Cytowanie Komentarza do Powtórzonego Prawa 16:16

הכל חייבין בראיה – In the commandment (Deuteronomy 16:16): “[Three times a year – on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths – ] all your males shall appear [before the LORD your God in the place that He will choose….],” and one must show one’s self in the Temple courtyard on the Festival, and [the word] הכל/”Everyone” includes someone who is a half-slave and half-a free person, but the Halakha is not like this, since whomever is a half-slave and half-a free person is exempt from appearance in the Temple because of the side of servitude within him. (One could potentially argue that another possibility for a Biblical proof-text could be Exodus 23:17: “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Sovereign, the LORD, though it lacks the reference to Jerusalem).

ולרגלים – This is how it should be understood: The Festival that it is, which is Passover, is the New Year for Festivals concerning those who make vows, for if three festivals passed upon him from the time that he made a vow and he didn’t fulfill it, he violates the prohibition of being late to fulfill it (see Deuteronomy 23:22,24: “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not put off fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will requite it of you, and you will have incurred guilt…You must fulfill what has crossed your lips and perform what you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, having made the promise with your own mouth.” See also Ecclesiastes 5:3: “When you make a vow to God, do not delay fulfilling it. For He has no pleasure in fool; what you vow, fulfill.”). But Rabbi Shimon says that he does not trespass it on delaying [fulfillment of the vow] until three festivals have passed in order, and the Festival of Matzot (i.e., Passover) is first, as they are arranged in Scripture (Deuteronomy 16:16): “[Three times a year –] on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths – [all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place that He will choose…]”; and the legal decision is that when only one festival passes, and if he didn’t bring his vow, he transgresses a positive commandment, as it is written (Deuteronomy 12:5-6): “…There you are to go. And there you are to bring your burnt offerings [and other sacrifices, your tithes and contributions…].” The first festival that you come to, you must bring, and when three festivals have passed, you have transgressed on not being late. But the Halakha is not according to Rabbi Shimon who requires three festivals in their order.

וטומטום ואנדרוגינוס, נשים ועבדים שאינן משוחררין – all of these are excluded from [the word] זכורך/”your males,” (Deuteronomy 16:16) except for one whose sex is unknown, a hermaphrodite and a woman who are not included within [the term] זכורך/”your males.” For any commandment for which women are not obligated [to perform], slaves are also not obligated [to perform]. And further, when it [the Torah] states (Deuteronomy 31:11): “When all Israel comes to appear [before the LORD your God]...” and slaves are not considered part of the Jewish people. (See also Mishnah Bikkurim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 5, regarding the one whose sex is unknown and the hermaphrodite in regard to their exemption from the bringing of First Fruits to the Temple.)

How fair were your feet. In the festive pilgrimages,⁶I.e., in your going up to Yerusholayim to celebrate the three festivals. “פעמיך” alluding to the “three times [פעמים] a year,” mentioned in Devarim 16:16, that pilgrimages were made. See Maseches Chagigah 3a. Alternatively, “פעמיך” refers to “feet” because at times [=פעמים] they are covered with shoes and at times they are bare. (Sefer Dudaim) O daughter of nobles!