פרשת ראה תשכ"ח - "בנים אתם לה'..."

"You are the children of the Lord your God"

"You are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead."

"For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be His own treasure out of all peoples that are upon the face of the earth."

Children Once you understand that you are children of God , and He loves you more than a father loves his child, then you will not cut your flesh over anything that He does, for everything that he does is good. Even if you do not understand it — as small children do not not understand their father’s actions, yet they trust him — you should yourselves act likewise, "because you are a consecrated people" and you are not like the other Canaanites. Accordingly you should not act as they act. The reason for the juxtaposition of this passage with the passage "you must not eat any abominable thing" is: You are to be a holy nation, in your hearts and in your mouths. You must thus be distinguishable from the other nations, so that anyone who sees you will recognize you. Accordingly you must not make yourselves bald over the dead [cf . : 1], nor may you eat just any animal — for, if you are to be a holy nation, it is not fitting that you should eat that which is defiled, and thereby defile your souls.

S.v. You are children to the Lord your God: This commandment has also already been stated regarding the priests in the book of Leviticus (21:5), "do not shave a bald spot on your head and on your flesh do not scratch a mark." And now it can be explained that this commandment was not only given to the priests on account of their elevated status - as it mentioned there that they are holy to their God (Leviticus 21:9) - but rather the entire nation is holy and they are all children of God, just like the priests. If so, you are also obligated in this prohibition like them... [After he brings the words of R. Ibn Ezra from above]... And according to my opinion, that the understanding of "a holy nation,' is that it is a promise of [eternal] life, it is saying, "Since you are a holy nation and special to the Lord, 'and God will not take away the life of one who makes plans, so that no one may be kept banished' (using the expression from II Samuel 14:14); it is not fitting for you to cut yourselves or to make a bald spot for [the death of] a soul, and even if he dies in his youth." But scripture does not prohibit crying, as nature arouses one to cry when friends part and wander [away], even when alive. And from here there is support to that which our Rabbis forbade to mourn more than is appropriate.

And yet the question remains: According to the one who said that Beit Shammai acted in accordance with their opinion, we should read here: “You shall not cut yourselves” (Deuteronomy 14:1), which is interpreted to mean: Do not become numerous factions. Abaye said: When we say that the prohibition: “You shall not cut yourselves” applies, we are referring to a case where two courts are located in one city, and these rule in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai and those rule in accordance with the statement of Beit Hillel. However, with regard to two courts located in two different cities, we have no problem with it. Rava said to him: But the dispute between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel is considered like a case of two courts in one city, as these two schools of thought were found everywhere, not in any specific place. Rather, Rava said: When we say that the prohibition: “You shall not cut yourselves” applies, we are referring to a case where there is a court in one city, a section of which rules in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai and another section rules in accordance with the statement of Beit Hillel. However, with regard to two courts located in one city, we have no problem with it.

S.v. You are children: It is clear that this is an introduction and that the reason for the prohibition is after it. But it is difficult - if it is the reason, why did the Torah write another reason, "since you are a holy nation."

"You are the children of the Lord your God: ye shall not cut yourselves"

"Great and small alike shall die in this land, They shall not be buried; men shall not lament them, Nor gash and tonsure themselves for them."

S.v. And they shall not cut themselves: It is the way of mourners to cut themselves and to make gashes on their flesh and to make bald spots on their heads, but it is nevertheless prohibited to Israel. And it was only mentioned here as an illustration of mourning.

One will not cut himself nor make a bald spot. And even though it is forbidden to Israel to do it - as it is written, "you shall not cut yourselves, nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead" - perhaps they did like the customs of the nations [here], just like they did other sins like the customs of the nations. And it states that they will not have the free time to do the things that they do for the dead - not the things of mourning and not the things of consolation.

"you shall not cut yourselves"

This verse: “You shall not cut yourselves,” is required for the matter itself, as the Merciful One is saying: Do not cut yourselves over the dead.

We should read here: “You shall not cut yourselves (titgodedu)” (Deuteronomy 14:1), which is interpreted to mean: Do not become numerous factions (agudot, agudot)... Rava said: When we say that the prohibition: “You shall not cut yourselves” applies, we are referring to a case where there is a court in one city, a section of which rules in accordance with the statement of Beit Shammai and another section rules in accordance with the statement of Beit Hillel.