Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 18

6No man may come near to any of his close relatives, to “uncover their nakedness.” I am God.   ואִ֥ישׁ אִישׁ֙ אֶל־כָּל־שְׁאֵ֣ר בְּשָׂר֔וֹ לֹ֥א תִקְרְב֖וּ לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָ֑ה אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֹֽה:
לֹא תִקְרְבוּ - (lit.) You (plural) may not come near. For the following reason it is stated in the plural: to apply the prohibition on the female as well as the male.   לֹא תִקְרְבוּ.  לְהַזְהִיר הַנְּקֵבָה כַּזָּכָר, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר לְשׁוֹן רַבִּים:
אֲנִי ה' - I am God - who is trustworthy to pay reward.   אֲנִי ה'.  נֶאֱמָן לְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר:
7You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your father nor “uncover the nakedness” of your mother. She is your mother; you must not “uncover her nakedness.”   זעֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֛יךָ וְעֶרְוַ֥ת אִמְּךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אִמְּךָ֣ הִ֔וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ:
עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ - The nakedness of your father. This refers to your father’s wife. Or, you might think, perhaps it should be understood in its literal meaning. In order to preclude this, it says here: “the nakedness of your father,” and it says elsewhere: “he has uncovered his father’s nakedness” 1 – just as there, it refers to his father’s wife, so here also, it refers to his father’s wife.   עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ.  זוֹ אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא כְמַשְׁמָעוֹ? נֶאֱמַר כָּאן עֶרְוַת אָבִיךָ וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן עֶרְוַת אָבִיו גִּלָּה, מַה לְּהַלָּן אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו אַף כָּאן אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו (סנהדרין נ"ד):
וְעֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ - Nor the nakedness of your mother. This includes his mother who is not his father’s wife.   וְעֶרְוַת אִמְּךָ.  לְהָבִיא אִמּוֹ שֶׁאֵינָהּ אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו (שם):
8You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your father’s wife; it is your father’s “nakedness.”   חעֶרְוַ֥ת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֖יךָ הִֽוא:
עֶרְוַת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָבִיךָ - The nakedness of your father’s wife. This is written to include a prohibition even after the father’s death.   עֶרְוַת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָבִיךָ.  לְרַבּוֹת אַחַר מִיתָה (שם):
9Regarding the “nakedness” of your sister—your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the home or she was born outside—you must not “uncover their nakedness.”   טעֶרְוַ֨ת אֲחֽוֹתְךָ֤ בַת־אָבִ֨יךָ֙ א֣וֹ בַת־אִמֶּ֔ךָ מוֹלֶ֣דֶת בַּ֔יִת א֖וֹ מוֹלֶ֣דֶת ח֑וּץ לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽן:
בַת־אָבִיךָ - Your father’s daughter. Even the daughter of a woman raped by his father is hereby implied.   בַת־אָבִיךָ.  אַף בַּת אֲנוּסָה בְמַשְׁמָע:
מוֹלֶדֶת בַּיִת אוֹ מוֹלֶדֶת חוּץ - Whether she was born in the home or she was born outside - i.e., whether we say to your father: “Keep her mother as your wife” or whether we tell him: “Have her mother leave your home,” such as when she was born of a forbidden union or a netinah (i.e., a woman descended from the Gibeonites).   מוֹלֶדֶת בַּיִת אוֹ מוֹלֶדֶת חוּץ.  בֵּין שֶׁאוֹמְרִים לוֹ לְאָבִיךָ קַיֵּם אֶת אִמָּהּ, וּבֵין שֶׁאוֹמְרִים לוֹ הוֹצֵא אֶת אִמָּהּ, כְּגוֹן מַמְזֶרֶת אוֹ נְתִינָה (יבמות כ"ג):
10Regarding the “nakedness” of your son’s daughter or your daughter’s daughter, you must not “uncover their nakedness,” for they are your own “nakedness.”   יעֶרְוַ֤ת בַּת־בִּנְךָ֙ א֣וֹ בַת־בִּתְּךָ֔ לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָ֑ן כִּ֥י עֶרְוָֽתְךָ֖ הֵֽנָּה:
עֶרְוַת בַּת־בִּנְךָ וגו' - The nakedness of your son’s daughter. The daughter referred to here by Scripture means one born to a woman raped by him, whereas the law regarding his daughter and the daughter of his daughter by his wife we learn from: “You must not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter,” 2 which applies whether she is her daughter by him or she is her daughter by another man.   עֶרְוַת בַּת־בִּנְךָ וגו'.  בְּבִתּוֹ מֵאֲנוּסָתוֹ הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וּבִתּוֹ וּבַת בִּתּוֹ מֵאִשְׁתּוֹ אָנוּ לְמֵדִין מֵ"עֶרְוַת אִשָּׁה וּבִתָּהּ", שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶן "לֹא תְגַלֵּה", בֵּין שֶׁהִיא מִמֶּנּוּ וּבֵין שֶׁהִיא מֵאִישׁ אַחֵר (שם כב):
עֶרְוַת בַּת־בִּנְךָ - The nakedness of your son’s daughter. It follows a fortiori that your daughter by rape is forbidden. However, because we cannot derive a prohibition by an a fortiori argument, our sages derived it by analogy in Tractate Yevamot. 3   עֶרְוַת בַּת־בִּנְךָ.  קַל וָחֹמֶר לְבִתְּךָ, אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מַזְהִירִין מִן הַדִּין, לְמָדוּהָ מִגְּזֵרָה שָׁוָה בְּמַסֶּכֶת יְבָמוֹת (דף ג'):
11Regarding the “nakedness” of your father’s wife’s daughter born to your father, she is your sister, whose “nakedness” you must not “uncover.”   יאעֶרְוַ֨ת בַּת־אֵשֶׁ֤ת אָבִ֨יךָ֙ מוֹלֶ֣דֶת אָבִ֔יךָ אֲחֽוֹתְךָ֖ הִ֑וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ:
עֶרְוַת בַּת־אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ - The nakedness of your father’s wife’s daughter. This teaches us that he is not liable for relations with his sister born of a Canaanite bondwoman or a non-Jewess. It therefore says: “your father’s wife’s daughter” – born of a woman with whom marriage can take effect.   עֶרְוַת בַּת־אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ.  לִמֵּד שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַל אֲחוֹתוֹ מִשִּׁפְחָה וְנָכְרִית, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "בַּת אֵשֶׁת אָבִיךָ" — בִּרְאוּיָה לְקִדּוּשִׁין (שם כ"ג):
12You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your father’s sister; she is the close relative of your father.   יבעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחֽוֹת־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה שְׁאֵ֥ר אָבִ֖יךָ הִֽוא:
13You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your mother’s sister, for she is the close relative of your mother.   יגעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחֽוֹת־אִמְּךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה כִּֽי־שְׁאֵ֥ר אִמְּךָ֖ הִֽוא:
14You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your father’s brother—you must not “approach” his wife; she is your aunt.   ידעֶרְוַ֥ת אֲחִֽי־אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֶל־אִשְׁתּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א תִקְרָ֔ב דֹּדָֽתְךָ֖ הִֽוא:
עֶרְוַת אֲחִֽי־אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה - You must not uncover the nakedness of your father’s brother - and what is “his nakedness”? – “You must not approach his wife.”   עֶרְוַת אֲחִֽי־אָבִיךָ לֹא תְגַלֵּה.  וּמַה הִיא עֶרְוָתוֹ? אל אשתו לא תקרב:
15You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you must not “uncover her nakedness.”   טועֶרְוַ֥ת כַּלָּֽתְךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֵ֤שֶׁת בִּנְךָ֙ הִ֔וא לֹ֥א תְגַלֶּ֖ה עֶרְוָתָֽהּ:
אֵשֶׁת בִּנְךָ - She is your son’s wife. This extra phrase indicates that I stated this prohibition only when your son has a legal marriage with her. This excludes a woman raped by him, a Canaanite bondwoman, and a non-Jewess.   אֵשֶׁת בִּנְךָ.  לֹא אָמַרְתִּי אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ לְבִנְךָ אִישׁוּת בָּהּ, פְּרָט לַאֲנוּסָה וְשִׁפְחָה וְנָכְרִית (עי' ספרא):
16You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your brother’s wife; it is your brother’s “nakedness.”   טזעֶרְוַ֥ת אֵֽשֶׁת־אָחִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה עֶרְוַ֥ת אָחִ֖יךָ הִֽוא:
17You must not “uncover the nakedness” of a woman and her daughter. You must not take in marriage her son’s daughter or her daughter’s daughter, to “uncover her nakedness.” They are close relatives; it is the counsel of your evil inclination.   יזעֶרְוַ֥ת אִשָּׁ֛ה וּבִתָּ֖הּ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה אֶת־בַּת־בְּנָ֞הּ וְאֶת־בַּת־בִּתָּ֗הּ לֹ֤א תִקַּח֙ לְגַלּ֣וֹת עֶרְוָתָ֔הּ שַֽׁאֲרָ֥ה הֵ֖נָּה זִמָּ֥ה הִֽוא:
עֶרְוַת אִשָּׁה וּבִתָּהּ - The nakedness of a woman and her daughter. Scripture forbids only the second one as a result of the first one’s legal marriage to him. It therefore says further: לֹא תִקַּח “you must not take,” which denotes קִיחָה “legal acquisition.” Similarly, when detailing the punishment for this prohibition, “a man who takes (יִקַּח) a woman and her mother,” 4 the term קח, implying legal acquisition, is used. If, however, he raped a woman, he is permitted to marry her daughter by someone else.   עֶרְוַת אִשָּׁה וּבִתָּהּ.  לֹא אָסַר הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי נִשּׂוּאֵי הָרִאשׁוֹנָה, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר לֹא "תִקַּח" — לְשׁוֹן קִיחָה, וְכֵן לְעִנְיַן הָעֹנֶשׁ, אֲשֶׁר "יִקַּח" אֶת אִשָּׁה וְאֶת אִמָּה — לְשׁוֹן קִיחָה, אֲבָל אָנַס אִשָּׁה מֻתָּר לִשָּׂא בִּתָּהּ (יבמות צ"ז):
שַֽׁאֲרָה הֵנָּה - They are close relatives - i.e., they are related to each other.   שַֽׁאֲרָה הֵנָּה.  קְרוֹבוֹת זוֹ לָזוֹ:
זִמָּה - means a plan, as Onkelos translates it: עֵצַת חִטְאִין “a sinful scheme,” which your evil inclination advises you to commit.   זִמָּה.  עֵצָה, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ עֲצַת חֶטְאִין, שֶׁיִּצְרְךָ יוֹעֶצְךָ לַחֲטֹא:
18You must not take a woman and her sister in marriage—thus making them rivals—to “uncover the nakedness” of one upon the other in her lifetime.   יחוְאִשָּׁ֥ה אֶל־אֲחֹתָ֖הּ לֹ֣א תִקָּ֑ח לִצְרֹ֗ר לְגַלּ֧וֹת עֶרְוָתָ֛הּ עָלֶ֖יהָ בְּחַיֶּֽיהָ:
אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ - (lit.) To her sister - i.e., both of them together.   אֶל־אֲחֹתָהּ.  שְׁתֵּיהֶן כְּאַחַת (קידושין נ'):
לִצְרֹר - This is related to צָרָה “rival wife,” thus meaning “to make them rival wives to each other.”   לִצְרֹר.  לְשׁוֹן צָרָה — לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת זוֹ צָרָה לָזוֹ:
בְּחַיֶּֽיהָ - In her lifetime. This teaches you that even if he divorced his wife, he may not marry her sister as long as his ex-wife is alive.   בְּחַיֶּֽיהָ.  לִמֶּדְךָ שֶׁאִם גֵרְשָׁהּ לֹא יִשָּׂא אֶת אֲחוֹתָהּ כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהִיא בַחַיִּים (יבמות ח'):
19You must not approach a woman during her period of menstrual separation in order to “uncover her nakedness,” on account of her ritual defilement.   יטוְאֶל־אִשָּׁ֖ה בְּנִדַּ֣ת טֻמְאָתָ֑הּ לֹ֣א תִקְרַ֔ב לְגַלּ֖וֹת עֶרְוָתָֽהּ:
20You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife, causing yourself to become spiritually defiled by her.   כוְאֶל־אֵ֨שֶׁת֙ עֲמִ֣יתְךָ֔ לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ֖ לְזָ֑רַע לְטָמְאָה־בָֽהּ:
21You must not give any of your offspring in order to pass the child through the fire set up for the deity Molech. You must not profane the Name of your God; I am God.   כאוּמִזַּרְעֲךָ֥ לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֖ן לְהַֽעֲבִ֣יר לַמֹּ֑לֶךְ וְלֹ֧א תְחַלֵּ֛ל אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֹֽה:
לַמֹּלֶךְ - For Molech. This is a pagan deity called Molech, whose form of worship was as follows: The person hands over his child to the priests of the idol, two large fires are made, and they pass the child on foot through the two pyres of fire.   לַמֹּלֶךְ.  עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הִיא שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ מֹלֶךְ, וְזוֹ הִיא עֲבוֹדָתָהּ, שֶׁמּוֹסֵר בְּנוֹ לַכּוֹמְרִים וְעוֹשִׂין שְׁתֵּי מְדוּרוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת וּמַעֲבִירִין אֶת הַבֵּן בְּרַגְלָיו בֵּין שְׁתֵּי מְדוּרוֹת הָאֵשׁ (סנהדרין ס"ד):
לֹֽא־תִתֵּן - You must not give. This refers to handing him over to the priests.   לֹֽא־תִתֵּן.  זוֹ הִיא מְסִירָתוֹ לַכּוֹמְרִים:
לְהַֽעֲבִיר לַמֹּלֶךְ - (lit.) To have pass through to Molech. This refers to passing the child through the fire.   לְהַֽעֲבִיר לַמֹּלֶךְ.  זוֹ הַעֲבָרַת הָאֵשׁ: