Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 19:26/אבן עזרא על ויקרא י״ט:כ״ו
אלא תאכלו על הדם. דבוק עם הכתוב למעלה כי הזהיר על עץ נטוע שלא יאכלו מפריו עד השנה החמישית גם כן כל בשר טהור לא יאכל עד שיזרוק דמו על מזבח השם אם היה קרוב אל מקום הקדש והעד הנאמן דברי שאול כי הארון היה עמו כי כן כתוב הנה אוכלים על הדם כאילו אוכלים זבחים לשעירים כאשר פירשתי שהיה כן מנהגם במצרים לזבוח בשם השדים כי אחר שלא נזרק הדם על המזבח לשם השם הנה הדבר ברור על כן דבק עמו לא תנחשו כי במצרים היו אוכלים על הדם וזונים אחרי השדים ובארץ כנען מנחשים ומעוננים כי כן כתוב גם זה כמעשה ארץ מצרים וכמעשה ארץ כנען. ומלת מנחש מנסה כמו נחשתי ויברכני ה׳ כי נחוש בצורות ובמקלות ובמעשים ובתנועות ובימים ושעות:
1YE SHALL NOT EAT WITH THE BLOOD. This is connected129 to what is written above it.130 Scripture warned against eating from the fruit of any planted tree until the fifth year. It similarly also prohibited one, if he is in the proximity of the sanctuary, to eat from any permitted flesh unless its blood first be sprinkled on the altar of God. The account of King Saul is a faithful witness to this interpretation, for the ark of the Lord was with Saul, and Scripture explicitly states, “Behold, the people are eating with the blood.”131. As I explained,132 it was as if the people were sacrificing to the demons, for this was their custom in Egypt. There they were accustomed to sacrifice in the name of the demons. Now this is clear,133 is clear (Krinsky). since the blood was not poured on the altar in the worship of God. Neither shall ye practice divination is connected to ye shall not eat with the blood because they used to eat with the blood and go astray after the demons in Egypt, and they used to practice divination and soothsaying in Canaan. The aforementioned is clearly stated in Scripture.134 This too was like the doings of the land of Egypt;…and…the doings of the land of Canaan (Lev. 18:3). The word menachesh means divines. Compare, I have observed the signs (nichashti), And the Lord hath blessed me (Gen. 30:27). Divinations take many forms. There are types of divination that employs images,135 sticks,136 actions,137 movements,138 days,139 and hours.140
בתעוננו. יש אומרים מלשון ענה שיחשוב בלבו דבר ויטה אזניו לשמוע מה יענה המדבר ולא אבה הדקדוק ויש אומרים מעונן לשון ועונתה לא יגרע והנכון בעיני מגזרת ענן כי ידוע כי יש מי שיעונן שיסתכל בעננים ובדמותם ובתנועתם ויתכן להיות תעוננו מפעלי הכפל כמו תסובבו כי מצאנו ועוננים כפלשתים כי יתכן היותו מבנין הכפול והעד ומעונן ומנחש:
2SOOTHSAYING. Some say that the word te’onennu (soothsaying) is related to the word anah (answer). The soothsayer imagines something in his heart and inclines his ear to hear what the speaker will answer.141 means “and do not practice answering.” However, the rule of grammar rejects this interpretation.142 (answer) comes from the root ayin, nun, heh. Verbs from this root do not double their middle stem. There are those who say that te’onennu comes from the word onah (time). It is similar to the word onatah (her conjugal rights)143 in and her conjugal rights, shall he not diminish (Ex. 21:10).144 is, and do not set times; that is, do not divine by setting aside lucky days. However, it appears to me that te’onennu is related to the word anan (cloud), for it is known that the one who practices divination looks at the clouds and observes their forms and their movements. Te’onennu probably comes from a verb with a doubled root.145. It is like the word tesovevu (you will go round about),146. for we find, And with soothsayers (onenim) like the Philistines (Is. 2:6).147 is a kal. There is no question that onenim comes from the root ayin, nun, nun. [I note this] for it is possible that te’onennu is a doubled form.148. A verb which has a vav as it middle letter has its last stem letter doubled in the pi’el. In other words, the root of te’onennu is ayin, vav, nun. The last stem letter is doubled in the pi’el. Compare, te-komem from kof, vav, mem. Me’onen (one that uses divination) u-menachesh (Deut. 18:9) is proof.