Vayikra (Leviticus) Chapter 20

23You shall not follow the practices of the nation that I am sending away 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:
and so I was disgusted with them: Denotes “disgust,” just as [in the verse], “I am disgusted (קַצְתִּי) with my life” (Gen. 27:46), like a man who loathes (קָץ) his food [so God loathed those nations]. — [Torath Kohanim 20:125]   וָֽאָקֻץ: לְשׁוֹן מִאוּס, כְּמוֹ קַצְתִּי בְחַיַּי (בראשית כ"ז), כְּאָדָם שֶׁהוּא קָץ בִּמְזוֹנוֹ (ספרא):
24So I said to you, You shall possess their land, and I shall give it to you to possess it a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the Lord your God, Who has distinguished you from the peoples.   כדוָֽאֹמַ֣ר לָכֶ֗ם אַתֶּם֘ תִּֽירְשׁ֣וּ אֶת־אַדְמָתָם֒ וַֽאֲנִ֞י אֶתְּנֶ֤נָּה לָכֶם֙ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אֹתָ֔הּ אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֲנִי֙ יְהוָֹ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּֽים:
25And you shall distinguish between clean animals and unclean ones, and between unclean birds and clean ones; thus you shall not make yourselves disgusting through [unclean] animals and birds and any [creature] which crawls on the earth, that I have distinguished for you to render unclean.   כהוְהִבְדַּלְתֶּ֞ם בֵּֽין־הַבְּהֵמָ֤ה הַטְּהֹרָה֙ לַטְּמֵאָ֔ה וּבֵֽין־הָע֥וֹף הַטָּמֵ֖א לַטָּהֹ֑ר וְלֹֽא־תְשַׁקְּצ֨וּ אֶת־נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֜ם בַּבְּהֵמָ֣ה וּבָע֗וֹף וּבְכֹל֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּרְמֹ֣שׂ הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־הִבְדַּ֥לְתִּי לָכֶ֖ם לְטַמֵּֽא:
And you shall distinguish between clean animals and unclean ones: It is not necessary for Scripture to say [that we must distinguish] between a cow and a donkey, since they are easily distinguishable and identifiable. Rather, [the Torah means that we must distinguish] between [an animal that] is clean because of you [i.e., permissible for you to eat because of your slaughtering], and [one that is] unclean because of you [i.e., forbidden for you to eat because of your slaughtering. [When an animal is slaughtered, both “signs,” i.e., organs, must be severed, namely, the esophagus, (gullet) and the trachea (windpipe), or at least, the majority of each. Thus, our verse here is referring to the following: The distinction] between an animal of which [one organ was severed completely and] the majority of the [other] organ was severed, [thus rendering the animal kosher], and [an animal of which one organ was completely severed] whereas only half the [other] organ was severed [thus rendering that animal nonkosher]. And what is the difference between its majority and half of it [that would mean the difference between kosher and nonkosher]? A hairbreadth [and consequently, Scripture commands us to make a careful distinction]. — [Torath Kohanim 20:116]   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):
that I have distinguished for you to render unclean: [I.e.,] to render] forbidden [to eat, as above]. — [Torath Kohanim 20:116]   אֲשֶׁר הִבְדַּלְתִּי לָכֶם לְטַמֵּֽא: לֶאֱסֹר:
26And you shall be holy to Me, for I, the Lord, am holy, and I have distinguished you from the peoples, to be Mine.   כווִֽהְיִ֤יתֶם לִי֙ קְדשִׁ֔ים כִּ֥י קָד֖וֹשׁ אֲנִ֣י יְהוָֹ֑ה וָֽאַבְדִּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִן־הָֽעַמִּ֖ים לִֽהְי֥וֹת לִֽי:
And I have distinguished you from the peoples, to be Mine: If you are separated from them [through your observance of Torah], you will be Mine, but if not, you will belong to Nebuchadnezzar and his ilk. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah says: How do we know that a person should not say, “I find pork disgusting,” or “It is impossible for me to wear a mixture [of wool and linen],” but rather, one should say, “I indeed wish to, but what can I do-my Father in heaven has imposed these decrees upon me?” Because Scripture says here, “And I have distinguished you from the peoples, to be Mine”-your very distinction from the other peoples must be for My Name, separating yourself from transgression and accepting upon yourself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. — [Torath Kohanim 20:128]   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):
27And a man or a woman who has [the sorcery of] Ov or Yid'oni, shall surely be put to death; they shall pelt them with stones; their blood is upon themselves.   כזוְאִ֣ישׁ אֽוֹ־אִשָּׁ֗ה כִּי־יִֽהְיֶ֨ה בָהֶ֥ם א֛וֹב א֥וֹ יִדְּעֹנִ֖י מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֑תוּ בָּאֶ֛בֶן יִרְגְּמ֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם דְּמֵיהֶ֥ם בָּֽם:
[And a man or a woman] who has [the sorcery of] Ov or Yid’oni: Here, regarding those [who practice the sorcery of Ov or Yid’oni,] Scripture states death, while above (verse 6), Scripture states excision. [With] witnesses and warning [not to commit the sin], they incur [death by] stoning, but if [the perpetrators transgress] willfully but without warning, they incur excision; and if they transgress unintentionally, [they must bring] a sin-offering. And this [general principle regarding death, excision or sin-offering,] applies to all who are subject to the death penalty, about whom excision is also stated.   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: