Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah

Ramban on Leviticus 22:15/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ב:ט״ו

אוְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ אֶת קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהַאֲכִילָם לְזָרִים. וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אוֹתָם עֲוֹן אַשְׁמָה אֶת עַצְמָם יַטְעִינוּ עָוֹן בְּאָכְלָם אֶת הַקֳּדָשִׁים שֶׁהֻבְדְּלוּ לְשֵׁם תְּרוּמָה וְקָדְשׁוּ וְנֶאֶסְרוּ עֲלֵיהֶם. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם "בְּמֵיכַלְהוֹן בְּסוֹאֲבָא", שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ תִּרְגְּמוֹ כֵן, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ב:ט"ז) זַ"ל. וְלֹא הֲבִינוֹתִי דַּעְתּוֹ, כִּי יֵרָאֶה מִדְּבָרָיו שֶׁזֶּה הַלָּאו אַזְהָרָה בַּכֹּהֲנִים הוּא שֶׁלֹּא יַאֲכִילוּ הַתְּרוּמָה לְזָרִים, וְאִם כֵּן רָאוּי שֶׁנְּפָרֵשׁ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה "וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אוֹתָם" כִּנּוּי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיַּטְעִינוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל עֲוֹן אַשְׁמָה כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאכְלוּ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, וְלָמָּה הֻצְרַךְ רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל לְדָרְשׁוֹ בְּעַצְמָם (ספרי נשא לב), וְעוֹד שֶׁלֹּא הֻזְכַּר זֶה הַלָּאו בַּתַּלְמוּד אֶלָּא הוּא אָסוּר לַעֲשׂוֹת כֵּן כְּבִשְׁאָר כָּל הָאִסּוּרִין. אֲבָל טַעַם הַכָּתוּב כִּי "בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" נִמְשָׁךְ לְמַעְלָה, וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לַה', וְהוּא אַזְהָרָה שֵׁנִית בְּזָר שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיִּרְצֶה לְהַזְכִּיר בּוֹ הָעֹנֶשׁ. וְאָמַר, וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אֶת עַצְמָם וְגוֹ', כַּאֲשֶׁר יֹאכְלוּ אֶת קָדְשֵׁיהֶם. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ מִפְּנֵי יִתּוּרוֹ בְּאוֹכֵל טֶבֶל, אָמְרוּ (סנהדרין פג), מִנַּיִן לָאוֹכֵל טֶבֶל שֶׁהוּא בְּמִיתָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ אֶת קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לַה'", בַּעֲתִידִין לִתְרֹם הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וְיָלֵף חִלּוּל חִלּוּל מִתְּרוּמָה. אֲבָל בְּת"כ (פרק ו ח-י) מָצָאתִי, "וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ", לְהָבִיא אֶת הַסָּךְ וְאֶת הַשּׁוֹתֶה. "אֶת קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" עַל קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּבִין קֶרֶן וְחֹמֶשׁ וְאֵין חַיָּבִין עַל קָדְשֵׁי גּוֹיִם קֶרֶן וְחֹמֶשׁ. יָכוֹל יְהוּ חַיָּבִין עַל הַתְּרוּמָה שֶׁבַּטֶּבֶל, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר "אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָרִימוּ לַה'", עַל הַמּוּרָם הֵם חַיָּבִים וְאֵין חַיָּבִין עַל הַתְּרוּמָה שֶׁבַּטֶּבֶל. "וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אוֹתָם עֲוֹן אַשְׁמָה", מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַף עַל הַטֶּבֶל חַיָּבִין מִיתָה. וְזֶה אֵינוֹ כְּדֶרֶךְ הַגְּמָרָא, אֶלָּא שֶׁאֲנִי אוֹמֵר רִבּוּי הַסָּךְ וְהַשּׁוֹתֶה אַסְמַכְתָּא, כִּי שְׁתִיָּה בִּכְלַל אֲכִילָה וְסִיכָה מִדְּרַבָּנָן, כָּךְ מְפֹרָשׁ בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי (מעשר שני פ"ב ה"א). וּמִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָמַר בְּטֶבֶל "וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ אֶת קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהֵם עֲתִידִין לְהָרִים מִמֶּנּוּ לַה', דָּרְשׁוּ מִזֶּה שֶׁהַמּוּרָם הוּא הַנִּקְרָא קֹדֶשׁ, לֹא הַטֶּבֶל, וְא"כ אֵינֶנּוּ בִּכְלַל "כִּי יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה" (ויקרא כ"ב:י"ד) שֶׁיִּתְחַיֵּב בְּחֹמֶשׁ, וּלְכָךְ חָזַר וְשָׁנָה "וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אוֹתָם עֲוֹן אַשְׁמָה", מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַף עַל הַטֶּבֶל חַיָּבִין מִיתָה, כִּי הַתְּרוּמָה שֶׁבַּטֶּבֶל הִיא שֶׁהֻזְכְּרָה כָּאן. וְהַכְּלָל כִּי הַכָּתוּב הַזֶּה בְּטֶבֶל, וְהִזְהִיר וְעָנַשׁ תְּחִלָּה עַל הַקֹּדֶשׁ הַמּוּרָם, וְחָזַר וְהִזְהִיר עַל שֶׁיָּרִימוּ בֶּעָתִיד, כְּפִי מִדְרַשׁ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ:

1AND THEY SHALL NOT PROFANE THE HOLY THINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — “by giving them to non-priests to be eaten.” 16. AND SO CAUSE ‘OTHAM’ (THEM) TO BEAR THE INIQUITY THAT BRINGETH GUILT. “[The word otham here means] ‘themselves,’ meaning that they [the priests) cause themselves to bear iniquity when they [the non-priests] eat the holy things which have been set aside as the heave-offering, and have become sanctified as such, and forbidden to them [the non-priests]. And Onkelos who rendered the verse: ‘when they [the priests] eat them in impurity’ has translated it so unnecessarily.”¹⁰⁵ (Verse 4; Makkoth 14 b). Thus far is the language of Rashi, of blessed memory.But I did not understand Rashi’s opinion. For it would appear from his words that this negative commandment constitutes a prohibition to the priests, that they are not to give the heave-offering to non-priests to eat of it. And if so, it would be fitting to explain [the word ‘otham’ in the phrase] and so cause ‘otham’ (them), as a pronoun for “Israel,” meaning that the priests will thereby burden the Israelites with the iniquity that beareth guilt, when they [the Israelites] eat the holy things! Why then did Rabbi Yishmael find it necessary to interpret the word otham [as a reflexive form], meaning “themselves” [as Rashi mentioned]? Besides, this negative commandment is not mentioned [specifically] in the Talmud, but instead the priest is forbidden to do so as is the case with all other prohibitions [where we are forbidden to help or cause another person to commit a transgression].¹⁰⁶ Rather, the explanation of the phrase the children of Israel [in Verse 15] is that it refers back to the beginning [part of that verse, thus making it as follows]: “and the children of Israel shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which they set apart unto the Eternal,” the verse thus constituting a second admonition¹⁰⁷. to the non-priest that he is not to eat of the holy things, [and the reason why it is repeated is] because He wanted to mention the punishment for the transgression thereof, stating and they will cause themselves to bear the iniquity etc. when they [the non-priests] will eat their holy things.Now our Rabbis explained [that the reason for] the repetition of this admonition was to forbid the eating of tevel.¹⁰⁸ is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. Thus they have said:¹⁰⁹ “Whence do we know that one who eats tevel is liable to death [by the hand of Heaven]? From the verse, And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel which ‘yarimu’ (they shall set apart) unto the Eternal. Now the verse refers to that which is yet to be offered [namely, the verse refers to the holy things — the heave-offering and the tithes — which are not yet set apart from the produce, so that it is all tevel];¹⁰⁸ is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. and then an identity of law is learned from the use of ‘profanation’ here and in the case of the heave-offering:¹¹⁰. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II pp. 143-145, where this whole subject is discussed at length. [just as there the penalty is death by the hand of Heaven, so here too].”However, in the Torath Kohanim I have found this text:¹¹¹ 6:8-10. “And they shall not profane. This includes one who anoints himself with or drinks [oil of heave-offering].¹¹² The holy things of the children of Israel. For the things [declared] holy by the children of Israel, [a non-priest who eats of them by mistake] is liable to pay the priest their value and the added fifth [in fruits], but for the things [declared] holy by non-Jews, he [a non-priest] is not liable to repay [the priest] their value and the added fifth.¹¹³ 6:8-10, the reading is as follows: “For the holy things of the children of Israel, [a non-priest who eats of them by mistake] is liable to add a fifth [to the original value], but for the holy things of non-Jews, he is not obliged to pay the added fifth.” The original value he must of course repay, since they were not his. I might think that he is liable [to pay a fifth] for the heave-offering that is in the tevel¹⁰⁸ is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. [as will be explained further on]; Scripture therefore states, that which ‘yarimu’ (they will set apart) unto the Eternal. For that which has been set apart they are liable to pay [an added fifth], but they are not liable to pay [an added fifth] for the heave-offering in the tevel [which has not yet been set apart]. And so they will cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt. This teaches us that for eating tevel¹⁰⁸ is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. one is also punishable by death [by the hand of Heaven].” Now this [Beraitha of the Torath Kohanim] is not in accord with the way of the Gemara [mentioned above].¹¹⁴ etc. as referring to that which is yet to be offered [as explained above in the text], and the Torath Kohanim explained it to include anointing oneself with or drinking oil of heave-offering. (b) In the Gemara the Rabbis derived from the Scriptural use of the word yarimu (they shall set apart) in the future, that this establishes the prohibition against eating tevel [as explained in the text], while the Torath Kohanim interpreted it to teach that for the heave-offering in the tevel he does not pay a fifth, if he ate it in error. But I say that the inclusion of anointing and drinking [in the prohibition of our verse] is only a Scriptural support for a Rabbinic ordinance, since drinking is included in the term eating [and just as a non-priest is Scripturally forbidden to eat the heave-offering, so too he is Scripturally forbidden to drink it, without the necessity for a special inclusionary phrase], whilst anointing oneself with it is [only] prohibited by Rabbinic ordinance. It is so clearly explained in the Yerushalmi.¹¹⁵ And since He stated with reference to tevel,¹⁰⁸ is produce from which the heave-offering and the tithes have not been separated. And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, because they are going to set aside a part thereof for the Eternal [as the future tense in the word yarimu — “they will set apart” — indicates], the Rabbis deduced from this that [only] the portion which is set apart [as the heave-offering] is called “holy”, and not the tevel. And if so, [eating tevel] is not included in the terms of the law, And if a man eat of ‘the holy’ thing through error, then he shall add its fifth to it,¹¹⁶ so that he be liable to pay the additional fifth.¹¹⁷ contains the heave-offering which will be set apart for the priest, a non-priest who eats it by mistake should therefore make restitution to the priest by giving him its value and an added fifth, just as if he had eaten separately heave-offering which has already been removed from the produce. To preclude us from such reasoning, Scripture states here that he does not have to pay the additional fifth. However, the Divine punishment for eating tevel is the same as for eating the heave-offering, as Ramban continues. It is for this reason that He teaches again, and so cause them to bear the iniquity that bringeth guilt, thereby teaching that eating tevel is also punishable by death [by the hand of Heaven], for it is the heave-offering in the tevel that is mentioned here. In brief, this verse speak of tevel and warns with reference to that which is yet to be offered in the future, according to the interpretation of our Rabbis.