Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 5/אבן עזרא על ויקרא ה׳
אונפש כי תחטא ושמעה קול אלה. הוא החרם וכן ואת אלית והכתוב אחז דרך קצרה והזהיר שחייב העד להגיד כי אם לא יגיד יש עליו עונש מהשם שישא עונו אם שכח ולא הגיד ואחר כן נזכר לו:
1AND IF ANY ONE SIN, IN THAT HE HEARETH THE VOICE OF ADJURATION. Alah (adjuration) refers to a curse. Similarly alit (thou didst utter a curse)1 is the verbal form of alah. in about which thou didst utter a curse (Jud. 17:2). Scripture employs an abridged style.2 Scripture warns that the witness is obligated to testify, for if he does not testify then he is liable for punishment from God, for he bears his iniquity. If he forgets and does not testify and then reminds himself [then he brings a guilt offering].
אאו נפש אשר תגע. בנבלת הארבעה הנזכרות והם חזיר וחביריו:
1OR IF ANY ONE TOUCH ANY UNCLEAN THING. [WHETHER IT BE THE CARCASS OF AN UNCLEAN BEAST.] The reference is to the carcass of any of the four mentioned,3 namely, the swine4 and his compatriots.5
באו בנבלת בהמה טמאה. למאכלה כסום וחמור ושרץ טמא מהשמונה הנזכרים:
2OR THE CARCASS OF UNCLEAN CATTLE. Unclean for food such as horses or asses.6The carcass of unclean swarming things refers to the carcass of the eight swarming things mentioned in Scripture.7
גונעלם ממנו. ואחר כך יודע או נגע בזב וטמא מת וזבה ונדה:
3IT BEING HIDDEN FROM HIM. He learned of this8 afterwards.9 [3. OR IF HE TOUCH THE UNCLEANNESS OF MAN.] He touched a man that suffered a flux,10. See Lev. 15:2. or someone who was unclean because he touched a dead body,11 or a woman who suffered from a flux,12 or a menstruant.13
אלבטא בשפתים. דבור שפה:
1UTTER CLEARLY WITH AN OATH. Le-vatte visefatayim (utter clearly) means to utter with the lips.14 means lips. Hence I.E.’s comment.
בלהרע. למי שהוא חייב או לפירוש הגאון להתענות. וטעם להזכיר אלה שהוא חייב להודות ועל האחרות שהן מצות לא תעשה לא יתודה לפני הכהן והקרבן אחד:
2TO DO EVIL. To a guilty person,15 or, as the Gaon16 explains, to fast.17 Scripture mentions these sins18 because the violator is obligated to confess these sins. He is not obligated to confess before the kohen for other sins which consist of the violation of negative commandments.19 The sacrifice is the same.20
אואם לא תגיע ידו. כי היד היא העושה מלאכה והיא הקונה רמז למי שאין לו:
1AND IF HIS MEANS21 (literally, his hand). SUFFICE NOT.22 For all manner of work is done by the hand. It is the means by which one acquires. The clause23. alludes to one who does not have the means.24 means: And if his means do not suffice.
באחד לחטאת ואחד לעולה. ויאמר רב יצחק כי טעם אחד עולה בעבור שלא תגיע ידו אולי עלה על רוחו מחשבה והקרוב אלי שהאחד כנגד האמורים והשני חטאת כמשפט:
2ONE FOR A SIN-OFFERING, AND THE OTHER FOR A BURNT-OFFERING. Rabbi Isaac25 says the reason that one bird is brought for a burnt offering is that an unseemly thought may have entered his mind because his means do not suffice.26, a burnt offering, is offered in atonement for improper thoughts. See I.E. on Lev. 1:4. However, I believe that the bird brought as an offering corresponds to the organs of the sacrifice offered on the altar.27 The second bird is a sin offering, as the law requires.28
אעשירת האיפה. מאכל לאיש אחד ביום אחד:
1THE TENTH PART OF AN EPHAH. The amount of food a person eats in one day.29
אתמעל מעל. דבר שנתכסה עליו מגזרת מעיל והטעם כי חטאת הוא בקדשי השם יביא איל שהוא שוה כסף שקלים ומעוט רבים שנים:
1COMMIT A TRESPASS. The reference is to something which covered the offender.30 Timol ma’al (commit a trespass) is related to the word me’il (garment).31 literally means to garment a garment that is, to cover oneself with a garment. The reason why he shall bring a ram32 worth silver shekels33. is that he sinned against that which is sanctified to God. The minimum of the plural shekalim (shekels) is two.
אישלם. וישלם אשר חטא מן הקדש עם תוס׳ חמישתו וזה הוא אשם בשגגה בתחלה ואחר כך ידע:
1HE SHALL MAKE RESTITUTION. He shall make restitution for sinning by using a holy object and add a fifth.34 This is a guilt offering brought by one who errs at first and then becomes cognizant of his sin.
אואם נפש כי תחטא. ועשה אחת ממצות לא תעשה ולא ידע אם הוא אסור יביא איל ודעת רבים שזה אשם תלוי לא ידע אם עשה אם לא עשה והחטאת שבתחלה לא ידע ואחר כן ידע והנה החטאת שלא ידע שהוא אסור עד שהודע והאשם ידע שהוא אסור ושכח ואחר כן נזכר או אשם תלוי:
1AND IF ANY ONE SIN.35 And violates one of the negative commandments and does not know that what he did is prohibited,36 he shall bring a ram.37 Many believe38 23a. that the ram is brought as a “doubt guilt offering.” He brings a ram if he does not know whether he violated the law or not.39) and permitted fat (shuman) lay before him, and he believed that both were permissible fat and he ate one of them. Afterwards, however he was informed that one of these was forbidden fat, and he does not know whether he has eaten the forbidden fat. Such a person has to bring a guilt-offering in doubt” (Rashi). A sin offering is brought if he did not know that he sinned and then became aware of it. Observe,40 a sin offering is brought if he did not know that a certain act is prohibited until he was informed of it. A guilt offering is brought if he knew that it is prohibited but forgot, and then reminded himself. On the other hand, our verse might be speaking of a “doubt guilt offering.”41
אאשם אשם לה׳. הוא פירושו אשם הוא:
1HE IS CERTAINLY GUILTY BEFORE THE LORD. This explains why it is called a guilt offering. It is so called because he is guilty.42
אומעלה מעל בה׳. שעבר על מצות לא תעשה מדבר שהוא בינו ובין אדם:
1AND COMMIT A TRESPASS AGAINST THE LORD. By violating one of the negative precepts governing the relationship between a man and his neighbor.43
באו בתשומת יד. שותפות ששם ידו עמו:
2IN A MATTER OF DEPOSIT.44 (literally, a placing of the hand). Hence I.E.’s comment. Partnership. He joined hands with him.
גבגזל. בחזקה כמו ויגזול את החנית:
3OR OF ROBBERY.45. Involving force. Compare, and plucked (va-yigzol)46 and gazel come from the same root. the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand (I Chron. 11:23).
דעשק. בסתר:
4OR HAVE OPPRESSED. In secret.47
הועמיתו. רעהו ויתכן שהוא בעומתו. וה״א בהנה נוסף:
5HIS NEIGHBOR. Amito means his neighbor. It most probably means the one who is beside him.48 (neighbor) to the word le-ummat (close by) (Ex. 25:27).
אונשבע על שקר. פירושו או נשבע על ממון שיבקש אדם ממנו והעד או מכל אשר ישבע עליו לשקר:
1AND SWEAR TO A LIE. The meaning of ve-nishba al shaker (and swear to a lie) is, or swear to a lie49 prefaced to va-nishba means or, rather than and. regarding money that one seeks from him. The fact that Scripture states, or any thing about which he has sworn falsely (v. 24)50 is proof of this. The heh of va-hennah (therein) is superfluous.51 is a variant of hen.
אבראשו. בעצמו או מה שהוא שוה:
1IN FULL. Be-rosho (in full)52 literally means a head. Thus be-rosho literally means for its head. means in itself,53 or its worth.
בוחמשתיו. מיעוט רבים שנים והנה הם שני חמישיות ועוד אפרשנו:
2THE FIFTH PART. The minimum of a plural is two. Thus chamishitav54 is a plural. (the fifth part) means two fifths. I will explain it later.55
גביום אשמתו. טעמו ביום שובו מאשמתו יביא איל:
3IN THE DAY OF HIS BEING GUILTY. Its meaning is, in the day that he turns away from his guilt56 he shall bring a ram.
אבערכך. כראשון והוסיף חומשים בעבור שזה האשם הוא בזדון ודברי יחיד הם שגם זה האשם תלוי:
1ACCORDING TO THY VALUATION. As the first one.57. See I.E. on verse 15. Scripture adds fifths58 because this guilt offering is brought for a deliberate sin. There is an individual opinion that this guilt offering is also59 a “doubt-offering.”
אלאשמה בה. שם מהבנין הקל תחת שם הפועל:
1TO BE GUILTY THEREBY. Ashmah (guilty) is a noun in the kal. Scripture employs it in place of the infinite.60.