Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 19:19/אבן עזרא על ויקרא י״ט:י״ט
אוטעם להזכיר אחר אלה המצות בהמתך לא תרביע כלאים. להזהיר אחר היותך קדוש שלא תעשה חמס לבן אדם כמוך גם לא תעשה לבהמה לשנות מעשה השם על כן כתוב את חקתי תשמרו לשמור כל מין שלא יתערב מין עם מין:
1[THOU SHALT NOT LET THY CATTLE GENDER WITH A DIVERSE KIND.] The reason Scripture states Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind is to warn us. Since you are holy, in that you do not act violently towards your fellow human being, you must also not do anything to an animal which entails changing God’s work. Scripture therefore reads, Ye shall keep My statutes; that is, each species is to be preserved. A kind is not to interbreed with another kind.
בכלאים. שני מינים ועוד אפרש מלת כלאים. וטעם השדה והבגד להיות לזכרון כי יש מצות רבות לזכר כחג המצות וסוכות וציצית ושופר ומזוזה ותפילין. ופה ארמוז לך סוד דע כי השלם שלם מאד על כן כתוב באברהם וישמור משמרתי מצותי חקותי ותורותי:
2WITH A DIVERSE KIND. Kilayim (a diverse kind) means two kinds. I will yet explain the meaning of kilayim.71 The reason for the law regarding a field and a garment is that they serve as reminders,72 for many commandments serve as reminders. Examples of the latter are: the festival of unleavened bread,73 Sukkot,74 serve as a reminder of booths in which the Israelites dwelled during their sojourn in the desert (Lev. 23:43). tzitzit,75 serve as a reminder of God’s commandments (Num. 15:39). shofar,76 is to serve as a reminder, among them, God’s revelation, to repent. mezuzah,77 and tefilin.78 serves a reminder of the Exodus (Ex. 13:9) and of our obligation to study and to teach Torah to our children (Deut: 6:4-9; 13-21). See Yesod Mora, Chapter 5. I will hint to you here at a secret. Know that “the complete is very complete.”79 Scripture therefore says with regard to Abraham,80 and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws (Gen. 26:5).81
גשעטנז. המעתיקים אמרו שהיא שלש מלות או מחומשת ופירושה מעורב והוא שם לבדו במקרא:
3OF TWO KINDS. The transmitters of tradition said that the word shatnez (two kinds) is made up of three words.82 is a combination of shu’a (hackled), tavuy (spun), and nuz (twined). It may come from a five-letter root.83. The meaning of shatnez is “mixed.”84 It is a noun which stands alone in Scripture.85