Debates Over Centralizing Sacrificial Worship and Eating Non-Sacrificial Meat Moses’ first set of laws in Deuteronomy (11:31–12:28) requires the Israelites to destroy Canaanite sites of worship and to centralize sacrifice for Yahweh at the site of His choosing. It also allows them to eat meat without sacrificing the animal, under particular conditions. A close look at the terms of Moses’ speech shows that the text has been supplemented no less than three times.[1] Dr. Simeon Chavel The altar in the temple court, Jerusalem. Publisher: Wachsmuth, F. E., Leipzig 1911. Introduction Moses Reveals Instructions he Received Forty Years Earlier P arashat Re’eh (Deut 11:26-16:17) belongs to a large unit of text, at Deut 4:45–28:69. The unit consists entirely of a speech by Moses instructing the Israelites with Yahweh’s commandments, framed by the narrator’s introduction (4:45–5:1) and conclusion (28:69).[2] At the beginning of the speech, Moses reports that when Israel had stood at Mount Horeb, Yahweh had given him instructions for life in Canaan (5:1–3).[3] Now that Israel stands at Moab ready to enter Canaan, it is time to pass the instructions on (5:28–6:3). An Amended Law After speaking about the instructions as a group, how important it is to keep them and how to ensure the conditions for keeping them (6:4–11:30), Moses opens with a set of instructions about restricting all sacrificial worship to the precincts of a single site, which Yahweh will designate in the future (11:31-12:28).[4] The speech, though, is highly repetitious, has problematic syntax, proceeds illogically, and seems to contradict itself. A careful analysis can distinguish a base-text and a succession of additions, each of which was intended to qualify the text and all of which now stand in a complicated, counter-intuitive order.[5] Part One Centralization of Worship (Two Stages) The Base Text: The Inversion of Canaanite Worship, to Be E!ected Immediately The base-text is Deut 11:31–12:7, in which Moses teaches the foundational principle that sacrificial worship for Yahweh must be centralized, namely, it must be restricted to a single site, one that Yahweh will choose: Introduction to the instructions ‫ִכּי ַא ֶתּם ע ְֹב ִרים ֶאת ַהיַּ ְר ֵדּן ָלבֹא ָל ֶר ֶשׁת ֶאת‬ ‫לא‬:‫דברים יא‬ Deut 11:31 When you cross the Jordan to go possess the land that ‫ישׁ ְב ֶתּם‬ ַ ִ‫יכם נ ֵֹתן ָל ֶכם וִ ִיר ְשׁ ֶתּם א ָֹתהּ ו‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫ָה ָא ֶרץ ֲא ֶשׁר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ Yahweh your god is giving you, and you possess it and settle in ‫וּשׁ ַמ ְר ֶתּם ַל ֲﬠשׂוֹת ֵאת ָכּל ַה ֻח ִקּים וְ ֶאת ַה ִמּ ְשׁ ָפּ ִטים‬ ְ ‫לב‬:‫ יא‬.‫ָבּהּ‬ it, ‫ֵא ֶלּה ַה ֻח ִקּים וְ ַה ִמּ ְשׁ ָפּ ִטים‬ ‫א‬:‫יב‬ .‫יכם ַהיּוֹם‬ ֶ ֵ‫ֲא ֶשׁר ָאנ ִֹכי נ ֵֹתן ִל ְפנ‬ M‫;הי ֲאב ֶֹתי‬ ֵ ‫ֲא ֶשׁר ִתּ ְשׁ ְמרוּן ַל ֲﬠשׂוֹת ָבּ ָא ֶרץ ֲא ֶשׁר נָ ַתן יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ .‫ ְל ִר ְשׁ ָתּהּ ָכּל ַהיָּ ִמים ֲא ֶשׁר ַא ֶתּם ַחיִּ ים ַﬠל ָה ֲא ָד ָמה‬M‫ְל‬ 11:32 you must be careful to do all the laws and statutes that I am giving you today. 12:1 These are the laws and statutes that you must be careful to do in the land that Yahweh the god of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days you live upon the earth.[6] Destroy all Canaanite sites and objects of worship ‫ַא ֵבּד ְתּ ַא ְבּדוּן ֶאת ָכּל ַה ְמּקֹמוֹת ֲא ֶשׁר ָﬠ ְבדוּ ָשׁם‬ ‫ב‬:‫דברים יב‬ ‫יהם ַﬠל ֶה ָה ִרים‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫ַהגּוֹיִם ֲא ֶשׁר ַא ֶתּם י ְֹר ִשׁים א ָֹתם ֶאת ֱא‬ ‫וְ נִ ַתּ ְצ ֶתּם ֶאת‬ ‫ג‬:‫יב‬ .‫ָה ָר ִמים וְ ַﬠל ַהגְּ ָבעוֹת וְ ַת ַחת ָכּל ֵﬠץ ַר ֲﬠנָ ן‬ Deut 12:2 Destroy all the sites where the peoples whom you are dispossessing worshipped their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every verdant tree; 12:3 you must demolish their ‫יהם ִתּ ְשׂ ְרפוּן ָבּ ֵאשׁ‬ ֶ ‫ִמזְ בּח ָֹתם וְ ִשׁ ַבּ ְר ֶתּם ֶאת ַמ ֵצּב ָֹתם וַ ֲא ֵשׁ ֵר‬ altars and you must smash their monuments; their poles you shall ‫יהם ְתּגַ ֵדּעוּן וְ ִא ַבּ ְד ֶתּם ֶאת ְשׁ ָמם ִמן ַה ָמּקוֹם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫וּפ ִס ֵילי ֱא‬ ְ incinerate, and the statues of their gods you shall hack to bits; you .‫ַההוּא‬ shall eradicate their name from that site. O!er all sacrifices at one centralized site chosen by Yahweh ‫ה ִכּי ִאם ֶאל ַה ָמּקוֹם‬:‫ יב‬.‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫לֹא ַת ֲﬠשׂוּן ֵכּן ַליהוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫ד‬:‫יב‬ ‫יכם ָלשׂוּם ֶאת ְשׁמוֹ ָשׁם‬ ֶ ‫יכם ִמ ָכּל ִשׁ ְב ֵט‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫ֹ;ת‬ ֵ ‫אתם ָשׁ ָמּה ע‬ ֶ ‫וַ ֲה ֵב‬ ‫ו‬:‫יב‬ .‫את ָשׁ ָמּה‬ ָ ‫וּב‬ ָ ‫ְל ִשׁ ְכנוֹ ִת ְד ְרשׁוּ‬ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫רוּמת יֶ ְד ֶכם וְ נִ ְד ֵר‬ ַ ‫יכם וְ ֵאת ְתּ‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ ֵאת ַמ ְﬠ ְשׂר ֵֹת‬ ֶ ‫וְ זִ ְב ֵח‬ ‫וַ ֲא ַכ ְל ֶתּם ָשׁם ִל ְפנֵ י‬ ‫ז‬:‫יב‬ .‫וּבכֹר ֹת ְבּ ַק ְר ֶכם וְ צֹאנְ ֶכם‬ ְ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫וְ נִ ְדב ֵֹת‬ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫וּב ֵתּ‬ ָ ‫וּשׂ ַמ ְח ֶתּם ְבּכֹל ִמ ְשׁ ַלח יֶ ְד ֶכם ַא ֶתּם‬ ְ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ .‫ ַחיִּ ים‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬M‫ֲא ֶשׁר ֵבּ ַר ְכ‬ 12:4 You shall not act this way for Yahweh your god (i.e., worship at many sites). 12:5 Rather, to the site that Yahweh your god will choose from all your tribes to set his name there to establish it (or: to his dwelling) shall you look (i.e. for him), and you shall go there. 12:6 And you shall bring there your whole-burnt o!erings and your consumable o!erings, your tithes and your tributes, and your pledges, presents, and firstborn cattle and sheep; 12:7 and you shall eat there before Yahweh your god, and you shall rejoice with all the produce — you and your households — with which Yahweh your god has blessed you. The context established for the instruction to centralize worship for Yahweh is Canaanite forms of worship. They worshipped their many gods in many places; Israel must worship its one God in one place. There can be no middle ground: worshiping Yahweh alone in many places amounts to the worship of many gods.[7] And Israel must implement this mode of worship immediately upon entering the land. No contingencies may delay it. Moses lays this principle down as a matter of truth and falsehood, of absolutes. Regarding the eradication of Canaan’s many deities and their sites, he expresses himself with a stream of urgent verb-forms expressing violent actions: Destroy (‫)א ֵבּד ְתּ ַא ְבּדוּן‬ ַ all the sites… you must demolish (‫ )וְ נִ ַתּ ְצ ֶתּם‬their altars you must smash (‫ )וְ ִשׁ ַבּ ְר ֶתּם‬their monuments; their poles you shall incinerate (‫)תּ ְשׂ ְרפוּן ָבּ ֵאשׁ‬, ִ and the statues of their gods you shall hack to bits (‫;)תּגַ ֵדּעוּן‬ ְ you shall eradicate (‫ )וְ ִא ַבּ ְד ֶתּם‬their name from that site. Regarding Yahweh’s single site, he begins with a pointed contrast, first prohibiting: “You shall not act this way for Yahweh your god,” then specifying: “Rather, to the site that Yahweh your god will choose…shall you look (i.e. for him).” Then he emphasizes the point through repetition: And you shall go there. And you shall bring there your whole-burnt o!erings… And you shall eat there before Yahweh your god… The Second Iteration: The Refinement of Israelite Worship, to Be E!ected when Feasible The continuation, at vv. 8–12, o!ers a second iteration of the speech, which both repeats the first and also diverges from it. This second iteration does not acknowledge the duplication or attempt to coordinate the di!erences, indicating that this is a separate composition from what precedes: ‫לֹא ַת ֲﬠשׂוּן ְכּכֹל ֲא ֶשׁר ֲאנַ ְחנוּ ע ִֹשׂים פֹּה ַהיּוֹם ִאישׁ‬ ‫נוּחה‬ ָ ‫אתם ַﬠד ָﬠ ָתּה ֶאל ַה ְמּ‬ ֶ ‫ִכּי לֹא ָבּ‬ ‫וַ ֲﬠ ַב ְר ֶתּם ֶאת‬ ‫י‬:‫יב‬ ‫ט‬:‫יב‬ ‫ח‬:‫דברים יב‬ .‫ָכּל ַהיָּ ָשׁר ְבּ ֵﬠינָ יו‬ .V‫ נ ֵֹתן ָל‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫וְ ֶאל ַהנַּ ֲח ָלה ֲא ֶשׁר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫יכם ַמנְ ִחיל ֶא ְת ֶכם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫ישׁ ְב ֶתּם ָבּ ָא ֶרץ ֲא ֶשׁר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ַ ִ‫ַהיַּ ְר ֵדּן ו‬ ‫וְ ָהיָ ה‬ ‫יא‬:‫יב‬ .‫ישׁ ְב ֶתּם ֶבּ ַטח‬ ַ ִ‫יכם ִמ ָסּ ִביב ו‬ ֶ ‫וְ ֵהנִ ַיח ָל ֶכם ִמ ָכּל א ֵֹיְב‬ Deut 12:8 You shall not do like anything that we do here today — each one as he sees fit — 12:9 (only) because you have not yet come to the secure estate that Yahweh your god is giving you. 12:10 Rather, when you cross the Jordan and settle in the land that Yahweh your god is bequeathing you and he gives you security from all the enemies ‫יכם בּוֹ ְל ַשׁ ֵכּן ְשׁמוֹ ָשׁם ָשׁ ָמּה‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫ַה ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ around you so that you dwell securely, 12:11 then the site that Yahweh ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ זִ ְב ֵח‬ ֶ ‫עוֹ;ת‬ ֵ ‫ָת ִביאוּ ֵאת ָכּל ֲא ֶשׁר ָאנ ִֹכי ְמ ַצוֶּ ה ֶא ְת ֶכם‬ your god will choose there to establish his name — there shall your ‫יכם ֲא ֶשׁר ִתּ ְדּרוּ‬ ֶ ‫וּת ֻר ַמת יֶ ְד ֶכם וְ כֹל ִמ ְב ַחר נִ ְד ֵר‬ ְ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫ַמ ְﬠ ְשׂר ֵֹת‬ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ֵ‫וּבנ‬ ְ ‫יכם ַא ֶתּם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫וּשׂ ַמ ְח ֶתּם ִל ְפנֵ י יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ְ ‫יב‬:‫ יב‬.‫ַליהוָ ה‬ ‫יכם ִכּי ֵאין‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ ַה ֵלּוִ י ֲא ֶשׁר ְבּ ַשׁ ֲﬠ ֵר‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ ַא ְמה ֵֹת‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ ַﬠ ְב ֵד‬ ֶ ‫וּבנ ֵֹת‬ ְ .‫לוֹ ֵח ֶלק וְ נַ ֲח ָלה ִא ְתּ ֶכם‬ bring all that I am commanding you, your whole-burnt o!erings and consumable o!erings, your tithes and tributes, and the entire array of pledges that you will pledge to Yahweh, 12:12 and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your god, you and your sons and your daughters and your slaves and your maidservants, together with the Levite in your towns because he has no parcel or estate with you. In this iteration, Moses describes the restriction of worship in internal terms, with no reference to Canaanites or their practices, and the timeline depends on Israel’s circumstances. Nationwide pilgrimage to a single site exposes the land to attack; therefore restricting worship must wait for Israel to achieve complete security.[8] Without the Canaanite “other,” this iteration of Moses’ speech o!ers no rationale for the restriction of worship; it simply takes it for granted. The idea that in the meantime people worship as they see fit, namely, at multiple sites that they choose, is not ideal, but it is not a type of idolatry or otherwise considered absolutely illegitimate.[9] In the base-text, the formulation that expressed urgency matched the absolute nature of the principle to destroy the mutiple sites of worship (of Canaanite gods) and replace them with a single site (for Yahweh). In this iteration, the qualified view that multiple sites for Yahweh is allowed provisionally is expressed through conditional language, which explains the present situation and highlights the gradual nature of centralizing worship: “You shall not do like anything that we do here today — each as he sees fit — (only) because you have not yet come to the secure estate that Yahweh your god is giving you. Rather, when you cross the Jordan and you settle in the land that Yahweh your god is bequeathing you, and he gives you security from all the enemies around you such that you dwell securely, then the place that Yahweh your god will choose there to establish his name — there shall you bring all that I am instructing you.” The Second Iteration Meant to Fit with the Narrative of Judges-Kings The idea in the second iteration, that centralizing worship must wait for the right conditions, aligns with what is told in Judges–Kings. Centuries passed until Israel achieved security and Jerusalem emerged as Yahweh’s chosen site under David (2 Sam 6–7; 24), and the temple was first built by his son Solomon (1 Kgs 5–7). Before then the people had to have other access to Yahweh (see 1 Kgs 3:1–4). This narrative diverges from the base-text of Moses’ speech, according to which centralization should have occurred immediately. It seems, therefore, that the second iteration of Moses’ speech was written to correspond to the history told in Judges–Kings and legitimate it. The Second Iteration: An Alternative not a Supplement In addition to contradicting the first iteration of Moses’ speech, the second iteration repeats some of its elements, those that make it a complete paragraph. It begins by repeating by the pivotal prohibition: “You shall not act like / do like” (-‫כ‬ ‫ תעשון לא‬vv. 4, 8). It concludes with the same content, specific terminology, and sequence about bringing all the classes of sacred gifts to the place Yahweh will choose and celebrating there with one’s complete family (see vv. 5–7 and 11–12). Base Passage (vv. 5-7) Second Iteration (vv. 11-12) ‫יכם ָלשׂוּם ֶאת ְשׁמוֹ‬ ֶ ‫יכם ִמ ָכּל ִשׁ ְב ֵט‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫ִכּי ִאם ֶאל ַה ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫יכם וְ ֵאת‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ זִ ְב ֵח‬ ֶ ‫ֹ;ת‬ ֵ ‫אתם ָשׁ ָמּה ע‬ ֶ ‫וַ ֲה ֵב‬ ‫ו‬:‫יב‬ ‫ה‬:‫יב‬ .‫את ָשׁ ָמּה‬ ָ ‫וּב‬ ָ ‫ָשׁם ְל ִשׁ ְכנוֹ ִת ְד ְרשׁוּ‬ ‫וּבכֹר ֹת ְבּ ַק ְר ֶכם‬ ְ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ נִ ְדב ֵֹת‬ ֶ ‫רוּמת יֶ ְד ֶכם וְ נִ ְד ֵר‬ ַ ‫יכם וְ ֵאת ְתּ‬ ֶ ‫ַמ ְﬠ ְשׂר ֵֹת‬ ‫יא‬:‫יב‬ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫יכם ַמ ְﬠ ְשׂר ֵֹת‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ זִ ְב ֵח‬ ֶ ‫עוֹ;ת‬ ֵ ‫ָת ִביאוּ ֵאת ָכּל ֲא ֶשׁר ָאנ ִֹכי ְמ ַצוֶּ ה ֶא ְת ֶכם‬ ‫וּשׂ ַמ ְח ֶתּם ִל ְפנֵ י‬ ְ ‫יב‬:‫יב‬ .‫יכם ֲא ֶשׁר ִתּ ְדּרוּ ַליהוָ ה‬ ֶ ‫וּת ֻר ַמת יֶ ְד ֶכם וְ כֹל ִמ ְב ַחר נִ ְד ֵר‬ ְ .‫וְ צֹאנְ ֶכם‬ ‫יכם וְ ַה ֵלּוִ י ֲא ֶשׁר‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ ַא ְמה ֵֹת‬ ֶ ‫יכם וְ ַﬠ ְב ֵד‬ ֶ ‫וּבנ ֵֹת‬ ְ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ֵ‫וּבנ‬ ְ ‫יכם ַא ֶתּם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ .‫ ַחיִּ ים‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬M‫יכם ֲא ֶשׁר ֵבּ ַר ְכ‬ ֶ ‫וּב ֵתּ‬ ָ ‫ַא ֶתּם‬ .‫יכם ִכּי ֵאין לוֹ ֵח ֶלק וְ נַ ֲח ָלה ִא ְתּ ֶכם‬ ֶ ‫ְבּ ַשׁ ֲﬠ ֵר‬ ‫וּשׂ ַמ ְח ֶתּם ְבּכֹל ִמ ְשׁ ַלח יֶ ְד ֶכם‬ ְ ‫יכם‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫וַ ֲא ַכ ְל ֶתּם ָשׁם ִל ְפנֵ י יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ 12:5 ‫ז‬:‫יב‬ ‫יכם בּוֹ ְל ַשׁ ֵכּן ְשׁמוֹ ָשׁם ָשׁ ָמּה‬ ֶ ‫;ה‬ ֵ ‫וְ ָהיָ ה ַה ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ Rather, to the site that Yahweh your god will choose 12:11 then the site that Yahweh your god will choose from all your tribes to set his name there — to establish it there to establish his name — there shall your bring all (or: to his dwelling) — shall you look (i.e. for him), and you that I am commanding you, your whole-burnt shall go there. 12:6 And you shall bring there your whole- o!erings and consumable o!erings, your tithes and burnt o!erings and your consumable o!erings, your tithes tributes, and the entire array of pledges that you will and your tributes, and your pledges, presents, and firstborn pledge to Yahweh, cattle and sheep; 12:7 and you shall eat there before Yahweh 12:12 and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your god, you and your sons and your your god, and you shall rejoice with all the produce — you daughters and your slaves and your maidservants, and your households — with which Yahweh your god has together with the Levite in your towns because he has blessed you. no parcel or estate with you. The two features together — the contradictory principle and the repeated frame — strongly implies that the second iteration was written not to supplement the first, but as an alternative that would replace it. It should have come right after 11:31–12:1 The fact that the second iteration did not replace the original, but has been inserted after it suggests a complicated textual process that involved more than one person, an author with one idea and an editor or copyist who implemented di!erently. Summary: Two Iterations of the Law to Centralize Sacrificial Worship In the base-text, 11:31–12:7, Moses indicates that centralization should occur immediately because worship at multiple sites is antithetical to Yahweh. In the alternative version, 12:8–12, Moses says centralization should occur when it is feasible and until then the people can worship at multiple sites. Both agree, though: (1) an animal that may be sacrificed must be sacrificed if one wishes to eat it; (2) sacrifice requires sacred sites; and (3) once centralization occurs all sacrifice must take place at the one chosen site. The continuation of Moses’ speech, at 12:13–28, introduces a new idea, that sacrificeable animals may be eaten without taking them to a sacred site and making them a sacrifice.[10] Part Two The Laws of Non-Sacred Meat Consumption (Three Amendments) The continuation of Moses’ speech includes three paragraphs that relieve the onus of centralization by allowing one to eat meat at home under certain conditions. Each one expands the region of permissibility further: first, anyone beyond Israel’s borders; then, anyone within Israel’s borders who lives far from Yahweh’s chosen site; finally, anyone simply outside the precincts of Yahweh’s chosen site. Oddly, the amendments were not inserted into the text in a logical order. Two were spliced together and added as one bloc (vv. 20–28), and the third was inserted right ahead of that bloc (vv. 13–19). Amendments 1 & 2: Living Far from the Chosen Site This part of Moses’ speech contains many redundancies and complications. It begins with two sentences each of which raises the condition of living far from Yahweh’s chosen site and allows one to eat at home. One specifies expanded borders, while the other mentions living “too far” in a general way. ‫ ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר‬M ְ‫ ֶא ת ְגּ בוּל‬M‫;ה י‬ ֶ ‫כִּ י ַי ְר ִח יב ְי ה ָו ה ֱא‬ Deut 12:20 ‫כ‬:‫דברים יב‬ ‫ ֶל ֱאכֹל ָבּ ָשׂר‬M‫ וְ ָא ַמ ְר ָתּ א ְֹכ ָלה ָב ָשׂר ִכּי ְת ַאוֶּ ה נַ ְפ ְשׁ‬V‫ִדּ ֶבּר ָל‬ M ְ‫כִּ י ִי ְר ַח ק מִ מּ‬ ‫כא‬:‫יב‬ .‫אכל ָבּ ָשׂר‬ ַ ֹ ‫ תּ‬M‫ְבּ ָכל ַאוַּ ת נַ ְפ ְשׁ‬ Should Yahweh your god expand your border just as he had said to you,[11] and you say to yourself, “I would eat meat,” because your heart craves to eat meat, to all your heart’s desire may 12:21 ‫ ָלשׂוּם ְשׁמוֹ ָשׁם וְ זָ ַב ְח ָתּ‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ַה מָּ קוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ you eat meat. ‫ וְ ָא ַכ ְל ָתּ‬M‫ית‬ ִ ִ‫ ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר ִצוּ‬M‫ ֲא ֶשׁר נָ ַתן יְ הוָ ה ְל‬M ְ‫וּמצֹּאנ‬ ִ M‫ִמ ְבּ ָק ְר‬ there to put his name be too far from you, you may slaughter from .M‫ ְבּכֹל ַאוַּ ת נַ ְפ ֶשׁ‬M‫ִבּ ְשׁ ָﬠ ֶרי‬ Should the site Yahweh your god will choose your cattle and from your sheep that Yahweh has given you as I have instructed you and eat in your towns to all your heart’s desire. The continuation describes the extent of the permission (people in a state of impurity may eat it, together with those who are pure, like permitted wild animals), and also its limitations (the animal must be drained of its blood, and the blood must be spilled on the ground[12]): ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ‬ ְ ֹ ‫ ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר יֵ ָא ֵכל ֶאת ַה ְצּ ִבי וְ ֶאת ָה ַאיָּ ל ֵכּן תּ‬V‫ַא‬ ‫ַרק ֲחזַ ק ְל ִב ְל ִתּי ֲאכֹל‬ ‫כג‬:‫יב‬ ‫כב‬:‫יב‬ ​ .‫אכ ֶלנּוּ‬ ְ ֹ ‫ַה ָטּ ֵמא וְ ַה ָטּהוֹר יַ ְח ָדּו י‬ ‫אכל ַהנֶּ ֶפשׁ ִﬠם‬ ַ ֹ ‫ַה ָדּם ִכּי ַה ָדּם הוּא ַהנָּ ֶפשׁ וְ לֹא ת‬ ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ַﬠל ָה ָא ֶרץ ִתּ ְשׁ ְפּ ֶכנּוּ‬ ְ ֹ ‫לֹא תּ‬ ‫ ִכּי‬M‫ ַא ֲח ֶרי‬M‫וּל ָבנֶ י‬ ְ M‫יטב ְל‬ ַ ִ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ְל ַמ ַﬠן י‬ ְ ֹ ‫לֹא תּ‬ ‫כד‬:‫יב‬ .‫ַה ָבּ ָשׂר‬ ‫כה‬:‫יב‬ .‫ַכּ ָמּיִ ם‬ .‫ַת ֲﬠ ֶשׂה ַהיָּ ָשׁר ְבּ ֵﬠינֵ י יְ הוָ ה‬ 12:22 Indeed, as the deer and the ram are eaten, so may you eat it; together may the impure and the pure eat it. 12:23 However, hold fast against eating the blood, because the blood is the life-essence and you may not eat the life-essence with the meat. On the ground shall you dump it, like water. 12:24 12:25 Do not eat it! Do not eat it! So that it will go well with you and with your children after you when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh. The repeated prohibition (“Do not eat it!”), the motivation (“so that it go well with you…”), and the reference to following Yahweh’s will make up together a classic conclusion. But the passage continues, picking up again with what should be done in the case of proper o!erings, and concludes a second time — with the very same terms: ‫את ֶאל‬ ָ ‫וּב‬ ָ ‫ ִתּ ָשּׂא‬M‫ וּנְ ָד ֶרי‬M‫ ֲא ֶשׁר יִ ְהיוּ ְל‬M‫ַרק ָק ָד ֶשׁי‬ ‫ ַה ָבּ ָשׂר וְ ַה ָדּם‬M‫ֹ;תי‬ ֶ ‫ית ע‬ ָ ‫וְ ָﬠ ִשׂ‬ ‫כז‬:‫יב‬ ‫כו‬:‫יב‬ .‫ַה ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ ַﬠל ִמזְ ַבּח יְ הוָ ה‬V‫ יִ ָשּׁ ֵפ‬M‫ וְ ַדם זְ ָב ֶחי‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ַﬠל ִמזְ ַבּח יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫ְשׁמֹר וְ ָשׁ ַמ ְﬠ ָתּ ֵאת ָכּל ַה ְדּ ָב ִרים‬ ‫כח‬:‫יב‬ .‫אכל‬ ֵ ֹ ‫ וְ ַה ָבּ ָשׂר תּ‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ֱא‬ ‫ ַﬠד‬M‫ ַא ֲח ֶרי‬M‫וּל ָבנֶ י‬ ְ M‫יטב ְל‬ ַ ִ‫ָה ֵא ֶלּה ֲא ֶשׁר ָאנ ִֹכי ְמ ַצוֶּ ךָּ ְל ַמ ַﬠן י‬ .M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫עוֹלם ִכּי ַת ֲﬠ ֶשׂה ַהטּוֹב וְ ַהיָּ ָשׁר ְבּ ֵﬠינֵ י יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ָ 12:26 However, the holy o!erings that (still) will be upon you and your pledges you shall (still) carry and go to the place that Yahweh will choose, 12:27 and you shall do your whole-burnt o!erings — the meat and the blood — upon the altar of Yahweh your god, whereas the blood of your consumable o!erings shall be poured out by (or: on) the altar of Yahweh your god and you eat the meat. 12:28 Listen carefully to these things that I am commanding you, so that it will go well with you and with your children after you forever when you do what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your god. On one hand, the passage as a whole seems clear: Moses says that Yahweh allows Israelites to prepare and eat meat at home if they live far from his chosen place.[13] On the other hand, the passage is repetitious and confusing. Taken together, the doubled opening, the double conclusion, and the di!erent points of emphasis in between suggest that, in fact, the speech at vv. 20–28 contains two di!erent paragraphs that have been spliced together, each with its own conditional opening, major point, and conclusion: (1) vv. 20 + 22–25 and (2) vv. 21 + 26–28. The First Amendment: Expanded Borders The first amendment, at vv. 20 + 22–25, seems to respond directly to Moses’ original principle, at vv. 2–12, and takes it to mean that all meat suitable for sacrifice must be made a sacrifice at Yahweh’s designated site. It grants that such a concept is viable for the original boundaries of the Israelites, and treats the eventuality of expanded boundaries: “Should Yahweh expand your territory” (v. 20). Whoever lives in new territory, too far to come to the designated site each and every time they crave meat, may have a special dispensation to eat such meat at home, provided they drain it and treat it as unsanctified. The emphasis put on draining the blood and treating the meat as unsanctified is appropriate if Moses is introducing the idea of such an allowance for the first time, especially since it puts the matter of sacrificial status entirely in the hand of the owner to determine. V‫ ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר ִדּ ֶבּר ָל‬M‫בוּל‬ ְ ְ‫ ֶאת גּ‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ִכּי יַ ְר ִחיב יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫כ‬:‫דברים יב‬ ‫ ֶל ֱאכֹל ָבּ ָשׂר ְבּ ָכל ַאוַּ ת‬M‫וְ ָא ַמ ְר ָתּ א ְֹכ ָלה ָב ָשׂר ִכּי ְת ַאוֶּ ה נַ ְפ ְשׁ‬ ‫ ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר יֵ ָא ֵכל ֶאת ַה ְצּ ִבי וְ ֶאת‬V‫ַא‬ ‫ַרק‬ ‫כג‬:‫יב‬ ‫כב‬:‫יב‬ .‫אכל ָבּ ָשׂר‬ ַ ֹ ‫ תּ‬M‫נַ ְפ ְשׁ‬ .‫אכ ֶלנּוּ‬ ְ ֹ ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ַה ָטּ ֵמא וְ ַה ָטּהוֹר יַ ְח ָדּו י‬ ְ ֹ ‫ָה ַאיָּ ל ֵכּן תּ‬ ‫אכל ַהנֶּ ֶפשׁ‬ ַ ֹ ‫ֲחזַ ק ְל ִב ְל ִתּי ֲאכֹל ַה ָדּם ִכּי ַה ָדּם הוּא ַהנָּ ֶפשׁ וְ לֹא ת‬ ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ַﬠל ָה ָא ֶרץ ִתּ ְשׁ ְפּ ֶכנּוּ‬ ְ ֹ ‫לֹא תּ‬ ‫כד‬:‫יב‬ ‫ ִכּי‬M‫ ַא ֲח ֶרי‬M‫וּל ָבנֶ י‬ ְ M‫יטב ְל‬ ַ ִ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ְל ַמ ַﬠן י‬ ְ ֹ ‫לֹא תּ‬ Deut 12:20 Should Yahweh your god expand your border just as he had said to you, and you say to yourself, “I would eat meat,” because your heart craves to eat meat, to all your heart’s desire may you eat meat. 12:22 Indeed, as the deer and the ram are eaten, so may you eat it; together may the impure and the pure eat it. 12:23 However, hold .‫ִﬠם ַה ָבּ ָשׂר‬ fast against eating the blood, because the blood is the life-essence ‫כה‬:‫יב‬ and you may not eat the life-essence with the meat. 12:24 Do not eat .‫ַכּ ָמּיִ ם‬ .‫ַת ֲﬠ ֶשׂה ַהיָּ ָשׁר ְבּ ֵﬠינֵ י יְ הוָ ה‬ it! On the ground shall you dump it, like water. 12:25 Do not eat it! So that it will go well with you and with your children after you when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh. The Second Amendment: Living Too Far The next amendment (vv. 21 + 26–28) responds to the idea raised in the first that distance from Yahweh’s chosen site should be a factor. It broadens the allowance more realistically, recognizing that within the original boundaries too most people will live too far to go sacrifice every time they would eat meat. This new focus helps explain the distinctive points of emphasis — not the allowance itself, which is no longer novel, but keeping categories of sacrifice and non-sacrifice separate, on account of the sloppiness and laziness that can creep into everyday life for, now, the majority of people. ‫ ַה מָּ קוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה‬M ְ‫כִּ י ִי ְר ַח ק מִ מּ‬ ‫כא‬:‫דברים יב‬ ‫ ֲא ֶשׁר נָ ַתן‬M ְ‫וּמצֹּאנ‬ ִ M‫ ָלשׂוּם ְשׁמוֹ ָשׁם וְ זָ ַב ְח ָתּ ִמ ְבּ ָק ְר‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ֱא‬ ‫ ְבּכֹל ַאוַּ ת‬M‫ וְ ָא כַ לְ ָתּ בִּ ְשׁ ﬠָ ֶר י‬M‫ית‬ ִ ִ‫ ַכּ ֲא ֶשׁר ִצוּ‬M‫יְ הוָ ה ְל‬ ‫את‬ ָ ‫וּב‬ ָ ‫ ִתּ ָשּׂא‬M‫ וּנְ ָד ֶרי‬M‫ ֲא ֶשׁר יִ ְהיוּ ְל‬M‫ַרק ָק ָד ֶשׁי‬ ‫ ַה ָבּ ָשׂר‬M‫ֹ;תי‬ ֶ ‫ית ע‬ ָ ‫וְ ָﬠ ִשׂ‬ ‫כז‬:‫יב‬ ‫כו‬:‫יב‬ .M‫נַ ְפ ֶשׁ‬ .‫ֶאל ַה ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה‬ ‫ ַﬠל ִמזְ ַבּח‬V‫ יִ ָשּׁ ֵפ‬M‫ וְ ַדם זְ ָב ֶחי‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫וְ ַה ָדּם ַﬠל ִמזְ ַבּח יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫ְשׁמֹר וְ ָשׁ ַמ ְﬠ ָתּ ֵאת ָכּל‬ ‫כח‬:‫יב‬ .‫אכל‬ ֵ ֹ ‫ וְ ַה ָבּ ָשׂר תּ‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ M‫וּל ָבנֶ י‬ ְ M‫יטב ְל‬ ַ ִ‫ַה ְדּ ָב ִרים ָה ֵא ֶלּה ֲא ֶשׁר ָאנ ִֹכי ְמ ַצוֶּ ךָּ ְל ַמ ַﬠן י‬ .M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫עוֹלם ִכּי ַת ֲﬠ ֶשׂה ַהטּוֹב וְ ַהיָּ ָשׁר ְבּ ֵﬠינֵ י יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ָ ‫ ַﬠד‬M‫ַא ֲח ֶרי‬ Deut 12:21 Should the site Yahweh your god will choose there to put his name be too far from you, you may slaughter from your cattle and from your sheep that Yahweh has given you as I have instructed you and eat in your towns to all your heart’s desire. 12:26 However, the holy o!erings that (still) will be upon you and your pledges you shall (still) carry and go to the place that Yahweh will choose, 12:27 and you shall do your whole-burnt o!erings — the meat and the blood — upon the altar of Yahweh your god, whereas the blood of your consumable o!erings shall be poured out by (or: on) the altar of Yahweh your god and you eat the meat. 12:28 Listen carefully to these things that I am commanding you, so that it will go well with you and with your children after you forever when you do what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your god. The Combined Text It is unclear why the two separate, sequential amendments have been spliced together this way, rather than placed one after the other, like the two iterations of Moses’ speech about centralization, at vv. 2–7, 8–12. Perhaps their deep similarity in spirit, idea, content, and style invited such splicing. In any case, the result is a single paragraph that allows animals suitable for sacrifice to be slaughtered and eaten at home provided the owner treats it thoroughly as unsanctified and is scrupulous about any animals designated for required and pledged sacrifices. The Third Amendment: Anywhere Outside Yahweh’s Chosen Site The remaining passage, at vv. 13-19, expands the permission to eat non-sacrificial meat even further, to anyone who wishes to do so regardless of where they live. Going beyond expanded borders and beyond living too far, Moses now refers to such permission “in any of your cities” (v. 15). The main requirement is to sharply distinguish between sacrificial and non-sacrificial meat. ‫ ְבּ ָכל ָמקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר‬M‫ֹ;תי‬ ֶ ‫ ֶפּן ַתּ ֲﬠ ֶלה ע‬M‫ִה ָשּׁ ֶמר ְל‬ ‫ִכּי ִאם ַבּ ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ְבּ ַא ַחד‬ ‫יג‬:‫דברים יב‬ ‫יד‬:‫יב‬ .‫ִתּ ְר ֶאה‬ ‫ וְ ָשׁם ַתּ ֲﬠ ֶשׂה כֹּל ֲא ֶשׁר ָאנ ִֹכי‬M‫ֹ;תי‬ ֶ ‫ ָשׁם ַתּ ֲﬠ ֶלה ע‬M‫ְשׁ ָב ֶטי‬ ‫ ִתּזְ ַבּח וְ ָא ַכ ְל ָתּ ָב ָשׂר ְכּ ִב ְר ַכּת‬M‫טו ַרק ְבּ ָכל ַאוַּ ת נַ ְפ ְשׁ‬:‫ יב‬. ָ‫ְמ ַצוֶּ ךּ‬ ‫ ַה ָטּ ֵמא וְ ַה ָטּהוֹר‬M‫ בְּ כָ ל ְשׁ ﬠָ ֶר י‬M‫ ֲא ֶשׁר נָ ַתן ְל‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ‫אכלוּ ַﬠל ָה ָא ֶרץ‬ ֵ ֹ ‫ַרק ַה ָדּם לֹא ת‬ ‫טז‬:‫יב‬ M ְ‫ ַמ ְﬠ ַשׂר ְדּגָ נ‬M‫תוּכל ֶל ֱאכֹל ִבּ ְשׁ ָﬠ ֶרי‬ ַ ‫לֹא‬ M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫ִכּי ִאם ִל ְפנֵ י יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ Take care, lest you o!er your whole-burnt o!ering wherever you look. 12:14 Instead, at the place that Yahweh will choose in one of your tribes there shall you o!er your whole-burnt o!erings and there shall you do all that I am instructing you. 12:15 However, to your heart’s desire you may slaughter and eat .‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ַכּ ְצּ ִבי וְ ָכ ַאיָּ ל‬ ְ ֹ‫י‬ meat — according to the blessing of Yahweh your god that he gave ‫יז‬:‫יב‬ you — in all your towns. The impure and the pure may eat it, like the .‫ִתּ ְשׁ ְפּ ֶכנּוּ ַכּ ָמּיִ ם‬ ‫ ֲא ֶשׁר ִתּדּ ֹר‬M‫ וְ ָכל נְ ָד ֶרי‬M ֶ‫ וְ צֹאנ‬M‫וּבכֹר ֹת ְבּ ָק ְר‬ ְ M‫ וְ יִ ְצ ָה ֶר‬M‫וְ ִתיר ְֹשׁ‬ ‫יח‬:‫יב‬ Deut 12:13 .M‫רוּמת יָ ֶד‬ ַ ‫וּת‬ ְ M‫וְ נִ ְדב ֶֹתי‬ gazelle and the deer. 12:16 But the blood you may not eat. On the ground must you dump it, like water. 12:17 You may not eat in your M ְ‫וּבנ‬ ִ ‫ בּוֹ ַא ָתּה‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫אכ ֶלנּוּ ַבּ ָמּקוֹם ֲא ֶשׁר ְיִב ַחר יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ ְ ֹ‫תּ‬ towns the tithe of your grain, wine and oil, or the firstborns of your ‫ וְ ָשׂ ַמ ְח ָתּ ִל ְפנֵ י‬M‫ וְ ַה ֵלּוִ י ֲא ֶשׁר ִבּ ְשׁ ָﬠ ֶרי‬M‫ וַ ֲא ָמ ֶת‬M‫ וְ ַﬠ ְב ְדּ‬M‫וּב ֶתּ‬ ִ cattle and sheep, or any of the pledges you may make, or your ‫ ֶפּן ַתּ ֲﬠזֹב ֶאת‬M‫ִה ָשּׁ ֶמר ְל‬ ‫יט‬:‫יב‬ .M‫ ְבּכֹל ִמ ְשׁ ַלח יָ ֶד‬M‫;הי‬ ֶ ‫יְ הוָ ה ֱא‬ .M‫ ַﬠל ַא ְד ָמ ֶת‬M‫יָמי‬ ֶ ‫ַה ֵלּוִ י ָכּל‬ presents, or your tributes. 12:18 Rather, before Yahweh your god shall you eat it, in the place that Yahweh your god will choose — you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant, and the Levite in your towns — and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your god with all your produce. 12:19 Take care, lest you abandon the Levite — all the days upon your land. Although this final amendment extends the allowance established by the previous two amendments, it was inserted ahead of the paragraph containing them.[14] Its frame, the repeated warning “Take care, lest you…!” (vv. 13 and 19), suits its role as an insertion rather than an appended piece. Its ending (vv. 18-19) repeats the topic that closed the instructions about centralization in both the base-text (v. 7) and the second iteration (v. 12) — the joyful participation of the entire family (including women), the complete household (including the help), and the neighborhood needy, namely, the Levite. This repetition helps anchor the piece to the speech about centralization as Moses’ self-qualification. To set up the expanded allowance, the amendment establishes a counterpoint, the wholly-burnt o!ering, which must only be o!ered at Yahweh’s one designated site (vv. 13–14); after the expansion, though, it repeats all the elements found in the conflated paragraph. Its tone is matter-of-fact, because none are new. For example, the remark that animals suitable for sacrifice may be eaten unsanctified at home so long as they are drained of the blood (compare vv. 15-16 and vv. 22–24) and the remark that required and pledged o!erings must be brought to Yahweh’s designated site (compare v. 18 and v. 26). In fact, the sequence follows the conflated paragraph item for item, which shows that it is not responding to the two paragraphs separately, but to their current conflated form. But the e!ect of its insertion ahead of the conflated paragraph transforms it from innovation to emphatic repetition. The Redactional Sequence of the Amendments to the Law of Centralization We can see the progression of the amendments as follows: Amendment 1 – Limits the requirement in vv. 2–12 with a stipulation that if the borders are extended, people beyond the border may consume meat locally without sacrificing it at Yahweh’s chosen site. This amendment, now 12:20, 22–25, was originally appended after 12:8–12. Amendment 2 – Extends the allowance to include any Israelite far from Yahweh’s chosen site, even within the original borders. This amendment, now 12:21, 26–28, was spliced into Amendment 1. Amendment 3 – Extends the allowance to all Israelites, no matter where they live, and simply makes a sharp distinction between sacrificial and non-sacrificial meat. This amendment, 12:13–19, was placed in the text ahead of the combined amendments. The Motivations of Redaction The base text established centralization of sacrifice as a foundational principle. It contrasted it to the Canaanite practice of multiple sites of sacrificial worship, which it considered antithetical to Yahweh. Any Israelite worshipping Yahweh away from the one designated site would be engaging in Canaanite practices. The second iteration modified the principle, omitting the contrast to Canaanites and replacing it with pragmatic conditions of safety and security. The toleration of multiple sites of worship until a single site can be designated and built aligns with the story in Judges-Kings. It also validates Israelites worshipping Yahweh away from the one site as not quite antithetical. The first amendment created a new category of non-sacrificial slaughter of animals, but limited it geographically. It also now left it in the hands of the individual across the border to determine the status of a meal, whether it would be secular and eaten at home or sacred and taken to Yahweh’s chosen site. It is hard to know what triggered this far-reaching innovation. The second amendment accepted all the premises of “secular” slaughter and expanded the allowance geographically. It is driven by practical logic. Distance from the chosen site determined the allowance in the first amendment, so it should it apply to all those who are distant. Borders are really immaterial. The third amendment likewise accepted all the premises of “secular” slaughter and expanded the allowance maximally. It is driven by conceptual logic. If it is in the hands of the individual to decide whether an animal will be a secular meal or a sacred one, then distance is irrelevant. We can see, then, how successive readers considered the implications of what they read and aimed to flesh them out by comparison with other texts and practices that they knew. Such textual intervention and varied hermeneutical motivations characterize passages throughout the Torah and other biblical literature. They complicate the approach that the Torah presents straight-forward ideas and commands. They complicate the view of ancient editorial work as corrosive rather than constructive. And they anticipate the systematic hermeneutics of Tannaitic and Amoraic literature. Appendix The Text in Five Layers ‫ת אֵת *ָל‬,-ֲ‫ֶם לַע‬23ַ‫ְמ‬67 ‫לב‬:‫יא‬ .8ָ9 ‫ֶם‬2ְ‫ַב‬6‫ וִי‬8ָ‫ֶם אֹת‬2ְ6?‫הֵיכֶם נֹתֵן לָכֶם וִי‬Cֱ‫ֶר יְהוָה א‬6ֲ‫ץ א‬Iָ‫ֶת אֶת הָא‬6Iָ‫ֵן לָבֹא ל‬J3ַKַ‫ֶם עֹבְ?ים אֶת ה‬2ַ‫*ִי א‬ ְָ‫הֵי אֲבֹתֶיָ ל‬Cֱ‫ֶר נָתַן יְהוָה א‬6ֲ‫ץ א‬Iָ‫ָא‬9 ‫ת‬,-ֲ‫ן לַע‬7‫ְמְר‬6ִ2 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫ָטִים א‬Qְ6ִRַ‫ִים וְה‬Sֻ‫ֶה הַח‬Vֵ‫א‬ ‫הֵיהֶם‬Cֱ‫ִים אֹתָם אֶת א‬63ֹ‫ֶם י‬2ַ‫ֶר א‬6ֲ‫יִם א‬,Yַ‫ָם ה‬6 7‫ֶר עָבְד‬6ֲ‫ת א‬,‫ְ[מ‬Rַ‫ן אֶת *ָל ה‬7‫ְד‬9ַ‫ְא‬2 ‫ֵד‬9ַ‫א‬ ‫א‬:‫יב‬ ‫לא‬:‫דברים יא‬ .‫ם‬,Kַ‫ֶר אָנֹכִי נֹתֵן לִפְנֵיכֶם ה‬6ֲ‫ָטִים א‬Qְ6ִRַ‫ִים וְאֶת ה‬Sֻ‫הַח‬ ‫ב‬:‫דברים יב‬ .‫ִים עַל הָאֲ\מָה‬Kַ‫ֶם ח‬2ַ‫ֶר א‬6ֲ‫ָמִים א‬Kַ‫ *ָל ה‬8ָ2ְ6?ְ‫ל‬ ‫ג‬:‫יב‬ ‫הֵיהֶם‬Cֱ‫פְסִילֵי א‬7 6ֵ‫ָא‬9 ‫ן‬7‫פ‬3ְ-ִ2 ‫ֵ_יהֶם‬6ֲ‫ֵבֹתָם וַא‬aַ‫ֶם אֶת מ‬23ַ9ִ6ְ‫חֹתָם ו‬9ְ‫ֶם אֶת מִז‬2ְ‫ַצ‬2ִ‫וְנ‬ ‫ה‬:‫יב‬ ‫ִבְטֵיכֶם‬6 ‫הֵיכֶם מִ*ָל‬Cֱ‫ֶר יִבְחַר יְהוָה א‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ָק‬Rַ‫*ִי אִם אֶל ה‬ .‫עֲנָן‬d ‫ת וְתַחַת *ָל עֵץ‬,‫ְבָע‬Yַ‫מִים וְעַל ה‬eָ‫עַל הֶהָ?ים ה‬ .‫הֵיכֶם‬Cֱ‫ן *ֵן לַיהוָה א‬7-ֲ‫א תַע‬C ‫ת‬hֹ‫בְכ‬7 ‫בֹתֵיכֶם‬gִ‫_יכֶם וְנ‬gִ‫כֶם וְנ‬gֶ‫מַת י‬7‫ְר‬2 ‫תֵיכֶם וְאֵת‬hְ-ְ‫תֵיכֶם וְזִבְחֵיכֶם וְאֵת מַע‬Cֹ‫ָה ע‬Rָ6 ‫וַהֲבֵאתֶם‬ ‫ד‬:‫יב‬ ‫ו‬:‫יב‬ .‫א‬7‫ם הַה‬,‫ָק‬Rַ‫ְמָם מִן ה‬6 ‫ֶם אֶת‬2gַ9ִ‫ן וְא‬7‫ֵע‬Jַ‫ְג‬2 .‫ָה‬Rָ6 ָ‫בָאת‬7 763gִ‫ ת‬,‫ִכְנ‬6ְ‫ָם ל‬6 ,‫ְמ‬6 ‫ם אֶת‬7-ָ‫ל‬ .‫ִים‬Kַ‫הֶיָ ח‬Cֱ‫כְָ יְהוָה א‬dֵ9 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫ֵיכֶם א‬2ָ‫ב‬7 ‫ֶם‬2ַ‫כֶם א‬gֶ‫ְלַח י‬6ִ‫ְכֹל מ‬9 ‫ֶם‬2ְ‫ְמַח‬-7 ‫הֵיכֶם‬Cֱ‫ָם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה א‬6 ‫ֶם‬2ְ‫וַאֲכַל‬ ‫ט‬:‫יב‬ ‫ֶר יְהוָה‬6ֲ‫ַחֲלָה א‬lַ‫חָה וְאֶל ה‬7‫ְנ‬Rַ‫ָה אֶל ה‬2ָ‫ָאתֶם עַד ע‬9 ‫א‬C ‫*ִי‬ ‫ז‬:‫יב‬ .‫כֶם וְצֹאנְכֶם‬3kְ9 .‫ְעֵינָיו‬9 ‫ָר‬6ָKַ‫ *ָל ה‬6‫ם אִי‬,Kַ‫ֹה ה‬Q ‫ִים‬-ֹ‫ ע‬7‫ֶר אֲנַחְנ‬6ֲ‫ן *ְכֹל א‬7-ֲ‫א תַע‬C ‫ח‬:‫יב‬ ‫ֶם‬2ְ‫ַב‬6‫ָבִיב וִי‬mִ‫הֵיכֶם מַנְחִיל אֶתְכֶם וְהֵנִיחַ לָכֶם מִ*ָל אֹיְבֵיכֶם מ‬Cֱ‫ֶר יְהוָה א‬6ֲ‫ץ א‬Iָ‫ָא‬9 ‫ֶם‬2ְ‫ַב‬6‫ֵן וִי‬J3ַKַ‫ֶם אֶת ה‬23ַ‫י וַעֲב‬:‫ יב‬.ְָ‫הֶיָ נֹתֵן ל‬Cֱ‫א‬ ‫תֵיכֶם וְזִבְחֵיכֶם‬C,‫ֶה אֶתְכֶם ע‬7ַ‫ֶר אָנֹכִי מְצ‬6ֲ‫ אֵת *ָל א‬7‫ָה תָבִיא‬Rָ6 ‫ָם‬6 ,‫ְמ‬6 ‫ַ*ֵן‬6ְ‫ ל‬,9 ‫הֵיכֶם‬Cֱ‫ֶר יִבְחַר יְהוָה א‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ָק‬Rַ‫וְהָיָה ה‬ ‫יכֶם‬pְ‫בְנֹתֵיכֶם וְעַב‬7 ‫בְנֵיכֶם‬7 ‫ֶם‬2ַ‫הֵיכֶם א‬Cֱ‫ֶם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה א‬2ְ‫ְמַח‬-7 ‫יב‬:‫יב‬ ‫יא‬:‫יב‬ .‫ֶטַח‬9 .‫ לַיהוָה‬7‫ְר‬Jִ2 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫_יכֶם א‬gִ‫כֶם וְכֹל מִבְחַר נ‬gֶ‫מַת י‬qְ‫ת‬7 ‫תֵיכֶם‬hְ-ְ‫מַע‬ .‫ְכֶם‬2ִ‫ חֵלֶק וְנַחֲלָה א‬,‫ַעֲ_יכֶם *ִי אֵין ל‬6ְ9 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫ֵוִי א‬Vַ‫וְאַמְהֹתֵיכֶם וְה‬ ‫ָם‬6ְ‫תֶיָ ו‬Cֹ‫ַעֲלֶה ע‬2 ‫ָם‬6 ָ‫ְבָטֶי‬6 ‫ְאַחַד‬9 ‫ֶר יִבְחַר יְהוָה‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ָק‬Rַ9 ‫יד *ִי אִם‬:‫ יב‬.‫אֶה‬3ִ2 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ְכָל מָק‬9 ָ‫תֶי‬Cֹ‫ַעֲלֶה ע‬2 ‫ֶן‬Q ְָ‫ָמֶר ל‬rִ‫ה‬ ‫ר‬,‫ָה‬sַ‫ָמֵא וְה‬sַ‫יָ ה‬#ָ‫ֶר נָתַן לְָ*ְכָל 'ְע‬6ֲ‫הֶיָ א‬Cֱ‫*ַת יְהוָה א‬3ִ‫ָר *ְב‬-ָ‫ָ ב‬2ְ‫ַח וְאָכַל‬9ְ‫ִז‬2 ְָ6ְ‫ַת נַפ‬7ַ‫ְכָל א‬9 ‫ק‬d ָIָ‫ְָ וְיִצְה‬6h‫ְגָנְָ וְתִי‬J ‫ַר‬-ְ‫יָ מַע‬Iָ‫ְע‬6ִ9 ‫כַל לֶאֱכֹל‬7‫א ת‬C ‫יז‬:‫יב‬ ‫יט‬:‫יב‬ .ָtֶ7ַ‫ֶר אָנֹכִי מְצ‬6ֲ‫ֶה *ֹל א‬-ֲ‫ַע‬2 ‫טז‬:‫יב‬ .‫ָיִם‬Rַ* 7lֶ‫ְכ‬Qְ6ִ2 ‫ץ‬Iָ‫ עַל הָא‬7‫א תֹאכֵל‬C ‫ָם‬Jַ‫ק ה‬d ‫ֶר יִבְחַר יְהוָה‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ָק‬Rַ9 7lֶ‫ֹאכְל‬2 ָ‫הֶי‬Cֱ‫*ִי אִם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה א‬ ‫ַעֲזֹב‬2 ‫ֶן‬Q ְָ‫ָמֶר ל‬rִ‫ה‬ ‫טו‬:‫יב‬ ‫יח‬:‫יב‬ ‫יג‬:‫ב‬ .‫ָל‬Kַ‫ְבִי וְכָא‬aַ* 7lֶ‫יֹאכְל‬ .ָuָ‫מַת י‬7‫תְר‬7 ָ‫בֹתֶי‬gִ‫ֹר וְנ‬Jִ2 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫יָ א‬I\ְ‫ָ וְצֹאנֶָ וְכָל נ‬3vְ9 ‫ת‬hֹ‫בְכ‬7 .ָuָ‫ְלַח י‬6ִ‫ְכֹל מ‬9 ָ‫הֶי‬Cֱ‫ָ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה א‬2ְ‫ָמַח‬-ְ‫יָ ו‬Iָ‫ְע‬6ִ9 ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫ֵוִי א‬Vַ‫ְָ וַאֲמָתֶָ וְה‬Jְ‫ֶָ וְעַב‬2ִ‫ב‬7 ְָ‫בִנ‬7 ‫ָה‬2ַ‫ א‬,9 ָ‫הֶי‬Cֱ‫א‬ .ֶָ‫מָת‬gַ‫ֵוִי *ָל יָמֶיָ עַל א‬Vַ‫אֶת ה‬ ‫כ‬:‫יב‬ .‫ָר‬-ָ9 ‫ֹאכַל‬2 ְָ6ְ‫ַת נַפ‬7ַ‫ְכָל א‬9 ‫ָר‬-ָ9 ‫ְָ לֶאֱכֹל‬6ְ‫ֶה נַפ‬7ַ‫ָר *ִי תְא‬-ָ‫ָ אֹכְלָה ב‬23ַ‫ֶר לְָ וְאָמ‬9ִJ ‫ֶר‬6ֲ‫לְָ *ַא‬7‫ְב‬Y ‫הֶיָ אֶת‬Cֱ‫חִיב יְהוָה א‬3ַ‫*ִי י‬ ָ‫י‬Iָ‫ְע‬6ִ9 ָ2ְ‫ִיתִָ וְאָכַל‬7ִ‫ֶר צ‬6ֲ‫ֶר נָתַן יְהוָה לְָ *ַא‬6ֲ‫ֹאנְָ א‬aִ‫מ‬7 ָ3vְ9ִ‫ָ מ‬2ְ‫ָם וְזָבַח‬6 ,‫ְמ‬6 ‫ם‬7-ָ‫הֶיָ ל‬Cֱ‫ֶר יִבְחַר יְהוָה א‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ָק‬Rַ‫ְָ ה‬Rִ‫חַק מ‬3ִ‫*ִי י‬ ‫כא‬:‫יב‬ .ֶָ6ְ‫ַת נַפ‬7ַ‫ְכֹל א‬9 ‫א תֹאכַל‬Cְ‫ ו‬6ֶ‫ָפ‬lַ‫א ה‬7‫ָם ה‬Jַ‫ָם *ִי ה‬Jַ‫ִי אֲכֹל ה‬2ְ‫ק חֲזַק לְבִל‬d ‫כג‬:‫יב‬ .7lֶ‫ָו יֹאכְל‬Jְ‫ר יַח‬,‫ָה‬sַ‫ָמֵא וְה‬sַ‫ ה‬7lֶ‫ֹאכְל‬2 ‫ָל *ֵן‬Kַ‫ְבִי וְאֶת הָא‬aַ‫ֶר יֵאָכֵל אֶת ה‬6ֲ‫אְַ *ַא‬ .‫ְעֵינֵי יְהוָה‬9 ‫ָר‬6ָKַ‫ֶה ה‬-ֲ‫יָ *ִי תַע‬Iֲ‫לְבָנֶיָ אַח‬7 ְָ‫ לְמַעַן יִיטַב ל‬7lֶ‫ֹאכְל‬2 ‫א‬C ‫ם‬wְ‫הֶיָ ו‬Cֱ‫ַח יְהוָה א‬9ְ‫ָם עַל מִז‬Jַ‫ָר וְה‬-ָ9ַ‫תֶיָ ה‬Cֹ‫ִיתָ ע‬-ָ‫וְע‬ ‫כז‬:‫יב‬ ‫כה‬:‫יב‬ .‫ָיִם‬Rַ* 7lֶ‫ְכ‬Qְ6ִ2 ‫ץ‬Iָ‫ עַל הָא‬7lֶ‫ֹאכְל‬2 ‫א‬C ‫כד‬:‫יב‬ .‫ָר‬-ָ9ַ‫ עִם ה‬6ֶ‫ֶפ‬lַ‫ה‬ .‫ֶר יִבְחַר יְהוָה‬6ֲ‫ם א‬,‫ָק‬Rַ‫בָאתָ אֶל ה‬7 ‫ָא‬xִ2 ָ‫י‬I\ְ‫נ‬7 ְָ‫ ל‬7‫ֶר יִהְי‬6ֲ‫ֶיָ א‬6\v ‫ק‬d ָ‫י‬Iֲ‫לְבָנֶיָ אַח‬7 ְָ‫ָ לְמַעַן יִיטַב ל‬tֶ7ַ‫ֶר אָנֹכִי מְצ‬6ֲ‫ֶה א‬Vֵ‫ְבָ?ים הָא‬Jַ‫ָ אֵת *ָל ה‬2ְ‫ָמַע‬6ְ‫ְמֹר ו‬6 ‫כח‬:‫יב‬ ‫כב‬:‫יב‬ ‫כו‬:‫יב‬ .‫ֹאכֵל‬2 ‫ָר‬-ָ9ַ‫הֶיָ וְה‬Cֱ‫ַח יְהוָה א‬9ְ‫ָפְֵ עַל מִז‬rִ‫זְבָחֶיָ י‬ .ָ‫הֶי‬Cֱ‫ְעֵינֵי יְהוָה א‬9 ‫ָר‬6ָKַ‫ב וְה‬,sַ‫ֶה ה‬-ֲ‫לָם *ִי תַע‬,‫עַד ע‬ Deut 11:31 in it, When you cross the Jordan to go possess the land that Yahweh your god is giving you, and you possess it and settle 11:32 you must be careful to do all the laws and statutes that I am giving you today. 12:1 These are the laws and statutes that you must be careful to do in the land that Yahweh the god of your fathers is giving you to possess, all the days you live upon the earth. Deut 12:2 Destroy all the sites where the peoples whom you are dispossessing worshipped their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every verdant tree; 12:3 you must demolish their altars and you must smash their monuments; their poles you shall incinerate, and the statues of their gods you shall hack to bits; you shall eradicate their name from that site. sites). 12:5 12:4 You shall not act this way for Yahweh your god (i.e., worship at many Rather, to the site that Yahweh your god will choose from all your tribes to set his name there — to establish it (or: to his dwelling) — shall you look (i.e. for him), and you shall go there. 12:6 And you shall bring there your whole-burnt o!erings and your consumable o!erings, your tithes and your tributes, and your pledges, presents, and firstborn cattle and sheep; 12:7 and you shall eat there before Yahweh your god, and you shall rejoice with all the produce — you and your households — with which Yahweh your god has blessed you. 12:8 You shall not do like anything that we do here today — each one as he sees fit — not yet come to the secure estate that Yahweh your god is giving you. 12:10 12:9 (only) because you have Rather, when you cross the Jordan and settle in the land that Yahweh your god is bequeathing you and he gives you security from all the enemies around you so that you dwell securely, 12:11 then the site that Yahweh your god will choose there to establish his name — there shall your bring all that I am commanding you, your whole-burnt o!erings and consumable o!erings, your tithes and tributes, and the entire array of pledges that you will pledge to Yahweh, 12:12 and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your god, you and your sons and your daughters and your slaves and your maidservants, together with the Levite in your towns because he has no parcel or estate with you. Deut 12:13 Take care, lest you o!er your whole-burnt o!ering wherever you look. 12:14 Instead, at the place that Yahweh will choose in one of your tribes there shall you o!er your whole-burnt o!erings and there shall you do all that I am instructing you. 12:15 However, to your heart’s desire you may slaughter and eat meat — according to the blessing of Yahweh your god that he gave you — in all your towns. The impure and the pure may eat it, like the gazelle and the deer. 12:16 But the blood you may not eat. On the ground must you dump it, like water. 12:17 You may not eat in your towns the tithe of your grain, wine and oil, or the firstborns of your cattle and sheep, or any of the pledges you may make, or your presents, or your tributes. 12:18 Rather, before Yahweh your god shall you eat it, in the place that Yahweh your god will choose — you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maidservant, and the Levite in your towns — and you shall rejoice before Yahweh your god with all your produce. Deut 12:20 12:19 Take care, lest you abandon the Levite — all the days upon your land. Should Yahweh your god expand your border just as he had said to you, and you say to yourself, “I would eat meat,” because your heart craves to eat meat, to all your heart’s desire may you eat meat. 12:21 Should the site Yahweh your god will choose there to put his name be too far from you, you may slaughter from your cattle and from your sheep that Yahweh has given you as I have instructed you and eat in your towns to all your heart’s desire. 12:22 it. Indeed, as the deer and the ram are eaten, so shall you eat it; together shall the impure and the pure eat 12:23 However, hold fast against eating the blood, because the blood is the life-essence and you may not eat the life- essence with the meat. 12:24 Do not eat it! On the ground shall you dump it, like water. 12:25 Do not eat it! So that it will go well with you and with your children after you when you do what is right in the eyes of Yahweh. 12:26 However, the holy o!erings that (still) will be upon you and your pledges you shall (still) carry and go to the place that Yahweh will choose, 12:27 and you shall do your whole-burnt o!erings — the meat and the blood — upon the altar of Yahweh your god, whereas the blood of your consumable o!erings shall be poured out by (or: on) the altar of Yahweh your god and you eat the meat. 12:28 Listen carefully to these things that I am commanding you, so that it will go well with you and with your children after you forever when you do what is good and right in the eyes of Yahweh your god. TheTorah.com is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We rely on the support of readers like you. Please support us. Footnotes Published January 9, 2016 1. | Last Updated September 22, 2019 This TABS essay is based on Simeon Chavel, “The Literary Development of Deuteronomy 12: Between Religious Ideal and Social Reality,” in The Pentateuch: International Perspectives on Current Research (eds., Thomas Dozeman, Konrad Schmid, and Baruch J. Schwartz; Forschungen zum Alten Testament; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2011), 303-326. 2. Most think the unit begins at 4:44. Menahem Haran argues persuasively that it belongs to the unit of text that begins at 1:1, an alternate speech-episode framed by 1:1–5 and 4:44. It is redundant before v. 45, it corresponds well to 1:6, and 4:45 has the character of a proper beginning. See his The Biblical Collection: Its Consolidation to the End of Second Temple Times and Changes of Form to the End of the Middle Ages (4 vols. Jerusalem: Bialik and Magnes, 1996–2014) 2.51–54 [Hebrew]. Scholars agree that Deut 27, which interrupts the speech, is misplaced. Alexander Rofé, citing Abravanel, argues that 28:69 begins the unit that follows in Deut 29:1 (and that 30:1–10 should follow 28:68); see his Deuteronomy: Issues and Interpretation (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2002) 193–204. Editor’s note: Itamar Kislev’s TABS article argues that Deut (1–32) presents itself as a book written by Moses, not a series of speeches delivered by Moses, “Understanding Deuteronomy on Its Own Terms.” 3. Yahweh had intended to transmit the instructions directly, but the Israelites found divine speech too overwhelming and requested that Yahweh speak to Moses alone receive them then transmit them (5:4–27). Moses would have transmited the instructions in just a few weeks’ time, but reaching Moab took forty years longer than planned (1:1–3, 19–39). As these texts put it, the instructions are not a repetition of, supplement to or replacement for instructions already given, but their first and only promulgation. This scenario contradicts the entire story at Exod 20–Num 36, according to which Yahweh gave many laws about sacrifice, justice, and much much more, just about all of which the people were to implement immediately, which, as the narrator a#rms dozens of times, they did. 4. Moses does not say when and how Yahweh will do so, but two options seem likeliest, a miraculous event and prophetic announcement. From the beginnings of biblical criticism, scholars have connected these laws to the purging of the religious landscape and the restriction of worship to Jerusalem by Josiah king of Judea in the late seventh century BCE, as told in 2 Kings 21–23 — either as the spur for it, or in support of it, or as an eventual result. See S. Dean McBride, “Deuteronomy, Book of,” in The New Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible (5 vols., ed. K. D. Sakenfeld; Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2007) 2.108–117. 5. Critics have examined it for insertions and revisions, which can reflect varied literary, historical, and religious prompts and shed light on ancient Israel-Judea. Some identify them through abrupt changes between plural and singular address (Carl Steuernagel, Deuteronomium und Josua und Allgemeine Einleitung in den Hexateuch [Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1900] 42–48; Eduard Nielsen, Deuteronomium[Tubingen: Mohr Siebeck, 1995] 133–141). Some, sociologically-oriented, assimilate them to stages in a religious revolution (Rofé, Deuteronomy, 97–101). Others link them to alleged separate works within Deuteronomy (Bertholet,Deuteronomium, 38) or to successive editions of the narrative series, Joshua–Kings (Thomas C. Römer, The So-Called Deuteronomistic History: A Sociological, Historical and Literary Introduction [London: T&T Clark, 2005; repr. 2009] 56–65). Yet others read it as a single text formulated forcedly as a counter-text — to the rule about altar-worship in Exodus 20 (Bernard M. Levinson, Deuteronomy and the Hermeneutics of Legal Innovation [New York: Oxford University Press, 1997] 23–52). The method here follows the signs of complete paragraphs. 6. All translations are mine unless otherwise noted. All the translation choices are explained in my article referenced above (n. 1). 7. Moses’ renowned statement about Yahweh’s oneness at the outset of this speech, at 6:4, referred to popularly as theShema, likely lays the groundwork for this counter-intuitive point. See Benjamin D. Sommer, The Bodies of God and the World of Ancient Israel (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009) 62–68, esp. 67. 8. Ibn Ezra aligns the terms in v. 9 with the conditions in v. 10 as alternating pairs of term + elaboration: The condition ‫יכם ִמ ָסּ ִביב‬ ֶ ‫וְ ֵהנִ ַיח ָל ֶכם ִמ ָכּל א ֵֹיְב‬ elaborates the term ‫נוּחה‬ ָ ‫מ‬, ְ and the condition ‫ישׁ ְב ֶתּם ֶבּ ַטח‬ ָ ִ‫ ו‬elaborates the term ‫נַ ֲח ָלה‬. 9. On the when–then syntax of vv. 10–11, see Rashi; on the verb form of ‫רתּם‬ ֶ ‫וַ ֲﬠ ַב‬, see Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar (ed. E. Kautzsch; rev. A. E. Cowley; 2nd ed.; London: Oxford University Press, 1910; repr. 1974) §ll2kk, 159g. 10. The base-text and the second iteration at 11:31–12:12 are like Lev 17, in which Yahweh says that all animals that may be sacrificed must be sacrificed to be eaten. But they also contradict Lev 17 and the entire story at Exod 25–Num 36, in which centralization does not wait for entry to Canaan at all, but takes place immediately: the tabernacle is Yahweh’s one and only sacred site. In Deut 12 Moses knows nothing of this tabernacle and all its laws. 11. Within Deut 5–11 and even 1–4, Moses did not quote Yahweh saying he would expanding Israel’s territory beyond its natural borders, which makes it unclear what Moses is referring to here. 12. Editor’s note: For more on this rule and how it compares to the rules in Leviticus about blood, see Zev Farber’s TABS essay, “Covering the Blood of Wild Animals.” 13. This allowance contradicts Lev. 17:3-4. Editor’s note: See further Yitzhaq Feder’s TABS essay, “Meat or Murder: Leviticus versus Deuteronomy.” 14. For edited texts in which the running sequence does not match the order in which they were supplemented, see the analyses of Exodus 12 and Deuteronomy 16 in Shimon Gesundheit, Three Times a Year: Studies on Festival Legislation in the Pentateuch (FAT 82; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2012). Another example would be in Deut 10, in which one insertion, vv. 8–9, triggered another one, vv. 6–7. Similar is Deut 27, in which vv. 1–3 were supplemented by vv. 4 and 8, then vv. 5–7 were inserted. Dr. Simeon Chavel is Associate Professor of Hebrew Bible at the University of Chicago Divinity School. He holds a Ph.D. from the Department of Bible at The Hebrew University and is the author of Oracular Law and Priestly Historiography in the Torah.