Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 20

8You must safeguard My rules and fulfill them; I am God, who sanctifies you.   ח וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ אֶת־חֻקֹּתַ֔י וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֹ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם:
9For any man who curses his father or mother must be put to death. He cursed his father or his mother; the shedding of his blood is his own fault.   טכִּי־אִ֣ישׁ אִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְקַלֵּ֧ל אֶת־אָבִ֛יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֖וֹ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת אָבִ֧יו וְאִמּ֛וֹ קִלֵּ֖ל דָּמָ֥יו בּֽוֹ:
אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ קִלֵּל - He cursed his father or his mother. This apparent repetition is added to include the case of someone cursing his parents after their death.   אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ קִלֵּל.  לְרַבּוֹת לְאַחַר מִיתָה (שם; סנהדרין פ"ה):
דָּמָיו בּֽוֹ - [The shedding of] his blood is his own fault. This refers to the death penalty by stoning, and this is its meaning wherever the expressions דָּמָיו בּוֹ or דְּמֵיהֶם בָּם are mentioned. We derive this from the case of a spirit-diviner and a yadu’a-diviner, about which it says: “the people must pelt them with stones; the shedding of their blood is their own fault.” 1 The simple meaning of the verse is as in the expression: דָּמוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ 2 – i.e., no one apart from himself is punished for his death, for he alone was the cause of himself being killed.   דָּמָיו בּֽוֹ.  זוֹ סְקִילָה, וְכֵן כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר דָּמָיו בּוֹ, דְּמֵיהֶם בָּם; וְלָמַדְנוּ מֵאוֹב וְיִדְּעוֹנִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם בָּאֶבֶן יִרְגְּמוּ אֹתָם דְּמֵיהֶם בָּם (ספרא; כריתות ה'). וּפְשׁוּטוֹ שֶׁל מִקְרָא, כְּמוֹ דָּמוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ (יהושע ב') — אֵין נֶעֱנָשׁ עַל מִיתָתוֹ אֶלָּא הוּא, שֶׁהוּא גָרַם לְעַצְמוֹ שֶׁיֵּהָרֵג:
10Regarding a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, committing adultery with the wife of his fellow Israelite, the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.   יוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִנְאַף֙ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִנְאַ֖ף אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת רֵעֵ֑הוּ מֽוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת הַנֹּאֵ֖ף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת:
וְאִישׁ - And a man. This excludes a minor.   וְאִישׁ.  פְּרָט לְקָטָן:
אֲשֶׁר יִנְאַף אֶת־אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ - Who commits adultery with another man’s wife. This excludes the wife of a minor from the death penalty. From here we learn a general rule, namely, that a minor cannot legally marry. And for which kind of married woman do I hold you liable for the death penalty? –   אֲשֶׁר יִנְאַף אֶת־אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ.  פְּרָט לְאֵשֶׁת קָטָן, לִמְּדָנוּ שֶׁאֵין לְקָטָן קִדּוּשִׁין, וְעַל אֵיזוֹ אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ חִיַּבְתִּי לְךָ?
אֲשֶׁר יִנְאַף אֶת־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ - Committing adultery with the wife of his fellow. This excludes the wife of a non-Jew. From here we learn a general rule, namely, that a non-Jew can also not legally marry Jewish women.   אֲשֶׁר יִנְאַף אֶת־אֵשֶׁת רֵעֵהוּ.  פְּרָט לְאֵשֶׁת גּוֹי, לִמְּדָנוּ שֶׁאֵין קִדּוּשִׁין לְגוֹי (ספרא; סנהדרין נ"ב):
מֽוֹת־ימות הַנֹּאֵף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת - The adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. Every time the death penalty is mentioned in the Torah without specification, it is none other than death by strangulation.   מֽוֹת־ימות הַנֹּאֵף וְהַנֹּאָֽפֶת.  כָּל מִיתָה הָאֲמוּרָה בַתּוֹרָה סְתָם, אֵינָהּ אֶלָּא חֶנֶק (ספרא; סנהדרין נ"ה):
11A man who “lies with” his father’s wife has “uncovered his father’s nakedness”: Both of them must be put to death. The shedding of their blood is their own fault.   יאוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־אֵ֣שֶׁת אָבִ֔יו עֶרְוַ֥ת אָבִ֖יו גִּלָּ֑ה מֽוֹת־יֽוּמְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם:
12Regarding a man who “lies with” his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have committed a despicable act. The shedding of their blood is their own fault.   יבוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־כַּלָּת֔וֹ מ֥וֹת יֽוּמְת֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם תֶּ֥בֶל עָשׂ֖וּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם:
תֶּבֶל עָשׂוּ - They have committed a despicable act. תֶּבֶל means shameful. Another meaning: They intermingle the seed of the father with that of the son.   תֶּבֶל עָשׂוּ.  גְּנַאי; לָשׁוֹן אַחֵר מְבַלְבְּלִין זֶרַע הָאָב בְּזֶרַע הַבֵּן:
13Regarding a man who “lies with” a male as one would with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They must be put to death. The shedding of their blood is their own fault.   יגוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁכַּ֤ב אֶת־זָכָר֙ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אִשָּׁ֔ה תּֽוֹעֵבָ֥ה עָשׂ֖וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֑ם מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם:
מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה - As one would lie with a woman - i.e., he inserts his organ like an applicator goes into a tube of eye paint.   מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה.  מַכְנִיס כְּמִכְחוֹל בִּשְׁפוֹפֶרֶת:
14Regarding a man who takes a woman as a wife and then fornicates with her mother, such a union is the counsel of their evil inclination. They must burn him and them in fire, in order that there be no repercussions of such evil counsel in your midst.   ידוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִקַּ֧ח אֶת־אִשָּׁ֛ה וְאֶת־אִמָּ֖הּ זִמָּ֣ה הִ֑וא בָּאֵ֞שׁ יִשְׂרְפ֤וּ אֹתוֹ֙ וְאֶתְהֶ֔ן וְלֹא־תִֽהְיֶ֥ה זִמָּ֖ה בְּתֽוֹכְכֶֽם:
יִשְׂרְפוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶתְהֶן - They must burn him and them. You cannot say that this means that they must burn his original wife, for he married her in a permitted way, and she was not prohibited to him. Rather, the “woman and her mother” mentioned here refers to when they are both forbidden, i.e., when he married both his mother-in-law and her mother. However, some of our rabbis 3 say that this verse indeed refers to a permitted woman and her mother, and the only forbidden one in this case is his mother-in-law. And what is meant by אֶתְהֶן? “One of them.” It is a Greek term, הֶן meaning “one.”   יִשְׂרְפוּ אֹתוֹ וְאֶתְהֶן.  אֵי אַתָּה יָכוֹל לוֹמַר אִשְׁתּוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹנָה יִשְׂרְפוּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי נְשָׂאָהּ בְּהֶתֵּר וְלֹא נֶאֶסְרָה עָלָיו, אֶלָּא אִשָּׁה וְאִמָּהּ הַכְּתוּבין כָּאן שְׁתֵּיהֶן לְאִסּוּר — שֶׁנָּשָׂא חֲמוֹתוֹ וְאִמָּהּ; וְיֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים אֵין כָּאן אֶלָּא חֲמוֹתוֹ, וּמַהוּ אֶתְהֶן? אֶת אַחַת מֵהֶן וְלָשׁוֹן יְוָנִי הוּא הֵן אַחַת (ספרא; סנהדרין ע"ו):
15A man who “lies with” an animal must be put to death, and you must kill the animal.   טווְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִתֵּ֧ן שְׁכָבְתּ֛וֹ בִּבְהֵמָ֖ה מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑ת וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֖ה תַּֽהֲרֹֽגוּ:
וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה תַּֽהֲרֹֽגוּ - And you must kill the animal. If the man sinned, what sin did the animal commit? It is only because it caused man to stumble in sin, Scripture says that it must be stoned. All the more can you infer that a human being, who is capable of distinguishing between good and evil and yet occasions evil to another person by making him sin, will be punished. Similarly, you can infer from the following case regarding items used for idolatry: “You must utterly eradicate from all the places.” 4 From this it follows a fortiori: If regarding trees, which neither see nor hear, because man stumbled in sin by means of them, the Torah says: destroy, burn, and annihilate them, all the more will one who causes his fellow to stray from the path of life (i.e., observance of the commandments) to the paths of death (i.e., sin) be punished.   וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָה תַּֽהֲרֹֽגוּ.  אִם אָדָם חָטָא בְּהֵמָה מֶה חָטְאָה? אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁבָּאָה לָאָדָם תַּקָּלָה עַל יָדָהּ לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב תִּסָּקֵל, קַל וָחֹמֶר לָאָדָם, שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ לְהַבְחִין בֵּין טוֹב לְרַע, וְגוֹרֵם רָעָה לַחֲבֵרוֹ לַעֲבֹר עֲבֵרָה; כַּיּוֹצֵא בַדָּבָר אַתָּה אוֹמֵר אַבֵּד תְּאַבְּדוּן אֶת כָּל הַמְּקֹמוֹת (דברים י"ב), הֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר, וּמָה אִילָנוֹת שֶׁאֵינָן רוֹאִין וְאֵינָן שׁוֹמְעִין, עַל שֶׁבָּאת תַּקָּלָה עַל יָדָם אָמְרָה תוֹרָה הַשְׁחֵת, שְׂרֹף וְכַלֵּה, הַמַּטֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ מִדֶּרֶךְ חַיִּים לְדַרְכֵי מִיתָה, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה (ספרא):
16Regarding a woman who approaches any animal in order to fornicate with it, you must kill the woman and the animal. They must be put to death. The shedding of their blood is their own fault.   טזוְאִשָּׁ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּקְרַ֤ב אֶל־כָּל־בְּהֵמָה֙ לְרִבְעָ֣ה אֹתָ֔הּ וְהָֽרַגְתָּ֥ אֶת־הָֽאִשָּׁ֖ה וְאֶת־הַבְּהֵמָ֑ה מ֥וֹת יוּמָ֖תוּ דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם:
17Regarding a man who takes his sister and fornicates with her, whether she be his father’s daughter or his mother’s daughter, and thus he “sees her nakedness” and she “sees his nakedness,” it is a disgraceful act. They will be cut off for all the members of their people to see. Since the man “uncovered his sister’s nakedness,” he must bear the consequence of his transgression.   יזוְאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחֹת֡וֹ בַּת־אָבִ֣יו אֽוֹ־בַת־אִ֠מּ֠וֹ וְרָאָ֨ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ וְהִֽיא־תִרְאֶ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתוֹ֙ חֶ֣סֶד ה֔וּא וְנִ֨כְרְת֔וּ לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמָּ֑ם עֶרְוַ֧ת אֲחֹת֛וֹ גִּלָּ֖ה עֲו‍ֹנ֥וֹ יִשָּֽׂא:
חֶסֶד הוּא - It is a disgraceful act. In Aramaic, חֶרְפָּה “disgrace” 5 is חִסּוּדָא. But its Midrashic explanation is: If you claim that Cain married his sister, this was only temporarily allowed, as a kindness provided by the Omnipresent so that His world could be built up from him, as it says: “The world was built through kindness.” 6   חֶסֶד הוּא.  לְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי חֶרְפָּה חִסּוּדָא; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ אִם תֹּאמַר קַיִן נָשָׂא אֲחוֹתוֹ חֶסֶד עָשָׂה הַמָּקוֹם, לִבְנוֹת עוֹלָמוֹ מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים פ"ט), עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה (ספרא; סנהדרין נ"ח):
18Regarding a man who “lies with” a woman who is undergoing a menstrual flow, he has thereby “uncovered her nakedness.” Since he has “uncovered” her “fountain of blood” and she has “uncovered” the “fountain of her blood,” both of them will be cut off from amid their people.   יחוְאִ֠ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִשְׁכַּ֨ב אֶת־אִשָּׁ֜ה דָּוָ֗ה וְגִלָּ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָהּ֙ אֶת־מְקֹרָ֣הּ הֶֽעֱרָ֔ה וְהִ֕וא גִּלְּתָ֖ה אֶת־מְק֣וֹר דָּמֶ֑יהָ וְנִכְרְת֥וּ שְׁנֵיהֶ֖ם מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽם:
הֶֽעֱרָה - means: he has exposed. Similarly, the term עֶרְוָה always denotes exposure. The ו of עֶרְוָה is added to the word to form a noun, as in זַעֲוָה “trembling,” which is of the same root as in: “and he neither rose nor moved (זָע).” 7 Similarly, אַחְוָה “brotherhood” is derived from אָח “brother.” Regarding the definition of this exposure (הַעֲרָאָה), our rabbis 8 differ: Some say it is even the external contact of the organ, while others say it is the insertion of the organ’s tip.   הֶֽעֱרָה.  גִּלָּה, וְכֵן כָּל לְשׁוֹן עֶרְוָה גִּלּוּי הוּא, וְהַוָּי"ו יוֹרֶדֶת בַּתֵּיבָה לְשֵׁם דָּבָר כְּמוֹ זַעֲוָה מִגִּזְרַת וְלֹא קָם וְלֹא זָע (אסתר ה'), וְכֵן אַחֲוָה מִגִּזְרַת אָח. וְהַעֲרָאָה זוֹ נֶחְלְקוּ בָהּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, יֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים זוֹ נְשִׁיקַת שַׁמָּשׁ, וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים זוֹ הַכְנָסַת עֲטָרָה (יבמות נ"ה):
19You must not “uncover the nakedness” of your mother’s sister or your father’s sister, for one who does so has “uncovered the nakedness” of his close relative; they must bear the consequences of their sin.   יטוְעֶרְוַ֨ת אֲח֧וֹת אִמְּךָ֛ וַֽאֲח֥וֹת אָבִ֖יךָ לֹ֣א תְגַלֵּ֑ה כִּ֧י אֶת־שְׁאֵר֛וֹ הֶֽעֱרָ֖ה עֲו‍ֹנָ֥ם יִשָּֽׂאוּ:
וְעֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אִמְּךָ וגו' - The nakedness of your mother’s sister… Scripture repeats their prohibition to tell us that he is prohibited to them whether she be his father’s or his mother’s paternal sister or maternal sister. However, regarding the nakedness of his father’s brother’s wife, he is prohibited only when his father and uncle share the same father.   וְעֶרְוַת אֲחוֹת אִמְּךָ וגו'.  שָׁנָה הַכָּתוּב בְּאַזְהָרָתָן, לוֹמַר שֶׁהֻזְהַר עֲלֵיהֶן בֵּין עַל אֲחוֹת אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ מִן הָאָב, בֵּין עַל אַחְיוֹתֵיהֶן מִן הָאֵם, אֲבָל עֶרְוַת אֵשֶׁת אֲחִי אָבִיו לֹא הֻזְהַר אֶלָּא עַל אֵשֶׁת אֲחִי אָבִיו מִן הָאָב (עי' יבמות נ"ד):
20Regarding a man who “lies with” his aunt, he has “uncovered his uncle’s nakedness”; they must bear the consequences of their transgression: they will die childless.   כוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִשְׁכַּב֙ אֶת־דֹּ֣דָת֔וֹ עֶרְוַ֥ת דֹּד֖וֹ גִּלָּ֑ה חֶטְאָ֥ם יִשָּׂ֖אוּ עֲרִירִ֥ים יָמֻֽתוּ:
אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אֶת־דֹּדָתוֹ - Who lies with his aunt. This verse comes to teach us that the excision mentioned above 9 includes the punishment of leaving this world childless.   אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אֶת־דֹּדָתוֹ.  הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה בָּא לְלַמֵּד עַל כָּרֵת הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה שֶׁהוּא בְעֹנֶשׁ הֲלִיכַת עֲרִירִי:
עֲרִירִים - means as Onkelos translates it: בְּלָא וְלָד “without child.” Similar to this is וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי “I am childless.” 10 Thus, if he has children, he will bury them, and if he has no children, he will die without children. Hence the difference between these two verses: עֲרִירִים יָמֻתוּ “they will die childless” and עֲרִירִים יִהְיוּ (lit.) “they will be childless” – “they will die childless” means that if he has children when he sins, he will not have when he dies, for he will bury them during his lifetime; “they will be childless” means that if he has no children when he sins, he will remain throughout his life as he is now.   עֲרִירִים.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, בְּלָא וְלָד, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ וְאָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ עֲרִירִי (בראשית ט"ו); יֵשׁ לוֹ בָנִים, קוֹבְרָן, אֵין לוֹ בָנִים, מֵת בְּלֹא בָנִים, לְכָךְ שִׁנָּה בִשְׁנֵי מִקְרָאוֹת אֵלּוּ — עֲרִירִים "יָמֻתוּ", עֲרִירִים "יִהְיוּ", ערירים ימתו. אִם יִהְיוּ לוֹ בִשְׁעַת עֲבֵרָה לֹא יִהְיוּ לוֹ כְּשֶׁיָּמוּת, לְפִי שֶׁקּוֹבְרָן בְּחַיָּיו, ערירים יהיו. אִם אֵין לוֹ בִּשְׁעַת עֲבֵרָה, יִהְיֶה כָל יָמָיו כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוּא עַכְשָׁו (ספרא; יבמות נ"ה):
21Regarding a man who takes his brother’s wife to “lie with” her, it is a repulsive act; he has “uncovered his brother’s nakedness”; they will remain childless.   כאוְאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִקַּ֛ח אֶת־אֵ֥שֶׁת אָחִ֖יו נִדָּ֣ה הִ֑וא עֶרְוַ֥ת אָחִ֛יו גִּלָּ֖ה עֲרִירִ֥ים יִֽהְיֽוּ:
נִדָּה הִוא - means this union is contemptible and repulsive. However, our rabbis 11 expounded this verse to teach us that the state of “exposure” (הַעֲרָאָה) with this woman is forbidden just as it is with a menstruant (נִדָּה), regarding whom “exposure” is specified: “he has uncovered (הֶעֱרָה) her nakedness.” 12   נִדָּה הִוא.  הַשְּׁכִיבָה הַזֹּאת מְנֻדָּה הִיא וּמְאוּסָה; וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ דָּרְשׁוּ לֶאֱסֹר הַעֲרָאָה בָהּ כְּנִדָּה שֶׁהַעֲרָאָה מְפֹרֶשֶׁת בָּהּ — אֶת מְקֹרָהּ הֶעֱרָה (יבמות נ"ד):
22You must safeguard all My rules and all My ordinances and fulfill them, so the land to which I am bringing you to dwell therein not vomit you out.   כבוּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־כָּל־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם וְלֹֽא־תָקִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אֲנִ֜י מֵבִ֥יא אֶתְכֶ֛ם שָׁ֖מָּה לָשֶׁ֥בֶת בָּֽהּ: