Commento su Deuteronomio 17:1

לא תזבח ... כל דבר רע THOU SHALT NOT SACRIFICE [UNTO THE LORD THY GOD ANY OF THE HERD OR FLOCK WHEREIN IS BLEMISH OR] ANY EVIL THING — This is an admonition to one who would make sacrifices abominable through an evil utterance (דבר רע). (See Rashi on Leviticus 7:18; cf. Sifrei Devarim 147:5). Besides this, other Halachas have been derived from it in the Treatise on “The slaughtering of Sacrifices” (Zevachim 36).

THOU SHALT NOT SACRIFICE UNTO THE ETERNAL THY G-D [AN OX, OR A SHEEP, WHEREIN IS A BLEMISH], EVEN ANY ‘DAVAR’ (THING) THAT IS EVIL. “This is an admonition against causing offerings to be rendered unfit through an improper utterance.⁴⁹The expression davar ra (an evil thing) is thus interpreted to mean dibur ra — “an evil [or improper] utterance.” If the ministering priest has in mind [i.e., expresses] the intent to eat the meat of the offering, or to burn its assigned parts upon the altar, after the expiration of the prescribed times, he renders the entire offering unfit. See also Vol. III, p. 341, Note 84. There are yet other interpretations given by the Rabbis [on this verse] in the Tractate Shechithath Kadashim.”⁵⁰Literally: “The Slaughter of Hallowed Offerings,” as distinguished from Shechitath Chullin, “The Slaughter of Secular Animals.” The former is nowadays called Zebachim, “Animal Offerings,” while the latter is called Chullin (Secular Animals slaughtered for food). This is Rashi’s language. Now this is an explanatory commandment, for He has already admonished against slaughtering blemished offerings,⁵¹Leviticus 22:21. and here he repeated it in order to add the admonition against rendering it unfit by an utterance. It is likely that he repeated this admonition in order that the Israelite who brings the offering should not render it unfit during the slaughter [since non-priests were permitted to slaughter offerings]. The priests themselves, however, are scrupulous and careful, one warning sufficing for them. Therefore he did not repeat the prohibition against a blemished ministering priest [performing the Divine Service].

לא תזבח….אשר יהיה בו מום, "Do not slaughter for G'd anything blemished." The wording אשר יהיה בו מום "on which there will be a blemish," must be understood in conjunction with Sifri that our verse forbids an animal suffering from a temporary blemish. This ruling is hinted at by the word יהיה, "will be." That word includes not only permanent blemishes but even temporary blemishes. Perhaps one may also say that if the animal in question has a limb which would result in it becoming blemished unless said limb was amputated, the animal in question is considered blemished even before the operation (regardless of whether the animal is being considered for a sacrifice). The words לא תזבח …אשר יהיה בו מום mean "you must not sacrifice it…as it is going to develop a blemish" (which would disqualify it.)

לא תזבח לה' אלוקיך צאן ובקר, “You shall not slaughter for the Lord your G’d an ox or lamb (that is blemished);” after having told the people that erecting an asherah or pillar, even in honour of Hashem is prohibited, Moses warns now that when offering animal sacrifices on the altar designated for this, the animals used must be free from any kind of blemish.

This prohibits causing the pigul disqualification of the sacred offerings through a pernicious statement, etc. Because you cannot say that [this part of the verse] is coming to prohibit [an offering that has] a blemish, since it is explicitly written, “that has a blemish.” He resolves [this problem by saying], “This prohibits, etc. through a pernicious statement.” I.e. above in sefer Vayikra (7:18) and in parshas Kedoshim (Vayikra 19:8), it is written that one is forbidden to eat pigul, but it does not specify whether the person who made it pigul had committed a transgression. Therefore it says here, “Do not sacrifice, etc. any bad thing,” to teach you that it is] prohibited to make offerings pigul, i.e. if a person has in mind at the time of slaughtering to eat it beyond its [prescribed] time or outside its [prescribed] place which is accomplished by a pernicious statement.

Kap. 17. V. 1. לא תזבח וגו׳ ist ergänzender Schlusssatz des Vorhergehenden. Es war gesagt, dass die Hingebung an unser Pflichtleben, wie dies auf dem Gottesaltar zum Ausdruck gelangt, unser physisches und politisches Heil begründet. Hier wird nun hinzugefügt, dass diese Hingebung unser ganzes Wesen umfassen und ganz der Weise entsprechen müsse, die dem göttlichen Willen gemäß ist. Nichts darf an dem unserem hinzugebenden Wesen zum Ausdruck dienenden Opfertier fehlen (מום), und keine von allen den im Wajikra bezeichneten Gesetzwidrigkeiten den reinen Ausdruck unserer Pflichthingebung trüben (כל דבר רע .(כל דבר רע und תועבה umfasst nach dem ספרי alle איסורי המזבח und בעל גרב יבלת וחזזית ,בעל מום קבוע ועובר :פסולי המוקדשים; אתנן ומחיר כלאים ,רובע ונרבע מוקצה ונעבד ,חוץ לזמנו וחוץ למקומו ,חולה זקן ומזוהם siehe Wajikra 1, 2. 3;7, 18; 22. 22. — 24. 27. 28 u. Dewarim) וטריפה ויוצא דופן 23. 19). und zwar wird hier die "Vollständigkeit" und "Untadelhaftigkeit" unseres Seins und Wollens, wie sie hier als konkretes Ziel aller staatlichen Wirksamkeit und als symbolischer Opferausdruck unserer Einzeln- und Gesamtaufgabe bezeichnet ist, sowohl vom Standpunkt unserer Tatbeziehung (שור) als der unseres Geschickes (שה) zu begreifen gegeben. Dass das Einzelne und die Gesamtheit: שור unserem "Herrn" und: שה unserem "Hirten" ganz und rein sei und bleibe, das hat die Nationalrepräsentanz von ihrem Mittelpunkte aus durch ihre Delegierten in allen Teilen des Landes anzustreben.

לא תזבח, “do not slaughter as a sacrifice, etc.;” After having prohibited sacrificing to idols, the Torah proceeds to prohibit defective, blemished, animals to the Lord our G-d, also.

FOR THAT IS AN ABOMINATION UNTO THE ETERNAL THY G-D. The term “abomination” refers to this offering, for whoever offers a corrupted thing is held in contempt, as it is stated in the Prophets,⁵²Literally: kabalah. See Taanith 16a, where this term is used as a reference to the Books of the Prophets as distinguished from the Five Books of Moses. The term kabalah in this sense is an expression of “outcry” or “rebuke,” as the prophets in their sayings rebuked the people for their evil deeds. And cursed be he that dealeth craftily, whereas he hath in his flock a male, and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Eternal a blemished thing, for I am a great King.⁵³Malachi 1:14. And according to the Midrash⁵⁴Sifre, Shoftim 147. the term “abomination” refers to an animal that did, or was the object of perversion, or was the hire of a harlot or the price of a dog⁵⁵See further, 23:19. — all of which are “abominations.”