אל כל עדת בני ישראל כבר אמרו רבותינו (תו"כ ריש הפרשה) שהפרשה הזו נאמרה בהקהל מפני שרוב גופי תורה תלויין בה וזה טעם "אל כל עדת בני ישראל" אבל הוזכרה כאן בתורת הכהנים מפני שידבר בה על קרבן השלמים ומפני שיזכיר בה המשפט שיצוה לעשות בעושי התועבות הנזכרות והעריות והתועבות הוזכרו בספר הזה מפני הטעם שכתבנו בתחלת הספר: SPEAK UNTO ALL THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. Our Rabbis have already said1Torath Kohanim at beginning of Seder Kedoshim. Quoted also in Rashi. that this section was addressed to the full assembly [of all Israel] because most of the fundamental principles of the Torah are dependent on it,2Mizrachi on Rashi offers two explanations of this text: (a) Since the laws of this chapter are so fundamental, it was necessary for all the congregation to be present, so that if a doubt arises in anyone’s mind as to precisely what Moses said, the other people can easily clarify it to him, which would not have been the case if the laws of this section were not declared to the full assembly. (b) Since these laws are so fundamental, men, women, and children were all present when Moses addressed them, whereas in the other sections of the Torah only the elders and the men were present. this being the reason for the expression, speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel. This section, however, was mentioned here in [the book of] Torath Kohanim3Literally: “the Law of the Priests,” which is another name for the Book of Vayikra, or Leviticus. In other words, since the laws of this section are so fundamental to the entire congregation of Israel, why were they placed in the book which is essentially devoted to the laws of the priests and the offerings? The answer follows in the text. because it contains laws concerning the thanks-offering,4The Tur, quoting the language of Ramban, writes: “peace-offerings.” That is correct, since the following verses [5-8] refer only to the peace-offerings, and not the thanks-offering. There are important differences between them. A thanks-offering may be eaten only on the same day that it was slaughtered until midnight, whilst a peace-offering could be eaten for two days and the intervening night. Therefore Verses 6 and 7, speaking of permission to eat the offering for two days, could not possibly refer to the thanks-offering. and also because it states the punishments5Further, Chapter 20. He commanded us to execute on those who do the abominable deeds mentioned [in the preceding sections], as well as [those for] the forbidden sexual relationships. These subjects have been included in this book [of Torath Kohanim] for the reason that we have written at the beginning of this book.6See Ramban’s introduction to this book where he writes: “As a result of mentioning these laws, He warned afterwards about forbidden sexual relationships etc.”
קדושים תהיו הוו פרושים מן העריות ומן העבירה שכל מקום שאתה מוצא גדר ערוה אתה מוצא קדושה לשון רש"י (רש"י על ויקרא י״ט:ב׳) אבל בתורת כהנים (פרשה א ב) ראיתי סתם פרושים תהיו וכן שנו שם (שמיני פרק יב ג) והתקדשתם והייתם קדושים כי קדוש אני כשם שאני קדוש כך אתם תהיו קדושים כשם שאני פרוש כך אתם תהיו פרושים ולפי דעתי אין הפרישות הזו לפרוש מן העריות כדברי הרב אבל הפרישות היא המוזכרת בכל מקום בתלמוד שבעליה נקראים פרושים והענין כי התורה הזהירה בעריות ובמאכלים האסורים והתירה הביאה איש באשתו ואכילת הבשר והיין א"כ ימצא בעל התאוה מקום להיות שטוף בזמת אשתו או נשיו הרבות ולהיות בסובאי יין בזוללי בשר למו וידבר כרצונו בכל הנבלות שלא הוזכר איסור זה בתורה והנה יהיה נבל ברשות התורה לפיכך בא הכתוב אחרי שפרט האיסורים שאסר אותם לגמרי וצוה בדבר כללי שנהיה פרושים מן המותרות ימעט במשגל כענין שאמרו (ברכות כב) שלא יהיו תלמידי חכמים מצויין אצל נשותיהן כתרנגולין ולא ישמש אלא כפי הצריך בקיום המצוה ממנו ויקדש עצמו מן היין במיעוטו כמו שקרא הכתוב (במדבר ו ה) הנזיר קדוש ויזכור הרעות הנזכרות ממנו בתורה (בראשית ט כא) בנח ובלוט וכן יפריש עצמו מן הטומאה אע"פ שלא הוזהרנו ממנה בתורה כמו שהזכירו (חגיגה יח) בגדי עם הארץ מדרס לפרושים וכמו שנקרא הנזיר קדוש (במדבר ו ח) בשמרו מטומאת המת גם כן וגם ישמור פיו ולשונו מהתגאל ברבוי האכילה הגסה ומן הדבור הנמאס כענין שהזכיר הכתוב (ישעיהו ט טז) וכל פה דובר נבלה ויקדש עצמו בזה עד שיגיע לפרישות כמה שאמרו על רבי חייא שלא שח שיחה בטלה מימיו באלו ובכיוצא בהן באה המצוה הזאת הכללית אחרי שפרט כל העבירות שהן אסורות לגמרי עד שיכנס בכלל זאת הצוואה הנקיות בידיו וגופו כמו שאמרו (ברכות נג) והתקדשתם אלו מים ראשונים והייתם קדושים אלו מים אחרונים כי קדוש זה שמן ערב כי אע"פ שאלו מצות מדבריהם עיקר הכתוב בכיוצא בזה יזהיר שנהיה נקיים וטהורים ופרושים מהמון בני אדם שהם מלכלכים עצמם במותרות ובכיעורים וזה דרך התורה לפרוט ולכלול בכיוצא בזה כי אחרי אזהרת פרטי הדינין בכל משא ומתן שבין בני אדם לא תגנוב ולא תגזול ולא תונו ושאר האזהרות אמר בכלל ועשית הישר והטוב (דברים ו יח) שיכניס בעשה היושר וההשויה וכל לפנים משורת הדין לרצון חבריו כאשר אפרש (שם) בהגיעי למקומו ברצון הקב"ה וכן בענין השבת אסר המלאכות בלאו והטרחים בעשה כללי שנאמר תשבות ועוד אפרש זה (רמב"ן על ויקרא כ״ג:כ״ד) בע"ה: YE SHALL BE HOLY. “Abstain from the forbidden sexual relationships [mentioned in the preceding section] and from [other] sin,7So explained in Gur Aryeh on Rashi. because wherever you find [in the Torah] a warning to guard against immorality, you find the mention of ‘holiness.’” This is Rashi’s language. But in the Torath Kohanim I have seen it mentioned without any qualification [i.e., without any particular reference to immorality, as Rashi expressed it], saying:8Torath Kohanim, at beginning of Seder Kedoshim. “Be self-restraining.” Similarly, the Rabbis taught there:9Ibid., Shemini 12:4. “And ye shall sanctify yourselves, and be ye holy, for I am Holy.10Above, 11:44. Just as I am Holy, so be you holy. Just as I am Pure, so be you pure.” And in my opinion, this abstinence does not refer only to restraint from acts of immorality, as the Rabbi [Rashi] wrote, but it is rather the self-control mentioned throughout the Talmud, which confers upon those who practice it the name of P’rushim (Pharisees), [literally: “those who are separated” from self-indulgence, as will be explained, or those who practice self-restraint]. The meaning thereof is as follows: The Torah has admonished us against immorality and forbidden foods, but permitted sexual intercourse between man and his wife, and the eating of [certain] meat and wine. If so, a man of desire could consider this to be a permission to be passionately addicted to sexual intercourse with his wife or many wives, and be among winebibbers, among gluttonous eaters of flesh,11Proverbs 23:20 and speak freely all profanities, since this prohibition has not been [expressly] mentioned in the Torah, and thus he will become a sordid person within the permissible realm of the Torah! Therefore, after having listed the matters which He prohibited altogether, Scripture followed them up by a general command that we practice moderation even in matters which are permitted, [such as in the following]: One should minimize sexual intercourse, similar to that which the Rabbis have said,12Berachoth 22 a. “So that the disciples of the Sages should not be found together with their wives as often as the hens,” and he should not engage in it except as required in fulfillment of the commandment thereof. He should also sanctify himself [to self-restraint] by using wine in small amounts, just as Scripture calls a Nazirite “holy” [for abstaining from wine and strong drink],13Numbers 6:8. and he should remember the evils which the Torah mentioned as following from [drinking wine] in the cases of Noah14Genesis 9:21. and Lot.15Ibid., 19:33. Similarly, he should keep himself away from impurity [in his ordinary daily activity], even though we have not been admonished against it in the Torah, similar to that which the Rabbis have said:16Chagigah 18 b. “For the P’rushim (Pharisees), the clothes of the unlearned are considered as if trodden upon by a zav” [or zavah — a man or woman having suffered a flux], and just as the Nazirite is called “holy” because of guarding himself from the impurity of the dead.17Numbers 6:6-7. Likewise he should guard his mouth and tongue from being defiled by excessive food and by lewd talk, similar to what Scripture states, and every mouth speaketh wantonness,18Isaiah 9:16. and he should purify himself in this respect until he reaches the degree known as [complete] “self-restraint,” as the Rabbis said concerning Rabbi Chiya,19See my Hebrew commentary p. 116, for different personalities to whom this character trait has been ascribed in Rabbinic sources. I have not found a clear source for Ramban’s version here. that never in his life did he engage in unnecessary talk. It is with reference to these and similar matters that this general commandment [Ye shall be holy] is concerned, after He had enumerated all individual deeds which are strictly forbidden, so that cleanliness of hands and body, are also included in this precept, just like the Rabbis have said:20Berachoth 53 b. “And ye shall sanctify yourselves.10Above, 11:44. This refers to the washing of hands before meals. And be ye holy.10Above, 11:44. This refers to the washing of hands after meals [before the reciting of grace]. For I am holy — this alludes to the spiced oil” [with which they used to rub their hands after a meal]. For although these [washings and perfuming of the hands] are commandments of Rabbinic origin, yet Scripture’s main intention is to warn us of such matters, that we should be [physically] clean and [ritually] pure, and separated from the common people who soil themselves with luxuries and unseemly things. And such is the way of the Torah, that after it lists certain specific prohibitions, it includes them all in a general precept. Thus after warning with detailed laws regarding all business dealings between people, such as not to steal or rob or to wrong21Further, 25:17. one another, and other similar prohibitions, He said in general, And thou shalt do that which is right and good,22Deuteronomy 6:18. thus including under a positive commandment the duty of doing that which is right and of agreeing to a compromise [when not to do so would be inequitable]; as well as all requirements to act “beyond” the line of justice [i.e., to be generous in not insisting upon one’s rights as defined by the strict letter of the law, but to agree to act “beyond” that line of the strict law] for the sake of pleasing one’s fellowman, as I will explain when I reach there [that verse], with the will of the Holy One, blessed be He. Similarly in the case of the Sabbath, He prohibited doing certain classes of work by means of a negative commandment,23Exodus 20:10. and painstaking labors [not categorized as “work,” such as transferring heavy loads in one’s yard from one place to another, etc.] He included under a general positive commandment, as it is said, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest.24Ibid., 23:12. I will yet explain this25See further, 23:24. with the help of G-d.
וטעם הכתוב שאמר כי קדוש אני ה' אלהיכם לומר שאנחנו נזכה לדבקה בו בהיותנו קדושים והנה זה כענין הדבור הראשון בעשרת הדברות (שמות כ ב) (ג) וצוה איש אמו ואביו תיראו (ויקרא י״ט:ג׳) כי שם צוה על הכבוד וכאן יצוה על המורא ואמר ואת שבתתי תשמרו כי שם צוה על הזכירה וכאן על השמירה וכבר פירשנו (שמות כ ח) ענין שניהם: FOR I THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D AM HOLY. This means to say that we will merit to cleave unto Him by being holy. This expression [I the Eternal your G-d] is similar to that of the first commandment in the Ten Commandments [which begins, I am the Eternal thy G-d].26Exodus 20:2. He commanded here, Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father,27Verse 3. for there [in the Ten Commandments] He commanded that we honor them,28Exodus 20:12. and here it is about fearing them. And he states here, and ye shall keep My Sabbaths,27Verse 3. for there [in the Ten Commandments] He commanded concerning remembering it,29Ibid., Verse 8 (Vol. II, pp. 306-311). and here about keeping it. We have already explained the meaning of both terms.29Ibid., Verse 8 (Vol. II, pp. 306-311).