Derasha 4 on Shoftim 17:01

TT #23 · Parashas Shoftim · First Aliyah · Passuk 1

The Complete Passuk

לֹא־תִזְבַּח֩ לַיהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ שׁ֣וֹר וָשֶׂ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִהְיֶ֥ה בוֹ֙ מ֔וּם כֹּ֖ל דָּבָ֣ר רָ֑ע כִּ֧י תוֹעֲבַ֛ת יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ הֽוּא׃

You shall not sacrifice to the Eternal your God an ox or a sheep that has any defect of a serious kind, for that is abhorrent to the Eternal your God.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim (same as previous unit).

Sefaria · Sifrei Devarim

Core Text of Chazal

תניא, מניין לרובע ונרבע ומוקצה ונעבד ואתנן ומחיר וכלאים וטריפה ויוצא דופן שהביאם למזבח שעובר בל״ת, ת״ל כי תועבת ה׳ אלהיך הוא.

English: It was taught: From where do we know that one who brings to the altar an animal that was used for bestiality (rova or nirva), set aside for idolatry, worshipped, given as the hire of a harlot, exchanged for a dog, a hybrid, a treifah, or one extracted by caesarean section transgresses a negative commandment? From the verse “for it is an abomination to the Eternal your God.”

On the daf / in context

The closing clause of the verse supplies the source for the prohibition of a long list of animals that are disqualified for reasons other than ordinary physical blemish.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — not a formal named middah of the 13. “To’evah” is taken to include these additional categories of disqualification.

What Is Learned

Animals involved in bestiality, idolatry, the hire of a harlot, exchange for a dog, hybrids, treifot, and those born by caesarean are all forbidden to be offered under this negative commandment.