Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 15:22/אבן עזרא על דברים ט״ו:כ״ב
אבשעריך תאכלנו. י״א הכהן יאכלנו חוץ למקדש וי״א אחר שיש בו מום הוא לישראל וזה רחוק בעיני:
1WITHIN THY GATES. Some say that this means that the kohen shall eat it outside of the sanctuary.68 Others say, since the animal has a blemish it belongs to the Israelite. However, this appears far-fetched to me.
בהטמא והטהור. שב אל תאכלנו והטעם כמו קריאה אתה הטמא או הטהור והטעם בין שיהיה טמא או טהור הוא מותר לאוכלו בעבור כי בשר קודש אם אכלו טמא הוא בכרת ובעבור שהזכיר שנה בשנה הזכיר שלש פעמים ועוד בעבור הבכור שיאכל במקדש וכן הפסח יאכל במקדש ולא חוץ ממנו:
2THE UNCLEAN AND THE CLEAN. The reference is to may eat it.69 prefaced to the Hebrew words for clean and unclean as a vocative heh. Thus ha-tame (the unclean) means you who are unclean, and ha-tahor (the clean) means you who are clean. The meaning of our clause thus is, you who are unclean and you who are clean shall eat of it. Our verse is to be understood as a call: you, the clean and the unclean. Its meaning is, one is permitted to eat it whether one is clean or unclean. Scripture states this because one who is unclean and eats holy meat is punished with karet (excision). Scripture reads three times in a year (Deut. 16:16) because it here (v. 20) states year by year.70 Additionally,71 because the firstling is to be eaten in the sanctuary.72 The paschal offering73 5:8. is similarly to be eaten in the sanctuary, not outside it.