Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 15/אבן עזרא על ויקרא ט״ו

אוידבר יי אל משה ואל אהרן. כי הכהנים יפרישו בין זבה לנדה כאשר אחז"ל בין דם לדם ועתה יחל לבאר הטמאים מדבר נסתר כי הצרעת נגע גלוי:
1AND THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND TO AARON. For the kohanim distinguish between a woman who has an issue (zavah) and one who menstruates (niddah).1 Compare the Rabbinic interpretation on between blood and blood2 then the kohen shall decide the aforementioned. The Rabbis interpret between blood and blood as meaning between “between menstrual blood and blood of an issue and blood of childbirth (Sifre, on Deut. 17:8).” (Deut. 17:8). Scripture now begins to deal with those who become unclean from a hidden source,3 for until now it dealt with leprosy which is a visible plague.
אזב. כמו זבת חלב כדמות טפות נוטפות:
1AN ISSUE. The word zav (issue) is similar to the word zavat (flowing) in flowing with milk (Ex. 44:13). Zav refers to dripping drops.4
במבשרו. כנוי לערות הזכר:
2OUT OF HIS FLESH. A euphemism for the male’s private part.5 is a euphemism for the penis.
גזובו. שם:
3HIS ISSUE. Zovo (his issue) is a noun.6
אוזאת תהיה טומאתו. הטעם כי הזוב הוא על ב׳‎ דרכים:
1AND THIS SHALL BE HIS UNCLEANLINESS. This means the issue takes two forms.7 (v. 3).
ברר בשרו. מגזרת ויורד רירו על זקנו:
2HIS FLESH RUN WITH HIS ISSUE. The word rar (run) is related to the word riro (his spittle) in, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard (I Sam. 21:14).
גאו החתים. כמו נסגר מגזרת כי חתום הוא והטעם שהתחבר הזוב ונקרש ולא יצא הקרי בשכבו עם האשה:
3OR BE STOPPED. The word hechtim means stopped. It is related to the word chatum (sealed) in that is sealed (Is. 29:11). It means that the issue pools and congeals so that semen is not ejaculated when the afflicted sleeps with a women.
אוגזרה אחת למשכב ולמושב וכן הנוגע באחד מהם משפט אחד לו:
1The same law applies to what the one who has an issue lies or sits on.8 Similarly, there is one law regarding the one who touches what the afflicted lies on or sits on.9
אוהנוגע בבשר הזב. באיזה אבר שיהיה:
1ANDS HE THAT TOUCHETH THE FLESH OF HIM THAT HATH THE ISSUE. Any part without exception.10 refers to the penis here it refers to any organ. Thus the meaning of and he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue means, and he that touches any part of him that has the issue.
אירק. ידוע מפעלי הכפל והעד דגשות קו״ף רוקי הנה גם רוקו יזיק כי הזוב מהחליים הנדבקים ואין מנהג האדם שירוק בפני חברו רק איננו בכוונה כי הזב זרק רוקו ונפל על הטהור:
1SPIT. The meaning of yarok (spit) is known. It comes from a double root.11. The fact that the kof of rukki (my spittle) (Job 7:19) has a dagesh is proof of this.12 compensates for the missing root kof. Note, the spit of the one who suffers an issue is harmful,13 for the issue is one of the infectious diseases. It is not the practice of men to spit in the face of other people.14 (ve-khi) he that hath an issue spit upon him that is clean could conceivably be rendered, and when (ve-khi) he that hath an issue spit upon him that is clean. “And when” implies that this is the normal course of events. Hence I.E.’s comment. What happened occurred unintentionally. The one suffering from an issue expectorated his spittle and it fell on a clean person.15 is to be rendered as “and if” that is and if by accident.
אוכל המרכב. שהוא מקבל טומאה כדברי המעתיקים:
1AND WHAT SADDLE. Which, as the transmitters of tradition explained, becomes unclean.16 (saddle) refers to equipment set aside for riding. See Torat Kohanim, Metzora 3:9. Also see Rashi, “…The hold in front of the saddle…becomes unclean as a part of something for riding on (mercav)…and the saddle…is unclean as being something to sit upon (moshav)” (Rosenbaum and Silverman translation).
אבכל אשר יהיה תחתיו. תחת המרכב יטמא טומאה קלה וטומאה הנושא אותם יותר חמורה:
1ANY THING THAT IS UNDER HIM. Under the saddle shall become lightly unclean.17 However, the uncleanliness of those who carry them18 is more strict.19
אוידיו לא שטף במים. היה נראה לנו כי כל מאכל והדומה לו שיגע בו הזב והנגיעה היא בידים וידיו שטופות איננו טמא בעבור שלא נגע במקום הזוב רק כאשר ראינו כל אבותינו פירשו וידיו כגופו קבלנו דבריהם ועל דרך הפשט כי כל טהור שיגע בו הזב וידיו שטופות הוא יטמא ולא בגדיו ואם לא היו שטופות יטמאו בגדיו וזה כמו הנוגע בכל אשר יהיה תחתיו:
1WITHOUT HAVING RINSED HIS HANDS IN WATER. It would have appeared to us20 that any food or anything similar, that the one having an issue touched by hand,21 means touched by hand. and the hands were washed, is not unclean, for the afflicted did not touch the place of the issue.22 However, since we saw that our fathers23 explained that the hands are like the body24 means without immersing his body. See Niddah 66b; Kiddushin 25a. we accept their words. According to the plain meaning of our verse if the one experiencing an issue touches someone with hands that have been washed the one touched is unclean but his garments are not unclean. However, if the one suffering the issue did not wash his hands then the garments are unclean.25 there is no difference whether the one having an issue touched a person with hands that have or have not been washed. This law is similar26 to the one regarding he who touches anything which is under the saddle.27
אלטהרתו. מיום טהרתו:
1FOR HIS CLEANSING.28, literally, to his cleansing. From the day of his cleansing.29 of le-taharrato is not to be rendered to, but from. Hence le-tahorrato is to be interpreted, from his cleaning.
אוהקרבן עולה וחטאת בעבור כי הזוב מוסר על עון:
1The sacrifice consists of a burnt-offering30 and a sin-offering,31 for the issue is a punishment for sin.
אכי תצא ממנו. שלא ברצונו:
1GO OUT. Involuntarily.32
בשכבת זרע. כמו שכבת הטל מגזרת מי ישכיב:
2FLOW OF SEED. Shikhvat (flow) is similar to shikhvat (layer) in the layer of dew (Ex. 16:14).33 It is related to the word yashkiv (pour out) in who can pour out (Job 38:37).
אהיה נראה לנו שצריך רחיצ׳‎ הבגד או העור אם היה בו זרע לח או יבש והאמת כדברי הקבלה:
1It would appear to us34 that the garment or the skin requires washing if it has wet semen or dry semen on it.35 However, the truth lies with the words of tradition.36 7:1 states, “Semen [coveys] uncleanliness when wet but not when dry.”
אוהשלים דבר הזכר ועתה יחל בנקבה:
1Scripture37 concludes the laws of the male.38 It then begins with the female.39
בבבשרה. ערות האשה וטעו המפרשים בבעל קרי את כל בשרו האבר לבד והעד כל:
2IN HER FLESH. In the women’s private part. Those who explain then he shall bathe all his flesh (v. 16) which is written concerning one who ejaculates as referring to the penis47 err. The word all is proof.48 in our verse does not only apply to the penis.
אופירוש ואם על המשכב הוא שב אל הכלי אשר תשב עליו והנה הכלי על המשכב או כלי על כלי על כן הטומאה קלה ולא הזכיר לאשה מרכב כי (בהמ׳‎) (ס״א בהווה) דבר הכתוב והמשפט אחד:
1The meaning of And if he be on the bed (v. 23) refers back to the object40 (hu) be on the bed as, And if it be on the bed, for the word hu may mean he or it. that she sits upon (v. 22). Now the object41 is on the bed or the object42 is on another object.43 The uncleanliness is therefore light.44 Scripture does not mention a saddle with regards to a women for Scripture speaks of what is prevalent.45 (cattle). According to this version our text reads, for Scripture speaks of [an] animal. The latter is probably to be interpreted, Scripture speaks of one who usually rides on an animal, that is, males, and not females. The law is the same.46
אואם שכב איש אותה. בלא זדון רק שוכב עמה בשוגג והנה באה נדתה והיתה עמו וזה טעם עליו כי כרת יש על השוכב עם נדה בזדון וכן הוא משפט הזבה ואם לא נזכר:
1AND IF ANY MAN LIE WITH HER. Without any sinful intent.49 On the contrary, he erred in sleeping with her.50 Behold her menstrual flow came while he was with her. This is the meaning of be upon him, for the one who sleeps with a menstruating women incurs the penalty of karet.51 The same law applies to a women who has an issue,52 even though it is not stated.
בוכל המשכב אשר ישכב עליו יטמא. כי הוא טמא טומאת שבעה וגם יטמא אחרים ואם לא נכתב:
2AND EVERY BED WHEREON HE LIETH SHALL BE UNCLEAN. For he is unclean for seven days. He also defiles others. The latter is so even though it is not stated.
אימים רבים בלא עת נדתה. לכל אשה עתים ידועות או יארע לה זוב על נדתה:
1MANY DAYS NOT IN THE TIME OF HER IMPURITY. Every women has fixed periods. Or, she had an issue added to her menstruation.53
אוהביאה אותם. מלרע והיא מלה זרה:
1AND BRING THEM. Ve-hevi’ah (and bring them) is ultimately accented. It is an irregular word.54
אוהזרתם. יש מפרשים בו והזרתם בחסרון הה״א וזה לא יתכן כי הה״א איננו מאותיות המשך כי לא יהיה נח נעלם כי אם בסוף המלה רק פירושו כמו ונזרו מקדשי בני ישראל כעין והרחקתם וממנו נזיר שהרחיק נפשו מתאות העולם ומשקלו והפלתם את הארץ כי הנו״ן מובלע בדגש:
1THUS SHALL YE SEPARATE. Some say that ve-hizzartem (thus shall ye separate) is missing a heh55 comes from the root zayin, heh, resh. and is to be interpreted ve-hizzhartem (and you shall warn). This cannot be so, for the heh is not vowel letter.56 It is only silent at the end of a word.57 On the contrary, ve-hizzartem is related to the word ve-yinnazeru (that they separate)58. in that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel (Lev. 22:2). The meaning of that ve-hizzartem is, and you shall distance.59. The word nazir (nazirite) is derived from the same root. A nazir is one who has distanced himself from the lusts of the world. Ve-hizzartem is vocalized like the word ve-hippaltem (and you shall divide)60. in, and you shall divide the land (Ezek. 45:1), for the nun61 and ve-hippaltem. is swallowed in the dagesh.62 of ve-hizzartem and the peh of ve-hippaltem.
בבטמאתם. בעבור טומאתם ופירושו בטמאם את משכני:
2IN THEIR UNCLEANLINESS. Be-tumatam (in their uncleanliness) is to be rendered because of their uncleanliness.63 of be-tumatam has the meaning of “because.” Its meaning is, when they defile My tabernacle.64 explains because of their uncleanliness. The point is that Scripture does not prohibit being “unclean.” It only does so when one enters the tabernacle in a state of impurity.
אלטמאה בה. שמצוה היא שישב טמא ועוד אפרש זה:
1SO THAT HE IS UNCLEAN THEREBY. There is a Divine command for him to be in a state of ritual impurity. I will explain this later.65
אוטעם לזכר. פירושו זאת תורת הזב:
1Whether it be a man explains the law of him that hath an issue (v. 32).
בוטעם עם טמאה. זבה או נדה:
2With her that is unclean refers to a women who has an issue or menstruates.