Misva #571: “Etnan Zona” and “Mehir Keleb” – Not to Bring An Animal Used as Payment for a Harlot’s Services, or Price For a Dog to the Alter

The Torah commands in Parashat Ki-Teseh (Debarim 23:19) that an animal that was given to a harlot as payment for her services, or that was given as barter in exchange for a dog, may not be used as a sacrifice. One who offers as a sacrifice an animal that had been used as payment in one of these two situations transgresses this Biblical command. The Sefer Ha’hinuch explains that the purpose of a sacrifice is to lead a person to purity of thought, which will then lead to proper behavior. If a person brings as a sacrifice an “Etnan Zona” (animal that had been used as payment for a harlot’s services), he might have immoral thoughts at the time the sacrifice is offered. Illicit relationships constitute an especially grave sin, and thus if a sacrifice leads a person to such thoughts, it will have the effect of distancing him from Hashem, rather than bringing him closer to Hashem. This would undermine the entire purpose of the sacrifice, and so the Torah forbade offering such an animal as a sacrifice. As for a “Mehir Keleb” (sheep used as payment for a dog), the Sefer Ha’hinuch writes that one of the characteristics of dogs is brazenness, as the verse states in Yeshayahu (56:11), “Ve’ha’kelabim Azeh Nefesh” – “And the dogs are brazen.” One who sacrifices an animal used as payment for a dog might think of the dog while offering the sacrifice, and these thoughts might cause him to become brazen. A sacrifice is meant to bring a person humility and regret, as he sees what is done to the animal and will then think that he deserves to have this done to him because of his wrongdoing. The Torah forbade offering as a sacrifice an animal associated with a dog, as this could lead the person to stubbornness, such that he will not humbly confess to his having acted wrongly, and will not regret his misdeeds. The Sefer Ha’hinuch acknowledges that this explanation might sound somewhat strained and unconvincing. He urges his son – to whom he wrote this book – to trust that there is wisdom in these comments, difficult as it may at first seem to accept them. The lesson emerging from the Sefer Ha’hinuch’s comments is the importance of thoughts and intentions in the service of Hashem. A sacrifice itself does not bring a person atonement, or draw him closer to G-d; it is the effect of the experience of offering a sacrifice that elevates a person and enhances his relationship with the Almighty. An “Etnan Zona” is invalid for use as a sacrifice regardless of whether the harlot who received the animal is Jewish, not Jewish, or a Shifha (maidservant). Even if the harlot is a family member of the man who solicited her services, the animal given to her as payment is disqualified as a sacrifice. However, if a husband gives his wife an animal so she would consent to have relations while she is a Nidda, this animal does not attain the status of “Etnan Zona.” If one paid a harlot an animal that had already been consecrated as a sacrifice, it is not disqualified, as it had been consecrated before being used as payment for a harlot’s services. This command is binding upon both men and women, and applies during the times of the Bet Ha’mikdash, when sacrifices were offered. One who brought an “Etnan Zona” or “Mehir Keleb” as a sacrifice is liable to Malkut, just like a person who offers as a sacrifice an animal with a physical blemish. The Sefer Ha’hinuch here lists the prohibitions of “Etnan Zona” and “Mehir Keleb” as a single Biblical command. The Ramban, however, disagrees, and lists two separate commands – one forbidding an “Etnan Zona,” and a second forbidding a “Mehir Keleb.”