Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 21/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״א
אכי ימצא חלל. כאשר הזכיר המלחמה על האויב אמר ואם אדם ילחם עם אחד ונמצא חלל בארץ ישראל ולא נודע מי הכהו:
1IF ONE BE FOUND SLAIN. As Scripture mentions the war against enemies,1 it goes on to say what the law is if one fights against his fellow2 and a corpse is found in the land of Israel, and the one who slew him is unknown.3
אזקניך. זקני הערים הקרובות והשופטים:
1THY ELDERS. The elders and judges of the cities that are close to the body.
אעגלת בקר אשר לא עבד בה. לחרוש:
1A HEIFER OF THE HERD, WHICH HATH NOT BEEN WROUGHT WITH. Never used for plowing.4 (which hath not been wrought with). I.E. interprets ubbad as referring to plowing, for Scripture later uses a word from this root in the sense of ploughed. Compare, lo ye’aved bo (which may neither be plowed) (v. 4).
בולא משכה בעול. להביא אבנים כמנהג העגלות:
2AND WHICH HATH NOT DRAWN IN THE YOKE. To bring stones, as is the practice with heifers.5
אאיתן. תקיף:
1ROUGH. The word etan (rough) means mighty.
בוערפו שם. יסירו עורף העגלה:
2AND SHALL BREAK…THE NECK. Ve-arefu (and they shall break) means they shall remove the back of the neck of the heifer.6 means back of the neck. Ve-arefu literally means they shall neck it. Hence I.E.’s interpretation.
אהכהנים בני לוי. שהם בברור מבני לוי:
1AND THE PRIESTS THE SONS OF LEVI SHALL COME NEAR. The priests (kohanim) who are clearly of the sons of Levi.7 who are not descended from the tribe of Levi. See I.E. on Deut. 17:9.
בועל פיהם יהיה. עונש כל ריב וכל נגע:
2AND ACCORDING TO THEIR WORD SHALL…BE. The punishment for every controversy and every stroke.8
אוכל זקני העיר. זהו ויצאו זקניך:
1AND ALL THE ELDERS OF THAT CITY. The elders referred to in then thy elders…shall come forth (v. 2).
אה״א שפכה. תחת סימן הרבים כמו שפכה אשורי ועל דרך הדרש שישוב לאחת כי היד לשון נקבה ברוב:
1[SHED.] The heh in shafekhu (shed) indicates the plural.9 is usually used to indicate the third person plural perfect. In our verse a heh is used in place of the vav. It is like the heh in shafekhu ashurai (my steps slipped) (Ps. 73:2).10 is spelled with a heh in place of a vav. However, interpreting it midrashically, the heh refers to each one of the hands, for the word yad (hand) is in most cases feminine.11 is the third person perfect feminine. In this case our verse reads: yadenu shafekhah (our hands it has spilled). According to I.E. a combination of the plural with the singular refers to each one of the plural. See I.E. on Gen. 49:22 (Vol. 1, p. 441).
בועינינו לא ראו. ויתכן שהשם צוה לעשות כן העיר הקרובה כי לולי שעשו עבירה כדומה לה לא נזדמן להם שיהרג אדם קרוב מהם ומחשבות השם עמקו וגבהו לאין קץ אצלנו:
2NEITHER HAVE OUR EYES SEEN IT. It is possible that God commanded the city closest to the slain to perform this12 because if the city had not committed a similar deed, then the murder of a person near their city would not have occurred. God’s thoughts are deep and infinitely beyond our comprehension.13
גוענו ואמרו. כמו וענית ואמרת ושם אפרשנו:
3AND THEY SHALL SPEAK AND SAY. Ve-anu ve-ameru (and they shall speak and say) is similar to ve-anita ve-amarta (and thou shalt speak and say) (Deut. 26:5). I will explain it there.14
אכפר לעמך. ששגגו ולא שמרו הדרכים המסוכנים:
1FORGIVE, O LORD, THY PEOPLE. Who erred and did not guard the dangerous roads.15
בונכפר. חסר תי״ו כמו ונוסרו כל הנשים והם שנים בנינים בנין התפעל עם בנין נפעל:
2SHALL BE FORGIVEN. A tav has been omitted in the word ve-nikapper16. (shall be forgiven). It is similar to the word venivasseru17. (may be taught) in that all women may be taught (Ezek. 23:48). They18 and ve-nivasseru. are a combination of two forms, the nifal and the hitpa’el.
גוטעם זכר אשר פדית. כאשר פדיתם ממצרים למען חסדיך כן פדם מזה הדם ועונשו:
3Scripture mentions whom thou hast redeemed19 to indicate that as You redeemed Israel from Egypt as a manifestation of Your great mercies, similarly redeem them from this blood and the punishment for its shedding.
אואתה תבער הדם הנקי. פירושו עונש הדם הנקי או יהיה הדם דם הנקי ויש אומרים אתה חייב לבער שפיכות דמים והנכון בעיני הוא אשר הזכרתי כי לא ישפך דם נקי בארצך אם תעשה הישר בעיני ה' כסוד שכר עבירה עבירה ושכר מצוה מצוה:
1SO SHALT THOU PUT AWAY THE INNOCENT BLOOD. The meaning of the innocent blood is, the punishment for the shedding of the innocent blood.20 (ha-dam hanaki) from the midst of thee. The question arises, “What does this clause mean?” The innocent blood has already been shed, i.e., put away. Hence I.E. points out that ha-dam ha-naki is short for onesh ha-dam ha-naki (the punishment for the innocent blood), and our verse teaches that by performing this ritual you remove from your midst the punishment for the shedding of innocent blood. See Meijler. On the other hand, the word ha-dam ha-naki (the innocent blood) is short for ha-dam, dam ha-naki (the blood, the innocent blood).21, the spiller of innocent blood. That is, if after the ritual is performed the murderer is discovered, you shall put away the shedder of blood, of innocent blood. Some say that the meaning of so shalt thou put away the innocent blood is, you must eradicate the shedding of blood. However, in my opinion, and I have mentioned this before, it means no innocent blood will be shed in your land if you do what is right in the eyes of God. The latter is in keeping with the secret that the reward of sin is sin, and the reward of a commandment is the commandment.22 2:1. If innocent blood was shed near the city it was because the people of the city committed a similar crime. Thus the wages of sin is more sin.
אכי תצא. זו הפרשה דבקה עם כי תצור אל עיר ונכנסה ביניהם פרשת עגלה ערופה בעבור החלל הנמצא בא״י. ולא כן חוצה לארץ. ואף כי במלחמה:
1WHEN THOU GOEST FORTH TO BATTLE. This section is connected with When thou shalt besiege a city (Deut. 20:19).23 The section dealing with the decapitated heifer24 was inserted between them because it deals with a slain person found in the Land of Israel.25 This law does not apply outside of the Land of Israel26. and certainly not in time of war.27
אאשת. כבר דרשוהו חז״ל:
1A WOMAN. The rabbis have already explained this.28 on this verse.
ביפת תאר. בעיניו:
2OF GOODLY FORM. In his own eyes.29 on this verse.
גוחשקת בה. שתחזקנה לקחתה לאשה כי אחר כן יאמר ובעלתה וכמוהו ואקח אותה לי לאשה:
3AND THOU HAST A DESIRE UNTO HER. You will desire to take her for a wife,30). “Wouldest take her to thee for a woman” might mean that the Israelite merely wants to have sex with her. Hence I.E.’s comment that the intention is to marry her. for after this Scripture states, and be her husband. So I took her to be my wife (le-ishah) (Gen. 12:19) is similar.31
אוהבאתה אל תוך ביתך וגלחה. י״א שמא בעבור שערה חשק בה על כן תגלח:
1THEN THOU SHALT BRING HER HOME TO THY HOUSE; AND SHE SHALL SHAVE HER HEAD. Some say that she shaves her head as he may have desired her because of her hair.
בועשתה. תגדל כדי להיותה מאוסה בעיניו:
2PARE. Ve-asetah et tzipparneha (and pare her nails) means she shall let her nails grow long so that she will appear disgusting in his eyes.
אוהסירה את שמלת שביה. שמא בעבור יופי מלבושה חשק בה:
1AND SHE SHALL PUT THE RAIMENT OF HER CAPTIVITY FROM OFF HER. For he may have desired her because of her beautiful garments.
בובכתה. כדי להסיר שמחתו בה:
2AND BEWAIL. So that he is no longer happy with her.32
גירח ימים. אולי יקל חשקו וי״א וגלחה בעבור היותה טמאה וכן משפט המצורע:
3A FULL MONTH. Perhaps his desire will cool. Others say:33 SHE SHALL SHAVE HER HEAD. Because she is unclean.34 The law regarding the leper is similar.35
דועשתה. תיקון. ותקונה לכרות העודף וכן לא עשה שפמו ותחת מעשה מקשה והתיקון עיקר כל מעשה במקרא חוץ אם בא אחריו דבר מגונה גם יהיה רע שלם:
4AND PARE. Ve-asetah (and pare)36 means and fix. Its fixing consists in cutting off the excess.37 Compare, asah (trimmed)38 in nor trimmed his heard (II Sam. 19:25) and in And instead of curled hair (ma’aseh39 miksheh) baldness (Is. 3:24). The main meaning of the word ma’aseh (work) in Scripture is fixing,40 except for instances when something unseemly follows.41 (in doing that which was evil) (Deut. 9:18). However, even in the latter instance the reference might be to complete an evil deed.
הוהסירה את שמלת. כי היא מטונפת:
5AND SHE SHALL PUT THE RAIMENT OF HER CAPTIVITY FROM OFF HER. For it is filthy.42
ווישבה בביתך ובכתה. והטעם תשב בביתך ירח ימים לבכות:
6AND SHALL REMAIN IN THY HOUSE, AND BE WAIL…A FULL MONTH. This means she shall remain in your house a month to cry.43
זאת אביה ואת אמה. אם קרוב י״א כי זה הבכי על אביה ועל אמה שלא התיהדו ולפי דעתי שחייב כל אדם בשקול הדעת לכבד את אביו ואת אמו בחיים ובמות:
7HER FATHER AND HER MOTHER. If close by.44. 38 reads, if he (her captor) killed them. Some say that she bewails her father and mother because they did not convert to Judaism.45 However, I believe that reason teaches us that every person is obligated to honor his father and his mother while they live and also after their deaths.
חוטעם ובכתה. שתתאבל עליהם כמשפט ישראלית כי היא מתייהדת אם נהרגו כאשר נשבת ואין צריך להזכיר תרחץ כי היא צריכה למי נדה כי כבר נכתב אתם ושביכם:
8The meaning of and bewail… is, she shall mourn her parents if they were killed while she was taken captive in the same manner that an Israelite women mourns, for she is converting to Judaism. Scripture had no need to mention that she shall bathe,46, a pool of water which purifies the impure. All converts have to immerse themselves in a mikveh. for it is necessary for her to be purified by the waters of sprinkling,47. According to Rabbinic interpretation the reference is to a mikveh. as Scripture earlier states, ye and your captives (Num. 31:19).48
טוחז״ל אמרו עד שלשה חדשים ואע״פ שאין צורך לחזוק הנה העד ויהי כמשלש חדשים והוא הזמן שיחל הולד להתנועע ואסור לשכב עם אשה בספק אם היא הרה בעבור הולד כי יש מי שיולד בחסרון שנים חדשים כמנהג ג״כ ביתרון רק הוא המעט:
9[AND AFTER THAT THOU MAYEST GO INTO HER, AND BE HER HUSBAND.] Our rabbis, of blessed memory, said that he has to wait three months.49 on this verse. Even though the words of our sages need no support50 I offer the following as proof, And it came to pass about three months after (Gen. 38:24).51 The latter is the time when the fetus begins to move. It is prohibited to have sexual relations with a women when one is in doubt as to whether she is pregnant or not, because of the uncertain paternity of the fetus; for some women give birth two months short of the normal term.52 Others give birth later than the normal term.53 However, the latter rarely occurs.54
יירח ימים. כמו חדש ימים וכבר פירשתיו ונקרא החדש ירח כי עקרו הירח:
10A FULL MONTH. Yerach yamim (a full month) is similar to chodesh yamim (a whole month) (Num. 11:21).55 I have explained this previously.56. See I.E. on Gen. 4:4 (Vol. 1, p. 81). According to I.E., chodesh yamim refers to a complete cycle of the month. A month is called a yerach57 means a moon. because the moon is its basis.
אושלחתה לנפשה. תעשה רצונה:
1THEN THOU SHALT LET HER GO.58. You shall do to her as she desires.59 to mean her desire. He interprets veshilachta le-nafshah as you shall allow her to do whatever she wants.
בומכור לא תמכרנה בכסף. דבר הכ' במנהג הרב והטעם בשום דבר:
2BUT THOU SHALT NOT SELL HER AT ALL FOR MONEY. Scripture speaks of what is widely practiced.60 Its true meaning is, do not sell her.
גלא תתעמר בה. כמו והתעמר בו ומכרו ואין להם שלישי ופירושו לפי מקומו בטעם רמאות:
3THOU SHALT NOT DEAL WITH HER AS WITH A SLAVE. The word titammer (deal as with a slave) is similar to the word ve-hitammer (and he deal as with a slave) in and he deal with him as a slave (Deut. 24:7). The word is not found a third time.61 The meaning of the word has to be ascertained from its context. It means deceitfully.62 deceitfully.
אאהובה. בעיניו ולא לשם:
1BELOVED. In his eyes, not in the eyes of God.63 marrying a divorced woman). See Yevamot 23a.
בלשניאה. תאר השם ונסמכה זו הפרשה בעבור וחשקת בה ולא חפצת בה:
2THAT WAS HATED. Seni’ah (hated) is an adjective. This section follows64 because the preceding section65 reads, and thou hast a desire unto her (v. 11)66 and…if thou have no delight in her (v. 14).67
אביום הנחילו את בניו. בבריאות גופו או ביום מותו והוא שכיב מרע או ב״ד ינחילו:
1IN THE DAY THAT HE CAUSETH HIS SONS TO INHERIT. When he is in good health; or on the day of his demise when he is deathly ill;68 or the law courts cause his sons to inherit.69
בלבכר. בדבור ובמעלה:
2MAKE…FIRST-BORN. In word70 and in status.
גוטעם לא יוכל. כחבריו:
3[THAT HE MAY NOT.] Lo yukhal (that he may not) is to be understood like its counterparts.71
איכיר. יעשה לו הכרה או שיודה לפני אחרים מי שהוא בכור אם היה במקום שלא יודעו או הוא חייב מבתחלה שיכיר מי שהוא הבכור מבניו אם היו תאומים:
1HE SHALL ACKNOWLEDGE. He shall acknowledge him by an act,72 or he shall admit before others who the firstborn is, if the first-born is in a place where he is unknown, or he is obligated right at the beginning to acknowledge which one of his sons is the first-born should they be twins.
בלתת לו פי שנים. שיקח שני חלקים אם היו שלשה שיחשבו שהם ארבעה ויקח שני חלקים ואם שני בנים יחשבו שלשה וכן הכל ולפי דעתי שכן פירוש ויהי גא פי שנים ברוחך אלי כאשר פירשתי במקומו:
2BY GIVING HIM A DOUBLE PORTION. The first-born shall take two parts. If there are three sons let them imagine that there are four and the first-born shall take two parts. If there are two sons let them imagine that there are three, and so in all cases. In my opinion this too is the meaning of I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me (II Kings 2:9), as I explained in its place.73
גכי הוא ראשית אונו. הנודע עם הישר ידבר וכל ישראל בחזקת ישרים:
3FOR HE IS THE FIRST-FRUITS OF HIS STRENGTH. The one known as first-born. Scripture speaks of the upright.74 All of Israel are presumed to be upright.75
אסורר ומורה. כנגד השם וכנגד האבות אם היו יראי השם:
1STUBBORN AND REBELLIOUS. Towards God and towards the parents if they be God-fearing.76
בסורר. כמו כפרה סוררה שלא ישמור מצות עשה:
2STUBBORN. The word soreh (stubborn) is similar to the word sorre’ah (stubborn) in like a stubborn heifer (Hos. 4:16). He does not keep the positive commandments.
גומורה. במצות לא תעשה:
3AND REBELLIOUS. With regard to the negative commandments.
דויסרו אותו. בפני עדים מצוה שהם יתפשוהו ויוציאוהו ודברי הקבלה אמת:
4AND THOUGH THEY CHASTEN HIM. In the presence of witnesses. The parents are commanded to take hold of him and bring him [to the elders]. The words of tradition are true.77
אזולל. מפורש והוא זולל בשר רק הוא שם כלל לנותן בכל מה שיתאוה כל מה שיבוקש ממנו:
1HE IS A GLUTTON. The meaning of zolel (glutton) is explained.78. It refers to one who gluttonously devours meat. However, the term refers to anyone who commits himself to all that he lusts for, to all that his desires ask of him.79
בוסובא. מרבה לשתות והוא המשתכר והנה זה כמו אפיקורוס כי לא יבקש חיי העוה״ז כי אם להתענג בכל מיני מאכל ומשתה. ונסמכה זו הפרשה בעבור אשת יפת תאר והעד ושם אמו. והרמז שרמזתי בבני אהרן:
2AND A DRUNKARD. Sove refers to one who drinks a lot. It refers to a drunkard. This individual is essentially a heretic.80. He desires life in this world only for eating and drinking. This portion81 was placed here because of the woman of goodly form.82 And his83 mother’s name was Shelomith84 (Lev. 24:11) and the hint which I gave with reference to the sons of Aaron85 are proof of this.
אותלית אותו. כבר קבלנו מחז״ל ענין הנתלים:
1AND THOU HANG HIM. We have received from the rabbis, of blessed memory, traditions regarding those who are hanged.86
אכי קללת אלהים תלוי. בעבור שברך השם ועל דרך הפשט כי אלהים פועל והקללה תבוא לכל מקום קרוב מהתלוי ויש לו סוד דבק בנפש על כן ולא תטמא את אדמתך ונסמכה זו הפרשה בעבור המלחמה כי בתחלה כי תצא והנה גבעון יוכיח כי משפט לא תלין איננו לכבוד המת רק לכבוד הארץ כי משפט הערלים והישראלים [איננו] (בס' מ״ח מ״ז) שוה:
1FOR HE THAT IS HANGED IS A REPROACH UNTO GOD.87. For he cursed God.88 as, he is hanged (taluy) for cursing God (ki killelat Elohim). When people see his body they are reminded that God was cursed. The latter is a reproach to God. However, according to the plain meaning of the text, God is the subject.89 The curse comes to all places close to the hanged.90 as for God curses the hanged. He interprets this as meaning God curses those who are near a hanged person. It91 has a secret connected to the soul.92 Scripture therefore goes on to say, that thou defile not thy land.93 This section follows because of the war,94 for Scripture first states, When thou goest forth to battle (Deut. 20:1). Now the incident at Gibeon95 shows that the purpose of the law which says that his body shall not remain upon the tree all night is not out of respect for the deceased but rather out of respect for the land,96 for the law of the Canaanites and the law of the Israelites differ.97. 38 and other manuscripts. Some printed editions read: for the law of the uncircumcised and the law of the Israelites are the same. According to this reading Israel did not allow non-Jews to remain hanging on the tree because the Israelites respected Canaanite practice. The Vat. Ebr. 38 version is to be preferred for many reasons.