Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 59/ספרי דברים נ״ט
א(דברים יב א) אֵלֶּה הַחֻקִּים – אֵלּוּ הַמִּדְרָשׁוֹת,
1Pisqa’ 59211. “These are the laws” (Dt. 12:1)—rules derived from scriptural hermeneutics (midrashot).
בוְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים – אֵלּוּ הַדִּינִים,
2“And the rulings” (Dt. 12:1)—the civil judgments (dinim).
גאֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁמְרוּן – זוֹ מִשְׁנָה,
3“Which you are to preserve” (Dt. 12:1)—the oral-performative tradition (mishnah)
דלַעֲשׂוֹת – זוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה,
4“By performing” (Dt. 12:1)—the deeds that theTorah requires (ma`aseh).22 58.1.
הבָּאָרֶץ, יָכוֹל כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת כֻּלָּם נוֹהֲגוֹת בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לַעֲשׂוֹת בָּאָרֶץ. יָכוֹל לֹא יְהוּ כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת כֻּלָּן נוֹהֲגוֹת אֶלָּא בָּאָרֶץ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר כָּל הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם חַיִּים עַל הָאֲדָמָה. אַחַר שֶׁרִבָּה הַכָּתוּב מִיעֵט, הֲרֵי אָנוּ לְמֵדִים אוֹתָן מִן הָאָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן. מָה אָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן? – (דברים יב ב) אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת כָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת. מָה עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה מְיֻחֶדֶת, שֶׁהִיא מִצְוַת הַגּוּף וְאֵינָהּ תְּלוּיָה בָּאָרֶץ – נוֹהֶגֶת בָּאָרֶץ וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, כָּךְ כָּל מִצְוַת הַגּוּף שֶׁאֵינָהּ תְּלוּיָה בָּאָרֶץ נוֹהֶגֶת בָּאָרֶץ וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, וְשֶׁתְּלוּיָה בָּאָרֶץ אֵינָהּ נוֹהֶגֶת אֶלָּא בָּאָרֶץ, חוּץ מִן הָעָרְלָה וְהַכִּלְאַיִם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אַף הֶחָדָשׁ.
5“In the Land” (Dt. 12:1)—is it possible to say thatall the commandments in their entiretyare observed even beyond the Land?[To preclude this conclusion,]the Teaching states:“By performing in the Land” (Dt. 12:1)—Well, then, is it possible to say thatall the commandments in their entiretyare observed only in the Land?The Teaching states:“All the days in which you live on the soil” (Dt. 12:1)—after speaking inclusively,the verse limits its own application,23 77.3, 221.2, 249[so that some commandmentsare performed on any “soil.”]2. Look—we learn as much fromwhat is said in the same context!What is said in the same context?“You must utterly destroy all the places” (Dt. 12:2)—just as the prohibition againstserving a foreign cult is unique—as a commandment involving the bodythat does not depend upon being in the Land,yet which is practiced both in the Land and beyond the Land—similarly, all commandments involving the body,that do not depend upon [that body] being in the Land,are practiced both in the Land and beyond the Land.And those that depend upon being in the Land,are practiced only in the Land—except for prohibitions againstconsecrated fruit (Lv. 19:23) and mixed species (Lv. 19:19)[which are observed both in and beyond the Land].R. Eliezer says:also, the prohibition of the new grain harvest (Lv. 23:11-14)[until the Barley-Sheaf offering is madeon the second day of Passover]24 44.1 ad Dt. 11:18. See the annotations there.