Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ramban · Torah
Ramban on Leviticus 22:28/רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ב:כ״ח
אאֹתוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹ נוֹהֵג בַּנְּקֵבָה שֶׁאָסוּר לִשְׁחֹט הָאֵם וְהַבֵּן אוֹ הָאֵם וְהַבַּת, וְאֵינוֹ נוֹהֵג בַּזְּכָרִים וּמֻתָּר לִשְׁחֹט הָאָב וְהַבֵּן, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על ויקרא כ"ב:כ"ח). פּוֹסֵק הָרַב הֲלָכָה כְּדִבְרֵי הָאוֹמֵר אֵין חוֹשְׁשִׁין לְזֶרַע הָאָב (חולין עט), וְכֵן דַּעַת אוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על ויקרא כ"ב:כ"ח), וְהוּא הַנָּכוֹן בַּגְּמָרָא בְּדִין אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹ. אֲבָל דֶּרֶךְ הַכָּתוּב כְּשֶׁמַּזְכִּיר הַנְּקֵבָה בְּיִחוּד לִקְרוֹת אוֹתָהּ פָּרָה, וְאִם כֵּן הָיָה רָאוּי שֶׁיֹּאמַר הַכָּתוּב, וּפָרָה אוֹ כִּשְׂבָּה אוֹתָהּ וְאֶת בְּנָהּ, אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהִזְכִּיר "שׁוֹר אוֹ כֶשֶׂב אוֹ עֵז כִּי יִוָּלֵד" וְהִזְכִּיר הָאֵם וְהַבֵּן "וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ", אָמַר כִּי בַּמִּינִין הַנִּזְכָּרִים הָאֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵם שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה עוֹד מִצְוָה אַחֶרֶת בָּהֶן, כִּי אוֹתוֹ וְאֶת בְּנוֹ הַנִּזְכָּרִים לֹא יִשְׁחֲטוּ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד:
1AND WHETHER IT BE OF THE HERD OR FLOCK, ‘OTHO V’ETH B’NO’153 (IT AND ITS YOUNG) YE SHALL NOT SLAUGHTER IN ONE DAY. “[The law] applies only in the case of the female parent, it being forbidden to slaughter the dam and its male young, or the dam and its female young, but it does not apply to the male parent, and it is therefore permissible to slaughter the male parent and his young.” This is Rashi’s language.The Rabbi [Rashi] thus decided that the conclusive decision of the law is in accordance with the opinion of the Sage154 who says that we do not take into consideration the male parentage [of animals]. And such also is the opinion of Onkelos [who translated: “and whether it be the dam or the ewe, her and her young ye shall not slaughter in one day”]. This is the correct decision [reached] in the Gemara [of Tractate Chullin]155 concerning the law of “It and its young.” But the way of Scripture when mentioning specifically the female [of the herd], is to call it parah (cow),156 and if so it would have been proper that Scripture say, “and whether it be parah (cow) or ewe, her and her young.” But since He had mentioned [at the beginning of this section], When any of the herd, or a sheep or a goat is brought forth,157 and He mentioned the dam and its young by saying, then it shall be seven days under its dam,157 He therefore states [in the verse before us] that concerning these kinds of animals mentioned, namely, the herd and the flock, there is yet another commandment that it and its young mentioned above, must not be slaughtered in one day [and thus it is self-evident that the law applies only to the female parent].