Commento su Esodo 34:26

ראשית בכורי אדמתך THE FIRST OF THE FIRST-FRUITS OF THY GROUND [THOU SHALT BRING INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD THY GOD] — but only from the seven kinds of produce which are mentioned as an excellency of thy land (Deuteronomy 8:8) “a land of wheat and barley and vines etc (Mishnah Bikkurim 1:3). The דבש mentioned in this verse is date honey (not that of bees).

THE CHOICEST FIRST-FRUITS OF THY LAND THOU SHALT BRING INTO THE HOUSE OF THE ETERNAL THY G-D. Because He mentioned that they should bring the first-ripe fruits of all that is in their land⁵³⁶Numbers 18:13. — Ramban’s intention of course is to the verse here before us, but as a matter of style he uses similar language referring to that commandment found elsewhere in Scripture. This can be observed in countless instances. to the house of G-d, He placed next to it, Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother’s milk. For at the time of bringing the first-fruits of the earth they would also take along all firstlings of cattle, goats and sheep, and at that season the goats have grown up and begin giving milk. Thus they would often bring up the mother with its firstborn whilst it was still a suckling, in order that it should not die. Now those who came to celebrate the festival would enjoy eating the firstlings amongst all tasty foods, together with the priests. That is why He mentioned the prohibition [against seething the kid in its mother’s milk] together with the precept of the first-fruits. In the Book of Deuteronomy, however, He mentioned this commandment together with the laws of prohibited foods,⁵³⁷Deuteronomy 14:21. after He cited the laws of unclean cattle, fish, and unclean fowl, and carrion, for that is the fitting place to mention it, since it is a prohibition concerning eating, and not merely a prohibition against seething it alone, as those wanting in faith and devoid of knowledge think.⁵³⁸Reference is to the Karaites. See Ibn Ezra who writes in a vein similar to that of Ramban. — See also Vol. I, p. 22, where Ramban uses a similar reproof to those who scoff at the words of our Rabbis.

ראשית בכורי אדמתך תביא, by doing this you will assure yourself of success in growing fruit as spelled out in Ezekiel 44,30 וראשית כל בכורי כל...תתנו לכהן להניח ברכה אל ביתך, “the first of all your early ripening crops… you shall give to the priest so that blessing will come to rest on your house.”

'לא תבשל וגו, I have already explained this legislation on Exodus 23,19.

ראשית בכורי אדמתך, “The first of your land’s produce, etc.” The reason why mention of not boiling milk and meat appears here next to the legislation of bringing the first of one’s produce to the Temple, i.e. the priests, is that at the same time the farmer will presumably also bring the first of the young born by his animals, seeing that on the way the young lambs and kids are still suckling at their mother’s teats, and once in Jerusalem these animals will be slaughtered to help the owners enjoy the festival. Using the milk of the mother animal with which to cook the young, is therefore not something far-fetched. On the other hand, in Deuteronomy 14,21 when the same legislation is repeated in connection with forbidden foods, the emphasis is placed on the eating of the product of such boiling of milk and meat together.

Which are listed in praise of your land. . . Rashi does not mean that this is derived from the word אדמתך . For in Devarim 26:2, it is derived from a gezeirah shavah between ארצך (ad loc) and ארץ (Devarim 8:8). Rashi here is rather saying that אדמתך does not mean you must bring first fruits from all the [species of] fruits in your land; only from the seven species, as derived from the gezeirah shavah of ארץ ארץ .

V. 26. Das Ganze schließt wieder mit den beiden so bedeutsamen, alles vereinenden Sätzen: Jede Kornähre auf dem Felde und jede Frucht am Baume reift auf deinem Acker dem Gottesgesetze im Tempel zu, und auch genießend soll nicht dein Menschlich-Göttliches hinabsteigen zum Physisch-Sinnlichen, sondern alles Physisch-Sinnliche soll durch dich emporgehoben werden, auf dass du Mensch seiest. Die physische Natur ist nicht die Vermittlerin zwischen dir und Gott, sondern der Vermittler zwischen Natur und Gott bist du! — (Siehe zu Kap. 23, 19.)

לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו, “do not boil a kid in the milk of its mother.” This commandment contains a hint, i.e. a reason, why the sages ruled that a person must not marry the woman who had wet-nursed his fellow man. (Talmud, tractate Yevamot, folio 36) [The rule applies to a woman who at the time nursed babies that she had not born for her husband. If such a woman has ceased nursing for 24 months, she need not apply that rule to herself. Shulchan aruch, even haezer, chapter 13, section 11. Ed,]

ראשית בכורי אדמת, “the choice first fruits of your soil, etc.” this has been repeated here because when this legislation was first mentioned, it had not mentioned the seven Canaanite tribes on whose land this would apply. In this chapter in verse 11, these details have been supplied (as opposed to 23,19.)

לא תבשל גדי THOU SHALT NOT SEETHE A KID [IN ITS MOTHER’S MILK] — This is a prohibition to mix meat with milk. This is written three times in the Torah: once to prohibit the eating of such mixture, once to prohibit us from deriving any other benefit (besides eating) from it and once to prohibit the cooking of it (Chullin 115b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:19).

לא תבשל גדי, as this is something the gentiles do, believing that it assures them success in raising fruit and cattle.

Referring to date-honey. Rashi is answering the question: The seven species include honey, and honey is not a fruit. But regarding the first fruits, it is written, “Of all the fruits of the land” (Devarim 26:2), implying fruit only? Rashi answers that the honey is date-honey, and dates are fruit.

לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו, “do not boil a kid in the milk of its mother.” This is a warning not to wait with offering such a kid as an offering until it has been fully weaned, but once it has grown beyond the first seven days of its life it is fit for the altar.

גדי A KID — Any tender young animal is comprehended under the term גדי, a calf and a lamb also. From the fact that the writer felt it necessary to state specifically in several passages “a kid of the goat” you may learn that the term גדי without further definition implies any suckling (young animal) (Chullin 113a; cf. Rashi on Exodus 23:19).

An admonition. . . It does not mean only “in its mother’s milk”; the admonition applies also to its own milk. It says “its mother’s milk” in order to exclude fowl, which has no mother’s milk — as Rashi goes on to explain.

בחלב אמו IN THE MOTHER’S MILK — A fowl is therefore really excluded from this law since it has no milk; for the prohibition regarding it (using it with milk) is not a Biblical law but only an enactment of the Soferim (Chullin 113a).

Once prohibiting the cooking. . . Question: Why are two verses needed for prohibiting the mixing of meat in milk, one to forbid eating and one to forbid benefit? Regarding other Torah prohibitions where it is written, “You shall not eat,” it includes both eating and benefit. The answer is: A person is liable for eating meat in milk even if he has no benefit while eating, for instance, [the food is very hot and] his throat is burnt while eating it. This is not the case with eating other prohibited foods.

Which it is necessary to explain in many places. . . [Rashi says “in many places”] because if the Torah had explained “a goat’s kid” in only one place, we would say that here, too, it means specifically a goat’s kid. We would learn the meaning of this non-explained place from the explained place. But since it says “a goat’s kid” in several places, we thereby learn that “goat’s kid” applies only where the Torah specifically states it. This is because all Sages agree that three [or more] verses stating the same point, [each in a different place,] do not teach a general rule. Thus, wherever the Torah does not state “goat’s kid” — such as here, where it is non-explained — all suckling animals are implied.