Rashi on TanakhDeuteronomy 18

The entire tribe of Levi. Whether physically sound or blemished.

A portion. In the spoils.

Or an inheritance. In the land.

Adonoy’s fire offerings. The sacred offerings at the Sanctuary.

And His inheritance. This refers to the extra-Sanctuary sacred items — the terumah-gifts and the tithes. However, they did not receive a complete inheritance among their brethren. Sifrei expounds: But he will have no territory — this refers to the inheritance of the remaining ones. ‘Among his brothers’ — this refers to the inheritance of five. I do not know what this means. But it seems to me that the Canaanite territory across the Yardein and onward is entitled ‘The land of five nations;’ that of Sichon and Og, ‘Two nations,’ the Emorites and Canaanites; and ‘the inheritance of the remaining ones’ adds that of the Keinites, Kenizites, and Kadmonites. A similar exposition is made in the portion of the Torah concerning gifts disclosed to Aharon, “Therefore, Levi did not have, etc.” — this prohibits [the territory of] the Keini, Kenizi, and Kadmoni. Afterward, I found in R’ Klonimus’ commentary, that the text of Sifrei is as follows: “‘But he will have no territory’ — this refers to the inheritance of five. Among his brothers. This refers to the inheritance of seven.” The inheritance of five tribes, and the inheritance of seven tribes. Because Moshe and Yehoshua did not appropriate and inheritance except that of the five tribes alone — for Moshe appropriated the portions of Reuvein, Gad and half the tribe of Menashe. Yehoshua appropriated the portions of Yehudah, Efrayim, and half the tribe of Menashe, and the seven others took possession by themselves, after Yehoshua’s demise — because of this, he mentions five separately, and seven separately.

As He said to him. “You shall not inherit their land, etc., I am your portion.”

From the people. But not from the kohanim.

Whether an ox or a sheep. This excludes wild animals.

The foreleg. From the carpus to the shoulder blade, espaldon in Old French.

The jaw. Including the tongue. Those expounding Scriptural selections remarked that the foreleg represents the hand, as it is said, ‘He grasped a spear in his hand’; the jaw represents prayer, as it is said, ‘Pinchas stood and prayed;’ and the [fourth] stomach represents ‘[He pierced] . . . the woman in her genital area.’

The first portion of your grain. This refers to the terumah-gift. No amount is specified. The Rabbis, however, established specific amounts. The generous gift: one fortieth of the total crop. The minimal gift: one sixtieth. The standard gift: one fiftieth. They found Scriptural support for the minimal amount of one sixtieth, as it is said, “Give one sixth of an eiphah from a chomer of barley.” Now one sixth of an eiphah is half a se’ah. If one gives half a se’ah from a kur, the resulting amount is one sixtieth, since the kur is comprised of thirty se’ahs.

And the first of the shearing of your sheep. When you shear your sheep every year, give the first of it to the kohein. No amount is specified, but the Rabbis established a specific amount: one sixtieth. How many sheep cause the first shearing obligation? Five ewes, as it is said, “Five sheep which cause [the first shearing obligation].” R’ Akiva said, “The first shearing” — two. “of your sheep” — four. “you shall give him” — five.

To stand and perform the service. This teaches that the service may be performed only while standing.

If a Levite should come. Perhaps it is literally to the Levite that Scripture refers? The Torah therefore teaches “He shall perform the service” this excludes the Levites, who are not permitted to perform the services.

Coming with all his soul’s desire. He shall perform the service. This teaches, concerning the kohein, that he is permitted to come and offer up his personal voluntary or obligatory sacrifices, even during a watch which is not his own. Another interpretation. This teaches, further, that the kohanim who came during the festival [were permitted] to bring offerings with the ministering watch, by performing the sacrificial services with the offerings which were brought because of the festival obligation — for example, the festival musaf-offerings — although the watch was not their own.

They shall eat equal portions. This teaches that they share in the skins, and in the flesh of the sin-offering goats. Perhaps even in the offerings unrelated to the festival — for example, the constant tamid and Shabbos musaf-offerings, and the endowment and gift-offerings? The Torah therefore teaches, except for what the families sold [to one another], with the exception of the matters [included] in the ancestral exchange, during the time of Dovid and Shmuel, when the watches were established. They exchanged with each other — ‘Take your Shabbos, and I will take my Shabbos.’

Do not learn to perpetrate. ‘But you may learn to understand and instruct.’ This means, to understand how corrupt their activities are, and to instruct your children, ‘Do not do this, as this is the custom of the Gentiles.’

Anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire. This is the way “Molech” was worshipped. They would build a fire on either side, and then pass the child between both of them.

Who practices the kosem-occult. What is the kosem? One who grasps his divining rod and asks, ‘Shall I go, or not’? Concerning this it is said, “My people petition their sticks, their rods counsel them”!

Who practices time-frame- occult. R’ Akiva said that this refers to those who divine the times, declaring that certain times are propitous for beginnings. The Rabbis said, that this refers to sleight of hand magicians.

Who divines portentuous events. [As when] bread drops from his mouth, a deer crosses his path, or his staff falls from his hand.

Or a snake charmer. Who gathers flocks of snakes and scorpions or other wild animals into one area.

One who invokes the spirit of Ov. This refers to sorcery entitled “Pisom”: A voice emanates from the armpit, and summons the dead onto the armpit.

Or yidoni. He places the bone of an animal called yedoa into his mouth, and the bone speaks through magical powers.

Or communicates with the dead. For example, someone who conjures up [the dead] onto his male organ, or communicates with a skull.

Anyone perpetrating this. ‘One perpetrating all this’ is not said, but ‘anyone perpetrating this’ — even one of them.

Walk in perfect trust with Adonoy, your God. Walk with Him in utter trust, in anticipation of Him. Do not explore the future, rather, whatever befalls you accept with perfect trust. Then, you will be with Him, [He will take you] as His portion.

Adonoy, your God, has not given you their status. Whereby they listen to augurers or sorcerers, for He visited the Divine Presence on the prophets, and the urim vetumim oracle.

From your midst, of your brethren, like me. Just as I am in your midst and of your brethren. He shall ordain [a prophet] for you in place of me. Similarly, from prophet to prophet.

Which I did not instruct him to say. However, I did instruct his fellow.

Which he says in the name of foreign gods. Even if he is halachically correct, by prohibiting what is actually prohibited, and permitting what is permitted.

He must die. By asphyxiation. With three, execution is carried out by mortals: with someone who fabricates a prophetic message he did not hear; one who delivers a prophecy which was not revealed to him, but to his fellow; and one who prophesies in the name of an idol. However, one who withholds his prophecy, violates a prophet’s instructions, or violates his own prophecy is punished by Heavenly execution, as it is said, “I shall prosecute [the matter] with him.”

If you should say to yourself. You are destined to say this, when Chananiah ben Azor will appear and prophesy, “Behold, the Sanctuary vessels will be returned from Babylon now, immediately,” while Yirmiyahu will stand and cry out, ”Concerning the columns and the basin, etc., concerning the remaining vessels” which were not exiled with Yechaniah — “they shall be transported to Babylon” with Zidkiyahu’s exile!

Should the prophet speak. And say, ‘The following is destined to befall them,’ and you observe that it does not occur — This is something Adonoy did not say, and you must kill him. But you may ask, this applies with a prophet who foretells the future. What if he appears and says ‘You must do the following. I speak by the word of God!’? They have already been instructed: If he attempts to divert you from any one of the commandments, “Do not listen to him”; unless he has been established in your estimation as a perfect saint, as, for example, Eliyahu on Mount Carmel, who offered a sacrifice on an extra-Sanctuary altar when such altars were prohibited, in order to create a restrictive enclosure around Yisroel — strictly as befitting the need of the moment, so that the breach [in Torah observance] may be contained. This is why it is stated, “You shall obey him.”

Do not fear him. Do not refrain from finding him guilty. Do not fear punishment because of him.