Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 12:4

לא תעשון כן YE SHALL NOT DO SO [UNTO THE LORD YOUR GOD] — i.e. to burn offerings to God at any place you choose (as do the idolaters, cf. v. 2), but at the place which He will choose (cf. vv. 5—6). — Another explanation is: ונתצתם את מזבחתם … ואבדתם את שמם … לא תעשון כן YE SHALL PULL DOWN THEIR ALTARS … YE SHALL DESTROY THEIR NAMES … BUT YE SHALL NOT DO THIS [TO THE LORD YOUR GOD] — It is a prohibition addressed to one who would blot out the Name of God from any writing, or would pull out a stone from the altar or from the forecourt (cf. Sifrei Devarim 61:12; Makkot 22a). R. Ishmael said: “But can the idea enter your mind that the Israelites would pull down the altars of God?” But the meaning of לא תעשון כן is that you should not do like their doings so that your sins would cause the Sanctuary of (built by) your fathers to be laid waste (Sifrei Devarim 61:12).

YE SHALL NOT DO SO UNTO THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D — “to burn offerings to G-d at any place [you choose], but only at the place He shall choose.¹⁵Verse 5. According to this interpretation, Verse 4 before us is connected with the following Verse 5, which reads: But unto the place which the Eternal your G-d shall choose … Another interpretation: And ye shall break down their altars etc., and ye shall destroy their name¹⁶Above, Verse 3. Thus Verse 4 before us is connected with the preceding verse. — ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d, this being an admonition against erasing the Name of G-d, or dismantling any stone of the altar or of the Sanctuary Court. Said Rabbi Yishmael: ‘Could it even occur to you that the Israelites would break down the altars [of G-d]? But the meaning of the verse is that you are not to imitate the deeds [of the idolators] lest your sins cause your ancestors’ Sanctuary to be destroyed.’” This is Rashi’s language. Now the words of Rabbi Yishmael are words of Agadah (homily) based on a Scriptural support [and they are not meant to be taken as the plain meaning of the verse]. However, the verse according to the opinion of our Rabbis, constitutes an admonition against erasing the Divine Name. It is so expressly stated in Tractate Makkoth:¹⁷Makkoth 22a. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 64-65. “But there is yet the penalty for erasing the Divine Name which is whipping, and the prohibition is to be found in these words, Ye shall not do so unto the Eternal.” And the language of the Sifre is as follows:¹⁸Sifre, R’eih 61. “Whence do I know that he who dismantles one stone [of the altar] etc.? Rabbi Yishmael says: ‘Whence do I know that he who erases one letter of the Divine Name transgresses a negative commandment? Because it is written, and ye shall destroy their name¹⁶Above, Verse 3. Thus Verse 4 before us is connected with the preceding verse. — Ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d.’ Rabban¹⁹The title “Rabban” (our teacher) indicates that he was the head of the Sanhedrin. Gamaliel the son of Rabbi²⁰See Vol. IV, p. 341, Note 231. says: ‘But how could it occur to you [that the Israelites would dismantle] etc.’” Thus [it is clear that] the words of Rabbi Yishmael [quoted by Rashi] were not meant to dispute [the opinion of the unnamed First Sage];²¹Ramban understood the text of Rashi as follows: The unnamed First Sage holds that the prohibition before us covers both erasing the Divine Name and dismantling His altar, whereas Rabbi Yishmael differs, holding the verse to be an admonition against imitating the deeds of the idolators which will cause the destruction of the Sanctuary. Ramban, however, holds the verse, Ye shall not do so etc., to be only an admonition against erasing G-d’s Name, and that such is also the opinion of Rabbi Yishmael. Rabbi Yishmael’s words quoted by Rashi are a clarification, teaching that “erasing the Divine Name is equivalent to dismantling a stone of the Divine altar.” Furthermore, the text quoted by Rashi in the name of Rabbi Yishmael is attributed by the Sifre to Rabban Gamaliel, which perforce is only a homiletic statement, that sinning is tantamount to destruction of G-d’s altar. Hence the same text in Rashi must also be understood in the same light (Mizrachi). rather, they are a clarification that erasing the Divine Name is equivalent to dismantling a stone of the altar. And if so, the meaning of the verses would be: “And ye shall break down their altars etc. and ye shall destroy their name out of that place — but ye shall not do so unto the Eternal your G-d to break down His altar, nor to destroy His Name. Instead, give glory to His Name²²Malachi 2:2. and His altar, and to the place which He shall choose there to establish His altar; to [the place where] His Name dwells shall you seek, and bring your burnt-offerings before Him.”

לא חעשון כן לה׳ אלוקיכם, "Do not do so to the Lord your G'd!" Our sages in the Sifri on our verse understand this as a reference to the prohibition of erasing the holy name of G'd, or even part of it. They read together the words ואבדתם את שמם לא תעשו כן. Perhaps the wording of our verse is intended to draw attention to two separate halachot concerning erasing any part of G'd's name. We have a law about erasing the name of G'd itself, and there is a law about erasing suffixes appended behind the name of G'd. When the Torah says לשם, it refers to any of the various names of G'd and not merely the Tetragram. When the Torah adds the word אלוקיכם, it alludes to the suffix כם. Maimonides writes in chapter six of his treatise Yesodey Hatorah that the penalty of 39 lashes applies only to someone who actually erased letters of G'd's name, as the Torah is not outspoken about the suffixes. The Sifri also concludes from this verse that removing a single stone from the courtyard of the Temple is a violation of a negative commandment as it says in our verse: לא תעשון", "you must not do." It appears to me that this law is not limited to removal of a whole stone but to the removal of any quantity of stone which leaves a visible void.

לא תעשון כן לה' אלוקיכם, to offer sacrifices in every place of your choosing instead of in the Tabernacle.

לא תעשון כן, “do not do likewise, etc.” You must not burn incense on the various mountains even to Hashem, seeing this was where the pagans offered their incense. The only place where G’d welcomes incense as an offering is the one designated by Him in the Holy Temple (Ibn Ezra).

By bringing burnt-offerings for the sake of Heaven anywhere, etc. I.e., “Do not act this way,” is connected to, “[All the places] where the nations worshipped, etc. (v. 2).” It is as if the verse says: “Do not act this way to Adonoy, your God, to bring burnt-offerings on the high mountains ... where the nations worshipped... Rather at the place, etc.”

V. 4. לא תעשון כן וגו׳. —Wie ihr vom heidnischen Götterwesen die letzte Spur verwischen sollt, so dürft ihr auch nicht das Geringste von allem, was den Namen eures Gottes trägt, ausdrückt, oder ihm geweiht ist, verderben. So ist hier in erster Linie אזהרה למוחק את השם, das Verbot des Auslöschens eines Gottesnamens oder auch nur eines Buchstabens von einem solchen (Mackot 22 a). Als solche שמות שאינם נמחקין gelten sieben als Eigennamen zu begreifende: שד׳ ,אלדי׳ ,אוה ,אל ,שם אדנות ,שם ההויה ׳צבאו und ebenso die damit verbundenen Suffixa wie ך ,כם, von אלדיך ,אלדיכם. Die Präfixa, wie ל von ׳ב ,לד von ׳בד usw. dürfen ausgelöscht werden. Attribute wie הגדול הגבור והנורא usw. unterliegen diesem Verbote nicht (Schebuot 35 a). Ebenso ist auch nur die geringste bauliche Beschädigung an dem Tempelheiligtum oder dem Altare נותץ אבן אחד מן ההיכל זמן המזבח זמן העזרות, oder Vernichten von Opferholz, שורף עצי קדשים Übertretung dieses Verbots (ספרי z. St.), und ist, dem Zusammenhange gemäß, diese Zerstörung der Gott heiligen Stätten und Heiligtümer hier der nächste Gegenstand, den das Verbot im Auge hat.

לא תעשון כן, “You shall not do likewise, etc.” you cannot serve the Lord your G-d and sacrifice offerings to Him at any place that you choose.

This prohibits erasing the sacred Name, and breaking an altar stone, etc. I.e., specifically regarding idolatry did I command you, “You are to break apart, etc.,” but “Do not act this way to Adonoy your God.” The meaning of, “Rather at the place,” is: You should not act this way to Adonoy your God to break apart and destroy, rather He should be respected in your eyes to the point where you perpetually seek the place that He chooses ... to bring there your burnt-offerings, etc. Rashi’s first explanation is problematic because the verse, “Do not act this way,” should have been written next to the above verse, “...their gods on the high mountains, etc.” And Rashi’s second explanation is problematic because the verse, “Rather at the place, etc.,” is apparently connected to the previous verses and needs to be explained somewhat differently than its plain meaning. Therefore the first explanation is also needed.

Rebbi Yishmael said, ‘Is it [conceivable] that an Israelite would smash altars? etc. Re”m writes: It seems to me that Rebbi Yishmael agrees that, “Do not act this way, etc.” prohibits erasing the sacred Name. For it is conceivable that the Israelite does not intend to erase the sacred Name in a destructive manner, but rather it was written in a non- respectful place or it was written in the wrong place and he therefore erases it; and his intention is for the sake of Heaven. For this reason erasing the Name needs to be prohibited. But regarding the breaking of an altar stone, one is liable only by breaking it in a destructive manner, a prohibition is not relevant because, “Is it conceivable etc.” Rebbi Yishmael disagrees with the first opinion [mentioned in the Sifrei — the previous opinion mentioned in Rashi] on one point, but he agrees with the other.