Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 14 (Parashat Re’eh)

Devarim 14:1

בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם לֹא תִתְגֹּדְדוּ וְלֹא-תָשִׂימוּ קָרְחָה בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם--לָמֵת

. . .

And since you are the devotees of God your Lord, like children — do not gash yourselves, and do not make a bare patch between your eyes for your dead.

Devarim 14:2

כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְךָ בָּחַר יְהוָה לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה מִכֹּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל-פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה

. . .

For you are a people consecrated to God your Lord, and He has chosen you to be His own particular nation, from all the nations that are upon the face of the earth.

Devarim 14:3

לֹא תֹאכַל כָּל-תּוֹעֵבָה

You shall not eat anything abhorrent.

Devarim 14:4

זֹאת הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר תֹּאכֵלוּ שׁוֹר שֵׂה כְשָׂבִים וְשֵׂה עִזִּים

.

This is what you may eat of the beasts: the cattle, the sheep, and the goats,

Devarim 14:5

אַיָּל וּצְבִי וְיַחְמוּר וְאַקּוֹ וְדִישֹׁן וּתְאוֹ וָזָמֶר

.

and the deer, and the gazelle, and the roebuck, and the ibex, and the mountain goat, and the tebel, and the giraffe.

Devarim 14:6

וְכָל-בְּהֵמָה מַפְרֶסֶת פַּרְסָה וְשֹׁסַעַת שֶׁסַע שְׁתֵּי פְרָסוֹת מַעֲלַת גֵּרָה בַּבְּהֵמָה--אֹתָהּ תֹּאכֵלוּ

.

And every beast that is hoofed with a hoof and has its hooves split in a full split, and that brings up cud, from among the beasts — eat it.

Devarim 14:7

אַךְ אֶת-זֶה לֹא תֹאכְלוּ מִמַּעֲלֵי הַגֵּרָה וּמִמַּפְרִיסֵי הַפַּרְסָה הַשְּׁסוּעָה אֶת-הַגָּמָל וְאֶת-הָאַרְנֶבֶת וְאֶת-הַשָּׁפָן כִּי-מַעֲלֵה גֵרָה הֵמָּה וּפַרְסָה לֹא הִפְרִיסוּ--טְמֵאִים הֵם לָכֶם

. . . . *.

But these creatures, do not eat them — from among those that bring up cud and those that are hoofed with split hooves: the camel, and the hare, and the hyrax, for they bring up cud but are not hoofed with a hoof — they are forbidden to you.

Devarim 14:8

וְאֶת-הַחֲזִיר כִּי-מַפְרִיס פַּרְסָה הוּא וְלֹא גֵרָה--טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם מִבְּשָׂרָם לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ וּבְנִבְלָתָם לֹא תִגָּעוּ

. . . .

And the pig: it is hoofed with a hoof but does not chew cud — it is forbidden to you; do not eat of their flesh, and do not approach their carcasses lest they make you impure.

Devarim 14:9

אֶת-זֶה תֹּאכְלוּ מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בַּמָּיִם כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת תֹּאכֵלוּ

. .

And this is what you may eat from all that is in the water: everything that has fins and scales, eat it.

Devarim 14:10

וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר אֵין-לוֹ סְנַפִּיר וְקַשְׂקֶשֶׂת לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ--טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם

. .

And everything that has no fins and scales, do not eat it, for it is impure for you.

Devarim 14:11

כָּל-צִפּוֹר טְהֹרָה תֹּאכֵלוּ

And every pure bird, eat it.

Devarim 14:12

וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר לֹא-תֹאכְלוּ מֵהֶם הַנֶּשֶׁר וְהַפֶּרֶס וְהָעָזְנִיָּה

.

And these are the creatures you shall not eat from among them: the vulture, the eagle, and the great bird of prey,

Devarim 14:13

וְהָרָאָה וְאֶת-הָאַיָּה וְהַדַּיָּה לְמִינָהּ

.

and the kite, and the screech-bird, and the falcon according to its kinds,

Devarim 14:14

וְאֵת כָּל-עֹרֵב לְמִינוֹ

and all the ravens according to their kinds,

Devarim 14:15

וְאֵת בַּת הַיַּעֲנָה וְאֶת-הַתַּחְמָס וְאֶת-הַשָּׁחַף וְאֶת-הַנֵּץ לְמִינֵהוּ

.

and the ostrich, and the swallow, and the gull, and the hawk according to its kinds,

Devarim 14:16

אֶת-הַכּוֹס וְאֶת-הַיַּנְשׁוּף וְהַתִּנְשָׁמֶת

and the owl, and the sparrowhawk, and the falcon,

Devarim 14:17

וְהַקָּאָת וְאֶת-הָרָחָמָה וְאֶת-הַשָּׁלָךְ

and the pelican, and the carrion-vulture, and the cormorant,

Devarim 14:18

וְהַחֲסִידָה וְהָאֲנָפָה לְמִינָהּ וְהַדּוּכִיפַת וְהָעֲטַלֵּף

.

and the stork, and the parrot according to its kinds, and the hoopoe, and the bat.

Devarim 14:19

וְכֹל שֶׁרֶץ הָעוֹף טָמֵא הוּא לָכֶם לֹא יֵאָכֵלוּ

. .

And all creeping flying creatures that are forbidden to you — do not eat them.

Devarim 14:20

כָּל-עוֹף טָהוֹר תֹּאכֵלוּ

And everything that is pure from among them, eat it.

Devarim 14:21

לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כָל-נְבֵלָה לַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר-בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ תִּתְּנֶנָּה וַאֲכָלָהּ אוֹ מָכֹר לְנָכְרִי--כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא-תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ

. . . .

And do not eat anything from the carcasses; rather, give it to the stranger who is in your localities that he may eat it, or sell it to a foreigner — for you are a people consecrated to God your Lord. And do not cook meat in milk.

Devarim 14:22

עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר אֵת כָּל-תְּבוּאַת זַרְעֶךָ הַיֹּצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה שָׁנָה שָׁנָה

.

You shall tithe a full tithe of all the yield of your sowing, that which the open country brings forth, year by year.

Devarim 14:23

וְאָכַלְתָּ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-יִבְחַר לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם מַעְשַׂר דְּגָנְךָ תִּירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וּבְכֹרֹת בְּקָרְךָ וְצֹאנֶךָ לְמַעַן תִּלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--כָּל-הַיָּמִים

. . . . .

And eat before God your Lord, in the place which He shall choose for His light to dwell therein, the tithes of your grain and your press-produce and your oil, and the firstlings of your cattle and your flock — so that you may learn how to serve Him all the length of time.

Devarim 14:24

וְכִי-יִרְבֶּה מִמְּךָ הַדֶּרֶךְ כִּי לֹא תוּכַל שְׂאֵתוֹ--כִּי-יִרְחַק מִמְּךָ הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לָשׂוּם שְׁמוֹ שָׁם כִּי יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ

. . . . .

And if the way be too long for you, and you are unable to carry it, and the place is far from you — the place which God your Lord shall choose for His light to dwell therein — and He has blessed you through all of this,

Devarim 14:25

וְנָתַתָּה בַּכָּסֶף וְצַרְתָּ הַכֶּסֶף בְּיָדְךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ

. . .

then sell it for a price, and tie it up and take it in your hand, and go to the place which God your Lord shall choose.

Devarim 14:26

וְנָתַתָּה הַכֶּסֶף בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר-תְּאַוֶּה נַפְשְׁךָ בַּבָּקָר וּבַצֹּאן וּבַיַּיִן וּבַשֵּׁכָר וּבְכֹל אֲשֶׁר תִּשְׁאָלְךָ נַפְשֶׁךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ שָּׁם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׂמַחְתָּ אַתָּה וּבֵיתֶךָ

. . . . . .

And spend it on whatever your soul desires — cattle and flock, and wine and strong drink, and whatever your soul wishes — and eat it there before God your Lord, and rejoice, you and your household.

Devarim 14:27

וְהַלֵּוִי אֲשֶׁר-בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ לֹא תַעַזְבֶנּוּ כִּי אֵין לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ

. .

And the Levite who is in your localities — do not forsake him, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.

Devarim 14:28

מִקְצֵה שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים תּוֹצִיא אֶת-כָּל-מַעְשַׂר תְּבוּאָתְךָ בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא וְהִנַּחְתָּ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ

. . .

And at the end of every three years, bring out all the tithes of your yield in that year, and set it down in your localities.

Devarim 14:29

וּבָא הַלֵּוִי כִּי אֵין-לוֹ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה עִמָּךְ וְהַגֵּר וְהַיָּתוֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְאָכְלוּ וְשָׂבֵעוּ--לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל-מַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה

. . . . .

And the Levite shall come — since he has no portion nor inheritance with you — and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow who are in your localities, and they shall eat and be satisfied, so that God your Lord may bless you in all that you do.