Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Deuteronomy 20:6/רמב"ן על דברים כ׳:ו׳
אוְטַעַם וְלֹא חִלְּלוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא בָּאָה הַשָּׁנָה הָרְבִיעִית, כִּי הַמִּנְהָג בַּכֶּרֶם בְּבוֹא תְּבוּאָתוֹ שֶׁיָּחוּלוּ שָׁם וְיֵלְכוּ בּוֹ בַּחֲלִילִים, וְצִוָּה הַכָּתוּב (ויקרא יט כד) שֶׁיִּהְיֶה כָּל פִּרְיוֹ קֹדֶשׁ הִלּוּלִים, שֶׁיְּהַלְלוּ אֶת הַשֵּׁם הַנִּכְבָּד בַּשִּׂמְחָה הַהִיא. וְיִתָּכֵן שֶׁיִּהְיֶה פֵּרוּשׁ וְלֹא חִלְּלוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא עֲשָׂאוֹ חֻלִּין, וְהוּא הַפִּדְיוֹן שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ (מעשר שני פ"ה מ"ד), מִלְּשׁוֹן כִּי חִלֵּל יְהוּדָה קֹדֶשׁ ה' (מלאכי ב יא), וְלֹא יְחַלֵּל זַרְעוֹ (ויקרא כא טו):
1V’LO CHIL’LO’ — the fourth year [since the vineyard was planted] had not yet arrived. For the custom regarding a vineyard used to be that when the produce was ripe they would dance there and walk in it with chalilim (flutes). Now, Scripture commanded that all the fruits thereof [of the fourth year] shall be holy, for giving praise unto the Eternal,304 that they should praise the Glorious Name305 at that celebration. It is possible that the meaning of v’lo chil’lo is “that he has not made it chulin (secular),” this referring to the “redemption” [i.e., exchanging the fruits for money in case he cannot transport them to Jerusalem] which our Rabbis have mentioned,306 it being similar to the expressions: for Judah ‘chileil’ (hath profaned) the holiness of the Eternal307 [which means Israel has exchanged Him for other gods]; and he shall not ‘yechaleil’ (profane) his seed308 [which also means that he shall not exchange his holy seed by taking a woman forbidden to him].