Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Deuteronomy 22/אבן עזרא על דברים כ״ב

אלא תראה את שור. אפי' אתה יוצא למלחמה וזה דרך דרש:
1THOU SHALT NOT SEE THY BROTHER’S OX. Even when you go out to war.1 to teach us that this law applies even in time of war. This is midrashic.
בוהתעלמת. דבק עם לא תראה והזכיר שור ושה וכבר הזכיר החמור וכן משפט כל בהמה:
2AND HIDE THYSELF. This is connected to Thou shalt not see.5. Scripture mentions the ox and the sheep (v. 1). The ass was previously mentioned (Ex. 23:4).6 The same law applies to all beasts.
אואספתו. אם היית שב או בצווי שתפקדנו ביד נאמן:
1THEN THOU SHALT BRING IT HOME.2 If you are coming back3 or you command someone; that is, you give it to an honest person for safekeeping. 4
אלא תוכל. כחביריו:
1THOU MAYEST NOT. Lo tukhal (thou mayest not)7 is to be understood like its counterparts.8), like its counterparts, is to be rendered, you are not permitted (thou mayest not). See I.E. on Deut. 17:15; 21:16.
אנופלים. כמו רובץ. ומלת נופלים כלל:
1FALLEN DOWN. Nofelim (fallen down) means crouching. The word nofelim is a general term.9
בהקם תקים עמו. ולא לבדך כמו עזוב תעזוב עמו:
2THOU SHALT SURELY HELP HIM TO LIFT THEM UP AGAIN. Not by yourself.10 Compare, thou shalt surely release it with him (Ex. 23:5).
אלא יהיה כלי גבר. נסמכה בעבור צאת למלחמה כי האשה לא נבראת כי אם להקים הזרע ואם היא תצא עם אנשים למלחמה תבא בדרך לידי זנות וכן לא ילבש גבר והטעם זכר שלא נתמלא זקנו יתערב עם הנשים וינאף הוא והן ואינו יודע וזה יורה כי מנהג ישראל היה וכן ברובי המלכיות להיות מלבוש האנשים איננו כמלבוש הנשים רק הפרש ביניהם וי״‎א על חוץ לדרך ואין צורך רק השם יתעב מי שישנה מעשה השם:
1A WOMAN SHALL NOT WEAR THAT WHICH PERTAINETH UNTO A MAN. This law was stated here because Scripture deals with going out to war. Women were created only to have children.11 If a woman joins men in going to war she will come to engage in illicit sexual relations on the way.12 The law that states neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment is similar.13 The reason for this law is as follows. If a male who does not have a full beard14 mixes with women, then he and they will have sexual relations without anyone knowing.15, as in Vat. Ebr. 38. A male dressing as a female has access to women. Rashi has a similar explanation. This law indicates that the custom of Israel was for the garments of men to be unlike the garments of women. There was a definite difference between the garments.16 This is also the practice in most countries. Some say that our verse speaks of unnatural intercourse.17 However, there is no need for this interpretation.18 The fact is that God abominates the one who changes the works of the Lord.19
אכי יקרא. נסמכה זאת הפרשה בעבור בדרך:
1IF A BIRD’S NEST CHANCE TO BE BEFORE THEE IN THE WAY. This section20 follows because Scripture earlier mentioned by the way (v. 4).21
ביקרא. כמו נקרא נקראתי והם מגזרת מקרה וקרוב מפגע:
2CHANCE. The word yikkare (chance) is similar to nikro nikreti (As I happened by chance) (II Sam. 1:6). These words have the meaning of chance.22 and of nikro nikreti is kof, resh, alef. This root means to call. However, this meaning would be out of place here and in II Sam. 1:6. Hence I.E. points out that our root is a variant of kof, resh, heh, which means to meet or to chance upon. It is close in meaning to “meet.”
גאל״‎ף אפרוחים נוסף כמו אל״‎ף ובאזרועך והטעם כי אכזריות הוא בלב להיות אם על בנים רוטשה וכן שור או שה:
3[YOUNG ONES.] The alef in efrochim (young ones) is superfluous. It is like the alef of u-ve-ezro’akha (and with your arm) (Jer. 32:21).23. I.E. probably quoted from memory. It is very cruel to crush a mother with her children. Hence the reason for this law. The same applies to an ox 24 or a sheep.25. Lev. 22:28 prohibits the killing of a lamb or an ox and its mother in the same day.
אייטב לך. שהשם יחמול עליך וייטיב לך:
1THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH THEE. For God will pity you and do good things for you.
בוהארכת ימים. כאשר לא תכרת כל הקן שעזבת העיקר:
2AND THAT THOU MAYEST PROLONG THY DAYS. As you did not exterminate all of the nest but left its root.26
אכי תבנה בית חדש. נדבקה זאת הפרשה אחר שנלחמו והם בארץ החל במצות הבית:
1WHEN THOU BUILDEST A NEW HOUSE. This section27 is placed here because it deals with Israel in its land after they wage war. Scripture opens with the law dealing with a house.
במעקה. טעמו ידוע מהקום (ס״‎א מהמקום) ואין ריע לו ומדקדק הוציאו מגזירת עקת רשע והביא עצמו בעקה:
2A PARAPET. The meaning of ma’akeh (parapet) is known from its context. It has no neighbor.28 A grammarian connected it to the word akat (oppression of) in the oppression of the wicked29 (Ps. 55:4).30 However, he oppressed himself.31 comes from the root ayin, kof, heh, and akat from ayin, vav, kof.
גהנופל. נקרא על שם סופו וכן יומת המת וכן ובגדי ערומים תפשיט ויתרוצצו הבנים ומלות רבות לאין מספר נקראו על שם סופם ולא נדע אם כן דרך הלשון. או הוא דברי נבואה כמו וירדוף עד דן עד נחל אשכול על כן יעזב איש את אביו ואת אמו ואחר מצות הבית מצות הזרע והנטע כי אחר שהוא בארץ ובנה בית וזרע:
3IF ANY MAN FALL.32 Scripture speaks of the end result.33 The following are similar: The dead shall be put to death (Deut. 17:6);34 And stripped the naked of their garments (Job 22:6);35 And the children36 struggled together (Gen. 25:22). There are an innumerable number of words that are named because of the end result. We do not know if this is linguistic style or prophetic statements, as in and pursued as far as Dan37 (Gen. 14:14); unto the valley of Eshcol38 (Num. 13:23); and Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother39 (Gen. 2:24). After laying down the law dealing with the house, Scripture goes on to deal with the laws of seeds and plants, for after entering the land the Israelite would build a house and then plant.
אלא תזרע כלאים. פירוש פן תקדש כבר פירשו מנחם בן סרוק הספרדי במחברתו והוא מגזרת קדש בעבור שיתערב זה עם זה:
1THOU SHALT NOT SOW THY VINEYARD. The following is the meaning of pen tikdash (lest the fullness): Rabbi Menachem ben Saruk the Sephardi has already explained in his notebook that the word tikdash (fullness) is related to the word kodesh (holy).40 can also be taken to mean profaned. See Rashi. [The product of two seeds sown together becomes holy] because one mixes with the other.41
אלא תחרוש בשור ובחמור. דבק עם הזריעה והשם חמל על כל מעשיו כי אין כח החמור ככח השור ובעבור הזריעה אמר שעטנז וכבר הזכירו על דרך כלל ובכאן פרט שהוא הצמר והפשתים לא אחרים:
1THOU SHALT NOT PLOW WITH AN OX AND AN ASS. This law is connected to the one dealing with sowing two kinds of seed. God had mercy on his creatures. An ass is not as strong as an ox. The law prohibiting the mixture of linen and wool42. follows43 because Scripture earlier mentioned the prohibition of mixing seeds. This law was previously mentioned in general terms.44 However, Scripture is specific here. It limits the prohibition to wool and linen, and not to any other kinds of material.
אגדלים תעשה לך. אמרו המכחישים שהוא מצוה בפני עצמה בלילה כמו הציצית ביום על כן כתוב אשר תכסה והמעתיקי' העתיקו כי זאת מצות הציצית ביום ופירוש גדלים כמו בבנינה גדלים מעשה שרשרות. והמכחישים הוציאוה מגזרת גדולה ואנחנו מאמינים בדברי קדמונינו לבדם והזכיר זה הכתוב לבאר על ארבע כנפות ונסמך לשעטנז בעבור הציצית שהוא מותר:
1THOU SHALT MAKE TWISTED CORDS. The deniers45 say that this is a separate commandment46 pertaining to nighttime. It is similar to the fringes that are to be worn during the day. Scripture therefore reads, wherewith thou coverest thyself.47 However, the transmitters of tradition say that our verse speaks of the fringes that are to be worn during the day.48 43a. The meaning of gedilim (twisted cords) is similar to the word gedilim (wreaths) which is employed with regard to the building of the temple. Compare, wreaths (gedilim) of chainwork (I Kings 7:17).49 means twisted threads, for chain-work means twisted. The deniers connect the word gedilim to the word gedolah (large).50 means large threads. We believe only in the words of our ancestors. Scripture mentions this law a second time51 in order to add upon the four corners.52 The law mandating fringes is connected to the law prohibiting a mixture of linen and wool because the latter does not apply to fringes.
אכי יקח איש אשה. נסמכה הפרשה לדעת המכחישים בעבור תכסה בה והאמת על דרך דרש שנסמכה בעבור הבית ואחר כן הבגד ואחר כן בעלת הבית:
1IF ANY MAN TAKE A WIFE. According to the deniers53 this section was connected to the law of fringes because the latter contain the phrase wherewith thou coverest thyself.54 (v. 12) to refer to a blanket. Scripture alludes to marriage as placing a covering over a woman. Cf. Ruth 3:9. The allusion is to sharing one blanket. Its true reason can be explained midrashically. The laws are placed one next to the other because first comes the house, next a garment,55 and then the mistress of the house.56
אעלילות. כמו סבות:
1WANTON. The word alilot (wanton) means a cause.57 to the word illah (cause). He renders alilot devarim as “a cause of words.” In other words, he states the reason he wants to divorce her.
בדברים. הן אמת או שקר:
2CHARGES. Whether true or false.58 as false charges. Hence I.E.’s comment.
גבתולים. לשון רבים ולא יתפרדו וכן בחרות וזקונים ועלומים:
3VIRGINITY. The word betulim (virginity) is a plural. It never comes in the singular. The same applies to bacharut (youth), zekunim (old age), alumim (youth).
אאבי הנערה ואמה. אם הם בחיים או ממונה בית דין:
1THE FATHER OF THE DAMSEL, AND HER MOTHER. If they are alive. Otherwise, someone appointed by the court.
אוטעם כל ימיו. כי לעולם תהיה ברשותו עד יום מותו:
1[HE MAY NOT PUT HER AWAY ALL HIS DAYS.] The meaning of all his days is that she shall always be under his care. She shall be so until the day of his death.
אוסקלוה. שיתכן שאחר שארסה שכב איש אותה כי המארס לא ארם אותה רק היא אומרת שהיא בתולה ומעתיקי הדת בארו הדבר באר היטב ואלה הבתולים ימצאו עד זמן קצוב וכפי תולדת הנערות ובעבור וסקלוה נסמכה פרשת הבעולה והמאורסה:
1SHALL STONE HER. Someone most likely slept with her after he betrothed her, for the one who betrothed her would not have done so unless she told him that she was a virgin. The transmitters of the law explained the matter very clearly.59 The signs of virginity are found until a fixed time, according to the nature of young ladies.60 59a, “And he (the High Priest) shall take a wife in her virginity (Lev. 21:13) excludes one who is a bogeret (a female above the age of 12 1/2) for her virginity has ended.” I.E. took this statement literally. However, other rabbis interpret this to mean that older women bleed less than those younger than 12 1/2. See Tosafot, Yevamot 59a. Also see Ketuvot 9a,b and Rashi and Tosafot comments there. Also see Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilkhot Ishut 11:12,13. The law dealing with a married women was connected to the law of the betrothed damsel because Scripture states, and the men of the city shall stone her.61
אגם פירושו זה כמו זה והנה פירוש זה עוד:
1BOTH OF THEM. The meaning of gam62 is also. The literal meaning of u-metu gam shenehem (then they shall both of them die) thus is, they shall also die both of them. The word gam seems out of place. Hence I.E. renders gam as this one like that one. The meaning of u-metu gam shenehem thus is, the two of them shall die, this one like that one. is this one like the other one. Now Scripture goes on to further elucidate this topic.
אכי יהיה. כאשר יארע זה הדבר:
1IF THERE BE. When this thing shall happen.
אשער. מקום שבת זקני העיר הנה הכתוב קרא המאורסה אשת רעהו ולא נוכל לדעת האריסות כי אם בדברי קבלה:
1THE GATE. The place where the elders of the city sit. Look, Scripture refers to the betrothed woman as his neighbor’s wife. We cannot ascertain the meaning of betrothal except through tradition.63
אכי. יתכן שלא הסכימה היא ולא ידעה עד שבא ואנסה על כן משל הרוצח:
1UNTO THE DAMSEL…DO NOTHING.] She most probably did not agree64 and was unaware until he came and raped her. Hence the rapist is compared to a murderer.65
אצעקה. יתכן שצעקה:
1CRIED. She most likely cried.
אאשר לא אורשה. זאת אנוסה לא מפותה:
1THAT IS NOT BETROTHED. Our verse deals with rape, not with seduction.66