Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 72

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 12:17) "You shall not be able to eat in your gates": R. Yehoshua b. Karchah says (in respect to "able"): I am able, but not permitted. A cognate instance is (Joshua 15:63) "But the Yevussi, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, they could not drive out": They could but they were not permitted to do so.

2

English · Shraga Silverstein

"the tithe" (ma'aser): This tells me only of clean tithe (that it may not be eaten outside of Jerusalem). Whence do I derive (the same for) ma'aser that is tamei? From (the superfluous) "your corn."

3

English · Shraga Silverstein

Whence do I derive (the same for) food that is purchased for money of ma'aser? From "your wine."

4

English · Shraga Silverstein

This tells me only of (such food that) is clean. Whence do I derive (the same for) what is tamei? From "and your oil."

5

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Shimon says: From (Ibid. 26:14) "I did not eat in my mourning of it and I did not consume of it in uncleanliness," (which implies) whether I were tamei and it, clean or I clean and it, tamei — where is he exhorted (not to eat it)? I would not know, if it were not written "You shall not be able to eat in your gates the tithe of your corn and your wine and your oil," and, elsewhere (15:22) "In your gates shall you eat it, the unclean and the clean together," (which implies that normally it may not be eaten together).

6

English · Shraga Silverstein

I might think that one who gave it (second-tithe) as a gift to his neighbor (outside of Jerusalem, and he ate it there), he (the giver) was liable; it is, therefore, written "You shall not be able to eat it in your gates" — The eater is liable, but not the giver as a gift.

7

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Yossi says: I might think that there was liability only for (eating) tevel (untithed produce) from which nothing had been tithed. Whence is it derived (that there is liability) if terumah had been taken from it, but not first-tithe; if first-tithe had been taken, but not second-tithe; if second-tithe had been taken, but not poor-tithe? From (Ibid. 17) "You shall not be able to eat in your gates," and, elsewhere, (Ibid. 26:12) "And they shall eat it in your gates and be sated." Just as there, poor-tithe (is being referred to), so, here.

8

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Shimon says: The intent of the verse is only to prescribe separate precincts for the eating of holy of holies and lower-order offerings.

9

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and the offering of your hands": What does Scripture come to teach us? If (that it is forbidden) to eat bikkurim (first-fruits) outside the wall (of Jerusalem)? This can be derived a fortiori, from ma'aser (the tithe), viz.: If ma'aser, which is permitted to non-priests — if one transgresses a negative commandment if he eats of it outside the wall (of Jerusalem), then bikkurim, which are forbidden to non-priests, if one eats of them outside the wall, how much more so does he transgress a negative commandment if he eats of them outside the wall! The purpose of the verse, then, must be to teach us that if one eats bikkurim before the invocation has been recited over them (viz. Ibid. 26:5), he transgresses a negative commandment.

10

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and your gifts": These are thank-offerings and peace-offerings. What does Scripture come to teach us? If (that it is forbidden) to eat a thank-offering and peace-offerings outside the wall, this can be derived a fortiori from ma'aser, viz.: If ma'aser, which is not liable for piggul (improper intention), and nothar (exceeding of a time limitation) and for (being eaten by one who is) tamei — if one eats of it outside the wall, he transgresses a negative commandment, then a thank-offering and peace-offering, which are liable for piggul and nothar and for tamei, how much more so does he transgress a negative commandment if he eats of it outside the wall! The purpose of the verse, then, must be to teach us that if one eats a thank-offering and peace-offerings before the sprinkling of the blood (of the sacrifice) he transgresses a negative commandment.

11

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and bechoroth": the first-born. What does Scripture come to teach us? If (that it is forbidden) to eat a bechor outside the wall, this can be derived a fortiori from ma'aser (as above); if before its blood has been sprinkled, this can be derived a fortiori from a thank-offering and peace-offerings, viz.: If a thank-offering and peace-offerings, which are permitted to non-priests — if one eats of them before their blood has been sprinkled, he transgresses a negative commandment, then a bechor, which is forbidden to non-priests, if one eats of them before their blood has been sprinkled, how much more so does he transgress a negative commandment! The purpose of the verse, then, must be to teach us that if a non-priest eats of it (even) after the sprinkling of the blood, he transgresses a negative commandment.

Sifrei Devarim 72

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