Comentario sobre Exodo 22:28
מְלֵאָתְךָ֥ וְדִמְעֲךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְאַחֵ֑ר בְּכ֥וֹר בָּנֶ֖יךָ תִּתֶּן־לִּֽי׃
<span class="x" onmousemove="Show('perush','Este es el <b>154to Precepto Negativo</b> enumerado por el Rambam en el Prefacio a Mishné Torá, su “Compendio de la Ley Hebrea” para todo el Pueblo de Israel.',event);" onmouseout="Close();">No dilatarás la primicia de tu cosecha</span>, ni de tu licor, me darás el primogénito de tus hijos.
Rashi on Exodus
מלאתך [THOU SHALT NOT DELAY TO OFFER FROM] THY FULLNESS — The duty which falls upon you as soon as your crop becomes fully ripened: this refers to the first fruits (בכורים).
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Ramban on Exodus
M’LEIATHCHA V’DIM’ACHA’ (OF THE FULNESS OF THY HARVEST, AND OUT OF THE OUTFLOW OF THY PRESSES) THOU SHALT NOT DELAY TO OFFER. We find the word m’leiah with reference to seed, thus: lest there be forfeited ‘ham’leiah’ (the fulness) of the seed which thou hast sown,333Deuteronomy 22:9. and again: ‘v’kamleiah’ (and as the fulness) of the winepress,334Numbers 18:27. meaning wine and oil, just as it is said, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.335Joel 2:24.
It appears to me in connection with these terms, that fruits of the field and vineyard are called t’vuah [of the root bo — come in] because the farmers “bring” the whole crop in together to the homes. It is also called asif (the ingathering): ‘osef’ (the ingathering) shall not come;336Isaiah 32:10. and the feast of ‘ha’asif’ (the ingathering).337Further, 23:16. This is why produce is called m’leiah (fulness), because a gathering-together into one place of a mass of material or people is called milui (fulness): though there be called forth against him ‘m’lo’ (a multitude of) shepherds;338Isaiah 31:4. even they are ‘malei’ (in full) cry after you;339Jeremiah 12:6. together against me ‘yitmalo’un’340Job 16:10. — they gather themselves and come. Similarly, and his seed shall become ‘m’lo’ nations341Genesis 48:19. — means an assembly and multitude of nations.
It is further possible that produce is called m’leiah (full) as a substitute term for a blessing — that the granaries shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil,342Joel 2:24. and the reaper fills his hands, and the binder of sheaves his bosom,343See Psalms 129:7. and gathers grapes in the vintage. For when their portion is cursed344Job 24:18. Scripture says, Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it springeth up; wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom,345Psalms 129:6-7. but when their portion is blessed, it is called m’leiah (full). And in that case dim’acha [literally: “your tear”] is an allusion to wine and oil, a usage borrowed from dim’ath ha’ayin (tear of the eye), because the drops from the grape and olive resemble the tear of the eye. Or it may be that all moisture that falls in globules — even drops of water — are called dim’ah (tear), such as: and mine eyes shall run down ‘dim’ah’ (with tear),346Jeremiah 13:17. and it is not a term used only for tears. And the intention of the verse is, that when you gather in the crops of the field, and the granaries will be full of corn,342Joel 2:24. and you press the grapes and olives to extract their juice, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil,342Joel 2:24. you should not delay them in your possession, but right at the beginning you are to give your tithings to Me, just as He said, The first fruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil… shalt thou give him — [i.e., the priest].347Deuteronomy 18:4.
In the opinion of our Rabbis,348Mechilta here on the Verse. of blessed memory, thou shalt not delay means that: “you are not to set aside last what should be first, [and set aside first what should be last].” Now here He did not explain [the correct order of the gifts], for here He mentions the commandments in a general way, and afterwards He explained them in detail. The Rabbis arranged the order of the gifts as follows: first-fruits, the heave-offering, the First Tithe, and the Second Tithe.349The first-fruits are brought to the Sanctuary and then given to the priest. The heave-offering is given to the priest, the First Tithe to the Levite, and the Second Tithe is eaten by the owner in Jerusalem. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 145-146, for full discussion of this commandment. This order they established on the basis of the following interpretation with reference to these gifts, just as we have been taught:350Terumoth 3:7. “How do we know that first-fruits come before the heave-offering, being that this one is called by Scripture terumah (heave-offering) and reshith (the first), and the other is also called terumah and reshith?351Deuteronomy 12:6 speaks of first-fruits as terumath yedchem (the heave-offering of your hand); they are called reshith in this Scriptural section (further 23:19). The heave-offering is called terumah in Numbers 18:8, and is called reshith in Deuteronomy 18:4. First-fruits have priority because they are the first [to grow] of all produce. The heave-offering comes before the First Tithe, because it is called reshith (the first),351Deuteronomy 12:6 speaks of first-fruits as terumath yedchem (the heave-offering of your hand); they are called reshith in this Scriptural section (further 23:19). The heave-offering is called terumah in Numbers 18:8, and is called reshith in Deuteronomy 18:4. and the First Tithe comes before the Second Tithe because it contains in it reshith” [since the Levite who receives the First Tithe must give a tenth of it as terumah to the priest].
Onkelos translated m’leiathcha v’dim’acha: “bikurach (your first fruit), v’dim’ach.”352Onkelos thus left the Hebrew word v’dim’acha untranslated. As explained further it is a term denoting the priest’s share of the produce — in other words, the terumah [or the heave-offering]. According to Onkelos the verse thus refers to the first-fruits and the heave-offering. And Rashi explained: “M’leiathcha — this means the duty which falls upon you when your crop becomes fully ripened, and it refers to the first-fruits. V’dim’acha means the heave-offering. But I do not know what the term dim’a means.” It is similarly stated in the Mechilta:348Mechilta here on the Verse. “M’leiathcha means the first-fruits which are taken from the full crop, and dim’acha means the heave-offering.” Perhaps in the same way that according to the Rabbis the first-fruits are called in this verse m’leiah (fulness), because they are taken from the full crop, so the heave-offering is called dim’ah [literally: “tear” or “outflow,” as explained above], because it is set aside from wine and oil, [as liquids], not from the fruit. Scripture mentioned only these two kinds of produce, [wine and oil], in order to hint at the law that the heave-offering only has to be set aside from them when in the form of wine and oil, there being no obligation upon the owner to anticipate and set it aside when they are still grapes and olives.
Thus He only mentioned these commandments here by way of allusion, as if to say, “Be careful to keep these commandments about which I will command you further,” in a similar manner to that which He said above, and I will appoint thee a place whither he may flee.353Above, 21:13. This was in order to write down these commandments in the book of the covenant354Further, 24:7. which He mentions in a subsequent section, and Scripture explains them all again in another place, [each one in detail].
It appears to me in connection with these terms, that fruits of the field and vineyard are called t’vuah [of the root bo — come in] because the farmers “bring” the whole crop in together to the homes. It is also called asif (the ingathering): ‘osef’ (the ingathering) shall not come;336Isaiah 32:10. and the feast of ‘ha’asif’ (the ingathering).337Further, 23:16. This is why produce is called m’leiah (fulness), because a gathering-together into one place of a mass of material or people is called milui (fulness): though there be called forth against him ‘m’lo’ (a multitude of) shepherds;338Isaiah 31:4. even they are ‘malei’ (in full) cry after you;339Jeremiah 12:6. together against me ‘yitmalo’un’340Job 16:10. — they gather themselves and come. Similarly, and his seed shall become ‘m’lo’ nations341Genesis 48:19. — means an assembly and multitude of nations.
It is further possible that produce is called m’leiah (full) as a substitute term for a blessing — that the granaries shall be full of corn, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil,342Joel 2:24. and the reaper fills his hands, and the binder of sheaves his bosom,343See Psalms 129:7. and gathers grapes in the vintage. For when their portion is cursed344Job 24:18. Scripture says, Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it springeth up; wherewith the reaper filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom,345Psalms 129:6-7. but when their portion is blessed, it is called m’leiah (full). And in that case dim’acha [literally: “your tear”] is an allusion to wine and oil, a usage borrowed from dim’ath ha’ayin (tear of the eye), because the drops from the grape and olive resemble the tear of the eye. Or it may be that all moisture that falls in globules — even drops of water — are called dim’ah (tear), such as: and mine eyes shall run down ‘dim’ah’ (with tear),346Jeremiah 13:17. and it is not a term used only for tears. And the intention of the verse is, that when you gather in the crops of the field, and the granaries will be full of corn,342Joel 2:24. and you press the grapes and olives to extract their juice, and the vats shall overflow with wine and oil,342Joel 2:24. you should not delay them in your possession, but right at the beginning you are to give your tithings to Me, just as He said, The first fruits of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil… shalt thou give him — [i.e., the priest].347Deuteronomy 18:4.
In the opinion of our Rabbis,348Mechilta here on the Verse. of blessed memory, thou shalt not delay means that: “you are not to set aside last what should be first, [and set aside first what should be last].” Now here He did not explain [the correct order of the gifts], for here He mentions the commandments in a general way, and afterwards He explained them in detail. The Rabbis arranged the order of the gifts as follows: first-fruits, the heave-offering, the First Tithe, and the Second Tithe.349The first-fruits are brought to the Sanctuary and then given to the priest. The heave-offering is given to the priest, the First Tithe to the Levite, and the Second Tithe is eaten by the owner in Jerusalem. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 145-146, for full discussion of this commandment. This order they established on the basis of the following interpretation with reference to these gifts, just as we have been taught:350Terumoth 3:7. “How do we know that first-fruits come before the heave-offering, being that this one is called by Scripture terumah (heave-offering) and reshith (the first), and the other is also called terumah and reshith?351Deuteronomy 12:6 speaks of first-fruits as terumath yedchem (the heave-offering of your hand); they are called reshith in this Scriptural section (further 23:19). The heave-offering is called terumah in Numbers 18:8, and is called reshith in Deuteronomy 18:4. First-fruits have priority because they are the first [to grow] of all produce. The heave-offering comes before the First Tithe, because it is called reshith (the first),351Deuteronomy 12:6 speaks of first-fruits as terumath yedchem (the heave-offering of your hand); they are called reshith in this Scriptural section (further 23:19). The heave-offering is called terumah in Numbers 18:8, and is called reshith in Deuteronomy 18:4. and the First Tithe comes before the Second Tithe because it contains in it reshith” [since the Levite who receives the First Tithe must give a tenth of it as terumah to the priest].
Onkelos translated m’leiathcha v’dim’acha: “bikurach (your first fruit), v’dim’ach.”352Onkelos thus left the Hebrew word v’dim’acha untranslated. As explained further it is a term denoting the priest’s share of the produce — in other words, the terumah [or the heave-offering]. According to Onkelos the verse thus refers to the first-fruits and the heave-offering. And Rashi explained: “M’leiathcha — this means the duty which falls upon you when your crop becomes fully ripened, and it refers to the first-fruits. V’dim’acha means the heave-offering. But I do not know what the term dim’a means.” It is similarly stated in the Mechilta:348Mechilta here on the Verse. “M’leiathcha means the first-fruits which are taken from the full crop, and dim’acha means the heave-offering.” Perhaps in the same way that according to the Rabbis the first-fruits are called in this verse m’leiah (fulness), because they are taken from the full crop, so the heave-offering is called dim’ah [literally: “tear” or “outflow,” as explained above], because it is set aside from wine and oil, [as liquids], not from the fruit. Scripture mentioned only these two kinds of produce, [wine and oil], in order to hint at the law that the heave-offering only has to be set aside from them when in the form of wine and oil, there being no obligation upon the owner to anticipate and set it aside when they are still grapes and olives.
Thus He only mentioned these commandments here by way of allusion, as if to say, “Be careful to keep these commandments about which I will command you further,” in a similar manner to that which He said above, and I will appoint thee a place whither he may flee.353Above, 21:13. This was in order to write down these commandments in the book of the covenant354Further, 24:7. which He mentions in a subsequent section, and Scripture explains them all again in another place, [each one in detail].
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Sforno on Exodus
מלאתך, the heave for the priest of your grain harvest. The word מלאה appears to be borrowed from Genesis 41,22 where the good ears of corn in Pharaoh’s dream are described as such.
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