Re'eh

Back

Forward

12:4
12:5

12:6

12:5	This you may do only on the site that God your Lord will choose from among all your tribes, as a place established in His name. It is there that you shall go to seek His presence. Ki im-el-hamakom asher yivchar Adonay Eloheychem mikol-shivteychem lasum et-shemo sham leshichno tidreshu uvata shamah.
12:6	That shall be the place to which you must bring your burnt offerings and eaten sacrifices, your [special] tithes, your hand-delivered elevated gifts, your general and specific pledges, and the first-born of your cattle and flocks. Vahavetem shamah oloteychem vezivcheychem ve'et masroteychem ve'et trumat yedchem venidreychem venidvoteychem uvechorot bekarchem vetsonchem.

Commentary:

site that God...will choose
Mentioned a number of times in this section. Ultimately, of course, this 'place' turned out to be Jerusalem. However, the 'place' could not be named before the royal line had been established in Israel (Moreh Nevukhim 3:45).

seek His presence
(Targum; Ramban). or, 'seek [prophetically] to establish His sanctuary, and come there' (Sifri).

special tithes
Not the Levitical tithes (Numbers 18:24), but animal tithes (Leviticus 27:32) and the second tithe (Deuteronomy 14:22; Bekhoroth 53a; Rashi). Some say that the Levitical tithes were also to be brought to Jerusalem if they could not be given to the Levite locally (Ramban).

hand-delivered elevated gifts
Terumah in Hebrew. The reference is to the first fruits, which were hand-delivered (Deuteronomy 26:4; Yevamoth 73b; Rashi). This might also be referring to the priestly terumah, if there were no local priests to whom it could be given (Ramban). See Deuteronomy 12:10.

general and specific pledges
Sacrifices (cf. Kinim 1:1).

first-born...
See Exodus 13:2, Deuteronomy 15:20.

Notice: This computer program is protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program, or any portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under the law.