Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 18/אבן עזרא על דברים י״ח
אלא יהיה לכהנים הלוים. כאשר הזכיר משפטי המלך שהוא השופט הזכיר גם משפט הכהנים שהם מורי התורה ואחר שאמר שאין להם נחלה יקחו מאת הזובח הזרוע והלחיים והקיבה הזרוע מהגוף והלחיים שהלשון ביניהם מהראש והקיבה מהקרב ודרך דרש כי הכהן הוא שוחט השלמים הזרוע שכר זרועו בשחיטה והלחיים שכר הברכה והקיבה שכר הבדיקה ועל דרך הפשט כי אלה טובים משאר הבשר גם הזכיר דברי לוי כי גם הם יורו התורה בשערים והעד דברי הימים:
1THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES, EVEN ALL THE TRIBE OF LEVI, SHALL HAVE NO PORTION. When Scripture mentions the laws of the king,1 who is the judge,2 it makes mention of the laws of the kohanim, who are the teachers of the Torah. After Scripture states that they have no inheritance,3 it states that they will take from the sacrificer4 the shoulder, the cheeks, and the maw:5 the shoulder from the body; the cheeks, which have the tongue between them, from the head; and the maw from the insides. There is a midrashic interpretation that since the kohen slaughters the peace offerings, he receives the shoulder as payment for the use of his shoulder in the slaughtering, the cheeks as payment for reciting the blessing,6 and the maw as payment for the investigation.7 checks the innards to see if they are healthy. If they are not, the animal is declared unfit and cannot be eaten. However, according to the plain meaning of the text, these8 are better than the rest of the meat.9 Scripture also mentions the laws regarding the Levites,10 for they too11. will teach the Torah in the gates. The Book of Chronicles shows this to be the case.12 (the Levites) taught in Judah, having the hook of the Law of the Lord with them; and they went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught among the people.
אלבד ממכריו. יש אומרים שהוא כמו מאת מכריהם בדרך רחוקה מעט ולא אבה הדקדוק רק הוא מגזר' וכי תמכרו ממכר והטעם כי אם מכר ביתו שירש מאבותיו כאשר כתוב ויצא ממכר בית ועיר אחוזתו וזה פירוש על האבות לא יאמר לו הנה יש לך לא תאכל עוד אלא חלק כחלק יאכלו וכאשר השלים להזכיר דבר השופט והכהן הזכיר דבר הנביא:
1BESIDE THAT WHICH IS HIS DUE. Some say that mimkarav (which is his due) is similar to makkarekhem13. 38. The printed texts have makkarehem. (them that bestow it upon you)14 (which is his due) his relatives. They read our verse as, beside that which his relatives from his fathers’ houses bestow upon him. They interpret the latter as follows: if a member of a kohen family allows another kohen to sacrifice in his place, then his colleagues cannot say to him, “Since you are offering the sacrifice in place of your relative, you shall not in addition eat the sacred food with us.” See Rashbam. It should be noted that according to the commentaries, Levite in our verse refers to a kohen from the house of Levi. in from them that bestow it upon you (II Kings 12:8).15 However, they are a bit off the mark. The rules of grammar will not accede to it.16 comes from the root nun, kaf, resh, while mimkarav comes from the root mem, kaf, resh. On the contrary, mimkarav is related to timkeru mimkar (sell aught) in and if thou sell aught (Lev. 25:14).17. The meaning of le-vad mimkarav al ha-avot (beside that which is due according to the father’s house)18 is, if the kohen sold his house, which he inherited from his father as Scripture states, then the house that was sold in the city of his19. possession, shall go out20) may sell, in a Levitical city, the house which he received as an inheritance. (Lev. 25:33). The latter explains according to the fathers.21) has inherited from his fathers. The local kohanim shall not say to him, Look, you have money, you shall not in addition eat the sacred food with us. On the contrary, they shall eat like portions.22 shall receive an equal share in the sacrificial meat. After Moses concludes the laws pertaining to the judge23 and the kohen,24 he mentions the laws regarding the prophet.25
אמעביר בנו. ע״ג היתה כי יש גם היום בינינו גוים רבים עובדי האש:
1ONE THAT MAKETH HIS SON OR HIS DAUGHTER TO PASS THROUGH THE FIRE. This was a form of idol worship, for we have among us today many gentiles who worship the fire.26
בקוסם קסמים. יתכן היותו שם כלל ופירושו חותכי משפט האומרים כי כן יהיה בלא ספק וכן גוזרין וקרוב ממנו קסם על שפתי מלך והפרט מעונן ומנחש ומכשף גם יתכן היותו שם פרט להוברי שמים וטעם קסמים שיש במשפטי הכוכבים הנקראים ראשונים ושניים:
2ANYONE THAT USETH DIVINATION.27. Kosem (one that useth divination) is most probably a general term. It refers to those who issue decrees and declare things will undoubtedly be so.28 The term gazerin (magicians) is similar.29 (Dan. 2:27) comes from gazar (to decree). Thus gazerin means those who decree. The word kesem (divine sentence) in A divine sentence is in the lips of the king (Prov. 16:10) is close in meaning to it. The particulars30. are a soothsayer (me’onen), or an enchanter (menachesh), or a sorcerer (mechashef). It is also possible that kosem is a specific term for astrologers31. This is a phrase found in Is. 47:13. I.E. there defines it as astrologers. I.E. believed that the study of astrology was permitted. What was prohibited was making absolute predictions using astrology. It should be noted that I.E. believed that the urim and tummim entailed the use of astrology. Therefore I.E. probably believed that certain types of astrological predictions were prohibited, while others, i.e., those sanctioned by the Torah, were permitted. See I.E. on Ex. 28:5 (Vol. 2, pp. 595-598? and the notes thereto). See also Dov. Schwartz, Astral Magic in Medieval Jewish Thought (Heb.), Bar-Ilan University, Israel, 1999, pp. 62-91. and that kesamim (divinations) refers to divination that astrologers make based on the primary and secondary stars.32
גמעונן ומנחש. פירשתים:
3A SOOTHSAYER,33. OR AN ENCHANTER.34. I have explained these terms previously.35
דומכשף. כן:
4OR A SORCERER.36. I have also explained this term.37
אוחבר חבר. אלה האומרים שיחברו השדים:
1OR A CHARMER.38. One who calls the demons together.
באוב וידעני. פירשתיו:
2OR ONE THAT CONSULTETH A GHOST OR A FAMILIAR SPIRIT. I have explained these terms before.39
גודורש אל המתים. ההולכים אל בית הקברות ולוקחים עצם אדם מת ובעבור מחשבתו ושגיונו תראה לו דמות צורות בחלום גם בהקיץ וכל אלה תועבות השם כי האמת להיות לב האדם תמיד תמים עם בוראו וכאשר ישען על חכמתו לבקש האמת ומה שיהיה חוץ מהשם הנה לבו חסר כי הוא משובש והרוצה לדרוש ידרוש מהשם על פי הנביא על כן כתוב אחריו נביא מקרבך זה יהושע והעד שאמר אליו תשמעון וכתיב וישמעו אליו בני ישראל ועוד ראיה אחרת כי לא מצאנו נביא שנכנס עם ישראל לארץ כי אם יהושע גם כן יתכן להיות זה כלל לכל נביא שיקום אחר משה:
3OR A NECROMANCER. Such as those who go to cemeteries and take the bone of a dead person and, because of their imagination and madness, see shapes40 while they are awake41 or in a dream. All of these things42 are abominations to God. The truth is that a person must fully believe in his creator in his heart. When a person relies on his wisdom, and not on God, in seeking the truth and what will be in the future, his mind is deficient, for it is perverted. The person who wants to inquire,43 let him inquire from God via a prophet. Scripture therefore afterward reads, A prophet will the Lord…raise up…from the midst of thee (v. 15). The latter refers to Joshua. Unto him ye shall hearken (Ibid.), which is later followed by and the children of Israel hearkened unto him (Deut. 34:9), is proof of this. The fact that we do not find any other prophet but Joshua entering Canaan44 is additional proof of this.45. The only one who fits that description is Joshua, for we do not find any other prophet but Joshua immediately following Moses. It is also possible that our verse lays down a general rule for each and every prophet who will arise after Moses.46 applies not only to Moses’ successor, but to all prophets following Moses.
אכמוני. שהוא נביא השם לא מנחש:
1LIKE UNTO ME. Who is a prophet of God and not an enchanter.
אאנכי אדרוש מעמו. והנה מיתתו בידי שמים והעד האיש אשר לא שמע אל דברי הנביא שאמר הכני נא ושם כתוב בדבר ה' וכבר היה הנביא נודע:
1I WILL REQUIRE IT OF HIM. His death is thus caused by God.47 What happened to the man who did not listen to the words of the prophet who said, Smite me, I pray thee (I Kings 20:35) is proof of this.48 Scripture states there that the prophet49. spoke by the word of the Lord50 (I Kings 21:35), The prophet was previously known as a prophet of God.
אאשר ידבר הנביא. ג״כ דברי ירמיהו בבא דבר הנביא בזמן שיאמר ואחר שהשלים לבאר דברי המעוננים שהיו בארץ והיא דרך ע״ג הזהיר שלא ישפך דם נקי בארץ והטעם שתהיה הארץ טהורה מתועבת המעוננים גם לא תהיה טמאה בדם נקי:
1WHEN A PROPHET SPEAKETH. The prophet Jeremiah similarly says, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass (Jer. 28:9) in the time predicted by the prophet.51 (Jer. 28:9). After Moses finished explaining the law relating to the soothsayers and their practices, which were practiced by the idolaters of the land, he warned52 that no innocent blood be shed in the land. The reason for this is that the land shall be pure from the abomination of the soothsayers, and it should also not be defiled by the shedding of innocent blood.