Saadia's Tafsir on Vayikra 22 (Parashat Emor)

Vayikra 22:1

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

Then God spoke to Moses directly.

Vayikra 22:2

דַּבֵּר אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו וְיִנָּזְרוּ מִקָּדְשֵׁי בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ אֶת-שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי--אֲשֶׁר הֵם מַקְדִּשִׁים לִי אֲנִי יְהוָה

. . . .

Command Aaron and his sons, that they keep away from the holy things of the sons of Israel, and not treat lightly what I have called by the name of holy — of what they are consecrating to Me. I am God, who has honored it.

Vayikra 22:3

אֱמֹר אֲלֵהֶם לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶם כָּל-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-יִקְרַב מִכָּל-זַרְעֲכֶם אֶל-הַקֳּדָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר יַקְדִּישׁוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיהוָה וְטֻמְאָתוֹ עָלָיו וְנִכְרְתָה הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִוא מִלְּפָנַי--אֲנִי יְהוָה

. . . .

Say to them: any man from your lineage, throughout the passing of your generations, who approaches the holy things which the sons of Israel consecrate to God, while he is in a state of impurity that clings to him — that soul shall be cut off from My world. I am God, the Punisher.

Vayikra 22:4

אִישׁ אִישׁ מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן וְהוּא צָרוּעַ אוֹ זָב--בַּקֳּדָשִׁים לֹא יֹאכַל עַד אֲשֶׁר יִטְהָר וְהַנֹּגֵעַ בְּכָל-טְמֵא-נֶפֶשׁ אוֹ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-תֵּצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ שִׁכְבַת-זָרַע

. . . . .

Any man of the lineage of Aaron who is afflicted with a skin-disease or has a discharge shall not eat of the holy things until he is purified; and whoever touches one who is impure through contact with a dead person, or from whom a drop of seminal emission has issued —

Vayikra 22:5

אוֹ-אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִגַּע בְּכָל-שֶׁרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יִטְמָא-לוֹ אוֹ בְאָדָם אֲשֶׁר יִטְמָא-לוֹ לְכֹל טֻמְאָתוֹ

. . .

and any man who has approached any creeping thing by which he may become impure, or a person by whom he may become impure — according to the ways of his impurity —

Vayikra 22:6

נֶפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר תִּגַּע-בּוֹ וְטָמְאָה עַד-הָעָרֶב וְלֹא יֹאכַל מִן-הַקֳּדָשִׁים כִּי אִם-רָחַץ בְּשָׂרוֹ בַּמָּיִם

. . .

any person who has approached any such thing shall be impure until the night, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he has washed his body with water.

Vayikra 22:7

וּבָא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְטָהֵר וְאַחַר יֹאכַל מִן-הַקֳּדָשִׁים כִּי לַחְמוֹ הוּא

. .

And when the sun has set, he is then purified; and after that he may eat of the holy things, for it is his food.

Vayikra 22:8

נְבֵלָה וּטְרֵפָה לֹא יֹאכַל לְטָמְאָה-בָהּ אֲנִי יְהוָה

. .

The carcass and the diseased animal he shall not eat, lest he disobey Me through it. I am God, the Punisher.

Vayikra 22:9

וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת-מִשְׁמַרְתִּי וְלֹא-יִשְׂאוּ עָלָיו חֵטְא וּמֵתוּ בוֹ כִּי יְחַלְּלֻהוּ אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדְּשָׁם

. . .

They shall guard what I have entrusted to their guardianship, and shall not bear sin because of it, lest they be destroyed when they have treated it lightly — for I am God who sanctifies them thereby.

Vayikra 22:10

וְכָל-זָר לֹא-יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ תּוֹשַׁב כֹּהֵן וְשָׂכִיר לֹא-יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ

And no outsider shall eat of a holy thing — not even the guest of the priest nor his hired worker shall eat of a holy thing.

Vayikra 22:11

וְכֹהֵן כִּי-יִקְנֶה נֶפֶשׁ קִנְיַן כַּסְפּוֹ--הוּא יֹאכַל בּוֹ וִילִיד בֵּיתוֹ הֵם יֹאכְלוּ בְלַחְמוֹ

. . .

But any priest who has purchased a person by purchase with his money — he may eat of it; and likewise those born into his household, they may eat of his food.

Vayikra 22:12

וּבַת-כֹּהֵן--כִּי תִהְיֶה לְאִישׁ זָר הִוא בִּתְרוּמַת הַקֳּדָשִׁים לֹא תֹאכֵל

. .

And any daughter of a priest who has married an outsider man — she shall not eat of the elevated portions of the holy things.

Vayikra 22:13

וּבַת-כֹּהֵן כִּי תִהְיֶה אַלְמָנָה וּגְרוּשָׁה וְזֶרַע אֵין לָהּ--וְשָׁבָה אֶל-בֵּית אָבִיהָ כִּנְעוּרֶיהָ מִלֶּחֶם אָבִיהָ תֹּאכֵל וְכָל-זָר לֹא-יֹאכַל בּוֹ

. . . .

But any daughter of a priest who has become a widow or been divorced, and has no offspring — let her return to her father's house, as in the rule of her girlhood, and of his food she may eat; and the rest of the outsiders shall not eat of it.

Vayikra 22:14

וְאִישׁ כִּי-יֹאכַל קֹדֶשׁ בִּשְׁגָגָה--וְיָסַף חֲמִשִׁיתוֹ עָלָיו וְנָתַן לַכֹּהֵן אֶת-הַקֹּדֶשׁ

. .

And any person who has eaten of the holy things inadvertently shall add to it the like of its fifth, and shall pay it to the priest for the holy thing.

Vayikra 22:15

וְלֹא יְחַלְּלוּ אֶת-קָדְשֵׁי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--אֵת אֲשֶׁר-יָרִימוּ לַיהוָה

.

And they shall not treat lightly the holy things of the sons of Israel, and what they present to God.

Vayikra 22:16

וְהִשִּׂיאוּ אוֹתָם עֲו‍ֹן אַשְׁמָה בְּאָכְלָם אֶת-קָדְשֵׁיהֶם כִּי אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדְּשָׁם

. .

For they would bear sins and guilt thereby, when they ate thus of their holy things — for I am God who sanctifies them.

Vayikra 22:17

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

Then God spoke to Moses directly.

Vayikra 22:18

דַּבֵּר אֶל-אַהֲרֹן וְאֶל-בָּנָיו וְאֶל כָּל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן-הַגֵּר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יַקְרִיב קָרְבָּנוֹ לְכָל-נִדְרֵיהֶם וּלְכָל-נִדְבוֹתָם אֲשֶׁר-יַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה לְעֹלָה

. . . . .

Command Aaron and his sons, and the rest of the house of Israel, and say to them: any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who have entered among them, who wills to bring an offering, according to any manner of their vows and their freewill gifts which they bring to God as a burnt offering —

Vayikra 22:19

לִרְצֹנְכֶם תָּמִים זָכָר--בַּבָּקָר בַּכְּשָׂבִים וּבָעִזִּים

.

that which is acceptable from you shall be a sound male, from the cattle, the sheep, or the goats.

Vayikra 22:20

כֹּל אֲשֶׁר-בּוֹ מוּם לֹא תַקְרִיבוּ כִּי-לֹא לְרָצוֹן יִהְיֶה לָכֶם

.

But anything that has a blemish you shall not offer, for it shall not be acceptable from you.

Vayikra 22:21

וְאִישׁ כִּי-יַקְרִיב זֶבַח-שְׁלָמִים לַיהוָה לְפַלֵּא-נֶדֶר אוֹ לִנְדָבָה בַּבָּקָר אוֹ בַצֹּאן--תָּמִים יִהְיֶה לְרָצוֹן כָּל-מוּם לֹא יִהְיֶה-בּוֹ

. . . .

And likewise, any person who wills to bring a peace-offering to God, in fulfillment of a vow or as a freewill gift, from the cattle or from the flock — the sound one is what is acceptable from it; there shall be no blemish of any kind in it.

Vayikra 22:22

עַוֶּרֶת אוֹ שָׁבוּר אוֹ-חָרוּץ אוֹ-יַבֶּלֶת אוֹ גָרָב אוֹ יַלֶּפֶת--לֹא-תַקְרִיבוּ אֵלֶּה לַיהוָה וְאִשֶּׁה לֹא-תִתְּנוּ מֵהֶם עַל-הַמִּזְבֵּחַ--לַיהוָה

. . .

Whether blind, or broken, or severed, or having a wart, or with mange or scurf — you shall not offer these to God, and you shall not make from them an offering upon the altar of God.

Vayikra 22:23

וְשׁוֹר וָשֶׂה שָׂרוּעַ וְקָלוּט--נְדָבָה תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתוֹ וּלְנֵדֶר לֹא יֵרָצֶה

. .

And any ox or sheep that is lame or stunted — you may make it for a freewill gift; but as regards a vow it shall not be acceptable.

Vayikra 22:24

וּמָעוּךְ וְכָתוּת וְנָתוּק וְכָרוּת לֹא תַקְרִיבוּ לַיהוָה וּבְאַרְצְכֶם לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ

. .

The bruised, or the crushed, or the torn-out, or the severed — you shall not offer these to God; and in your lands you shall not do this.

Vayikra 22:25

וּמִיַּד בֶּן-נֵכָר לֹא תַקְרִיבוּ אֶת-לֶחֶם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם--מִכָּל-אֵלֶּה כִּי מָשְׁחָתָם בָּהֶם מוּם בָּם לֹא יֵרָצוּ לָכֶם

. . . .

And from the hand of the nations you shall not offer the perpetual offering of your Lord when there is any of these blemishes in it — for their corruption is with them, that is the blemish which is in them; they shall not be acceptable from you.

Vayikra 22:26

וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר

Then God spoke to Moses directly.

Vayikra 22:27

שׁוֹר אוֹ-כֶשֶׂב אוֹ-עֵז כִּי יִוָּלֵד וְהָיָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תַּחַת אִמּוֹ וּמִיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי וָהָלְאָה יֵרָצֶה לְקָרְבַּן אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה

. . .

Any calf, or lamb, or kid — when it is born, let it remain seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day onward, it shall be acceptable to be brought as an offering to God.

Vayikra 22:28

וְשׁוֹר אוֹ-שֶׂה--אֹתוֹ וְאֶת-בְּנוֹ לֹא תִשְׁחֲטוּ בְּיוֹם אֶחָד

. .

And the cow and the ewe — it and its young — you shall not slaughter both of them on one day.

Vayikra 22:29

וְכִי-תִזְבְּחוּ זֶבַח-תּוֹדָה לַיהוָה--לִרְצֹנְכֶם תִּזְבָּחוּ

.

And when you slaughter a thanksgiving sacrifice to God, slaughter it in the manner that is acceptable from you.

Vayikra 22:30

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יֵאָכֵל לֹא-תוֹתִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד-בֹּקֶר אֲנִי יְהוָה

.

It shall be eaten on that day only; you shall leave none of it until the morning. I am God, who commanded this.

Vayikra 22:31

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם מִצְו‍ֹתַי וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם אֲנִי יְהוָה

. .

Guard My commandments and act according to them. I am God, who rewards you with good.

Vayikra 22:32

וְלֹא תְחַלְּלוּ אֶת-שֵׁם קָדְשִׁי וְנִקְדַּשְׁתִּי בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי יְהוָה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶם

. .

And do not treat lightly My holy name; but rather I shall be sanctified among the sons of Israel. I am God who sanctifies you —

Vayikra 22:33

הַמּוֹצִיא אֶתְכֶם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לִהְיוֹת לָכֶם לֵאלֹהִים אֲנִי יְהוָה

. .

who brought you out from the land of Egypt, to be your God. I am God, the Punisher.