Chumashחומש

כי תבנה בית חדש. אִם קִיַּמְתָּ מִצְוַת שִׁלּוּחַ הַקֵּן, סוֹפְךָ לִבְנוֹת בַּיִת חָדָשׁ, וּתְקַיֵּם מִצְוַת מַעֲקֶה, שֶׁמִּצְוָה גּוֹרֶרֶת מִצְוָה, וְתַגִּיעַ לְכֶרֶם וְשָׂדֶה וְלִבְגָדִים נָאִים, לְכָךְ נִסְמְכוּ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ (תנחומא):

כי תבנה בית חדש WHEN THOU BUILDEST A NEW HOUSE, [THEN THOU SHALT MAKE A BATTLEMENT FOR THY ROOF] — If thou hast fulfilled the command of שלוח הקן (of letting a mother bird go when the nest is rifled), you will in the end be privileged to build a new house and to fulfill the command of “making a guard-rail”, for one good deed brings another good deed in its train, and you will attain to a vineyard (v. 9), fields (v. 10) and fine garments (vv. 11—12). It is for this reason (to suggest this) that these sections are put in juxtaposition (Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Teitzei 1).

מעקה. גָּדֵר סָבִיב לַגַּג, וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "תְּיָקָא", כְּגוֹן תִּיק שֶׁמְּשַׁמֵּר מַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכוֹ:

מעקה means, a fence around the roof. Onkelos renders it by תיקא; the fencing is like a casing (תיק) which guards things that are within it.

כי יפל הנפל. רָאוּי זֶה לִפֹּל, וְאַעַ"פִּ כֵן לֹא תִתְגַּלְגֵּל מִיתָתוֹ עַל יָדְךָ, שֶׁמְּגַלְגְּלִין זְכוּת עַל יְדֵי זַכַּאי וְחוֹבָה עַל יְדֵי חַיָּב (ספרי):

כי יפל הנפל [THAT THOU BRING NOT BLOOD UPON THY HOUSE] IF ANY MAN FALL FROM THENCE — (The words may be taken to mean: if he that is to fall (הנופל) falls from it). This suggests: this man deserved to fall to his death (on account of some crime he had committed), nevertheless his death should not be occasioned by your agency, for meritorious things are brought about through the agency of good men and bad things only through the agency of evil men (Sifrei Devarim 229:7).

כלאים. חִטָּה וּשְׂעוֹרָה וְחַרְצָן בְּמַפֹּלֶת יָד (ברכות כ"ב):

כלאים [THOU SHALT NOT SOW THY VINEYARD] WITH DIVERSE KINDS OF SEEDS — i.e. wheat and barley together with kernels of grapes with one and the same hand-throw (Berachot 22a; Kiddushin 39a; Chullin 82b).

פן תקדש. כְּתַרְגוּמוֹ "תִּסְתָּאַב", כָּל דָּבָר הַנִּתְעָב עַל הָאָדָם, בֵּין לְשֶׁבַח כְּגוֹן הֶקְדֵּשׁ, בֵּין לִגְנַאי כְּגוֹן אִסּוּר, נוֹפֵל בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן קִדּוּשׁ, כְּמוֹ "אַל תִּגַּשׁ בִּי כִּי קִדַּשְׁתִּיךָ" (ישעיהו ס"ה):

פן תקדש LEST IT BECOME קדש — Take it as the Targum does: lest it become unclean (unfit for use); to anything for which a man has repugnance to come into contact with, be it on account of its sublimity as, for instance, holy things, or be it on account of some bad quality, as, for instance, something that is forbidden, the term קדוש is appropriate, as, in the latter sense, e.g., (Isaiah 65:5) “Come not near to me for I make thee קדוש".

(המלאה. זֶה מִלּוּי וְתוֹסֶפֶת שֶׁהַזֶּרַע מוֹסִיף):

[המלאה — This is the fullness and increase which the seed produces].

לא תחרש בשור ובחמור. הוּא הַדִּין לְכָל שְׁנֵי מִינִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם (בבא קמא נ"ד), הוּא הַדִּין לְהַנְהִיגָם יַחַד קְשׁוּרִים זוּגִים בְּהוֹלָכַת שׁוּם מַשָּׂא (כלאים פ"ח מ"ב):

לא תחרש בשור ובחמור THOU SHALT NOT PLOUGH WITH AN OX AND WITH AN ASS [TOGETHER] — The same law applies to any two different kinds of animals in existence; the same law applies also to merely driving them together (when not ploughing) whilst they are yoked together as a pair carrying any load (Sifrei Devarim 232:1-2; cf. Kilayim 8:2 and 3; Bava Metzia 8b).

שעטנז. לְשׁוֹן עֵרוּב. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּ — שׁוּעַ טָווּי וְנוּז (ספרי):

שעטנז is an expression for a mixture. Our Rabbis explained it to mean a material that is calendered (pressed, שוע), or woven (טווי), or twisted (נוז) together (Sifrei Devarim 232:1); (שעטנז is taken to be an abbreviation of these words; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 19:19 and our Note thereon).

גדלים תעשה לך. אַף מִן הַכִּלְאַיִם, לְכָךְ סְמָכָן הַכָּתוּב (יבמות ד'):

גדלים תעשה לך THOU SHALT MAKE THEE TASSELS [UPON THE FOUR CORNERS OF THY VESTURE] — be they even from a mixture of wool and linen; for this reason Scripture puts them (the prohibition of שעטנז and the command of צצית) in juxtaposition (Yevamot 4a).

ובא אליה ושנאה. סוֹפוֹ,

ובא אליה ושנאה [IF ANY MAN TAKE A WIFE] AND COME UNTO HER AND HATE HER, the end will be,

ושם לה עלילת דברים – עֲבֵרָה גּוֹרֶרֶת עֲבֵרָה, עָבַר עַל לֹא תִשְׂנָא, סוֹפוֹ לָבֹא לִידֵי לָשׁוֹן הָרָע (עי' ספרי):

ושם לה עלילת דברים that HE WILL IMPUTE ACTIONS UPON HER BY MERE WORDS (i.e. he will slander her); one sin brings another sin in its train: if he transgresses the prohibition “thou shalt not hate [thy fellow]” (Leviticus 19:17), the end will be that he will fall into slander (cf. Sifrei Devarim 235:3).

את האשה הזאת. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין אוֹמֵר דָּבָר אֶלָּא בִּפְנֵי בַעַל דִּין (שם):

את האשה הזאת THIS WOMAN — Hence we derive the law that one must not speak anything to the judge except in the presence of the opposing party (Sifrei Devarim 235:6).

אבי הנערה ואמה. מִי שֶׁגִּדְּלוּ גִּדּוּלִים הָרָעִים יִתְבַּזּוּ עָלֶיהָ (עי' שם):

אבי הנערה ואמה [THEN SHALL] THE FATHER OF THE DAMSEL, AND HER MOTHER [TAKE AND BRING FORTH etc.] — Let those who have reared this depraved child (lit., “evil plant”) be exposed to contempt because of her (Sifrei Devarim 235:9).

ואמר אבי הנערה. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין רְשׁוּת לָאִשָּׁה לְדַבֵּר בִּפְנֵי הָאִישׁ (שם):

ואמר אבי הנערה AND THE DAMSEL’S FATHER SHALL SAY [UNTO THE ELDERS] — although both parents appear before them, yet the father alone shall speak — this teaches that a woman is not allowed to speak in the presence of her husband (if he, too, is concerned in the matter) (Sifrei Devarim 235:10).

ופרשו השמלה. הֲרֵי זֶה מָשָׁל, מְחֻוָּרִין הַדְּבָרִים כַּשִּׂמְלָה (שם; כתובות שם):

ופרשו השמלה AND THEY SHALL SPREAD THE CLOTH [BEFORE THE ELDERS OF THE CITY] — This is a figurative expression: they must make the matter as white (as clear) as a sheet (Sifrei Devarim 237:1; Ketubot 46a).

ויסרו אתו. מַלְקוּת (שם):

ויסרו אתו [AND THE ELDERS … SHALL TAKE THE MAN] AND CHASTISE HIM — i.e. with lashes (Sifrei Devarim 238:2; Ketubot 46a; cf. Onkelos).

ואם אמת היה הדבר. בְּעֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה, שֶׁזִּנְּתָה לְאַחַר אֵרוּסִין (כתובות מ"ד):

ואם אמת היה הדבר BUT IF THE THING BE TRUE — proven by evidence of witnesses and after legal warning that she had committed adultery after her betrothal (Ketubot 44b).

אל פתח בית אביה. רְאוּ גִּדּוּלִים שֶׁגִּדַּלְתֶּם (שם מ"ה):

אל פתח בית אביה [THEN THEY SHALL BRING THE DAMSEL] TO THE ENTRANCE OF HER FATHER’S HOUSE — suggesting: “See what a child (lit., a plant) you have reared!” (Ketubot 45a).

אנשי עירה. בְּמַעֲמַד כָּל אַנְשֵׁי עִירָהּ (ספרי):

אנשי עירה [AND] THE MEN OF HER CITY [SHALL OVERWHELM HER WITH STONES] — This means, the witnesses shall stone her, all the men of her city standing by (Sifrei Devarim 240:1; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 24:14).

לזנות בית אביה. כְּמוֹ בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ:

לזנות בית אביה TO PLAY THE WHORE “IN” HER FATHER’S HOUSE — The word בית is equivalent to בבית.

ומתו גם שניהם. לְהוֹצִיא מַעֲשֵׂה חִדּוּדִים שֶׁאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נֶהֱנֵית מֵהֶם (ספרי; סנהדרין ס"ו):

ומתו גם שניהם THEN THEY SHALL BOTH OF THEM DIE — The redundant words גם שניהם are intended to exclude a case of unnatural intercourse from which the woman derives no gratification (Sifrei Devarim 242:4; Sanhedrin 66b).

גם. לְרַבּוֹת הַבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם (ספרי); דָּבָר אַחֵר, גם שניהם לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַוָּלָד, שֶׁאִם הָיְתָה מְעֻבֶּרֶת אֵין מַמְתִּינִין לָהּ עַד שֶׁתֵּלֵד (ערכין ז'):

גם is intended to include those persons who commit adultery with one of this pair after them (i.e. after this pair had been found guilty) (Sifrei Devarim 242:5). Another explanation of גם שניהם is: these words are intended to include in the death penalty the embryo: that if the woman was pregnant the execution is not deferred until after she gives birth (cf. Targum Jonathan on; Arakhin 7a).

ומצאה איש בעיר. לְפִיכָךְ שָׁכַב עִמָּהּ – פִּרְצָה קוֹרְאָה לַגַּנָּב, הָא אִלּוּ יָשְׁבָה בְּבֵיתָהּ, לֹא אֵרַע לָהּ (ספרי):

ומצאה איש בעיר [IF A DAMSEL THAT IS A VIRGIN BE BETROTHED UNTO A MAN] AND A MAN FIND HER IN THE CITY [AND LIE WITH HER] — (Because he found her outdoors) therefore he lay with her: a breach in the wall invites the thief; if she had remained at home (as becomes a chaste Jewish girl) this would not have happened to her (Sifrei Devarim 242:2-3).

כי כאשר יקום וגו'. לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ זֶהוּ מַשְׁמָעוֹ: כִּי אֲנוּסָה הִיא וּבְחָזְקָה עָמַד עָלֶיהָ, כְּאָדָם הָעוֹמֵד עַל חֲבֵרוֹ לְהָרְגוֹ. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ בוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה בָא לְלַמֵּד וְנִמְצָא לָמֵד וְכוּ' (סנהדרין ע"ג):

כי כאשר יקום וגו׳ FOR AS WHEN A MAN RISETH [AGAINST HIS FELLOW MAN, AND SLAYETH HIM, EVEN SO IS THIS THING] — According to its plain sense the following is what it implies: there is in the damsel no sin deserving death, because she was coerced and he, (the man) attacked her with violence, just as when a man attacks his fellowman to kill him. — Our Rabbis, however, gave it (the verse) a Halachic interpretation as follows: Behold, this simile is intended to elucidate the law in question but at the same time turns out to be itself elucidated by that law (lit., this comes as a teacher and is found to be a learner) (Sanhedrin 73a).

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

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

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

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

פצוע דכה. שֶׁנִּפְצְעוּ אוֹ שֶׁנִּדְכְּאוּ בֵיצִים שֶׁלּוֹ:

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

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

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

לא יבא ממזר בקהל ה'. לֹא יִשָּׂא יִשְׂרְאֵלִית:

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

לא יבא עמוני. לֹא יִשָּׂא יִשְׂרְאֵלִית:

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

על דבר. עַל הָעֵצָה שֶׁיָּעֲצוּ אֶתְכֶם לְהַחֲטִיאֲכֶם:

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

בדרך. כְּשֶׁהֱיִיתֶם בְּטֵרוּף (ספרי):

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

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

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