Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 20

23You must not follow the practices of the nations whom I am sending out of Canaan from before you, for they committed all these sins, and I was disgusted with them.   כגוְלֹ֤א תֵֽלְכוּ֙ בְּחֻקֹּ֣ת הַגּ֔וֹי אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ מִפְּנֵיכֶ֑ם כִּ֤י אֶת־כָּל־אֵ֨לֶּה֙ עָשׂ֔וּ וָֽאָקֻ֖ץ בָּֽם:
וָֽאָקֻץ - And I was disgusted. This is a term denoting repulsiveness, as in: קַצְתִּי בְחַיַּי “I am disgusted with my life” 1 – like a person who is nauseated by his food.   וָֽאָקֻץ.  לְשׁוֹן מִאוּס, כְּמוֹ קַצְתִּי בְחַיַּי (בראשית כ"ז), כְּאָדָם שֶׁהוּא קָץ בִּמְזוֹנוֹ (ספרא):
24So I said to you, “You will take possession of their land in their stead, for I will give it to you to possess, a land flowing with milk and date- and fig-honey.” I am God, your God, who has distinguished you from other peoples.   כדוָֽאֹמַ֣ר לָכֶ֗ם אַתֶּם֘ תִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־אַדְמָתָם֒ וַֽאֲנִ֞י אֶתְּנֶ֤נָּה לָכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֹתָ֔הּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֲנִי֙ יְהוָֹ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּֽים:
25You must be able to distinguish between that which renders an animal spiritually undefiled and that which renders it spiritually defiled, and between that which renders a fowl spiritually defiled and that which renders it spiritually undefiled. Thus, you will not make yourselves disgusting by consuming any spiritually defiled animal or fowl, or by consuming any creature that crawls on the earth that I have distinguished by prohibiting it to you, since consuming it renders you spiritually defiled.   כהוְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞ם בֵּֽין־הַבְּהֵמָ֤ה הַטְּהֹרָה֙ לַטְּמֵאָ֔ה וּבֵֽין־הָע֥וֹף הַטָּמֵ֖א לַטָּהֹ֑ר וְלֹֽא־תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּ אֶת־נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜ם בַּבְּהֵמָ֣ה וּבָע֗וֹף וּבְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְמֹ֣שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי לָכֶ֖ם לְטַמֵּֽא:
וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּם בֵּֽין־הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹרָה לַטְּמֵאָה - (lit.) You must distinguish between a spiritually undefiled animal and a defiled one. There is no need for Scripture to prescribe distinguishing between a cow and a donkey, for they are clearly distinguishable. Rather, it is telling us to distinguish between an animal that does not render you spiritually defiled by eating it and one that does render you spiritually defiled, i.e., between an animal of which the greater part of an organ (trachea or esophagus) was cut during slaughter and one of which only half the organ was slaughtered. How much is the difference between the greater part and half? A hairbreadth!   וְהִבְדַּלְתֶּם בֵּֽין־הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹרָה לַטְּמֵאָה.  אֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר בֵּין פָּרָה לַחֲמוֹר, שֶׁהֲרֵי מֻבְדָּלִין וְנִכָּרִין הֵם, אֶלָּא בֵּין טְהוֹרָה לְךָ לִטְמֵאָה לְךָ — בֵּין שֶׁנִּשְׁחַט רֻבּוֹ שֶׁל סִימָן לְנִשְׁחַט חֶצְיוֹ, וְכַמָּה בֵּין רֻבּוֹ לְחֶצְיוֹ? מְלֹא שְׂעָרָה (ספרא):
אֲשֶׁר הִבְדַּלְתִּי לָכֶם לְטַמֵּֽא - (lit.) That I have distinguished to render spiritually defiled for you - i.e., to be prohibited for you to eat.   אֲשֶׁר הִבְדַּלְתִּי לָכֶם לְטַמֵּֽא.  לֶאֱסֹר:
26You must be holy to Me, for I, God, am holy. I have distinguished you from all peoples by giving you all these laws in order that you be Mine.   כווִֽהְיִ֤יתֶם לִי֙ קְדשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אֲנִ֣י יְהוָֹ֑ה וָֽאַבְדִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּ֖ים לִֽהְי֥וֹת לִֽי:
וָֽאַבְדִּל אֶתְכֶם מִן־הָֽעַמִּים לִֽהְיוֹת לִי - I have distinguished you from [all] peoples in order that you be Mine. If you are distinguished from them you are Mine, but if not, you forfeit My protection and become subject to conquests by Nebuchadnezzar and his sort. Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah says: From where do we know that a person should not say, “I feel disgusted by swine’s flesh” or “I have no desire to wear clothes made of a mixture of wool and linen,” but should say, “I would desire it, but what can I do that My Father in heaven has decreed this on me”? From the fact that Scripture states: “I have distinguished you from all peoples in order that you be Mine” – your separation from them must be for My sake; i.e., he refrains from sin and accepts upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of heaven.   וָֽאַבְדִּל אֶתְכֶם מִן־הָֽעַמִּים לִֽהְיוֹת לִי.  אִם אַתֶּם מֻבְדָּלִים מֵהֶם הֲרֵי אַתֶּם שֶׁלִּי, וְאִם לָאו הֲרֵי אַתֶּם שֶׁל נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר וַחֲבֵרָיו; רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר מִנַּיִן שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אָדָם נַפְשִׁי קָצָה בִּבְשַׂר חֲזִיר, אִי אֶפְשִׁי לִלְבֹּשׁ כִּלְאַיִם, אֲבָל יֹאמַר אֶפְשִׁי וּמָה אֶעֱשֶׂה וְאָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם גָּזַר עָלַי? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר וָאַבְדִּל אֶתְכֶם מִן הָעַמִּים לִהְיוֹת לִי, שֶׁתְּהֵא הַבְדָּלַתְכֶם מֵהֶם לִשְׁמִי — פּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הָעֲבֵרָה וּמְקַבֵּל עָלָיו עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמָיִם (ספרא):
27Regarding a man or a woman who is a spirit-diviner or is a yadu’a-diviner, the offenders must be put to death; the people must pelt them with stones. The shedding of their blood is their own fault.’”   כזוְאִ֣ישׁ אֽוֹ־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּי־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה בָהֶ֥ם א֛וֹב א֥וֹ יִדְּעֹנִ֖י מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑תוּ בָּאֶ֛בֶן יִרְגְּמ֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם:
כִּי־יִֽהְיֶה בָהֶם אוֹב וגו' - Who is a spirit-diviner… Although these divinations were already discussed above, 2 here the death penalty is stated for them, whereas the above passage speaks of excision. The apparent contradiction is to be resolved as follows: If there were witnesses to these acts and the offenders were warned, they must be stoned, but if they acted intentionally but were not warned, they incur excision. However, one who inadvertently commits one of these sins does not incur excision, but must bring a sin-offering. The same rule applies regarding all offenses incurring the death penalty regarding which excision is also stated, such as those mentioned throughout this chapter: one who commits them intentionally without warning or witnesses incurs excision.   כִּי־יִֽהְיֶה בָהֶם אוֹב וגו'.  כָּאן נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם מִיתָה וּלְמַעְלָה כָרֵת, עֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה בִּסְקִילָה, מֵזִיד בְּלֹא הַתְרָאָה בְּהִכָּרֵת, וְשִׁגְגָתָם חַטָּאת, וְכֵן בְּכָל חַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם כָּרֵת: