📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi – Parshas Re’eh Shevi’i: Laws of Bechor

>Shevi’i

1. Laws of Bechor:
   • “Every firstborn animal that will be born to your cattle and flock is to be sanctified to Hashem.
   • Work and use: You are not to perform work with the firstborn ox, nor sheer the sheep.
   • Where to eat: It is to be eaten [by the Kohen] in the chosen area by Hashem [i.e. Jerusalem].
   • Mum: If it has a Mum/blemish, such as being lame or blind, it is not to be slaughtered to Hashem your G-d, and is rather to be eaten in your cities by the pure and impure.
   • Blood: One may not eat its blood and it is rather to be spilled on the earth like water.”

 

2. Laws relating to Pesach:
   • “One is to guard the month of Aviv/spring to celebrate Pesach, as in this month G-d took you out of Egypt at night.
   • The sacrifice: The Karban Pesach is to be brought to the area that G-d chooses to reside [i.e. Jerusalem]. It is to be offered in the afternoon. You shall cook it and eat it in the area that G-d chooses, and then leave back home the next morning. You may not let the meat remain past the morning.
   • Chametz and Matzah: One may not eat Chametz with it, and one is to eat Matzos for seven days, as you left Egypt in a haste. You may not see [i.e. own] Chametz or yeast [i.e. leavened bread] in all your borders for seven days.
   • Melacha: On the seventh day one may not do Melacha.”

 

3. Laws relating to Shavuos:
   • To count the Omer: “You shall count for yourselves seven weeks from when the harvest of the Omer takes place.
   • Shavuos: You are to celebrate the festival of Shavuos for G-d [on the 50^th day] in accordance to what you have to offer from that which G-d has bequeathed you.
   • Rejoicing: You shall rejoice before G-d, you and your children and slaves, the Levite, orphan, and widow who is in your midst, in the area that G-d has chosen.”

 

4. Laws relating to Sukkos:
   • “You shall celebrate the festival of Sukkos for seven days, when you gather from your fruits and from the wine pit.
   • Visamachta Bechagecha-To rejoice on Sukkos: You are to rejoice for seven days, you and your children and slaves, and the Levite, orphan and widow who is in your midst, in the area that G-d has chosen. As Hashem has blessed you in your harvest and you are to be happy.”

 

5. Laws relating to Aliya Laregel:
   • “Three times a year every male is to see G-d in the area of His choosing [i.e. Jerusalem], during the festival of Matzos, Shavuos and Sukkos.
   • Karban Reiya: One is not to come see My face empty handed. Each man is to bring in accordance to that which he can afford.”

 

 

Q&A on Rashi

 

📘 Rashi Q&A — Devarim 15:19–18

Devarim 15:19–23 — The Firstborn Animal

15:19

Q1. What must be done with every firstborn male of cattle and sheep?

1. It must be consecrated to Hashem.

Q2. How can the Torah command “consecrate it” if elsewhere it says a firstborn is already holy?

1. One must verbally acknowledge its sanctity even though it is holy from birth.

Q3. What is another explanation of “you shall consecrate”?

1. One may dedicate the value of the benefit received from owning it.

Q4. What work is forbidden with a firstborn ox?

1. Using it for labor.

Q5. What is forbidden with a firstborn sheep?

1. Shearing it.

Q6. Does the prohibition apply in reverse cases as well?

1. Yes. One may not shear a firstborn ox or work a firstborn sheep.

 

15:20

Q7. Who is addressed by the command to eat the firstborn before Hashem?

1. The priest.

Q8. Why?

1. Because the firstborn belongs to the priest.

Q9. What does “year by year” teach?

1. It should preferably be offered and eaten within its first year.

Q10. If a year passes, does it become disqualified?

1. No.

Q11. How long may a slaughtered firstborn be eaten?

1. Two days and the intervening night.

 

15:21

Q12. When may a firstborn not be sacrificed?

1. If it has a blemish.

Q13. Which blemishes are listed?

1. Lameness and blindness.

Q14. What general rule is derived?

1. Any visible, permanent blemish disqualifies it.

 

15:22

Q15. How is a blemished firstborn eaten?

1. Like ordinary kosher game such as a gazelle or deer.

Q16. Who may eat it?

1. Both ritually pure and impure people.

 

15:23

Q17. What must still not be eaten?

1. Its blood.

Q18. Why is this repeated?

1. So one does not mistakenly think the blood becomes permitted because the blemished firstborn is otherwise allowed.

 

📘 Devarim 16:1–8 — Pesach and Matzah

16:1

Q19. What does “Guard the month of Aviv” mean?

1. Ensure that the barley will ripen in time for the Omer offering.

Q20. What must be done if it will not ripen in time?

1. Add an extra month to the year.

Q21. Why does the verse say Israel left Egypt “at night”?

1. Pharaoh granted permission for departure during the night.

 

16:2

Q22. What animal is used for the Pesach offering?

1. Sheep or goats.

Q23. Why are cattle mentioned?

1. They are used for the festival peace-offering (Chagigah).

Q24. Why was the Chagigah brought?

1. So the Pesach offering would be eaten when already satisfied.

 

16:3

Q25. Why is matzah called “bread of affliction”?

1. It recalls the suffering in Egypt.

Q26. Why was matzah eaten?

1. The dough did not have time to rise.

Q27. Whose haste caused the quick departure?

1. The Egyptians’.

Q28. What does eating matzah help us remember?

1. The Exodus from Egypt.

 

16:4

Q29. What may not remain until morning?

1. Meat of the Pesach offering.

Q30. Why is this verse needed?

1. To teach the law for future generations, not only the original Pesach in Egypt.

Q31. To which day does “the first day” refer here?

1. The 14th of Nissan, the day before the festival.

 

16:5–7

Q32. Where must the Pesach offering be brought?

1. Only at the place Hashem chooses.

Q33. What three times are mentioned in verse 6?

1. Afternoon for slaughtering, sunset for eating, and morning for burning leftovers.

Q34. What does “ובשלת” mean here?

1. Roast it by fire.

Q35. When may pilgrims return home?

1. On the morning after the festival night.

Q36. What law is derived from this?

1. One must stay overnight in Jerusalem after the festival.

 

16:8

Q37. Why does the Torah say six days of matzah when elsewhere it says seven?

1. To teach special laws regarding the obligation to eat matzah.

Q38. Is eating matzah obligatory all seven days?

1. No. Only the first night is obligatory.

Q39. What is “Atzeret” according to one explanation?

1. Refraining from work.

Q40. According to another explanation?

1. A festive gathering involving eating and drinking.

 

📘 Devarim 16:9–17 — Shavuot and Sukkot

16:9

Q41. When does counting the Omer begin?

1. From the harvesting of the Omer offering.

Q42. How long is counted?

1. Seven weeks.

 

16:10

Q43. How should Shavuot be celebrated?

1. According to the blessing Hashem has given.

Q44. What type of offerings are emphasized?

1. Additional peace-offerings for rejoicing.

 

16:11

Q45. Who must rejoice at the festival?

1. Family members, Levites, converts, orphans, and widows.

Q46. What comparison does Hashem make?

1. “My four” (Levite, convert, orphan, widow) correspond to “your four” (son, daughter, servant, maidservant).

Q47. What is promised if one gladdens Hashem’s four?

1. Hashem will gladden one’s own four.

 

16:12

Q48. Why must Israel remember Egypt?

1. Because redemption obligates observance of Hashem’s commands.

 

16:13

Q49. When is Sukkot celebrated?

1. During the time of harvest ingathering.

Q50. What additional lesson does Rashi derive?

1. The sukkah roof should be made from agricultural waste such as threshing-floor and vineyard remnants.

 

16:14–15

Q51. Who joins in Sukkot rejoicing?

1. The same broad group of family, Levites, converts, orphans, and widows.

Q52. What does “You shall be only joyful” mean according to the simple meaning?

1. A promise of happiness.

Q53. What do the Sages derive from it?

1. The mitzvah of rejoicing extends to Shemini Atzeret.

 

16:16

Q54. Which three pilgrimage festivals require appearing before Hashem?

1. Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.

Q55. What may not be done when appearing?

1. One may not appear empty-handed.

Q56. What offerings are brought?

1. Olat Re’iyah (appearance offering) and Chagigah (festival peace-offering).

 

16:17

Q57. How much should each person bring?

1. According to the blessing Hashem has given him.

Q58. Who should bring more offerings?

1. Someone blessed with greater resources and larger groups to feed.