Rashi on TanakhDeuteronomy 12

You must obliterate. Destroy, then destroy afterward. This teaches that, when destroying idolatry, one must tear out the roots.

All of the places where the nations worshipped, etc. What must you obliterate from them? ‘Their gods on the mountains.’

Altar. Composed of a number of stones.

Pillar. Single-stoned. This is the ‘bimus’ mentioned in the Mishnah, ‘A stone quarried originally as a bimus.’

Asherah. A tree that was worshipped.

Obliterate their name. Give them degrading nicknames. ”The house of exaltation,” entitle “The house of ruin.” “Universal vision” — “Thorny vision.”

Do not act this way. By bringing burnt-offerings for the sake of Heaven anywhere except for the place [God] will select. Another interpretation. ‘Smash their altars, obliterate their names — do not act this way. . .’ This prohibits erasing the sacred name, and breaking an altar stone, or a Temple courtyard stone. Rebbi Yishmael said, ‘Is it conceivable that an Israelite would smash altars? Rather, do not act as they do, whereby your iniquity would cause the ruin of the Temple of your forefathers.’

Seek His Presence. This refers to the Tabernacle at Shiloh.

Your sacred offerings. Obligatory shelamim-offerings.

Your tithes. The animal tithe and the second tithe, to be eaten within the walls [of Jerusalem].

The elevation of your hands. This refers to the first bikurim- fruits, concerning which it is said, “The kohein shall take the basket from your hand.”

The first born of your cattle. To give to the kohein, so that he may offer them up there.

As Adonoy has blessed you. According to the blessing, bring.

You may not do everything we do, etc. This continues from above, from “For you shall pass across the Yardein, etc.” When you cross the Yardein, you will be immediately permitted to bring up offerings on the personal bamah-altar, thoughout all fourteen years of conquest and apportionment. However, on the personal bamah-altar, you may not offer everything you offer here, this day, at the Mishkan, which remains with you and has been anointed. This is an appropriate place for bringing sin-and guilt-offerings, and promissory and contributory-offerings. However, on the personal bamah-altar, nothing may be offered except for the promissory and contributory, And this is the meaning of “each what is upright in his eyes.” Promissory-and contributory offerings, That you donate because you feel it is proper to bring them and not because you must. These you may offer on a personal bamah-altar.

For you will not have come. Throughout those fourteen years.

As yet. Like “yet.”

To the peace. This refers to Shiloh.

The territory. This refers to Jerusalem.

When you cross the Yardein and settle in the land. When you have apportioned it, and everyone distinguishes his portion and his tribe.

And He has granted you peace. After the conquest and apportionment, and peace with the nations whom Adonoy allowed to remain in order to test Yisroel — this did not occur until the time of Dovid — then:

Let it be that the place, etc. Build, for yourselves, the chosen Sanctuary in Jerusalem. This is as it is said concerning Dovid: “It was, when the king had settled in his palace, and Adonoy had granted him peace on every side, from all his enemies; then the king said to the prophet Noson, ‘Look here, I am settled in a palace of cedarwood, while the ark of God languishes amidst curtains.”’

It is there that you shall bring. The discussion above concerns Shiloh, while the discussion here concerns Jerusalem. This is why Scripture separates them, by granting permission between them. From the time that Shiloh was laid waste and they arrived at Nov, and Nov was laid waste and they arrived at Giveon, personal bamah-altars were permitted, until they arrived at Jerusalem.

Your choice promissory-offerings. This teaches that one must offer the choicest.

Take heed. This places a negative commandment over the matter.

Anywhere you envision as proper. Which occurs to you. However, you may bring an offering by prophetic instruction, as with Eliyahu at Mount Carmel.

Of one of your tribes. In Binyamin’s portion. Above, however, it is said, “of all your tribes.” How can this be? When Dovid purchased the threshing site from Aravna the Yevusite, he gathered the gold from all the tribes; still, the threshing site was in Binyamin’s territory.

Except, with the fullness of your appetite. What is Scripture’s subject? Is it “appetite meat,” permitting it to them without offering the sacrificial portions? But it is stated elsewhere, “When Adonoy, your God, expands your borders, etc., and you assert, ‘Let me eat meat, etc.”’ What, then, is the subject here? Sacred animals which were afflicted with a blemish which may be redeemed and eaten anywhere. Perhaps they may be redeemed even with a transient blemish? The Torah therefore teaches, “except.”

You may slaughter and eat. You are not permitted to shear or milk, but only to eat by slaughtering.

The ritually unclean and the clean. Because this was converted from a sacred sacrifice, concerning which it is said, “Meat which came into contact with anything unclean may not be eaten,” it is necessary to permit the unclean and the clean to eat it in a single plate.

Like the deer and the gazelle which are not eligible as sacrifices.

Like the deer and the gazelle. This exempts them from the gifts of the foreleg, the jaw, and the maw.

However, you may not eat the blood. Although I have stated that its blood is not to be sprinkled on the altar, you may not eat it.

Spill it like water. This teaches you that it does not require covering. Another interpretation. It is like water with regard to the conditioning (hechsher) of edible seeds [for ritual contamination].

You are not permitted. This passage places a negative commandment over the matter.

You are not permitted [lit. not able]. R’ Yehoshua ben Korchah said, ‘You are able, but are not permitted.” Similarly, “The Yevusites, who dwelt in Jerusalem, the sons of Yehudah were not permitted [lit. not able] to drive out.” They were able, but were not permitted, because Avrohom had made a covenant with them, when he bought the double tiered Machpelah-cave from them. They were not Yevusites, but Chitites, but, in recognition of the city entitled Yevus (they were called Yevusites). This is stated clearly in Pirkei dR’ Eliezer. This is why it is said, “...unless you cast aside the blind and the lame” — the statues on which the oath was inscribed.

The first born of your cattle. This prohibition applies to the kohanim.

The terumah-separation of your hand. This refers to the first fruits.

Before Adonoy. Within the walls.

And the Levite in your cities. If you do not have his portion for him — for example, the first tithe — give him the tithe of the indigent. If you do not have the tithe of the indigent, invite him to partake of your shelamim-offering.

Watch yourself. This places a negative commandment over the matter.

On your land. In the diaspora, however, you are not admonished to concern yourself with him more than with the indigent Israelites.

When . . . expands, etc. The Torah teaches proper behavior — a man should not crave eating meat unless he enjoys expansion and affluence.

To the full extent of your appetite, etc. However, in the wilderness, non-sacrificial meat was forbidden to them, unless it was sanctified and brought as a shelamim-offering.

When the place is distant from you. So that you are unable to come every day to offer the shelamim sacrifice, as you are now, when the Mishkan travels with you,

you may slaughter, as I have commanded you. We learn that there is a command concerning the proper method of slaughtering. This refers to the slaughtering laws told to Moshe at Sinai.

Only, as the deer, etc, may be eaten. You are not admonished to eat them in ritual purity. Perhaps, just as the fat of the deer and the gazelle are permitted, so is the fat of the non-sacrificial animal permitted? The Torah therefore teaches, “only.”

Only exercise strength in not eating the blood. From the statement “exercise strength,” you learn that they wallowed in the eating of blood. It was therefore necessary to say “exercise strength.” This is R’ Yehudah’s opinion. R’ Shimon ben Azai said, Scripture merely admonishes and teaches you the extent to which you must exercise strength with mitzvos. If blood, which is easily avoided, as a man has no craving for it, yet it is necessary to strengthen you in admonishing against it; then certainly the other commandments.

Do not eat the spirit with the meat. This prohibits the limb of a living animal.

Do not eat it. This prohibits the dripping tamtzis blood.

Do not eat it. This prohibits the blood absorbed in the limbs.

So that you may enjoy beneficence, etc. Go forth, learn the reward for mitzvos. Take blood, which a man finds repugnant; yet, one who refrains from it gains merit for himself and his children after him. Certainly with larceny and promiscuousness, which a man craves.

However, your sacred offerings. Although you may slaughter non-sacrificial animals, I did not permit you to slaughter sacrificial offerings and eat them in your cities without offering them up. Rather, bring them to the chosen Sanctuary.

Execute your burnt-offerings. If they are burnt-olah- offerings, place the flesh and the blood on the altar. If they are shelamim-peace-offerings, “the blood of your sacrifices shall be poured on the altar” first, and then “the flesh may be eaten.” The Rabbis expounded additionally. “However, your sacrificial-offerings . . .”: This teaches concerning sacrificial-offerings outside the land. And it teaches that exchange-offerings and the offspring of sacrifices must be offered up.

Preserve. This refers to the study of the law, which must be preserved in one’s gut, not to be forgotten, as it is said, “It is pleasurable that you preserve them in your gut.” If you have studied the law, then it is possible for you to heed and to perform; but anyone who is not involved in study can not be involved in performance.

All these words. A minor commandment should be as precious to you as one of great consequence.

That which is good. In the eyes of Heaven.

And that which is upright. In the eyes of mortals.

Lest you are torn apart. Onkelos’ interpretation is that the reference is to a pitfall. In my opinion, he was not exacting in following the literal meaning, for we never find the letter ‘ נ in the word יוֹקֵשׁ, “pitfall,” even as a root letter which is sometimes dropped. However, in reference to tearing apart and violent shaking, we find the ‘ נ, “His knees knocked against each other.” Here, too, my rendition is, “Lest you are torn apart with them,” by emulating their activities. Similarly, “Let the debtor jostle after all his possessions.” He curses the villain, wishing him numerous debtors who will jostle one another in pursuit of his money.

After they have been annihilated before you. After you observe when I have annihilated them before you, focus your attention as to why I annihilated them — because of their decadent behavior. So you refrain from emulating them so that no one come to annihilate you.

How did . . . worship? Since no punishment was specified for idol worship except for slaughtering, burning, pouring libations, or prostrating oneself, as it is written, “For the sake of none but Adonoy alone” — activities generally performed for the sake of the Supreme Being. This passage proceeds to teach that, if it is customary to worship an idol with some other ritual for example, exposing oneself for the sake of Peor, or casting a stone for the sake of Markolis — then that is its recognized worship form, and [the worshiper] is liable. However, for slaughtering, burning, pouring libations, and prostrating oneself, even when not customary, one is liable.

For, even their sons. “Even” includes their fathers and mothers. R’ Akiva said, ‘I saw a Gentile tie his father before his dog, who then ate him.’