Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Exodus 13:1/אבן עזרא על שמות י״ג:א׳
אוידבר. אחז דרך קצרה כי משה כנגד כל ישראל. ויפת אמר כי המצוה על משה לקדשם בפה הפך וטמאו הכהן (ויקרא יג ה) כי הכהן קדוש הוא ולא יטמאנו רק בדבור, שיאמר בפה שהוא טמא:
1AND THE LORD SPOKE. Scripture employs a short form,1 for Moses stands in place of Israel.2 is the same as saying, the Lord spoke unto Israel; i.e., the contents of this chapter pertained to Israel. However, Yefet says that Moses was commanded to verbally sanctify all first-born.3 The aforementioned is the reverse of then the priest shall defile him (Lev. 13:8);4. Both Moses and the priests perform their actions verbally. What I.E. means by the term “reverse” is that one makes someone unclean while the other makes one holy. the priest, being holy, defiles an individual by declaration.5