| 22You must not “lie down” with a male as with a woman; this is an abomination. |
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כב וְאֶ֨ת־זָכָ֔ר לֹ֥א תִשְׁכַּ֖ב מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אִשָּׁ֑ה תּֽוֹעֵבָ֖ה הִֽוא: |
| 23You must not fornicate with any animal, thereby becoming spiritually defiled by it. A woman must not stand in front of an animal in order that it copulate with her. This is considered depravity. |
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כגוּבְכָל־בְּהֵמָ֛ה לֹֽא־תִתֵּ֥ן שְׁכָבְתְּךָ֖ לְטָמְאָה־בָ֑הּ וְאִשָּׁ֗ה לֹא־תַֽעֲמֹ֞ד לִפְנֵ֧י בְהֵמָ֛ה לְרִבְעָ֖הּ תֶּ֥בֶל הֽוּא: |
| תֶּבֶל הֽוּא - This is considered depravity. This term denotes prostitution, incest, and adultery, and so we find: “and My anger is over their abomination (תַּבְלִיתָם).” Another explanation: תֶּבֶל denotes the unnatural mingling and confusion of human seed with animal seed. |
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תֶּבֶל הֽוּא.
לְשׁוֹן קָדֵשׁ וְעֶרְוָה וְנִאוּף, וְכֵן וְאַפִּי עַל תַּבְלִיתָם (ישעיהו י'); דָּבָר אַחֵר תֶּבֶל הוּא לְשׁוֹן בְּלִילָה וְעִרְבּוּב זֶרַע אָדָם וְזֶרַע בְּהֵמָה:
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| 24You must not spiritually defile yourselves by doing any of these things, for the nations whom I am sending out of Canaan from before you have defiled themselves by doing all these things, |
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כדאַל־תִּטַּמְּא֖וּ בְּכָל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֤י בְכָל־אֵ֨לֶּה֙ נִטְמְא֣וּ הַגּוֹיִ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֥י מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ מִפְּנֵיכֶֽם: |
| 25and thus the land became spiritually defiled. I have therefore brought the account of its inhabitants’ sin upon it, and the land has vomited out its inhabitants. |
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כהוַתִּטְמָ֣א הָאָ֔רֶץ וָֽאֶפְקֹ֥ד עֲוֹנָ֖הּ עָלֶ֑יהָ וַתָּקִ֥א הָאָ֖רֶץ אֶת־יֽשְׁבֶֽיהָ: |
| 26But as for you, you must safeguard My rules and My ordinances; you must not engage in any of these abominations, neither the native Israelite nor the convert who dwells among you— |
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כווּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם אַתֶּ֗ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י וְלֹ֣א תַֽעֲשׂ֔וּ מִכֹּ֥ל הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑לֶּה הָֽאֶזְרָ֔ח וְהַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתֽוֹכְכֶֽם: |
| 27for the people who occupied the land before you took possession of it did engage in all these abominations, and thus the land became spiritually defiled— |
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כזכִּ֚י אֶת־כָּל־הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹ֣ת הָאֵ֔ל עָשׂ֥וּ אַנְשֵֽׁי־הָאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לִפְנֵיכֶ֑ם וַתִּטְמָ֖א הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| 28so the land not vomit you out for having spiritually defiled it, just as it vomited out the nations who preceded you. |
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כחוְלֹֽא־תָקִ֤יא הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם בְּטַמַּֽאֲכֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑הּ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר קָאָ֛ה אֶת־הַגּ֖וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לִפְנֵיכֶֽם: |
| וְלֹֽא־תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם - So the land not vomit you out. This may be explained by comparison to a prince who was fed something disgusting, which cannot be contained in his stomach, so he vomits it out; so the Land of Israel can also not retain sinners on its soil. Onkelos’ translation of וְלֹא תָקִיא is וְלָא תְרוֹקֵן, denoting “emptying out,” i.e., the Land empties itself out of them. |
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וְלֹֽא־תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם.
מָשָׁל לְבֶן מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהֶאֱכִילוּהוּ דָּבָר מָאוּס, שֶׁאֵין עוֹמֵד בְּמֵעָיו אֶלָּא מְקִיאוֹ, כָּךְ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָהּ מְקַיֶּמֶת עוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה (ספרא סוף קדושים), וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וְלָא תְרוֹקֵן, לְשׁוֹן רִקּוּן — מְרִיקָה עַצְמָהּ מֵהֶם:
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| 29For with regard to anyone who commits any of these abominations, the persons engaging in these abominations will be cut off from the midst of their people. |
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כטכִּ֚י כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר יַֽעֲשֶׂ֔ה מִכֹּ֥ל הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְנִכְרְת֛וּ הַנְּפָשׁ֥וֹת הָֽעֹשׂ֖ת מִקֶּ֥רֶב עַמָּֽם: |
| הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָֽעֹשׂת - The persons engaging. This implies both the male and the female. |
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הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָֽעֹשׂת.
הַזָּכָר וְהַנְּקֵבָה בְמַשְׁמָע (ספרא):
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| 30You must safeguard My charge, so that you not commit any of the abominable practices that were performed by those who occupied the land before you, so you not become spiritually defiled by these practices. I am God, your God.’” |
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לוּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֗י לְבִלְתִּ֨י עֲשׂ֜וֹת מֵֽחֻקּ֤וֹת הַתּֽוֹעֵבֹת֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נַֽעֲשׂ֣וּ לִפְנֵיכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִטַּמְּא֖וּ בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֹ֥ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם: |
| וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּי - You must safeguard my charge. This is added to obligate the court to enforce this. |
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וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּי.
לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ (שם):
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| וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם - So you not become defiled by them; I am God, your God - from which can be inferred that if you do become defiled by them, I am not your God, as you cause the special relationship you enjoy with Me to be undermined – what benefit then do I have from you? – and you will be punished by annihilation. It therefore says: “I am God, your God.” |
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וְלֹא תִטַּמְּאוּ בָּהֶם אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶֽם.
הָא אִם תִּטַּמְּאוּ אֵינִי אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, וְאַתֶּם נִפְסָלִים מֵאַחֲרַי, וּמַה הֲנָאָה יֵשׁ לִי בָּכֶם וְאַתֶּם מִתְחַיְּבִים כְּלָיָה? לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (שם):
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