Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Deuteronomy 12:21/רמב"ן על דברים י״ב:כ״א

אוְטַעַם וְזָבַחְתָּ וְגוֹ' כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ, עַל דַּעַת רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (חולין כח) כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ, עַל פֶּה מֵהֲלָכָה לְמֹשֶׁה מִסִּינַי, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁנִּצְטַוָּה מֹשֶׁה עַל הַוֶּשֶׁט וְעַל הַקָּנֶה וְעַל רֹב אֶחָד בָּעוֹף וְעַל רֹב שְׁנַיִם בַּבְּהֵמָה. וְדַע כִּי שְׁחִיטָה בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ הוּא הִכָּרֵת סִימָנֵי הַצַּוָּאר. וְאַל תָּחוּשׁ בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאָמַר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵם בַּמִּדְבָּר (במדבר יד טז), כִּי הִיא מְלִיצָה שֶׁזָּבַח אוֹתָם כְּצֹאן. וְהִנֵּה צִוָּה בַּקָּרְבָּנוֹת וְשָׁחַט וּשְׁחָטוֹ, שֶׁהוּא בְּסִימָנֵי הַצַּוָּאר. וְהִנֵּה מִתְּחִלָּה צִוָּה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל מָה שֶׁהֵם אוֹכְלִים שְׁלָמִים וְהֵם שְׁחוּטִים כְּמִשְׁפַּט הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וְעַתָּה כְּשֶׁבָּא לְהַתִּיר בְּשַׂר הַחֻלִּין אָמַר וְזָבַחְתָּ מִבְּקָרְךָ וּמִצֹּאנְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִךָ, בִּהְיוֹתָם קָרְבָּנוֹת, וְתֹאכַל אוֹתָם חֻלִּין בְּכָל תַּאֲוַת נַפְשֶׁךָ, לוֹמַר שֶׁיַּתִּירֵם חֻלִּין בְּכָל מָקוֹם, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ זְבוּחִין כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה מִתְּחִלָּה בִּהְיוֹתָם כֻּלָּם קָרְבָּנוֹת. וְזֶהוּ פְּשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא זֶה עַל הַנָּכוֹן. וְשֶׁמָּא רַבּוֹתֵינוּ נִתְכַּוְּנוּ בָּזֶה כְּשֶׁאָמְרוּ בְּסִפְרֵי (ראה לט), כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִיךָ, מָה קָדָשִׁים בִּשְׁחִיטָה אַף חֻלִּין בִּשְׁחִיטָה. וְהִנֵּה מִצְוַת הַשְּׁחִיטָה מְפֹרֶשֶׁת בְּכָאן, וּמְבֹאֶרֶת מִדִּבְרֵי רַבּוֹתֵינוּ בַּקַּבָּלָה:

1AND THOU SHALT SLAUGHTER etc. AS I HAVE COMMANDED THEE. The meaning thereof according to the opinion of our Rabbis⁶¹ is as follows: “As I have commanded thee — orally, by law declared to Moses on Sinai This teaches us that he was commanded with regard to [severing] the windpipe and the gullet, and [severing] the greater part of one [either the windpipe or the gullet] in a bird, and [severing] the greater part of both in an animal.”Know that the term shechitah in the Sacred Language denotes the severing of the two organs in the neck [the windpipe and the gullet], and be not apprehensive because of what it says ‘vayishchateim’ (and He slew them) in the wilderness⁶² [which clearly does not signify severing the organs of the neck], for it is but a euphemism [as if to say] that He slaughtered them like sheep. Thus He commanded regarding the offerings, ‘v’shachat’ (and he shall slaughter),⁶³ ‘v’shachatu’ (and they shall slaughter),⁶⁴ which refer to the organs of the neck. Now at first [in the wilderness] He commanded that whatever [meat] they eat be of peace-offerings, that they be slaughtered according to the law of the offerings. Now, when he proceeded to permit the meat of unconsecrated animals, he said, and thou shalt slaughter of thy herd and of thy flock as I have commanded thee when such animals were brought as offerings, and you may eat them unconsecrated after all the desire of thy soul, meaning that He permits unconsecrated animals to be eaten everywhere, provided that they be slaughtered as He had commanded originally, when they were all [permitted only as] offerings. This is the correct meaning of the verse in line with the plain sense of Scripture. Perhaps our Rabbis intended this [thought] when they said in the Sifre:⁶⁵ 75. “As I have commanded thee — just as the consecrated animals are slaughtered [in accordance with the traditional regulations] so must also the unconsecrated animals be slaughtered [with the same regulations].” Thus the commandment of slaughtering [animal and fowl] is here expressly stated and is explained in the words of our Rabbis on the basis of tradition.