Reeh 12:09 · unit 1

TT #44 · Parashas Reeh · First Aliyah · Passuk 12:09

The Complete Passuk

כִּ֥י לֹא־בָּאתֶ֖ם עַד־עָ֑תָּה אֶל־הַמְּנוּחָה֙ וְאֶל־הַֽנַּחֲלָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃

For you have not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that Hashem your God is giving you.

Chabad.org — 12:09

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei / Zevachim.

Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֶל הַמְּנוּחָה וְגוֹ׳ – מִשֶּׁהוּקַם הַמִּשְׁכָּן נֶאֶסְרוּ הַבָּמוֹת, וּמִשֶּׁבָּאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַגִּלְגָּל הֻתְּרוּ, וְכְשֶׁבָּאוּ לְשִׁילֹה נֶאֶסְרוּ, וְכְשֶׁבָּאוּ לְנוֹב וְגִבְעוֹן הֻתְּרוּ, דְּאָמַר קְרָא כִּי לֹא בָּאתֶם אֶל הַמְּנוּחָה וְאֶל הַנַּחֲלָה, מְנוּחָה זוֹ שִׁילֹה נַחֲלָה זוֹ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְלָמָּה חִלְּקָן, כְּדֵי לִתֵּן הֶתֵּר בֵּין זֶה לָזֶה, וּמִשֶּׁבָּאוּ לִירוּשָׁלַיִם נֶאֶסְרוּ לְעוֹלָם.

English: “To the rest…” — Once the Mishkan was erected the bamot were forbidden; when Israel came to Gilgal they were permitted; when they came to Shiloh they were forbidden; when they came to Nov and Giv’on they were permitted. As the verse says “for you have not yet come to the rest and to the inheritance” — “rest” is Shiloh, “inheritance” is Jerusalem. Why did it separate them? In order to allow a period of permission between them. And once they came to Jerusalem they were forbidden forever.

On the daf / in context: The verse establishes the successive stages of permission and prohibition of private altars corresponding to the successive central sanctuaries.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — the historical stages of the bamot.

What Is Learned

Bamot were alternately permitted and forbidden according to the stages of the central sanctuary (Mishkan, Gilgal, Shiloh, Nov/Giv’on, Jerusalem), and permanently forbidden after Jerusalem.