Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah

Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 21/אבן עזרא על ויקרא כ״א

אאמר אל הכהנים. אחר שהזהיר ישראל ובני אהרן בכללם להיותם קדושים הזהיר בני אהרן שהם חייבים להשמר מדברים אחרים בעבור שהם משרתי השם ויתכן להיות פירוש אמור אל הכהנים כל הפרשה הנזכרת כי התורה בידם:

1SPEAK UNTO THE PRIESTS. After charging the Israelites, and the sons of Aaron who are included among them, to be holy,¹ the Lord told the sons of Aaron that they are commanded to keep themselves from other things, for they are the ministers of God. It is possible that speak unto the priests refers to the section which is mentioned above,² for the Torah is in the hands of the kohanim.³ to teach these laws to the children of Israel. See Deut. 31:9; 17:8-13.

בואמרת אליהם. טעמי המצות שהם חייבים לשמרם לבדם:

2AND SAY UNTO THEM. This refers to the commandments which they alone are obligated to keep.⁴

גלנפש. הוא המת:

3FOR THE DEAD. Le-nefesh (for the dead) refers to the dead.⁵ usually refers to a living body.

דמלת יטמא. מבנין התפעל ודגשות הטי״ת להתבלע התי״ו:

4The word yittamma (defile) is a hitpa’el. The tet⁶. receives a dagesh because the tav⁷. is, swallowed.⁸. In other words, the dagesh compensates for the missing tav of the hitpae’el form.

הוטעם בעמיו. בכל ישראל שהם עמיו:

5The meaning of be-amav (among his people) is among all of Israel, who are his people.⁹ (among his people) literally means in his people. Hence I.E.’s comment.

אכי אם לשארו הקרוב אליו. היה נראה לנו כי פירושו כמו איש איש אל כל שאר בשרו שם כלל ואחר כן פרט לאמו ולאביו:

1EXCEPT FOR HIS KIN. It had appeared to us that the meaning of she’ero (His kin) is similar to she’er (near of kin) in None of you…to any that is near of kin to him (Lev. 18:6). In other words, she’ero is a general term,¹⁰ with the details for his mother, and for his father following.

בוטעם בעל בעמיו. שלא יטמא הבעל באשתו וכאשר ראינו שהעתיקו רבותינו כי יטמא לאשתו ושמו לשארו כדרך אסמכתא כאשר פירשתי במלת לעם נכרי ואמרו כי פירוש בעל גדול שהעם ברשותו כמו בעליו אין עמו בטל הפירוש הראשון. וטעם להזכיר אמו קודם האב כי הזכר חי יותר מהנקבה ברוב:

2The meaning of ba’al be-amav (a chief man among his people) (v. 4) is that a husband¹¹. shall not defile himself for his wife. However, since we saw that our teachers transmitted to us the law that a kohen is permitted to defile himself for his wife,¹² 22b. the first interpretation falls away. They employed the word she’er as a support,¹³ (his kin) literally means his flesh. According to the rabbis the reference is to a wife. The sages render ki im le-she’ero (except for his kin), except for his wife. According to I.E. the plain meaning of she’ero is not his wife. He believes that the rabbis used this verse as a support for a law which they knew by tradition. as I explained in my comments on the phrase unto a foreign people (Ex. 21:8).¹⁴ means to any stranger. According to I.E. this is not the literal meaning of this phrase. The rabbis merely used this verse as a support. See I.E. on Ex. 21:8 (Vol. 2, pp. 458,459). The rabbis said that the meaning of ba’al is, a chief who rules over the people, as in the owner thereof (be-alav) not being with it (Ex. 22:13).¹⁵ (He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people) is: “Seeing that he is fit to become the highest and most honored one among his people [i.e., a high priest], it (Scripture) warns him not to profane his distinction with the impurity of the dead” (Nachmanides, Chavel translation). The reason Scripture mentions the mother of the kohen before the father is that in most cases the male lives longer than the female.¹⁶ will mourn for his mother before he does so for his father. Hence she is mentioned first.

אהקרובה אליו. להיותה אחותו מאב ואם והנה לא יטמא בעל בעמיו בכהנים או בישראלים חוץ מהנזכרים:

1THAT IS NEAR UNTO HIM. In that she is his sister from his father and his mother.¹⁷ indicates that the sister spoken of is a full sister. Now, aside from those mentioned,¹⁸ a chief (v. 4) shall not defile himself for any of his people, be they kohanim or Israelites.

אלהחלו. דגשות הלמ״ד להתבלע אחר והוא שם הפעל מבנין נפעל:

1TO PROFANE HIMSELF. The lamed¹⁹. has a dagesh in it to compensate for the missing other lamed.²⁰ is spelled with one lamed. However, it comes from a root that has two lameds. The dagesh in hechallo compensates for the missing root letter. Le-hechallo (to profane himself) is an infinitive in the nifal.

אלא יקרחה קרחה בראשם. על המת:

1THEY SHALL NOT MAKE BALDNESS UPON THEIR HEAD. Over the dead.

בופאת זקנם. על המת כמנהג מקומות בארץ כשדים והנה התברר פירוש את פאת זקנך:

2THE CORNERS OF THEIR BEARD. Over the dead, as is the practice in places in the land of the Chaldeans. The meaning of the corners of thy beard (Lev. 19:27) is thus clarified.²¹

גוטעם שרטת. אפילו אחת וכבר נזהרו ישראל על אלה. וטעם הזהירם כי ראש מוקרח וזקן מגולח ובשר שרוט לא ישמש לפני השם:

3Saratet (cuttings) means even one cut.²² (cuttings) is singular. Hence I.E’s. comment. Israel has already been cautioned not to do these things.²³ The reason Scripture warns the kohanim²⁴ about this is that one who has a bald head, or whose beard has been shorn, or whose flesh is cut shall not serve before the Lord.

אולא יחללו שם אלהיהם. פירוש כי את אשי ה׳‎:

1AND NOT PROFANE THE NAME OF GOD. The reason being, for the offerings made by fire…they do offer.²⁵ refers to and not profane the name of God, not to They shall be holy unto their God.

אאשה זונה. לא מצאנו על דרך הפשט בכל המקרא זונה כי אם כמשמעה גם כן ויתנו את הילד בזונה כאשר פירשתיו:

1WOMAN THAT IS A HARLOT. If we follow the plain meaning of the text then we do not find in all of Scripture the word zonah (harlot) to have any but its literal meaning.²⁶ is a woman who sells her body. According to the rabbis a zonah is a woman who had intercourse with an individual whom she is not permitted to marry, i.e., a woman who has relations with a close relative or with a non-Jew. Such a woman is considered a zonah even if the intercourse was not with her consent. Hence I.E.’s comment. The meaning of and have given a boy for a harlot (zonah) (Joel 4:3) is also as I have explained.²⁷ in Joel 4:3 refers to a harlot. It means that they gave a young man in payment for sexual favors.

בוחללה. שאינה מפורסמת כזונה ולפי הפשט היה נראה מדברי יחזקאל כי אלמנות כהן מותרות לכהנים לכן דברי הקבלה הוא הנכון:

2OR PROFANED. A woman who is not known as a harlot.²⁸. It is also possible that I.E. refers to a woman who is promiscuous but not a prostitute. It should be noted that according to the rabbis the reference is to a woman born of a marriage between a kohen and a woman prohibited to him (Kiddushin 77a). According to the plain meaning, it would appear from the words of Ezekiel²⁹ that the widow of a kohen³⁰. is permitted to marry other kohanim.³¹ may marry is the widow of another kohen, for Ezekiel states, Neither shall they take for their wives a widow…but they shall take…a widow that is the widow of a priest. The words of tradition³² may marry any widow. See Kiddushin 78b. are thus true.³³ from marrying any widow. We thus must interpret Ezek. 44:22 as follows: Neither shall a kohen gadol take for their wives a widow…but some of the kohanim, that is, a common kohen, may take a widow (any widow, not only the widow of a kohen). See Kiddushin 78b.

אוקדשתו. במחשבה ובדבור:

1THOU SHALT SANCTIFY HIM THEREFORE. In mind³⁴ in a respectful manner. and in speech.

בלחם אלהיך. מאכל שהוא קרב לשם:

2THE BREAD³⁵. OF THY GOD. Food³⁶ usually refers to bread. Hence I.E.’s comment. which is offered to God.

גאני ה׳‎ מקדשכם. כלכם:

3I THE LORD, WHO SANCTIFY YOU.³⁷, which is plural. All of you.

אכי תחל. לדעת רבים מגזרת תחלה ולפי דעתי מלשון חלול רק הוא מהבנין הכבד הנוסף כמו לא יחל דברו ועל שני הפירושים המלה היא מפעלי הכפל רק היא זרה ויתכן שתהיה זרה החל גם תחל שלא יתערבו עם טעם תחלה בעבור היות התי״ו קמוץ בקמץ קטן וכן לבלתי החל:

1IF SHE PROFANE HERSELF BY PLAYING THE HARLOT. Many believe that techel (profane) is related to techillah (beginning).³⁸ (if she profane herself by playing the harlot) as if she begins to play the harlot. However, I believe that it is related to the word chillul (profane) but it is a hifil. Compare, he shall not break (yachel)³⁹ his word (Num. 30:3). According to both interpretations the word comes from a double root.⁴⁰. However, it is irregular.⁴¹ rather than with a kamatz as similar roots are in the hifil. Compare, achel (I will begin), tachel (she will begin), etc. It is possible that the word hechel (profaned) (Ezek. 20:9) and the word techel are both irregular in that the tav⁴² of techel is vocalized with a tzereh⁴³. so that it not is confused in meaning with techillah (beginning).⁴⁴. If both were similarly vocalized, we would confuse them. Similarly, hechel (profaned)⁴⁵ is vocalized with a tzere rather than with a kamatz so that it not be confused with hachel (begin) (Deut. 2:24). in that it should not be profaned (Ezek. 20:9).

בובת כהן. אם חללה עצמה בזנות בעבור שחללה כבוד אביה:

2AND THE DAUGHTER OF ANY PRIEST…SHE SHALL BE BURNT WITH FIRE. If she profaned herself by harlotry, for she profaned the honor of her father.

גבאש תשרף. בעולה. או ארוסה:

3SHE SHALL BE BURNT WITH FIRE. Whether she is either married or betrothed.⁴⁶. The reference is to the first stage of marriage. During this phase the woman lives in the house of her parents.

אאת הבגדים. והם בגדי קדש:

1THE GARMENTS. The reference is to the holy garments.

באת ראשו לא יפרע ובגדיו לא יפרם. מזה הכתוב נלמוד מה שהעתיקו חז״ל במשפט האבלות:

2SHALL NOT LET THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD GO LOOSE, NOR REND HIS CLOTHES. We learn from this verse what our sages transmitted regarding the laws of mourning.⁴⁷

אועל כל נפשות מת לא יבא. גוף מת והגוף חסר כי מת שם התאר וכן ועשיר יענה עזות ומאכלו בריאה תחסר שה:

1NEITHER SHALL HE GO IN TO ANY DEAD BODY. Nafshot met is to be read as if written nafshot guf met (dead body). The word guf (body)⁴⁸ is masculine. is missing, for met (dead) is an adjective.⁴⁹ is masculine. It cannot modify nafshot, which is feminine. Hence I.E.’s comment. Similarly, But the rich answers impudent⁵⁰ (Prov. 18:23)⁵¹ and and their food plenteous⁵² (Hab. 1:16),⁵³ should be read as if written: and his food a fat lamb. where the word lamb is missing.

בוטעם לא יבא. באהל או בבית ששם המת:

2The meaning of he shall [not] go in is, he shall not go into a tent or a house where the dead body is located.

גוטעם לאביו ולאמו. שהיא מצוה עליו לכבדם בחייהם ובמותם ואף כי לאחיו ולבנו:

3The meaning of for his father, or his mother is, for his father and mother, whom he is obligated to respect while they live and after their death. The kohen gadol may certainly not defile himself over his brother or his son.⁵⁴’s father and mother. However, if he cannot defile himself over the latter he certainly cannot defile himself for his brother or son.

אומן המקדש לא יצא. אמרו המעתיקים אחר המת והוא הנכון ויש אומרים בשבעת ימי המלואים וזה לא יתכן כי כבר באר ומלא את ידו גם כן יתכן שלא יצא מן המקדש כי אם לדבר מצוה:

1NEITHER SHALL HE GO OUT OF THE SANCTUARY. After the dead, so said the transmitters of tradition.⁵⁵ 18a. Also see Rashi. What they said is correct. Some say that the reference is to the seven days of consecration. However, this cannot be so, for Scripture has already stated, and [the kohen] that is consecrated (v. 10).⁵⁶ who is already consecrated. It is also possible that the meaning of our verse is that the kohen gadol shall not go out of the sanctuary except for the purpose of observing a precept.

אבבתוליה. יש שמות בלשון הקדש לא יפרדו לעולם כמו נעורים וזקונים ועלומים ובתולים ויש שמות בלשון הקדש שלא יתחברו נטף ושכם וזהב וברזל:

1IN HER VIRGINITY. There are nouns in Hebrew that never come in the singular. Compare, ne’urim (youth), zekunim (old age), alumim (youth), and betulim (virginity). There are other words which never come in the plural, i.e., taf (children), shekhem (shoulder), zahav (gold), and barzel (iron).

אאלמנה וגרושה. כלל מכהן או מישראל:

1A WIDOW, OR ONE DIVORCED. Any woman widowed or divorced from a kohen or an Israelite.

בוחללה זנה. חסר וי״ו הדבק כמו שמש ירח עמד זבולה:

2OR A PROFANED WOMAN, OR A HARLOT. The connective vav before the word zonah (harlot) is missing.⁵⁷ (harlot). Our verse reads, va-chalalah zonah. This literally means or a profaned woman harlot. I.E. believes that the latter should be read as if written, va-chalalah ve-zonah (or a profaned woman or a harlot). Compare, The sun moon (shemesh yare’ach) stand still in their habitation⁵⁸ (Hab. 3:11).⁵⁹ is missing. The verse should be read as if written: The sun and moon (shemesh ve-yare’ach) stand still in their habitation.

גוטעם להוסיף כי אם בתולה. להזכיר עמיו כי הבתולה השבויה והמתייהדת אסורה לו:

3The reason Scripture reads but a virgin⁶⁰ may only marry a virgin was stated in the previous verse. Why repeat it again in our verse? is that it wants to add of his own people, for a captive virgin⁶¹ and a convert⁶² are prohibited to him.

אולא יחלל זרעו. פירוש אלמנה וגרושה בסתר כי את כל אלה לא יקח בגלוי ואחר שהזכיר קדושת הכהנים החל להזכיר המומין:

1AND HE SHALL NOT PROFANE HIS SEED. By taking a widow or a divorced woman in secret. These shall he not take (v. 14) means he shall not publicly take any of these women.⁶³ After Scripture mentions the sanctity of the kohanim it begins to list the blemishes.⁶⁴ from offering sacrifices.

אלחם אלהיו. הוא קרבן המזבח ואלה הכהנים הדיוטים על כן אמר כל מי שהוא מזרע אהרן הכהן:

1THE BREAD OF HIS GOD. The reference is to the sacrifices offered on the altar. The kohanim spoken of in our verse refer to common priests. Scripture therefore states anyone who is of the seed of Aaron the kohen.

אחרום. הפך שרוע והנה חרום מגזרת חרם:

1MAIMED. Charum (maimed) is the reverse of saru’a (too long). Note, charum is related to the word cherem (destruction).⁶⁵ refers to a person who has an extra-large limb while charum refers to a person who has a limb that is undersized.

בשרוע. מגזרת מהשתרע:

2TOO LONG. Saru’a (too long) is related to the word me-histare’a (to stretch himself) (Is. 29:20).

אאו גבן. קרוב מגזרת הרים גבנונים והנו״ן שרש והוא שם התאר:

1OR CROOK-BACKED. The word gibben (crook-backed) is most probably related to the word gavnunnim (peaks) in ye mountains of peaks (Ps. 68:17).⁶⁶ is someone who is extremely tall. The nun⁶⁷. is a root letter.⁶⁸ (crook-backed) to gavnunnim (peaks). Gibben is an adjective. Similarly the word dak (a dwarf) is to be interpreted according to the plain meaning.⁶⁹

בכן דק והוא כמשמעו להיות דק קצר קומה:

2Dak means short of stature.⁷⁰ stands in contrast to gibben. If gibben means a peak, then dak is its opposite.

גתבלול בעינו. יש אומרים מגזרת תבל עשו השחתה ויש אומרים מגזרת בלולה בשמן והתי״ו על שני הפירושים נוסף:

3HATH HIS EYE OVERSPREAD. Some say that tevallul (overspread) is related to the word tevel (corruption) in they have wrought corruption (Lev. 20:12). Tevallul means a corruption.⁷¹ Others say that tevallul is related to the word belullah (mingled) in mingled with oil (Lev. 2:5).⁷²). According to both interpretations the tav of tevallul is superfluous.⁷³ is bet, lamed, lamed.

דגם גרב בעין על דעת רבים כן:

4According to the opinion of many the scab (garav) is also in the eye.

הילפת. כטעם דבק מגזרת וילפת שמשון ויש אומרים עוות מגזרת ויחרד האיש וילפת והיו״ד נוסף כיו״ד יצהר:

5OR SCURVY. Yalefet (scurvy) means sticking.⁷⁴ It is related to the word va-yilpot (took fast hold) in And Samson took fast hold (Jud. 16:29). There are others who say that yalefet means crooked.⁷⁵ with a crooked hand, foot, fingers, etc. It is related to the word va-yillafet (turned) in that the man was startled, and turned (Ruth 3:8). The yod of yalefet is superfluous.⁷⁶. It is like the yod of yitzhar (oil) (Num. 18:12).⁷⁷.

ומרוח. שם התאר מגזרת רוח:

6CRUSHED. Mero’ach (crushed) is an adjective. It is related to the word ru’ach (wind).⁷⁸

זאשך. הביצה ואחר שפרט אמר כלל כל איש אשר בו מום:

7STONES. Ashekh (stones) refers to the testicle. After listing specific blemishes the Torah issues a general statement and says, no man…that hath a blemish (v. 21).

אוטעם מום בו. כמו אביו ואמו קלל:

1The meaning of hath a blemish is similar to he hath cursed his father or his mother (Lev. 20:9).⁷⁹

אלחם אלהיו. לחם הפנים והאשם והחטאת שהם קדשי הקדשים כנגד השלמים כי גם השלמים קדש:

1THE BREAD OF HIS GOD…OF THE MOST HOLY. The showbread, the guilt offering, and the sin offering, which in comparison to the peace offerings are most holy, for the peace offerings are also holy.

בומן הקדשים. המעשר והבכור:

2AND OF THE HOLY. The tithe and the first-born.

אאך אל הפרכת לא יבא. להיותו כהן גדול גם אל המזבח לא יקרב:

1ONLY HE SHALL NOT GO IN UNTO THE VEIL. Although he is a kohen gadol.⁸⁰ is struck with a blemish he is prohibited from going unto the veil. A common kohen may not go unto the veil. Hence I.E.’s comment. He shall also not approach the altar.

אוטעם ואל כל בני ישראל. שלא יזבח להם שלמים בעלי מום לולי הקבלה ובעבור שהזכיר כי בעל מום יאכל קדש הזהיר שיהיה האוכל טהור:

1[AND UNTO ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.] If it were not for the tradition⁸¹ who are blemished to slaughter peace offerings for the children of Israel we would interpret and unto all the children of Israel as meaning that those who are blemished should not slaughter peace offerings for the children of Israel. Now, since Scripture mentions that a blemished kohen may eat that which is holy, it warns⁸² that the one who eats sacred food must be clean.