Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 126/ספרי דברים קכ״ו
א(דברים טו כא) וְכִי יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שֶׁנּוֹלַד תָּמִים וְנַעֲשָׂה בַּעַל מוּם, נוֹלַד בַּעַל מוּם מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: כֹּל מוּם רָע. מִנַּיִן לְבַעַל גָּרָב וּבַעַל יַבֶּלֶת וּבַעַל חֲזָזִית, וְזָקֵן וְחוֹלֶה וּמְזֹהָם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מוּם, כֹּל מוּם רָע לֹא תִזְבָּחֶנּוּ לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ. יָכוֹל לֹא יִשְׁחַט עֲלֵיהֶם בַּמִּקְדָּשׁ, אֲבָל יִשְׁחַט עֲלֵיהֶם בַּגְּבוּלִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: פִּסֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר; פִּסֵּחַ וְעִוֵּר בִּכְלָל הָיוּ, וְלָמָּה יָצְאוּ? לְהַקִּישׁ אֲלֵיהֶם – מַה פִּסֵּחַ וְעִוֵּר מְיֻחָדִים – מוּם שֶׁבַּגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר, אַף אֵין לִי אֶלָּא מוּם שֶׁבַּגָּלוּי וְאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר.
1Pisqa’ 1263881. “Now, when he suffers a blemish” (Dt. 15:21).I might infer only that[a Firstling is disqualified as an offering]if he was born unblemishedand later suffered a blemish.How do I know [to disqualify]one born blemished from his mother’s womb?389The Teaching states:“Any serious blemish” (Dt. 15:21)—[any includes birth defects].How do we know to include an animalsuffering from [acquired blemishes, such as]scabs, warts, tumors,old age, sickness, or a foul smell?390The Teaching states:“Serious blemish” (Dt. 15:21)—[whether congenital or acquired].2. “Any serious blemish, do not slaughter it for HASHEM your God” (Dt. 15:21).Is it possible to say thatone may not slaughter [an animal] bearingthese [blemishes] in the Holy Shrine,but one may slaughter [such an animal]in the outskirts391; the term is often conflated with bamedinah (“in the province”). Most commentators see a distinction between the Jerusalem proper (where only Most-holy offerings may be slaughtered and eaten) and its environs beyond its wall (where only common food or Lesser-Holy offerings may be consumed. See also Pisqa’ 124.5. For a fuller mapping of spatial holiness, cf. M. Kel. 1:8-9. of Jerusalem?392The Teaching states:“Lameness or blindness” (Dt. 15:21)—a lame or a blind animal should beincluded [under the rule] of [other disqualifying blemishes].So why are they singled out [for special mention]?To use them for comparison:just as lameness and blindness are distinctive,in being visible and permanent,I may infer only that[any disqualifying] blemishshould be visible and permanent.393 147.3.
ב(דברים טו כג) רַק אֶת דָּמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵל, שְׁתִיָּה בִּכְלַל אֲכִילָה.
23. “But do not eat the blood” (Dt. 15:23)—drinking it is like eating it.
גרַק – זוֹ הַתְרָיַת עֵדִים;
3“But” (Dt. 15:23)—this [limiting term] requires that[punishment for intentional violation be preceded by]a warning from by-standers[not to violate this proscription].
דרַק – לתֵּן שִׁיעוּר כַּזַּיִת שֶׁאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה.
4“But” (Dt. 15:23)—[this limiting term] establishes the volume of an olive[as the minimum quantity of blood]proscribed by the Torah.
העַל הָאָרֶץ – וְלֹא עַל הָעוּקָא, וְלֹא עַל הַגֻּמָּא, לֹא עַל הַמַּיִם וְהַנְּהָרוֹת הַמְהַלְּכִים, אֶלָּא נִכְנָס לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ וְשׁוֹחֵט חוּץ לַגֻּמָּא, וְהַדָּם שׁוֹתֵת וְיוֹרֵד לְתוֹךְ הַגֻּמָּא שֶׁלֹּא יְטַנֵּף אֶת כָּל הַבַּיִת. וּבַשּׁוּק לֹא יַעֲשֶׂה כֵן, שֶׁלֹּא יְחַקֶּה אֶת הַמִּינִים.
5“Pour it out upon the ground like water” (Dt. 15:23)—but not over a pit or a ditch,and not over running water or streams.However, he may enter his homeand slaughter it outside a ditch,while the blood flows into the ditch,so as not to make the house filthy.But in the street he may not do so,lest he imitate [the custom of] the dissenters.394. The term is usually taken to refer to Jewish followers of Jesus of Nazareth, but often denotes Jews who reject rabbinic authority and beliefs, such as the reality of the “coming eon,” etc. Cf. M. San.10:1, T. Ber.3:25, and M. Meg. 4:8-9. See also Pisqa’ 48.6
ותִּשְׁפְּכֶנּוּ – אֵין שְׁפִיכָה אֶלָּא מִן הַצַּוָּאר. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: עַל הָאָרֶץ תִּשְׁפְּכֶנּוּ כַּמָּיִם, מַה מַּיִם מַכְשִׁירִים אֶת הַזְּרָעִים – אַף דַּם שְׁחִיטָה מַכְשִׁיר אֶת הַזְּרָעִים. אוֹ דַּם נְחִירָה, דַּם עִקּוּר, דַּם קִלּוּחַ, דַּם הַקָּזָה, הַטְּחוֹל הַשָּׁלִיל וְהַתַּמְצִית, הַכָּבֵד הַלֵּב וְהַמִּיתָה בְּמַשְׁמָע? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: תִּשְׁפְּכֶנּוּ כַּמָּיִם, מִי שֶׁנִּשְׁפָּךְ כַּמַּיִם הוּא שֶׁמַּכְשִׁיר, יָצְאוּ אֵלּוּ שֶׁאֵינָם מַכְשִׁירִים.
6“Pour it out” (Dt. 15:23)—pouring refers specifically toblood flowing from the arteries of the neck.R. Eliezer says:“Pour it out upon the ground like water” (Dt. 15:23)—just as water prepares seeds to receive uncleanness,so, too, the blood of slaughter prepares seeds to receive uncleanness.395Or [perhaps other types of blood are meant for inclusion]?Blood from a stab-wound, blood from a gouge-wound,spurting blood, blood drawn [for healing],blood from the spleen or the placenta, coagulating blood,liver-blood, heart-blood, and post-mortem bleeding.396The Teaching states:“Pour it out . . . like water” (Dt. 15:23).What can be poured out like water—that is what prepares [seeds to receive uncleanness].These other sources [of blood] are excluded [from the rule],for they do not prepare [seeds to receive uncleanness].397 126, p. 100b, n.4)—regards the entire block of text at 126.3 as foreign material supplied by a medieval copyist.