Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 261/ספרי דברים רס״א
א(דברים כג יט) לֹא תָבִיא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה, אֶתְנַן כָּל הָעֲרָיוֹת מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֶתְנַן מִכָּל מָקוֹם. אֵיזֶה הוּא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה? הָאוֹמֵר לְזוֹנָה: הֵילָךְ טָלֶה זֶה בִּשְׂכָרֵךְ, אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה, כֻּלָּם אֲסוּרִים. הָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ: הֵילָךְ טָלֶה זֶה וְתָלִין שִׁפְחָתְךָ אֵצֶל עַבְדִּי, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: אֵינוֹ אֶתְנָן, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֶתְנָן.
1Pisqa’ 2612931. “Do not bring a whore’s hire . . . to the Abode of HASHEM your God” (Dt. 23:19)—I might infer only that[the verse prohibits a sacrificial animal traded for]a whore’s hire.On what basis do I know that[the verse also covers]the hire of any near kin [for sexual favors]?The Teaching states:“Hire” (Dt. 23:19)—for anyone’s sexual favors[including those who are not near kin].2. What, exactly, is a whore’s hire?One who says to a whore:Take this lamb as your payment—even if he gives her a hundred lambs,they are all prohibited[for any one of them may be the whore’s hire].One who says to a companion:take this lamb so that your slave-girlmight spend the night with my slave—Rabbi says:This is not an example of a whore’s hire[for the slave-girl does not benefit from the exchange];But sages say:It is an example of a whore’s hire[for the exchange involves a sexual favor].294
בוּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב, אֵיזֶהוּ מְחִיר כֶּלֶב? הָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ הֵילָךְ טָלֶה זֶה תַּחַת כֶּלֶב זֶה. יָכוֹל אֲפִילּוּ הֶעֱבִירוֹ בְּרַגְלוֹ בָּעֲזָרָה יְהֵא חַיָּב? נֶאֱמַר כָּאן תּוֹעֵבָה וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן תּוֹעֵבָה, מַה תּוֹעֵבָה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן לְשֵׁם זֶבַח, אַף תּוֹעֵבָה הָאֲמוּרָה כָּאן לְשֵׁם זֶבַח.
23. “Or a dog’s price” (Dt. 23:19)—What, exactly, is a dog’s price?One who says to a companion:Take this [consecrated] lamb,in exchange for this dog—[and offer it on the Altar]. 295Is it possible to say thateven if he only walked [the lamb] through the Courtyard,[but did not slaughter it,]he should be held liable under this rule?It is stated here:“It is an abomination” (Dt. 23:19),and it is stated elsewhere[regarding a blemished sacrifice]:“It is an abomination” (Dt. 17:1).Now, just as elsewhere,abomination refers to [an unfit animal offered as] an altar-sacrifice,so, too, here as well,abomination refers to [an unfit animal avowed] as an altar-sacrifice.
גנֶדֶר, פְּרָט לְדָבָר הַנָּדוּר. כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר לְכָל נֶדֶר לְרַבּוֹת בָּמָה.
34. “To fulfill any sort of vow” (Dt. 23:19)—this excludes from the rulean item that has already been avowed.296When He states:“Any sort of vow” (Dt. 23:19)—this includes under the rule[vows offered at] a cultic shrine [outside of Jerusalem]. 297
דבֵּית ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ, פְּרָט לְפָרַת חַטָּאת שֶׁאֵינָהּ בָּאָה לַבַּיִת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: לְהָבִיא אֶת הָרִקּוּעִים.
4“To the Abode of HASHEM your God” (Dt. 23:19)—this excludes from the rulethe heifer [whose ashes are mixed with water]for purification (i.e. Nu. 19:1ff),298for it is not brought to the Abode[but slaughtered and burned on the Mount of Olives]:Words of R. Eliezer.But sages say:This includes within the rule vows of gold foil[to refurbish the Sanctuary].299
הלְכָל נֶדֶר, לְהָבִיא אֶת הָעוֹף. שֶׁהָיָה בְדִין, וּמַה מֻּקְדָּשִׁים שֶׁהַמּוּם פּוֹסֵל בָּהֶם אֵין אֶתְנָן וּמְחִיר חָל עֲלֵיהֶם, עוֹף שֶׁאֵין הַמּוּם פּוֹסֵל בּוֹ אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא אֶתְנָן וּמְחִיר חָל עֲלֵיהֶם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לְכָל נֶדֶר לְהָבִיא אֶת הָעוֹף. יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ שְׂכַר פִּקְעָתָהּ יְהֵא אָסוּר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה׳ גַּם שְׁנֵיהֶם, שְׁנַיִם וְלֹא אַרְבָּעָה;
5“To fulfill any sort of vow” (Dt. 23:19)—this includes under the rule vows of a bird.Now, we might have reasoned:Just as consecrated animalsare disqualified by a blemish—but the rules of a whore’s hire and a dog’s pricedon’t apply to them [after their consecration]—isn’t it reasonable that bird-offerings,which are not disqualified by a blemish,should not fall under the rule ofa whore’s hire and a dog’s price?The Teaching states:“To fulfill any sort of vow” (Dt. 23:19)—this includes under the rulevows of a bird. 3005. Is it possible to say thateven [if a husband pays his wife for a sexual act while she is unclean,]compensation for her wasted timeshould be prohibited under the rule? 301The Teaching states:“For indeed both of them are an abomination to HASHEM your God” (Dt. 23:19)—[i.e., a sacrificial animal purchased eitherwith a whore’s hire or in exchange for a dog.]“Both of them” (Dt. 23:19)—this implies two [are abominable, i.e., a whore’s hire and a dog’s price],but not four [i.e., addition of a whore’s price or a dog’s hire].
והֵם, וְלֹא וְלָדוֹתֵיהֶם וְלֹא חֲלִיפֵיהֶם.
6“Them” (Dt. 23:19)—but not their offspring and not substitutes for them.302