וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

דַּבֵּ֨ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֜ן וְאֶל־בָּנָ֗יו וְאֶל֙ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָמַרְתָּ֖ אֲלֵהֶ֑ם אִ֣ישׁ אִישׁ֩ מִבֵּ֨ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל וּמִן־הַגֵּ֣ר בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַקְרִ֤יב קָרְבָּנוֹ֙ לְכָל־נִדְרֵיהֶם֙ וּלְכָל־נִדְבוֹתָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־יַקְרִ֥יבוּ לַיהוָ֖ה לְעֹלָֽה׃

Speak to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel. The passage is addressed to both the priests and the nation as a whole, as the laws that appear below pertain both to the consecration of offerings by all Jews and to their acceptance as offerings by the priests. And say to them: The following laws pertain to any man from the house of Israel or from the strangers in Israel, the converts who join the Jewish people, who presents his offering. This refers to an offering presented for the fulfillment of any of their vows, when one vowed to bring an offering, or for any of their pledges, when one pledged a specific animal as a voluntary offering, that they shall bring to the Lord as a burnt offering.

לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֑ם תָּמִ֣ים זָכָ֔ר בַּבָּקָ֕ר בַּכְּשָׂבִ֖ים וּבָֽעִזִּֽים׃

The offering must be brought for your propitiation, in order for you to find favor in God’s eyes. Alternatively, the verse is not referring to the desire of the person bringing the offering to propitiate God, but to the fact that he brings the offering as a gift offering rather than in fulfillment of an obligation. It must be an unblemished male of cattle, of sheep, or of goats.

כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־בּ֥וֹ מ֖וּם לֹ֣א תַקְרִ֑יבוּ כִּי־לֹ֥א לְרָצ֖וֹן יִהְיֶ֥ה לָכֶֽם׃

Any animal in which there is a blemish you shall not offer, as it shall not be accepted for you. God will not accept a blemished offering, and it will not enable you to achieve propitiation.

וְאִ֗ישׁ כִּֽי־יַקְרִ֤יב זֶֽבַח־שְׁלָמִים֙ לַיהוָ֔ה לְפַלֵּא־נֶ֙דֶר֙ א֣וֹ לִנְדָבָ֔ה בַּבָּקָ֖ר א֣וֹ בַצֹּ֑אן תָּמִ֤ים יִֽהְיֶה֙ לְרָצ֔וֹן כָּל־מ֖וּם לֹ֥א יִהְיֶה־בּֽוֹ׃

The previous verses dealt with the presentation of a burnt offering. The Torah now refers to the presentation of a peace offering, which is not burned in its entirety upon the altar. Rather, portions of it are eaten by the priests and by the owners. If a man shall present a peace offering to the Lord, to fulfill a vow, or to consecrate as a vow offering, or as a pledge, in a case where a specific animal was designated as an offering, of the cattle or of the flock, it shall be an unblemished male or female animal to be accepted. No blemish shall be in it.

עַוֶּרֶת֩ א֨וֹ שָׁב֜וּר אוֹ־חָר֣וּץ אֽוֹ־יַבֶּ֗לֶת א֤וֹ גָרָב֙ א֣וֹ יַלֶּ֔פֶת לֹא־תַקְרִ֥יבוּ אֵ֖לֶּה לַיהוָ֑ה וְאִשֶּׁ֗ה לֹא־תִתְּנ֥וּ מֵהֶ֛ם עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֖חַ לַיהוָֽה׃

For example, the following blemishes render an animal unfit to be presented as an offering: a blind animal, even in one eye; or an animal with a broken limb; or maimed, with a cracked or damaged limb; or an animal with a cyst. According to the tradition of the Sages, this refers to a cyst that contains a bone, and to certain cysts in the eye, but not to a small protrusion of flesh that may commonly be found on an animal’s body. The list of blemishes continues: or a scabbed animal or one with a skin eruption, types of boils on the animal’s skin; you shall not offer these to the Lord, and you shall not place them as a fire offering upon the altar to the Lord.

וְשׁ֥וֹר וָשֶׂ֖ה שָׂר֣וּעַ וְקָל֑וּט נְדָבָה֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ וּלְנֵ֖דֶר לֹ֥א יֵרָצֶֽה׃

A bull or a sheep with an extended limb or a truncated limb, as a pledge to the Temple treasury you may present it to be sold so that the proceeds may be used for the Temple maintenance. But as a vow offering or as a voluntary offering it shall not be accepted.

וּמָע֤וּךְ וְכָתוּת֙ וְנָת֣וּק וְכָר֔וּת לֹ֥א תַקְרִ֖יבוּ לַֽיהוָ֑ה וּֽבְאַרְצְכֶ֖ם לֹ֥א תַעֲשֽׂוּ׃

Those animals, the testicles of which are bruised, or crushed, or torn, or cut, you shall not present to the Lord . An animal that has been castrated in any form is considered blemished and unfit to be presented as an offering, and furthermore, you shall not do so in your land. It is prohibited to castrate any animal. This is a distinct prohibition, which does not apply solely to animals designated as offerings.

וּמִיַּ֣ד בֶּן־נֵכָ֗ר לֹ֥א תַקְרִ֛יבוּ אֶת־לֶ֥חֶם אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם מִכָּל־אֵ֑לֶּה כִּ֣י מָשְׁחָתָ֤ם בָּהֶם֙ מ֣וּם בָּ֔ם לֹ֥א יֵרָצ֖וּ לָכֶֽם׃ (פ)

This applies not only to offerings brought by the Jewish people, but also from the hand of a foreigner you shall not present the food of your God from any of these, because their defect is in them, a blemish is in them; they shall not be accepted for you. It is not prohibited for a gentile to castrate animals. Nevertheless, it is deemed unfitting to do so, and a castrated animal may not be accepted as an offering even from gentiles.

וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

שׁ֣וֹר אוֹ־כֶ֤שֶׂב אוֹ־עֵז֙ כִּ֣י יִוָּלֵ֔ד וְהָיָ֛ה שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים תַּ֣חַת אִמּ֑וֹ וּמִיּ֤וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי֙ וָהָ֔לְאָה יֵרָצֶ֕ה לְקָרְבַּ֥ן אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַיהוָֽה׃

An ox or a sheep or a goat, when it is born, shall be seven days under its mother. It is prohibited to slaughter it for any purpose during this time. Only from the eighth day on, it shall be accepted as a fire offering to the Lord.

וְשׁ֖וֹר אוֹ־שֶׂ֑ה אֹת֣וֹ וְאֶת־בְּנ֔וֹ לֹ֥א תִשְׁחֲט֖וּ בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד׃

An ox or a sheep, it and its offspring you shall not slaughter on one day, for any purpose, not only as offerings.

וְכִֽי־תִזְבְּח֥וּ זֶֽבַח־תּוֹדָ֖ה לַיהוָ֑ה לִֽרְצֹנְכֶ֖ם תִּזְבָּֽחוּ׃

When you slaughter a thanks offering, as an expression of

בַּיּ֤וֹם הַהוּא֙ יֵאָכֵ֔ל לֹֽא־תוֹתִ֥ירוּ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ עַד־בֹּ֑קֶר אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

On that day on which it is slaughtered it shall be eaten; you shall not leave from it until morning. The thanks offering is eaten by its owner, presumably in a comfortable family setting. The verse therefore stresses that in the case of this offering too the time for its consumption is limited to a single day. I am the Lord.

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֙ מִצְוֺתַ֔י וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖ם אֹתָ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

The passage concludes with a general commandment: You, priests and non-priests alike, shall observe My commandments and perform them. I am the Lord.

וְלֹ֤א תְחַלְּלוּ֙ אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם קָדְשִׁ֔י וְנִ֨קְדַּשְׁתִּ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדִּשְׁכֶֽם׃

Moreover, you shall not profane My holy name by committing transgressions or by performing the service in an inappropriate manner. And I shall be sanctified among the children of Israel. The verse restates the general concept that is conveyed by the many laws that define the practical concept of sanctity: One does not stand before God merely as an individual. The obligation to observe the commandments is not just the personal right or duty of a particular person. Rather, it is due to God’s choice of the Jewish people and their sanctification. I am the Lord your sanctifier. The sanctity does not stem from your desire to perform the service, but from Me.

הַמּוֹצִ֤יא אֶתְכֶם֙ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם לִהְי֥וֹת לָכֶ֖ם לֵאלֹהִ֑ים אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃ (פ)

I am the Lord who took you out of the land of Egypt to be your God. I sanctify you and I am your savior. I am the Lord. You belong to Me, and this relationship obligates you to maintain your sanctity.