Commento su Deuteronomio 12:6

וזבחיהם AND YOUR SACRIFICES — Obligatory feast-offerings (cf. Sifrei Devarim 63:7)

YOUR TITHES — “the tithe of cattle and the Second Tithe which are to be eaten within the wall [of Jerusalem]. AND HEAVE-OFFERING OF YOUR HAND — these are the first-fruits of which it is said, And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand. ”²⁸Further, 26:4. This is Rashi’s language quoting the words of our Rabbis.²⁹Sifre, R’eih 63.
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture the verse mentions the burnt-offerings, and the sacrifices that he is obligated to eat there within the boundary [of Jerusalem] before the Eternal.³⁰Verse 7: And there ye shall eat before the Eternal. It mentions also that he is to bring there the tithe and the heave-offering to give them to the priests and Levites who are the ministers of the Sanctuary so that they too, rejoice with you and your families, as it says, Bring ye the whole tithe into the store-house, that there be food in My house, and try Me now herewith, saith the Eternal of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall be more than enough.³¹Malachi 3:10. The heave-offering (terumah) is given to the priest, the First Tithe (ma’aseir rishon) to the Levite. The Levite in turn sets aside a tenth of that tithe for the priest, which is called “the heave-offering of the tithe” (terumath ma’aseir). It is also referred to as “the tithe of the tithe.” And so indeed [the prophets and leaders] established an ordinance during the Second Temple concerning the heave-offering and the heave-offering of the tithe³¹Malachi 3:10. The heave-offering (terumah) is given to the priest, the First Tithe (ma’aseir rishon) to the Levite. The Levite in turn sets aside a tenth of that tithe for the priest, which is called “the heave-offering of the tithe” (terumath ma’aseir). It is also referred to as “the tithe of the tithe.” that the people bring them to the Sanctuary, as it is said, and that we should bring the first of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, the wine and the oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the House of our G-d,³²Nehemiah 10:38. and it is further said, [and the Levites shall bring up the tithe of the tithes] unto the House of our G-d, to the chambers, into the treasure-house.³³Ibid., Verse 39.
And the meaning of the expression and heave-offering of your hand is [in line with the simple meaning of Scripture a reference to the heave-offering and not to the first-fruits] because the Torah has set no fixed measure for the heave-offering [which the Israelite gives to the priest]; rather it consists of whatever his hand sets aside [for the priest]. Similarly, that which is said, Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn etc. or the heave-offering of thine hand³⁴Further, Verse 17. Now, in view of the fact that the First Tithe and the heave-offering may be eaten everywhere, the Rabbis apply this verse — which prohibits eating them outside Jerusalem — to the eating of unredeemed Second Tithes outside Jerusalem, and to a priest’s eating of first-fruits outside Jerusalem (Makkoth 18a); see also “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 131-140, for various prohibitions included in this verse. Thus here again the heave-offering of thine hand is interpreted as referring to the first-fruits, as explained by Rashi in the verse before us. In line with the plain meaning of Scripture as explained by Ramban, however, the verse is a reminder to the Israelite etc. reminds the Israelite that he is not to eat in his own city the tithe, the firstlings, the vow-offerings, or the heave-offering. And then the verse proceeds to distinguish between them, but thou shalt eat them before the Eternal thy G-d etc. thou, and thy son, and thy daughter³⁵Ibid., Verse 18. whatever may be eaten by you [i.e., the Second Tithe]; and the Levite that is within thy gates³⁵Ibid., Verse 18. shall eat there in your gates [i.e., outside Jerusalem] what is due him [i.e., the First Tithe] as it is stated concerning them, And ye may eat in every place.³⁶Numbers 18:31. Scripture thus abbreviates concerning matters that are explained elsewhere.
And I am further of the opinion regarding the plain meaning of this verse that the expression [in the verse before us] heave-offering of your hand denotes that which a person lifts up to the Eternal of his silver and gold to buy with it a burnt-offering or a [peace-]offering. And [the verse before us] mentions three kinds of offerings: the vow-offerings which are [assumed as obligations when a person says], “I pledge myself to bring an offering of a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat: ”³⁷Leviticus 22:27. See Ramban there on Verses 18 and 23. the freewill-offering when he says of a bullock or sheep, “This shall be a burnt-offering and I will bring it to the Sanctuary,” and terumah (the donation) which he lifts up, silver or gold from anything he has, or when he brings his unconsecrated animal to the Sanctuary Court and says to the priests, “This is [given] from my possession to G-d,” similar in expression to the verse, Every one that ‘meirim terumath’ (did lift up an offering) of silver and brass, brought the Eternal’s offering.³⁸Exodus 35:24. So also, All ‘terumoth’ of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the Eternal³⁹Numbers 18:19. denotes “the offerings” [as explained above rather than, the heave-offering]. Similarly He states with reference to the shekels, half a shekel after the shekel of the Sanctuary etc. half a shekel for ‘terumah’ (an offering) to the Eternal,⁴⁰Exodus 30:13. these to be used for buying the communal offerings,⁴¹This is further proof that the word terumah is not limited to the heave-offering given to the priest from the produce of the field, but that it may also signify any donation or offering that a person gives to the Sanctuary. The expression in the verse before us heave-offering of your hand thus denotes the setting aside of any valuables for a sacred purpose. for whatever a person lifts up to G-d from whatever is his own — whether for offerings or for Temple maintenance, as it is stated, and they take for Me ‘terumah’ (an offering);⁴²Ibid., 25:2. In this case the word terumah denotes “something set apart” for the construction of the Tabernacle. or for the priests, the ministers of the Eternal⁴³Joel 2:17. — it is all called terumah. This is similar to what is written concerning the tax, and thou shalt give it unto Eleazar the priest as ‘terumath Hashem’ (a portion set apart for the Eternal),⁴⁴Numbers 31:29. which remained entirely unconsecrated in Eleazar’s possession [thus proving that terumah need not refer exclusively to the priestly tithe]. A similar usage [of the term terumah is found in the following verse]: And I weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even ‘terumath’ (the donation for) the House of our G-d, which the king, and his counsellors had offered.⁴⁵Ezra 8:25. Now Scripture [here in the verse before us] does not state “your heave-offerings,” so that we should not mistake it to mean the heave-offering given to the priests [from the produce of the field]; instead it says, the heave-offering of your hand, what you set aside as a freewill offering from what has become your property. Now all things mentioned here must be consumed within a certain location,⁴⁶In this concluding sentence Ramban reiterates the central theme of his interpretation — that the entire verse refers to categories that require consumption within the wall of Jerusalem. Thus the tithes refers to the Second Tithe and the tithe of cattle, and heave-offering of your hand denotes the donations for the offerings which also require a certain location where they may be eaten — the holiest offerings within the Sanctuary Court, and those of lesser holiness within the city of Jerusalem. for the expression your tithes denotes the tithe of cattle and the Second Tithe which are eaten before the Eternal [i.e., within the wall of the city of Jerusalem]. However, the First Tithe is the tithe of the Levites, and the Poorman’s Tithe belongs to them [the poor; and are the personal property of the recipients and may be eaten anywhere].

מעשרותיכם, “your tithes;” according to Rashi the reference is to the “second” tithe, as well as the tithe of the newly born animals which needs to be consumed in Jeru-salem, (or its equivalent). The expression תרומת ידכם, refers to the first ripe fruit of the seven species for which the Land of Israel is especially famous. Nachmanides writes that Rashi’s commentary is indeed the view of our sages of old, (Sifri, 63) whereas the plain meaning of the text Moses mentions refers to the various sacrificial offerings which all need to be consumed within the holy precincts; having mentioned that requirement, Moses adds the various gifts intended for the priests and Levites, encouraging the Israelites to bring these to Jerusalem (or wherever the Temple stood at that time) in order to rejoice together with the priests and Levites who were found there in large numbers. These were not looked upon as poor people in need of a hand out, but as the people’s representatives who performed the service in and around the Temple as delegates of the people at large. He explains the term תרומת ידכם, as an allusion to the generosity, ידכם, of the donor, seeing that as opposed to the tithes, the Torah had not mentioned how much of the harvest had to be reserved for the priest under the heading of תרומה, “heave offering.” Personally, (still Nachmanides writing) I feel that the term תרומת ידכם refers to free-willed gifts, or offerings on the altar, not connected to obligatory parts of the harvests that the Torah commanded to set aside for various members of the Jewish society. In connection with offerings for the altar, Moses mentions three separate categories, עולה, burnt offering, none of it being eaten by even the priests, זבח, meat-offerings, the major part of the animal being eaten by the donor, and נדר, or נדבה, different categories of vows that have to be fulfilled by a certain time in the holy precincts. The former was promised formally, using specific wording, giving the animal in question the same status as an obligatory offering, the latter was donated without the donor using predetermined language. (Not having said הרי עלי, “I am assuming the obligation of an offering”, but having simply said: “this will be a free-willed offering.”) The תרומה that Moses speaks of does not refer to livestock, but to money or other chattels that the donor elevated to a degree of holiness by the manner in which he designated it for the Temple treasury. He may even bring an animal of his to the Temple and then proclaim: “this is a gift of mine to be used as the Temple treasurer sees fit.” The wording תרומה in this context reflects what we have read in Exodus 35,24 כל מרים תרומת כסף וגו', “every person who elevates a gift of silver, etc.” As long as this gift had been under the control of the donor it had not yet become sanctified at all. What the returning soldiers handed over to Eleazar in Numbers 31,29 as donations from their loot is referred to as תרומה, although its ritual status was completely secular at the time. The reason why Moses did not refer to תרומותיכם, and said תרומת ידכם, was to prevent us erring and thinking that he referred to gifts which the donor had been obligated by the Torah to bring to the priest, although the size of that gift was at his discretion. The common denominator of all the various items mentioned in our verse was that they had to be present within the holy precincts of the Temple Mount.

Obligatory shelamim-offerings. I.e., even obligatory shelamim-offerings, and certainly voluntary shelamim- offerings. [Rashi specifies “obligatory” regarding Shiloh and Jerusalem] as opposed to a private altar where only a pledge or a donation may be offered. This is stated in Megillah (9b) and in Zevachim (117a) (Nachalas Yaakov).

V. 6. והבאתם שמה nicht nur ובאת שמה nicht nur der Zug der persönlichen Beziehung zu Gott und seinem Gesetzesheiligtum soll euch alle im allgemeinen dorthin sammeln, mit jedem "Kommen" soll sich ein "Bringen" verbinden, Ausdruck eurer Tatenweihe und eures Familienglücks: עולותיכם וזבחיכם, eures Herden- und Ackerwohlstands: מעשר בהמה ומעשר שני ,מעשרותיכם, der Ausdruck der Gotthörigkeit und der Gesetzesweihe eures ganzen Landessegens ביכורים :תרומת ידכם, sowie jede aus besonderem Hingebungsbedürfnis hervorgehende Opfergelobung und Weihung, נדריכם ונדבותיכם, und als Grund- und Schlussstein aller dieser Huldigungsweihen der Ausdruck der Gotthörigkeit und der Gesetzesweihe in den Erstgeburten eurer Herden: בכורות בקרכם וצאנכם, mit welcher ja die Erfahrung seiner nationalen Geburtsnacht Israel stets im Bewusstsein bleiben soll, dass Widersetzlichkeit gegen Gottes Willen den gebildetsten und mächtigsten Kulturstaat zusammenbricht und nur gehorchende Pflichttreue ihn erhalten kann, ויהי כי ׳הקשה פרעה לשלחנו וגו׳ ,על כן אני זובח׳ וגו (Wajikra 13, 15). Allein dies soll mit euch zu der einzigen Gottes Namen tragenden Nationalstätte des Gesetzesheiligtums hinaufwandern und die Hörigkeit und Weihe eurer aller mit allen euren Tat- und Geschickesbeziehungen an Gott und sein Gesetz bekunden.

מעשרתיכם [THERE YOU SHALL BRING] YOUR TITHES — i.e. both the tithe of the cattle and the second tithe, in order to consume them within the wall(cf. Sifrei Devarim 63:8).

And the second tithe to be eaten within the walls [of Jerusalem]. I.e., it is understandable that the animal tithe must be brought to Jerusalem, for it is sacrificed there. But why must he bring the second tithe there, for it is not offered? Rashi answers: To be eaten, etc.

בשני מעשרות הכתוב מדבר אחד מעשר דגן אחד מעשר בהמה :מעשרותיכם (siehe Kap. 14, 22 f. und Wajikra 27, 32). תרומת ידכם hier (V. 11) und תרומת ידך (V. 17 kann nicht gewöhnliche תרומה bedeuten, die auch nie unter diesem Namen vorkommt, da תרומה überall dem כהן gegeben und überall vom כהן genossen werden darf, (V. 17) aber ausdrücklich das Genießen der תרומת ידך außerhalb Jerusalems verboten wird. Daher werden unter בכורים :תרומת ידכם verstanden, כענין שנאמר ולקח ׳הכהן הטנא מידך והניחו לפני מזבח ד׳ א׳ (Kap. 26, 4 ספרי). Sind doch בכורים, wie das dabei auszusprechende Bekenntnis lehrt, die Bezeugung, dass Israel seine "Hand", das ist ja seine Freiheit und seine Besitzselbstständigkeit, ganz allein Gott verdankt und ganz allein Gott für die Erfüllung seines Gesetzes geweiht hält (siehe daselbst), בכורים sind daher im eigentlichen Sinne: תרומת יד, die Hebung der Hand zu Gott, d. h. der Ausdruck, dass die "Hand" keinem anderen als Gott gehört und keinem anderen als Gott geweiht sein soll. Das Bringen des בכורים-Korbes in der Hand und dessen Niederlegung durch den Priester vor Gott spricht beides aus. —

תרומת ידכם THE HEAVE-OFFERING OF YOUR HAND — These are the first-fruits of which it is said, (Deuteronomy 26:4) “And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 63:9).

To give to the kohein so that he may offer them up there. Rashi is answering the question: The phrase, “the firstborn of your cattle,” implies that the Israelite is commanded to bring the firstborn as an offering. But this is not so, for the Israelite must give the firstborn to a kohein. Rashi answers: The Israelite brings them to give to the, etc.

In בכורות בקרבם וצאנכם lehrt ספרי auch חטאות und אשמות mit eingeschlossen. Erwägen wir, wie in dem vorhin zitierten על כן אני זובח usw. בכורות die Mahnung an treuesten Pflichtgehorsam gegen Gott einschließen, so dürfte eine solche begriffliche Erweiterung zu חטאות und אשמות als implizite mit einbegriffen sehr nahe liegen.

ובכרת בקרכם AND THE FIRSTLINGS OF YOUR HERD — in order to give them to the priest that he may offer them there.

Dass durch das zusammengehörige: ובאת שמה והבאתם שמה für jede Gelobung das עשה der Erfüllung mit jedem ersten רגל gegeben ist, wenn gleich das Verbot לא תאחר לשלמה (Kap. 23, 21) erst nach drei רגלים in Kraft tritt, ist bereits zu Wajikra Kap. 23, 38 angemerkt (siehe zu Kap. 23, 21). An der Zusammenfassung der beiden מעשר דגן ,מעשרות und מעשר בהמה, in einen Begriff und deren Zusammenstellung mit בכורות hinsichtlich der Hinauf- und Darbringung in Jerusalem lehrt ferner ר׳׳ע (Bechorot 53 a), dass, wenn gleich מעשר בהמה und בכור בהמה als חובת הגוף (siehe zu Kap. 11, 18) nicht an das Land gebunden und auch בחוצה לארץ Pflicht sind, sie doch, insofern wie מעשר דגן in Zusammenhang mit dem Lande stehen, dass, wenn sie auch קדוש בח׳׳ל sind, sie doch nicht auf dem מזבח dargebracht werden, sondern נאכלים במומם לבעלים.