Midrasz do Przysłów 27:27

(Lev. 17:3:) “If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters.” R. Aqiva says, “When Israel was in the desert, they would slaughter cattle by stabbing and eat them; but here the Torah has forbidden it and says to them (ibid.), ‘If any single person from the House of Israel….’⁶⁹Lev. R. 22:7; see Hul. 16b-17a; Sifre, Deut. 12:20 (75). Then it told them, ‘You are forbidden to slaughter apart from the tent of meeting (cf. vs. 4).’” R. Ishmael says, “When Moses said this to them, they were craving to eat meat. At that time, they were cautioned⁷⁰Hizhiru ‘atsman. The verbal expression is used for an explicit biblical prohibition. away from slaughtering, i.e., not to slaughter apart from the tent of meeting.” And why so? It is simply that up to then they had been lusting after idols. Where is it shown that they were slaughtering to idols? Where it is stated (in Lev. 17:7), “And they shall no longer offer sacrifices [to the goat demons after whom they went whoring]….”⁷¹Lev. R. 22:8. When they wished to enter the Land of Israel, they came to Moses. They said to him, “O our master, if we wish to eat flesh, how shall we do so?” He said to them, “In the past, when you were in the desert, you were forbidden to slaughter apart from the tent of meeting; but when you enter the land, you are permitted to slaughter in any place,” as stated (in Deut. 12:20), “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He promised you, [and you say, ‘Let me eat meat, because your soul longs to eat flesh,’ you may eat flesh to your soul's desire].” He said to them, “When I shall have permitted you to slaughter, you may [nonetheless] not take from your flock and slaughter.” Solomon said (in Prov. 27:27), “And there will be enough goat's milk for your food, for the food of your household.” Moses was teaching Israel by saying to them, “If you have sheep, that which you shear is for your clothing,” as stated (in Prov. 27:26), “The sheep will be for your clothes, and the he-goats the reward of a field.” What is the meaning of “and the he-goats the reward of a field?” That whatever you gain as reward from the he-goats that procreate the herd, you are to buy fields with it (i.e., the offspring).⁷²But cf. Hul. 84a. (Prov. 27:27:) “And there will be enough goat's milk,” [meaning] you will have enough goat's milk “for your food, for the food of your household.” R. Aqiva said, “See how the Holy One, blessed be He, cares for the assets of Israel. See what is written (in Deut. 12:21), ‘then you may slaughter from your cattle or flock,’ from what they bear.⁷³T‘Arakh. 4:26. You shall only take and sacrifice from what they give birth to.” Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Deut. 15:19), “[You shall consecrate to the Lord] all the male firstlings which are born in your herd and in your flock.” You are permitted to sacrifice from what they give birth to. R. Eleazar ben Azariah said, “The Torah has taught you a rule of conduct:⁷⁴T‘Arakh. 4:26; Hul. 84a. If someone from Israel should have ten pounds⁷⁵Gk.: litrai. of silver, let him eat green vegetables in the pot; if he has twenty, let him eat them in a casserole;⁷⁶Gk.: lopas (“flat dish”). if he has thirty, let him eat a pound of meat from Sabbath to Sabbath; and if he has fifty, let him eat meat on each [and every] day.” Now why all this? In order to care for the assets of Israel. R. Eleazar ben Shammua' said, “And when he buys from Sabbath to Sabbath, he should not buy until he consults within his household.” Where is it shown? Because it is so written (in Deut. 12:20), “and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’” For this reason Moses warned them and gave them a hint (in vs. 21), so that they would not do too much slaughtering.

(Lev. 17:3:) IF ANY SINGLE PERSON FROM THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL SLAUGHTERS. R. Aqiva says: When Israel was in the desert, they would slaughter cattle by stabbing and eat them; but here < Scripture > has forbidden them and says to them (ibid.): IF ANY SINGLE PERSON FROM THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL…. ⁸³Tanh., Lev. 6:11; Lev. R. 22:7; see Hul. 16b-17a; Sifre, Deut. 12:20 (75).Then he told them: You are forbidden to slaughter apart from the Tent of Meeting (cf. vs. 4). R. Ishmael says: When Moses spoke to them, they were craving to eat meat. At that time they were cautioned⁸⁴Hizhiru ‘atsman. The verbal expression is used for an explicit biblical prohibition. away from slaughtering, i.e., not to slaughter apart from the Tent of Meeting. And why so? It is simply that up to then they had been lusting after idols. Where is it shown that they were lusting after idols? Where it is stated (in Lev. 17:7): AND THEY SHALL NO LONGER OFFER SACRIFICES < TO THE GOAT DEMONS AFTER WHOM THEY WENT WHORING >….⁸⁵Lev. R. 22:8. When they wished to enter the Land of Israel, they came to Moses. They said to him: O Our Master, If we wish to eat flesh, how shall we do so? He said to them: In the past, when you were in the desert, you were forbidden to slaughter apart from the Tent of Meeting; but when you enter the land, you are permitted to slaughter in any place, as stated (in Deut. 12:20): WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD ENLARGES YOUR TERRITORY, AS HE PROMISED YOU, AND YOU SAY: LET ME EAT MEAT, BECAUSE YOUR SOUL LONGS TO EAT FLESH, < YOU MAY EAT FLESH TO YOUR SOUL'S DESIRE >. He said to them: When I shall have permitted you to slaughter, you may not take from your flock and slaughter. Solomon said (in Prov. 27:27): AND THERE WILL BE ENOUGH GOAT'S MILK FOR YOUR FOOD, FOR THE FOOD OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD. Moses was teaching Israel by saying to them: If you have sheep which you shear for your clothing, < then > as stated (in Prov. 27:26): THE SHEEP WILL BE FOR YOUR CLOTHES, AND THE HE-GOATS THE PRICE OF A FIELD. What is the meaning of AND THE HE-GOATS THE PRICE OF A FIELD? That whatever you gain from the goats, you are to buy fields with it.⁸⁶But cf. Hul. 84a. (Prov. 27:27): AND THERE WILL BE ENOUGH GOAT'S MILK. You will have enough GOAT'S MILK FOR YOUR FOOD, FOR THE FOOD⁸⁷The translation here follows the traditional biblical text, which Buber has just quoted correctly a few lines above; however, the Buber text here has substituted LWHM (“flesh”) for the biblical LHM (i.e., “food” or “bread”). OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD. R. Aqiva said: See how the Holy One cares for the assets of the righteous and Israel.⁸⁸The parallel in Tanh., Lev. 6:11 (Jerusalem: Eshkol, n.d.) reads: “of Israel’s righteous.” See what is written (in Deut. 12:21): THEN YOU MAY {TAKE} [SLAUGHTER] SOME OF YOUR CATTLE OR FLOCK. Some of what they bear.⁸⁹T‘Arakh. 4:26. You shall only take and sacrifice some of what they give birth to. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 15:19): < YOU SHALL CONSECRATE TO THE LORD > ALL THE MALE FIRSTLINGS WHICH ARE BORN IN YOUR HERD AND IN YOUR FLOCK. [You are permitted to sacrifice some of what they give birth to.] R. Eleazar [ben Azariah] said: The Torah has taught you a rule of conduct.⁹⁰T‘Arakh. 4:26; Hul. 84a. If someone from Israel should have ten pounds⁹¹Gk.: litrai. of silver, let him eat green vegetables in the pot; if he has twenty, let him eat them in a casserole;⁹²Gk.: lopas (“flat dish”). if he has thirty, let him eat a pound of meat from Sabbath to Sabbath; and if he has fifty, let him eat meat on each [and every] day. Now why all this? In order to care for the assets of Israel. R. Eleazar ben Shammua' said: And when he buys from Sabbath to Sabbath, he should not buy until he consults within his household. Where is it shown? < In Deut. 12:21. > Because it is so written (in Deut. 12:20): [WHEN THE LORD YOUR GOD ENLARGES YOUR TERRITORY,] AS HE PROMISED YOU, AND YOU SAY: LET ME EAT MEAT < BECAUSE YOUR SOUL LONGS TO EAT FLESH, YOU MAY EAT FLESH TO YOUR SOUL'S DESIRE >…. For this reason Moses warned them and gave them a hint (in vs. 21), so that they would not do too much slaughtering.