ויקרא כ״ב:י״ז-כ״ה

נדריהם. הֲרֵי עָלַי:

נדריהם THEIR VOWS — [An animal is termed נדר when an obligation is entered into by the words:] Behold, I take it upon myself [to bring a burnt-offering].

נדבותם. הֲרֵי זוֹ:

נדבותם THEIR FREE-WILL OFFERINGS — [it is a נדבה when one states:] Behold, this animal [shall be a burnt-offering] (Megillah 8a).

לרצנכם. הָבִיאוּ דָּבָר הָרָאוּי לְרַצּוֹת אֶתְכֶם לְפָנַי, שֶׁיְּהֵא לָכֶם לְרָצוֹן, אפיי"מנט בְּלַעַז, וְאֵיזֶהוּ הָרָאוּי לְרָצוֹן?

לרצנכם — The meaning is: bring such a thing (animal) as is fitted to cause רצון, propitiation for you before Me. The word לרצנכם means: so that it may be to you for propitiation; apaisement in old French And which animal is it that is fitting to effect propitiation?

תמים זכר בבקר בכבשים ובעזים. אֲבָל בְּעוֹלַת הָעוֹף אֵין צָרִיךְ תַּמּוּת וְזַכְרוּת, וְאֵינוֹ נִפְסָל בְּמוּם אֶלָּא בְּחֶסְרוֹן אֵבֶר (ספרא):

תמים זכר בבקר בכבשים ובעזים A MALE WITHOUT BLEMISH OF THE CATTLE, OF THE SHEEP, OR OF THE GOATS — but in the case of a burnt-offering that consists in a bird, the unblemished condition and the male sex are not essential, and it does not become unfit for sacrifice by reason of a mere blemish (a bodily defect), but only by reason of the loss of a limb (Sifra, Emor, Section 7 2).

לפלא נדר. לְהַפְרִישׁ בְּדִבּוּרוֹ:

לפלא נדר means, expressing it by speech (not expressing it mentally,‎ בלב).

עורת. שֵׁם דָּבָר שֶׁל מוּם עִוָּרוֹן בְּלָשׁוֹן נְקֵבָה — שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא בוֹ מוּם שֶׁל עִוָּרוֹן:

‎עורת is a noun denoting the blemish of blindness (עִוָּרֹן), being, however, a feminine form of the latter. The text therefore means that there shall not be the defect of blindness in it (in the sacrifice).

או שבור. לֹא יִהְיֶה:

או שבור nor shall it be a broken animal.

חרוץ. רִיס שֶׁל עַיִן שֶׁנִּסְדַּק אוֹ שֶׁנִּפְגַּם וְכֵן שְׂפָתוֹ שֶׁנִּסְדְּקָה אוֹ נִפְגְּמָה (בכורות ל"ח):

חרוץ CHAPPED — an eye-lid that is split or has a piece cut out of its edge; and similarly, its (the animal’s) lip that is split or has a piece cut out of its edge (Sifra, Emor, Section 7 12; Bekhorot 38a).

יבלת. ורו"אה בְּלַעַז:

יבלת is called verrue in old French, (English = wart).

גרב. מִין חֲזָזִית וְכֵן יַלֶּפֶת, וּלְשׁוֹן יַלֶּפֶת כְּמוֹ וַיִּלְפֹּת שִׁמְשׁוֹן (שופטים ט"ז), שֶׁאֲחוּזָה בוֹ עַד יוֹם מִיתָה, שֶׁאֵין לָהּ רְפוּאָה:

גרב is a kind of lichen and so too is ילפת. The word ילפת is connected in meaning with (Judges 16:29) “And Samson took hold (וילפת) [of the two middle pillars]”. The blemish is so called because it keeps its grasp on him (the sick person) until the day of his death, since there is no cure for it (cf. Rashi on Leviticus 21:20).

לא תקריבו. שָׁלוֹשׁ פְּעָמִים, לְהַזְהִיר עַל הַקְדָּשָׁתָן וְעַל שְׁחִיטָתָן וְעַל זְרִיקַת דָּמָן (תמורה ו'):

לא תקריבו YE SHALL NOT OFFER — Three times is the expression לא תקריבו used in this section (here and in v. 20 and 24), in order to lay down a separate prohibition regarding designating them (blemished animals) as sacrifices, slaughtering them and sprinkling their blood (cf. Temurah 6b).

ואשה לא תתנו. אַזְהָרַת הַקְטָרָתָן:

ואשה לא תתנו YE SHALL NOT MAKE A FIRE-OFFERING [OF THEM] — This contains the prohibition of burning them on the altar (Temurah 6b).

שרוע. אֵבֶר גָּדוֹל מֵחֲבֵרוֹ:

שרוע is an animal that has one limb larger than its fellow-limb (Bekhorot 40a).

וקלוט. פַּרְסוֹתָיו קְלוּטוֹת (בכורות מ'):

וקלוט is an animal which has uncloven hoofs (the sign of uncleaness; cf. Leviticus 11:4—6. It is a שור or a שה which, being a clean animal, is fitted to be sacrificed, but abnormally its hoofs are uncloven) (Bekhorot 40a).

נדבה תעשה אתו. לְבֶדֶק הַבַּיִת:

נדבה תעשה אתו THOU MAYEST DESIGNATE IT FOR A FREE-WILL OFFERING for the purpose of repairing the breaches in the Temple from the proceeds of its sale,

ולנדר. לַמִּזְבֵּחַ:

ולנדר BUT AS A VOW — i. e. as an animal vowed for the altar (for sacrifice), it shall not be accepted.

לא ירצה. אֵי זֶה הֶקְדֵּשׁ בָּא לְרַצּוֹת? הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה הֶקְדֵּשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (תמורה ז'):

לא ירצה [BUT AS A נדר] THERE SHALL NOT BE PROPITIATION — What dedicated thing is it that is intended to effect propiation? You must admit that it is something dedicated to the altar. Consequently נדר can only mean a sacrifice for the altar (Sifra, Emor, Chapter 7 6).

ומעוך וכתות ונתוק וכרות. בַּבֵּיצִים אוֹ בַגִּיד:

ומעוך וכתות ונתוק וכרות are forbidden as sacrifices whether the mutilation be in the testicles or the membrum.

מעוך. בֵּיצָיו מְעוּכִין בַּיָּד:

מעוך means, one whose testicles have been pressed by hand.

כתות. כְּתוּשִׁים יוֹתֵר מִמָּעוּךְ:

כתות CRUSHED — it implies more severely crushed than מעוך.

נתוק. תְּלוּשִׁין בַּיָּד עַד שֶׁנִּפְסְקוּ חוּטִים שֶׁתְּלוּיִים בָּהֶן, אֲבָל נְתוּנִים הֵם בְּתוֹךְ הַכִּיס, וְהַכִּיס לֹא נִתְלַשׁ:

נתוק — they have been torn off by the hand, so that the threads on which they hang have snapped but they are still in the scrotum, the scrotum itself not having been torn off.

וכרות. כְּרוּתִין בִּכְלִי וְעוֹדָן בַּכִּיס (בכורות ל"ט):

וכרות — they have been cut away by an instrument but are still in the scrotum (cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 7 9; Bekhorot 39b).

[ומעוך. תַּרְגּוּמוֹ וְדִי מְרִיס, זֶהוּ לְשׁוֹנוֹ בַּאֲרָמִית, לְשׁוֹן כְּתִישָׁה:

[ומעוך — Its translation in the Targum is, ודי מריס; this is its exact translation in Aramaic, because this Aramaic root has the meaning of pounding.

וכתות תַּרְגּוּמוֹ וְדִי רְסִיס, כְּמוֹ "הַבַּיִת הַגָּדוֹל רְסִיסִים" (עמוס ו') — בְּקִיעוֹת דַּקּוֹת, וְכֵן "קָנֶה הַמְרֻסָּס" (שבת פ'):]

וכתות, however, is translated by the Targum ודי רסיס “and that which is smashed”, (a stronger term than מרס), similar to, Amos 6:11) “The great house shall be smitten into רסיסים‎” i. e. into small fragments; similar is the Talmudical expression (Shabbat 80b) a reed crushed to pieces (מרוסס‎‎‎‎)].

ובארצכם לא תעשו. דָּבָר זֶה לְסָרֵס שׁוּם בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה, וַאֲפִלּוּ טְמֵאָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּאַרְצְכֶם לְרַבּוֹת כָּל אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצְכֶם, שֶׁאִאֶ"לֹ לֹא נִצְטַוּוּ עַל הַסֵּרוּס אֶלָּא בָאָרֶץ, שֶׁהֲרֵי סֵרוּס חוֹבַת הַגּוּף הִיא וְכָל חוֹבַת הַגּוּף נוֹהֶגֶת בֵּין בָּאָרֶץ בֵּין בְּחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ:

ובארצכם לא תעשו NEITHER SHALL YE DO IN YOUR LAND this thing — to castrate any cattle or beast even if it be unclean. That is why Scripture adds “in your land” — to include every animal that is in your land under this law (cf. Chagigah 14b and Tosafot there). For it is impossible to say that they are here commanded to abstain from mutilating animals in the Land of Israel only, (and that the word must be translated: “In your land you must not do this”, implying, but you may do it elsewhere) for surely the command regarding mutilation is a personal duty and any personal duty has to be practiced both in the Land and outside the Land (Kiddushin 36b; cf. Sifra, Emor, Chapter 7 11).

ומיד בן נכר. שֶׁהֵבִיא קָרְבָּן בְּיַד כֹּהֵן לְהַקְרִיבוֹ לַשָּׁמַיִם לא תקריבו לוֹ בַּעַל מוּם; וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֶסְרוּ בַעֲלֵי מוּמִים לְקָרְבַּן בְּנֵי נֹחַ אֶלָּא אִ"כֵּ מְחֻסְּרֵי אֵבֶר, זֹאת נוֹהֶגֶת בְּבָמָה שֶׁבַּשָּׂדוֹת, אֲבָל עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ שֶׁבַּמִּשְׁכָּן לֹא תַקְרִיבוּ, אֲבָל תְּמִימָה תְקַבְּלוּ מֵהֶם, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה אִישׁ אִישׁ, לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַגּוֹיִם שֶׁנּוֹדְרִים נְדָרִים וּנְדָבוֹת כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל (חולין י"ג):

ומיד בן נכר AND FROM ANY STRANGER’S HAND who has brought a sacrifice through the agency of a priest to offer it to the Lord, לא תקריבו YOU SHALL NOT OFFER a blemished animal on his behalf. And though blemished animals are not forbidden as sacrifices of the “Sons of Noah” (the non-Israelite world) except such as lack one of their limbs (as derived from the text: Genesis 6:19; cf. Avodah Zarah 5b) — this rule applies only to animals offered to God by the “Sons of Noah” themselves on a Bamah (an altar, lit., an elevated place) in the open field, but on the altar in the Tabernacle shall you not offer blemished animals on their behalf (cf. Temurah 7a). An animal, however, that has no blemish you may accept from them as an offering on your altar. It is for this reason that Scripture says above (v. 18): איש “Any man… who offers”, in order to include in this law the heathens also — that they, too, are permitted to undertake to bring vowed animals (נדרים) and free-will offerings (נדבות) just the same as the Israelites (Chullin 13b).

משחתם. חִבּוּלְהוֹן:

משחתם THEIR CORRUPTION — Translate this as the Targum does: חבולהון, their wound (defect).

לא ירצו לכם. לְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם:

לא ירצו לכם THEY SHALL NOT BE ACCEPTED FOR YOU — i. e. to atone for you.