אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט וְגוֹ'. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, כְּשֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר, הָיוּ נוֹחֲרִין אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה וְאוֹכְלִין אוֹתָהּ. וְכָאן אָסְרָה תּוֹרָה, וְאָמַר לָהֶם: אִישׁ אִישׁ מִבֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁחַט, וְאֶל פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֹא הֱבִיאוֹ. אָמַר לָהֶם: אָסוּר לָכֶם לִשְׁחֹט חוּץ מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר, כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶם מֹשֶׁה כֵּן, הָיוּ מִתְאַוִּים לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה הִזְהִירוּ עַצְמָן מִן הַשְּׁחִיטָה, שֶׁלֹּא לִשְׁחֹט חוּץ מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. וְלָמָּה כֵן. אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיוּ לְהוּטִין עַד עַכְשָׁו אַחַר עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁהָיוּ שׁוֹחֲטִין לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. שֶׁכָּךְ כָּתַב, וְלֹא יִזְבְּחוּ עוֹד אֶת זִבְחֵיהֶם וְגוֹ'. כֵּיוָן שֶׁבִּקְּשׁוּ לִיכָּנֵס לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאוּ לָהֶם אֵצֶל מֹשֶׁה, אָמְרוּ לוֹ: רַבֵּנוּ, אָנוּ מְבַקְּשִׁים לֶאֱכֹל בָּשָׂר, כֵּיצַד נַעֲשֶׂה. אָמַר לָהֶם: לְשֶׁעָבַר כְּשֶׁהֱיִיתֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר, הָיָה לָכֶם אָסוּר לִשְׁחֹט חוּץ מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁאַתֶּם נִכְנָסִין לָאָרֶץ, מֻתָּר לָכֶם לִשְׁחֹט בְּכָל מָקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי יַרְחִיב ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת גְּבֻלְךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְגוֹ' (דברים יב, כ). אָמַר לָהֶם: לֹא בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁהִתַּרְתִּי לָכֶם אֶת הַשְּׁחִיטָה, תִּהְיוּ נוֹטְלִין מִן הַצֹּאן וְשׁוֹחֲטִין. אָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה, וְדֵי חֲלֵב עִזִּים לְלַחְמְךָ לְלֶחֶם בֵּיתֶךָ (משלי כז, כז). מֹשֶׁה מְלַמֵּד לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְאוֹמֵר לָהֶם, אִם יֵשׁ לוֹ כְּבָשִׂים, מַה שֶּׁאַתָּה גּוֹזֵז מֵהֶם, לְכַסּוֹת שֶׁלְּךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כְּבָשִׂים לִלְבוּשְׁךָ. וּמְחִיר שְׂדֵה עַתּוּדִים (שם פסוק כו). מַהוּ וּמְחִיר שְׂדֵה עַתּוּדִים. שָׂכָר שֶׁאַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה מִן הָעַתּוּדִים שֶׁהֵן מוֹלִידוֹת הַצֹּאן, הֱוֵי לוֹקֵחַ בָּהֶם שָׂדוֹת. וְדֵי חֲלֵב עִזִּים, דַּיְּךָ חֲלֵב עִזִּים. לְלַחְמְךָ לְלֶחֶם בֵּיתֶךָ. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא, רְאֵה הֵיאַךְ חָס הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל נִכְסֵיהֶן (ס״א: מִחְיָתָם) שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. רְאֵה מַהוּ אוֹמֵר, וְזָבַחְתָּ מִבְּקָרְךָ וּמִצֹּאנְךָ, מִמַּה שֶּׁהֵן יוֹלְדוֹת. לֹא תְּהֵא נוֹטֵל מִן הַצֹּאן וְשׁוֹחֵט וְלֹא נוֹטֵל וּמַקְרִיב, אֶלָּא מִמַּה שֶּׁהֵן מוֹלִידוֹת. מִנַּיִן, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב: כָּל הַבְּכוֹר אֲשֶׁר יִוָּלֵד בִּבְקָרְךָ (דברים טו, יט). מִמַּה שֶּׁהֵם מוֹלִידוֹת, אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לִקְרַב. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה, לִמְּדָה תּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ, אִם יִהְיֶה לְאָדָם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל עֲשָׂרָה לִטְרִין כֶּסֶף, יְהֵא אוֹכֵל יֶרֶק בַּקְּדֵרָה. וְאִם יִהְיֶה לוֹ עֶשְׂרִים, יְהֵא אוֹכֵל בָּאִלְפָּס. וְאִם יִהְיֶה לוֹ שְׁלֹשִׁים לִטְרִין, יְהֵא אוֹכֵל לִיטְרָא שֶׁל בָּשָׂר מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת. וְאִם יִהְיֶה לוֹ חֲמִשִּׁים, יְהֵא אוֹכֵל לִיטְרָא שֶׁל בָּשָׂר בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם. וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה. כְּדֵי לָחוּס עַל נִכְסֵיהֶן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן שָׁמוּעַ, כְּשֶׁהוּא לוֹקֵחַ מִשַּׁבָּת לְשַׁבָּת, לֹא יְהֵא לוֹקֵחַ עַד שֶׁנִּמְלַךְ בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ. וּמִנַּיִן, שֶׁכָּךְ כָּתוּב, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֹכְלָה בָשָׂר (דברים יב, כ). לְפִיכָךְ מֹשֶׁה מַזְהִיר וּמְרַמֵּז לָהֶם, שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מַרְבִּין בַּאֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה. (Lev. 17:3:) “If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters.” R. Aqiva says, “When Israel was in the desert, they would slaughter cattle by stabbing and eat them; but here the Torah has forbidden it and says to them (ibid.), ‘If any single person from the House of Israel….’69Lev. R. 22:7; see Hul. 16b-17a; Sifre, Deut. 12:20 (75). Then it told them, ‘You are forbidden to slaughter apart from the tent of meeting (cf. vs. 4).’” R. Ishmael says, “When Moses said this to them, they were craving to eat meat. At that time, they were cautioned70Hizhiru ‘atsman. The verbal expression is used for an explicit biblical prohibition. away from slaughtering, i.e., not to slaughter apart from the tent of meeting.” And why so? It is simply that up to then they had been lusting after idols. Where is it shown that they were slaughtering to idols? Where it is stated (in Lev. 17:7), “And they shall no longer offer sacrifices [to the goat demons after whom they went whoring]….”71Lev. R. 22:8. When they wished to enter the Land of Israel, they came to Moses. They said to him, “O our master, if we wish to eat flesh, how shall we do so?” He said to them, “In the past, when you were in the desert, you were forbidden to slaughter apart from the tent of meeting; but when you enter the land, you are permitted to slaughter in any place,” as stated (in Deut. 12:20), “When the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as He promised you, [and you say, ‘Let me eat meat, because your soul longs to eat flesh,’ you may eat flesh to your soul's desire].” He said to them, “When I shall have permitted you to slaughter, you may [nonetheless] not take from your flock and slaughter.” Solomon said (in Prov. 27:27), “And there will be enough goat's milk for your food, for the food of your household.” Moses was teaching Israel by saying to them, “If you have sheep, that which you shear is for your clothing,” as stated (in Prov. 27:26), “The sheep will be for your clothes, and the he-goats the reward of a field.” What is the meaning of “and the he-goats the reward of a field?” That whatever you gain as reward from the he-goats that procreate the herd, you are to buy fields with it (i.e., the offspring).72But cf. Hul. 84a. (Prov. 27:27:) “And there will be enough goat's milk,” [meaning] you will have enough goat's milk “for your food, for the food of your household.” R. Aqiva said, “See how the Holy One, blessed be He, cares for the assets of Israel. See what is written (in Deut. 12:21), ‘then you may slaughter from your cattle or flock,’ from what they bear.73T‘Arakh. 4:26. You shall only take and sacrifice from what they give birth to.” Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Deut. 15:19), “[You shall consecrate to the Lord] all the male firstlings which are born in your herd and in your flock.” You are permitted to sacrifice from what they give birth to. R. Eleazar ben Azariah said, “The Torah has taught you a rule of conduct:74T‘Arakh. 4:26; Hul. 84a. If someone from Israel should have ten pounds75Gk.: litrai. of silver, let him eat green vegetables in the pot; if he has twenty, let him eat them in a casserole;76Gk.: lopas (“flat dish”). if he has thirty, let him eat a pound of meat from Sabbath to Sabbath; and if he has fifty, let him eat meat on each [and every] day.” Now why all this? In order to care for the assets of Israel. R. Eleazar ben Shammua' said, “And when he buys from Sabbath to Sabbath, he should not buy until he consults within his household.” Where is it shown? Because it is so written (in Deut. 12:20), “and you say, ‘Let me eat meat,’” For this reason Moses warned them and gave them a hint (in vs. 21), so that they would not do too much slaughtering.