Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 18

6And if a Levite comes from one of your cities out of all Israel where he sojourns, he may come whenever his soul desires, to the place the Lord will choose,   ווְכִֽי־יָבֹ֨א הַלֵּוִ֜י מֵֽאַחַ֤ד שְׁעָרֶ֨יךָ֙ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁר־ה֖וּא גָּ֣ר שָׁ֑ם וּבָא֙ בְּכָל־אַוַּ֣ת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ אֶל־הַמָּק֖וֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַ֥ר יְהֹוָֽה:
And if the Levite comes One might think that Scripture is referring to an actual Levite [i.e., not a kohen]. Therefore it says, “And he may serve” (verse 7). And since Levites are not fit to serve in the whole service, we see that this verse is not referring to them [but rather to kohanim]. — [Sifrei]   וְכִֽי־יָבֹא הַלֵּוִי  יָכוֹל בְּבֶן לֵוִי וַדַּאי הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ושרת, יָצְאוּ לְוִיִּים שֶׁאֵין רְאוּיִין לְשֵׁרוּת (ספרי):
he may come whenever his soul desires… and he may serve [This] teaches [us] that a kohen may come and offer his own freewill and obligatory sacrifices even when it is not his shift. [B. K. 109b] Another explanation: It further teaches concerning kohanim who come to the Temple [as pilgrims] on the Festivals, that they may offer [together with those of the shift] and perform the services connected with the sacrifices that are brought because of the Festival—for instance, the “additional offerings” of the Festival even though it is not their shift. [Sifrei, Sukk. 55b]   וּבָא בְּכָל־אַוַּת נַפְשׁוֹ... ושרת  לִמֵּד עַל הַכֹּהֵן שֶׁבָּא וּמַקְרִיב קָרְבְּנוֹת נִדְבָתוֹ אוֹ חוֹבָתוֹ וַאֲפִלּוּ בְמִשְׁמָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ (בבא קמא ק"ט); דָּבָר אַחֵר — עוֹד לִמֵּד עַל הַכֹּהֲנִים הַבָּאִים לָרֶגֶל שֶׁמַּקְרִיבִין (בַּמִּשְׁמָר) וְעוֹבְדִין בַּקָּרְבָּנוֹת הַבָּאוֹת מֵחֲמַת הָרֶגֶל כְּגוֹן מוּסְפֵי הָרֶגֶל וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין הַמִּשְׁמָר שֶׁלָּהֶם (ספרי; סוכה נ"ה):
7and he may serve in the name of the Lord, his God, just like all his Levite brothers, who stand there before the Lord.   זוְשֵׁרֵ֕ת בְּשֵׁ֖ם יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהָ֑יו כְּכָל־אֶחָיו֙ הַֽלְוִיִּ֔ם הָעֹֽמְדִ֥ים שָׁ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י יְהֹוָֽה:
8They shall eat equal portions, except what was sold by the forefathers.   חחֵ֥לֶק כְּחֵ֖לֶק יֹאכֵ֑לוּ לְבַ֥ד מִמְכָּרָ֖יו עַל־הָֽאָבֽוֹת:
They shall eat equal portions This teaches that they [the kohanim present as pilgrims on the Festivals] receive a portion of the hides [of the Festival burnt-offerings] and the flesh of the he-goats of sin-offerings [of the Festival]. Now one might think that [these kohanim may participate] also in sacrifices which are brought unrelated to the Festival, such as the תָּמִיד, the daily burnt-offerings, מוּסְפֵי שַׁבָּת, additional offerings of the Sabbath [on which a Festival may coincide] and sacrificial vows and donations. Therefore, it says:   חֵלֶק כְּחֵלֶק יֹאכֵלוּ  מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחוֹלְקִין בָּעוֹרוֹת וּבִּבְשַׂר שְׂעִירֵי חַטָּאוֹת, יָכוֹל אַף בִּדְּבָרִים הַבָּאִים שֶׁלֹּא מֵחֲמַת הָרֶגֶל, כְּגוֹן תְּמִידִין וּמוּסְפֵי שַׁבָּת וּנְדָרִים וּנְדָבוֹת, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמָר :
except what was sold by the forefathers Except what his ancestors sold [to one another] in the days of David and Samuel when the system of shifts was established, trading with each other thus, “You take your week, and I will take my week.” - [Sifrei ; Sukk. 56a]   לבד ממכריו על האבות  חוּץ מִמַּה שֶּׁמָּכְרוּ הָאָבוֹת בִּימֵי דָּוִד וּשְׁמוּאֵל שֶׁנִּקְבְעוּ הַמִּשְׁמָרוֹת וּמָכְרוּ זֶה לָזֶה, טֹל אַתָּה שַׁבַּתְּךָ וַאֲנִי אֶטֹּל שַׁבַּתִּי (שם):
9When you have come to the land the Lord, your God, is giving you, you shall not learn to do like the abominations of those nations.   טכִּ֤י אַתָּה֙ בָּ֣א אֶל־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֣ן לָ֑ךְ לֹֽא־תִלְמַ֣ד לַֽעֲשׂ֔וֹת כְּתֽוֹעֲבֹ֖ת הַגּוֹיִ֥ם הָהֵֽם:
you shall not learn to do [like the abominations of those nations] But you may learn [their practices] to understand [them] and to teach [them], i.e. to understand how degenerate their actions are, and to teach your children, “Do not do such and such, because this is a heathen custom!” - [Sifrei ; San. 68a]   לֹֽא־תִלְמַד לַֽעֲשׂוֹת  אֲבָל אַתָּה לָמֵד לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת, כְּלוֹמַר לְהָבִין מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם כַּמָּה הֵם מְקֻלְקָלִים, וּלְהוֹרוֹת לְבָנֶיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כָךְ וְכָךְ, שֶׁזֶּה הוּא חֹק הַגּוֹיִם (ספרי; סנהדרין ס"ח):
10There shall not be found among you anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire, a soothsayer, a diviner of [auspicious] times, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer,   ילֹֽא־יִמָּצֵ֣א בְךָ֔ מַֽעֲבִ֥יר בְּנֽוֹ־וּבִתּ֖וֹ בָּאֵ֑שׁ קֹסֵ֣ם קְסָמִ֔ים מְעוֹנֵ֥ן וּמְנַחֵ֖שׁ וּמְכַשֵּֽׁף:
who passes his son or daughter through fire This was the Molech worship. They made two bonfires on either side and passed the child between them both. — [San. 64b]   מַֽעֲבִיר בְּנֽוֹ־וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ  הִיא עֲבוֹדַת הַמֹּלֶךְ, עוֹשֶׂה מְדוּרוֹת אֵשׁ מִכָּאן וּמִכָּאן וּמַעֲבִירוֹ בֵין שְׁתֵּיהֶם (עי' סנהדרין ס"ד):
a soothsayer What is a soothsayer? One who takes his rod in his hand and says [as though to consult it], “Shall I go, or shall I not go?” Similarly, it says (Hos. 4:12), “My people takes counsel of his piece of wood, and his rod declares to him.” - [Sifrei]   קֹסֵם קְסָמִים  אֵי זֶהוּ קוֹסֵם? הָאוֹחֵז אֶת מַקְלוֹ וְאוֹמֵר אִם אֵלֵךְ אִם לֹא אֵלֵךְ, וכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (הושע ד') עַמִּי בְּעֵצוֹ יִשְׁאָל וּמַקְלוֹ יַגִּיד לוֹ (ספרי):
a diviner of [auspicious] times Heb. מְעוֹנֵן. Rabbi Akiva says: These are people who determine the times (עוֹנוֹת), saying, “Such-and-such a time is good to begin [a venture].” The Sages say, however, that this refers to those who “catch the eyes (עֵינַיִם)” [i.e., they deceive by creating optical illusions].   מְעוֹנֵן  רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר אֵלּוּ נוֹתְנֵי עוֹנוֹת – שֶׁאוֹמְרִים עוֹנָה פְּלוֹנִית יָפָה לְהַתְחִיל, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים אֵלּוּ אוֹחֲזֵי הָעֵינַיִם:
one who interprets omens [e.g.,] bread falling from his mouth, a deer crossing his path, or his stick falling from his hand. — [Sifrei, San. 65b]   מנחש  פִּתּוֹ נָפְלָה מִפִּיו, צְבִי הִפְסִיקוֹ בַדֶּרֶךְ, מַקְלוֹ נָפַל מִיָּדוֹ (ספרי; סנהדרין ס"ה):
11or a charmer, a pithom sorcerer, a yido'a sorcerer, or a necromancer.   יאוְחֹבֵ֖ר חָ֑בֶר וְשֹׁאֵ֥ל אוֹב֙ וְיִדְּעֹנִ֔י וְדֹרֵ֖שׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים:
or a charmer One who collects snakes, scorpions or other creatures into one place.   וְחֹבֵר חָבֶר  שֶׁמְּצָרֵף נְחָשִׁים אוֹ עַקְרַבִּים אוֹ שְׁאָר חַיּוֹת לְמָקוֹם אֶחָד:
a pithom sorcerer This is a type of sorcery called pithom. The sorcerer raises the [spirit of the] dead, and it speaks from his [the sorcerer’s] armpit.   וְשֹׁאֵל אוֹב  זֶה מְכַשְּׁפוּת שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ פִּיתוֹם וּמְדַבֵּר מִשִּׁחְיוֹ וּמַעֲלֶה אֶת הַמֵּת בְּבֵית הַשֶּׁחִי שֶׁלּוֹ:
a yido’a sorcerer Here the sorcerer inserts a bone of the animal called yido’a into his mouth, and the bone speaks by means of sorcery. — [Sifrei , San. 65a]   וְיִדְּעֹנִי  מַכְנִיס עֶצֶם חַיָּה שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ יַדּוּעַ לְתוֹךְ פִּיו וּמְדַבֵּר הָעֶצֶם עַל יְדֵי מְכַשְּׁפוּת (שם):
or a necromancer As, for example, one who raises [the dead spirit] upon his membrum, or one who consults a skull. — [Sifrei , see San. 65b]   וְדֹרֵשׁ אֶל־הַמֵּתִֽים  כְּגוֹן הַמַּעֲלֶה בְזַכְרוּתוֹ וְהַנִּשְׁאָל בְּגֻלְגֹּלֶת (שם):
12For whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord, and because of these abominations, the Lord, your God is driving them out from before you.   יבכִּי־תֽוֹעֲבַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה כָּל־עֹ֣שֵׂה אֵ֑לֶּה וּבִגְלַל֙ הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔לֶּה יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶי֔ךָ מוֹרִ֥ישׁ אוֹתָ֖ם מִפָּנֶֽיךָ:
[For] whoever does these [things] [is an abomination to the Lord] It does not say, “one who does all these things,” but, “whoever does these things,” even one of them. — [Sifrei , Mak. 24a]   כָּל־עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה  עֹשֶׂה כָּל אֵלֶּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר, אֶלָּא כָל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה, אֲפִלּוּ אַחַת מֵהֶן (ספרי):
13Be wholehearted with the Lord, your God.   יגתָּמִ֣ים תִּֽהְיֶ֔ה עִ֖ם יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ:
Be wholehearted with the Lord, your God Conduct yourself with Him with simplicity and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future; rather, accept whatever happens to you with [unadulterated] simplicity and then, you will be with Him and to His portion. — [Sifrei]   תָּמִים תִּֽהְיֶה עִם ה' אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ  הִתְהַלֵּךְ עִמּוֹ בִתְמִימוּת, וּתְצַפֶּה לוֹ, וְלֹא תַחֲקֹר אַחַר הָעֲתִידוֹת, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁיָּבֹא עָלֶיךָ קַבֵּל בִּתְמִימוּת וְאָז תִּהְיֶה עִמּוֹ וּלְחֶלְקוֹ: