Pisqa’ 75¹

1

“When HASHEM your God will expand your border” (Dt.12:20)—

perform the commandment

stated in this scriptural context,

in reward for which,²

“ HASHEM your God will expand your border . . . as He promised you” (Dt.12:20)—

what did He promise you?

“The land of the Kenite, and the Kenizite,

and the Kadmonite” (Gn.15:20).

Rabbi says:

these lands have already been promised

[to Abraham’s descendants (e.g., Gn.12:7)].

What territorial expansion did He promise you?

“From the eastern border to the Sea—

Dan, one portion . . .” (Ezek.48:1-9)³

2

“And you say; I shall eat meat—for your heart’s desire is to eat meat” (Dt.12:20).

R. Ishmael says:

This indicates that

[satisfaction of] the desire for meat

was proscribed for Israel in the wilderness.

But upon reaching the Land,

This verse permitted them to satisfy it.

R. Akiva says:

The verse comes only to teach about

the enactment of the commandments specified therein

[rather than mere historical information]!

R. Elazar b. Azariah says:

The verse comes only to teach you civilized behavior—

that a person should not eat meat unless he desires it.

3

Is it possible to say that

one may buy [ready-slaughtered] meat in the market?⁴

The Teaching states:

“Then you may slaughter from your herd and from your flock” (Dt.12:21).

Thus, a person should only eat meat from his herd and a flock!

Is it possible, then, that

[in order to eat meat]

he must slaughter all his flock and all his herd ?

The Teaching states:

“From your herd” (Dt.12;21)—

but not the entire herd;

“and from your flock” (Dt.12:21)—

but not the entire flock.

4

“As I have commanded you” (Dt.12:21)—

just as consecrated offerings [are killed]

only by means of the slaughtering rite (shekhitah),

so, too, common meat [is killed]

only by means of the slaughtering rite.

Or [perhaps the verse’s implication is the following]:

Just as consecrated offerings must be slaughtered

in the Holy Place,

so, too, common meat must also be slaughtered

in the Holy Place.

The Teaching states:

“If the Place is distant from you—

which HASHEM your God shall choose to invest with His Name—then shall you slaughter” (Dt.12:21)—

that is, if the Holy Place is distant,

you may slaughter for common meat anywhere;

but you may not slaughter for common meat

if the Holy Place is near,

except for [a blemished, consecrated animal]

slaughtered for common meat,

which may be slaughtered in

the Courtyard of the Holy Abode.

I might infer only that

unblemished animals may be slaughtered for common meat.

On what basis do I include blemished animals?

The Teaching states:

“Then he shall slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Encounter”⁵ (Lv.3:2).

I might infer only that

even wild animals or fowl may be slaughtered

at the entrance to the Tent of Encounter.

The Teaching states:

“He shall slaughter it before the Tent of Encounter” (Lv.3:8)—

it implies that

[a suitable animal may be slaughtered]

at the entrance to the Tent of Encounter,

but no wild animal or fowl

[may be slaughtered] at the entrance to the Tent of Encounter.⁶

Or [perhaps the verse implies the following]:

Just as consecrated offerings [must be consumed]

within a designated time,

so, too, common meat [must be consumed]

within a designated time.

The Teaching states:

“And you shall eat it in your gates at your heart’s desire” (Dt.12:21)—

[taking as long as you with to finish the carcass]

Or [perhaps the verse implies the following]:

Just as consecrated offerings [are eaten by priests]

behind a partition,

so, too, common meat [must be eaten]

behind a partition?

The Teaching states:

“And you shall eat it in your gates” (Dt.12:21)—

[thus, common meat may be eaten

by non-priests in a common space].

Or [perhaps the implication is as follows]:

Just as consecrated offerings [are only brought]

during the day,

so, too, common meat [must be slaughtered]

during the day?

The Teaching states:

“And you shall eat it in your gates at your heart’s desire” (Dt.12:21)—

[meat slaughtered either by day or night].

Or [perhaps the point of the verse is the following]:

Just as consecrated offerings [must be consumed]

in cleanness,

so, too, common meat [must be consumed]

in cleanness?

The Teaching states:

“The unclean person . . . may eat of it” (Dt.12:22).

I might infer that

this applies to the unclean only.

On what basis do I include the clean?

The Teaching states:

“The unclean person and the clean together may eat of it” (Dt.12:22).⁷

This indicates that both of them eat from a single plate.

5

Is it possible to say that

even Threshing-floor-offering is eaten [with common meat]

from a single plate?

The Teaching states:

“Together they may eat of it” (Dt.12:22)—

thus [common meat] is eaten [with other meat]

from a single plate,

but Threshing-floor-offering is not eaten [with common meat]

from a single plate.

[If commoners slaughter common meat,]

is it possible to say that

they are obliged,

[like those sharing a Communion-offering,]

to offer a priest the breast and the foreleg? (Lv.7:31-32)

The Teaching states:

“Like the gazelle” (Dt.12:15)—

[since the gazelle is not under obligation for the breast and foreleg,

common meat from domesticated animals shares this exemption].

Shall I exclude [the gazelle] from

the class of animals [under obligation]

for the breast and foreleg

but not exclude it from

the class of animals [under obligation]

for the two kidneys and the lobe of the liver? (Lv.3:4-5)

The Teaching states:

“And like the deer” (Dt.12:15)—

[this inclusive clause indicates that,

as wild animals, both the gazelle and deer

are exempt from the breast and foreleg].

Or [perhaps the implication is as follows:]

Just as the gazelle is entirely permitted [with its suet],

so, too, this deer is entirely permitted[ with its suet]?

The Teaching states:

“But” (Dt.12:22)—

[the restrictive clause implies that

the suet of wild animals, like that of domestic beasts,

is prohibited for consumption].

6

“But, eat it as you eat the gazelle and the deer—

the unclean person and the clean together may eat of it” (Dt.12:22).

R. Elazar haQapar, our colleague, says:

Now, does the verse come to teach us

about the difference between

the gazelle and the deer?

Rather, it first instructs us

and then turns out

to be instructed [by us]!⁸

Just as a domesticated animal

[is made fit to eat] by the slaughtering rite,

so, too, is a wild animal [made fit] by the rite.⁹

But, as for fowl,

[the requirement to slaughter them]

derives only from scribal tradition.¹⁰

Rabbi says:

“As I have commanded you” (tziwiticha;  Dt.12:21).

This [use of the singular you] indicates that

Moses [alone] was commanded

to sever the windpipe and the gullet [as follows]:

Regarding fowl—

one must sever the larger part of one organ;

regarding cattle—

one severs the larger part of two organs.¹¹

1. H:128-130;JN1:214-217.
2. Cf. Pisqa’ 55.1
3. Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’, 18.
4. //T. Arach.4:26.
5. Heb: ‘ohel mo`ed. Usually translated as “ Tent of Meeting.”
6. //Sifra, nedavah, per. 17:7-9.
7. Cf. T. Nid.9:18.
8. Cf. translations of H:130 and JN1:216, both of which I draw upon. I do not see how the parallel at B. Hul. 28a, or the emendations proposed by RH and Pardo, appreciably illumines the point attributed by Sifre to R. Eleazar haQapar.
9. Thus the verse first instructs us about the similarity of the slaughtering rite regarding domestic and wild animals. It is then instructed by us such that the slaughter of fowl is ascribed to scribal tradition alone, without scriptural foundation.
10. “Words of scribes” (divrei sofrim) are recognized in rabbinic historiography as an early tradition of post-Mosaic oral instruction. See, e.g., M. Toh.4:11.
11. Cf. M. Hul.2:1