## Sforno on Deuteronomy Chapter 14

###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:1:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:1:1)

**בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לֹא תִתְגֹּדְדוּ.** שֶׁאֵין רָאוּי לְהַרְאוֹת תַּכְלִית הַדְּאָגָה וְהַצַּעַר עַל הַקָּרוֹב הַמֵּת כְּשֶׁנִּשְׁאַר קָרוֹב נִכְבָּד מִמֶּנּוּ בְּמַעֲלָה וּבְתִקְוַת טוֹב. לְפִיכָךְ אַתֶּם בָּנִים לַה׳ שֶׁהוּא אֲבִיכֶם קַיָּם לָעַד, אֵין רָאוּי שֶׁתִּדְאֲגוּ וְתִתְאַבְּלוּ בְּתַכְלִית עַל שׁוּם מֵת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
בנים אתם לה' אלוקיכם, לא תתגודדו, it is bad manners to display excessive grief over the loss of a relative as long as a more relevant relative (G’d) is still alive. This is why G’d reminds us in this context that we are His children, i.e. that whatever relative we may mourn we have a father who is alive and well so that we are not really orphaned.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:1:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:1:2)

**וְלֹא תָשִׂימוּ קָרְחָה בֵּין עֵינֵיכֶם לָמֵת כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה.** וְגַם כֵּן אֵין לְהִצְטַעֵר מְאֹד בִּשְׁבִיל נֶזֶק הַמַּגִּיעַ לַמֵּת בְּמִיתָתוֹ, כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה מְזֻמָּן לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֲשֶׁר קוֹרַת רוּחַ בָּהֶם יָפָה מִכָּל חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא תשימו קרחה בין עיניכם על מת כי עם קדוש אתה, there is no reason to mourn excessively for the person who has passed as he, at least, has not experienced any loss, on the contrary, he has been promoted to the region of eternal life, something of which our sages in Avot 4,6-7 have said that a single hour of the serenity experienced in that life is worth all the combined delights ever experienced during one’s transient life on earth.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:2:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:2:1)

**סְגֻלָּה מִכֹּל הָעַמִּים.** וְלָכֵן הוּא אוֹסֵר זֶה לָכֶם, וְלֹא אָסַר אוֹתָן לִבְנֵי נֹחַ שֶׁאֵינָם כָּל כָּךְ סְגֻלָּה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
סגולה מכל העמים, this is why G’d prohibits your disfiguring yourself. He did not prohibit this to the Gentiles, as they are not as special as you are.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:3:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:3:1)

**לֹא תֹאכַל כָּל תּוֹעֵבָה.** הִנֵּה קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה נוֹדַע הַבְדֵּל בֵּין טָמֵא לְטָהוֹר, כַּמְבֹאָר בְּעִנְיַן נֹחַ (בראשית ז:ב). מִכָּל מָקוֹם, כְּשֶׁהִתִּיר הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ לְנֹחַ וּלְבָנָיו אֲכִילַת בַּעֲלֵי חַיִּים, לֹא הִבְדִּיל בֵּין טָמֵא לְטָהוֹר. אַמְנָם אַתָּה, בִּהְיוֹתְךָ קָדוֹשׁ, אֵין רָאוּי לְךָ לִהְיוֹת נִזּוֹן מִן הַטָּמֵא וּמְתַעֵב לְהִדָּמוֹת לְמִזְגּוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לא תאכל כל תועבה; before the Torah had been revealed, given, the Israelites as well as mankind generally were aware of the concepts “pure, טהור,” and “טמא, impure.” This is clear already from G’d’s command to Noach to take into the ark with him one pair each of the “impure” species,” and seven pairs each of the “pure” species of animals and birds. (Genesis 7,2) When G’d, after the deluge, permitted man to eat meat, He did not distinguish between meat from “pure” animals and meat from “impure animals.” However, now, after the giving of the Torah, when the Jewish people had become so special, it was no longer appropriate for them to ingest the remains of impure animals or birds (or even fish). Our sustenance should not be dependent on such inferior living beings. We should remain constantly aware of the gulf between man and beast, especially beasts which had never been suitable as sacrifices.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:21:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:21:1)

**לֹא תֹאכְלוּ כׇל נְבֵלָה.** אֲפִלּוּ מִן הַמִּין הַטָּהוֹר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לא תאכלו כל נבלה, even of the pure species which you may eat after they have been slaughtered ritually.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:21:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:21:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:21:2)

**כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהַנְּבֵלָה הִיא נְאוֹתָה לְמָזוֹן אֱנוֹשִׁי כְּמוֹ לְגֵר אוֹ לְנָכְרִי, אֵינָהּ נְאוֹתָה לְמָזוֹן עַם קָדוֹשׁ מוּכָן לַשְּׁלֵמוּת הַמְכֻוָּן מֵאֵת הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי עם קדוש אתה לה' אלוקיך, even though the dead carcass is in a state of being fit for human consumption, such as by strangers in your midst or residents who have not yet converted to embrace all of Judaism’s laws. עם קדוש, ready to achieve the perfection intended for it by its Creator. (this would be slowed down or impeded by eating lower forms of living creatures, not that eating them would be harmful, objectively speaking.)


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:21:3
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:21:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:21:3)

**לֹא תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי.** כְּמַעֲשֵׂה הַכְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁהָיוּ חוֹשְׁבִים לְהַרְבּוֹת בָּזֶה הַפֹּעַל מִקְנֵיהֶם וְקִנְיָנָם וְכָל בְּהֶמְתָּם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לא תבשל גדי, as is the custom among the Gentiles who believe that by doing so they will increase the numbers of their livestock (compare Moreh Nevuchim, section three 3,48)


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:22:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:22:1)

**עַשֵּׂר תְּעַשֵּׂר.** כִּי בְּעִשּׂוּר הַתְּבוּאָה וְהַבְּהֵמָה תִּרְבֶּה הַתְּבוּאָה וְיִרְבֶּה הַמִּקְנֶה, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת קיט) עַשֵּר בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁתִּתְעַשֵּר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
עשר תעשר, for by tithing the crops of the fields and orchards as well as that of your livestock, you will actually increase their numbers (G’d will see to this) instead of decreasing the amount at your disposal. This is what our sages meant when they said in Shabbat 119 עשר בשביל שתתעשר, “give the tithes so that you will be enriched” (with the dot in the letter ש of the word תתעשר on the right hand side.).


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:23:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 14:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/14:23:1)

**לְמַעַן תִּלְמַד לְיִרְאָה.** כִּי בַּמָּקוֹם הַנִּבְחָר לַמִּקְדָּשׁ יִהְיֶה בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל לְהָבִין וּלְהוֹרוֹת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
למען תלמד ליראה, for the site chosen by G’d for the Temple also houses the Supreme Court, Sanhedrin, from where knowledge and understanding is dispensed.