to excision, but the whole family is not subject to excision but to bodily sufferings (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 14; Shevuot 39a).

לזנות אחרי המלך. לְרַבּוֹת שְׁאַר עֲ"זָ שֶׁעֲבָדָהּ בְּכָךְ וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵין זוֹ עֲבוֹדָתָהּ (ספרא):

לזנות אחרי המלך TO COMMIT WHOREDOM WITH MOLECH — This is intended to include the worship also of any other idol which he worshipped in this way (by letting his children pass through the fire in honor of it) even though this is not the manner of worship peculiar to it (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 4 15; Sanhedrin 64a).

והתקדשתם. זוֹ פְּרִישׁוּת עֲ"זָ (שם):

והתקדשתם SANCTIFY YOURSELVES — This implies keeping aloof from all idolatry (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 10 2).