Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Deuteronomio 17:1

the Levite priests Having mentioned the regulations pertaining to the sovereign, who is the Chief Justice, Scripture now mentions certain ordinances concerning the priests, who are the teachers of the Law. And, since they have no land allotted to them, they shall take from every sacrifice the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach. The shoulder — from the body; the cheeks (including the tongue) — from the head; and the stomach — from the internal organs. There is a homiletical explanation, based on the fact that the kohanim slaughter the peace-offerings [the halakha [Zevaḥim 31b] is that a non-kohen may slaughter the sacrifice — Translator], which depicts the shoulder as the reward for the slaughtering, which is done with one’s arm; the cheeks are the reward for the recitation of the benediction; and the stomach is the reward for the inspection of the internal organs. But the straightforward meaning is that these are the choicest cuts of meat. Scripture also mentions the matter of the Levite, because he is a teacher of the Torah as well, in the provinces. This is evident from Chronicles [II Chronicles 17: 7 ff].

Before them. And not before gentiles, even in a case where the nations judge according to the laws of Israel, etc. (Gittin 88b). This matter requires sufficient explanation. Let us preface this explanation with what we find in the Midrash (see Esther Rabbah 1:12) that on King Solomon’s throne there were six steps, and it was written on the first, Do not pervert justice, and on the second, Do not show partiality, and on the third, Do not accept bribes, and on the fourth, Do not plant for yourself an Asherah, and on the fifth, Do not set up for yourself a pillar, and on the sixth, Do not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep which has a blemish. Any thoughtful person would be astonished at this sight: what relevance do these three prohibitions — do not plant, do not set up, and do not sacrifice — have to a throne prepared for one who sits in judgment? Is it merely because they are adjacent in the Torah that they were placed on the throne? It would have been more appropriate to write in their place he shall not increase wives for himself, he shall not increase horses for himself, and silver and gold he shall not increase for himself. From this, there is clear evidence that all these six prohibitions speak about matters of justice. And from where did King Solomon learn to say this? Surely he understood this from the juxtaposition of the section of Mishpatim [laws] to the section of the altar, indicating that the Sanhedrin should be placed near the altar. And what is the practical difference that God commanded to place the Sanhedrin near the altar? Certainly to teach wisdom to the people that whatever disqualifies the altar and what is offered upon it also disqualifies the Sanhedrin, specifically regarding the matters mentioned at the end of Parashat Yitro concerning the altar.

The first one is, as it says, And you shall sacrifice upon it your burnt offerings, etc. Therefore, it mentions here the sacrifices to tell you that just as a blemish disqualifies sacrifices, so too a blemish disqualifies members of the Sanhedrin, as is stated in tractate Yevamot 101a: Just as the court was clean in justice, so too they were clean from any blemish, as Solomon said, You are all beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you. And from where did they learn to say this? Is it not that we do not derive Torah laws from words of the Prophets [Tradition]? Rather, certainly King Solomon learned this from the juxtaposition of this section and from the juxtaposition of You shall not sacrifice (Deuteronomy 17:1), because in Deuteronomy everyone agrees that we interpret adjacent passages, even those who do not interpret them elsewhere. And therefore, he engraved on his throne the verse You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or sheep that has a blemish, etc., because by this he indicated that all the Sanhedrin who sit on the seat of judgment were free of blemish, like the sacrifice.