Not to bring the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog: That we have been prevented from bringing the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog towards the altar. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 23:19), “You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord, your God.”
About the roots of this commandment are that since a sacrifice comes to purify the thoughts of a person and to make his deeds proper with this act — and as I wrote in the Order of Vayikchu Li Terumah (Sefer HaChinukh 95) — and since his sacrifice is coming from the fee of a prostitute, which is a filthy sin; maybe he will think about this evil matter at the time of his sacrifice and his thought will be disqualified by his thinking this evil and disgraceful thought. And so also with the price of a dog, for this reason: As a sacrifice brings a man to the atonement of his soul, and like the matter that when his sacrifice is slaughtered and cut into pieces, it is fitting for the owner of the sacrifice to think that it was fitting to do to him such, to his [own] body, for the matter of the sin; were it not for the kindness of God, may He be blessed, that was upon him, to take from him a little of his money as atonement. And with this action, it is fitting for him to soften his heart and soften his soul about its sins, to the point that it repents and has regret about what it has done, and agrees to not continue to sin any more — and like I wrote in its place about the matter of sacrifices and in the Order mentioned. And it is known that dogs are brazen-souled, and maybe from his thinking about them and their strong nature, his soul will strengthen itself, and he will become stiff-necked [against] regretting his sins, as is fit for him. And if I recount, my son, that these are words for children, you should be aroused by them, and “take the explanation of the elders.”
The laws of the commandment: That which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Temurah 29a, see Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 3:8) that the fee is that which he says to the woman, “Behold, this thing is to you for your wage.” And it is one whether the prostitute is a gentile or a slave or an Israelite that is sexually forbidden to him, or from those that are prohibited by negative commandments. And so [too], the fee of a male is included in the fee of a prostitute, but the fee of his wife when she is menstruant is not within the prohibition of the fee. And one who resolves with the prostitute to give her one lamb — if he gives her another, even if he does this with a thousand lambs, they are all forbidden as the fee. (See Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 3:11.) And there is no prohibition of the fee and the price except with their bodies — therefore, the prohibition only applies to something that is fitting to offer on top of the altar. (See Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 3:14-15). And if one gives her a sanctified animal as a gift, it does not become forbidden, as the consecration already preceded and took possession of it. And what is the price of a dog? This is the one that says, “Behold, this lamb for that dog.” And even if he gave him several lambs for one dog, they are all forbidden. And the remainder of its details are elucidated in the sixth chapter of Terumah. (See Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 1.)
And this prohibition is practiced by males and females during the time of the [Temple]. And one who transgresses it, and sacrifices the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog — even with the sacrifice being invalid — the one who brings it is liable for lashes; like one who sacrifices a blemished animal, as we explained in the Order of Emor el HaKohanim. And Ramban, may his memory be blessed, calculates the fee of a prostitute and the price of a dog as two [separate] commandments in his tally of the commandments.
שֶׁלֹּא לְהַקְרִיב אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה וּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב – שֶׁנִּמְנַעְנוּ מֵהַקְרִיב אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה וּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב לְגַבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים כג יט) לֹא תָבִיא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה וּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב בֵּית יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ.
Not to bring the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog: That we have been prevented from bringing the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog towards the altar. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 23:19), “You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog into the house of the Lord, your God.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁהַקָּרְבָּן הוּא בָּא לְטַהֵר מַחְשֶׁבֶת הָאָדָם וּלְהַכְשִׁיר מַעֲשֵׂהוּ בְּכֹחַ הַפְּעֻלָּה הַהִיא, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בְּסֵדֶר וְיִקְחוּ לִי תְּרוּמָה בְּמִצְוָה צה, וּבִהְיוֹת קָרְבָּנוֹ בָּא מֵאֶתְנַן זוֹנָה, שֶׁהִיא עֲבֵרָה מְטֻנֶּפֶת, שֶׁמָּא יַחְשֹׁב בְּעֵת קָרְבָּנוֹ בְּאוֹתוֹ עִנְיָן רַע, וִיפַגֵּל מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ בְּאוֹתָהּ הַמַּחְשָׁבָה הָרָעָה וְהַבְּזוּיָה, וְגַם כֵּן מְחִיר הַכֶּלֶב מִטַּעַם זֶה, כִּי הַקָּרְבָּן יָבִיא הָאָדָם לְכַפָּרָה עַל נַפְשׁוֹ, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁקָּרְבָּנוֹ נִשְׁחָט וְנֻתַּח לִנְתָחִים רָאוּי לוֹ לְבַעַל הַקָּרְבָּן לַחְשֹׁב, שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כֵּן בְּגוּפוֹ עַל דְּבַר חֶטְאוֹ, אִם לֹא שֶׁחֶסֶד הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ הָיָה עָלָיו לִקַּח מִמֶּנּוּ כֹּפֶר קְצָת מָמוֹנוֹ, וְעִם הַפְּעֻלָּה הַזֹּאת רָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁיְּרַכֵּךְ לְבָבוֹ וְיִתְרַכֵּךְ נַפְשׁוֹ עַל חֲטָאֶיהָ, עַד שֶׁתָּשׁוּב וְתִנָּחֵם עַל מָה שֶׁעָשְׂתָה וְתַסְכִּים לְבַל תּוֹסִיף לַחֲטֹא עוֹד, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁכָּתַבְתִּי בִּמְקוֹמוֹ בְּעִנְיַן הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וּבַסֵּדֶר הַנִּזְכָּר, וְהַכְּלָבִים יָדוּעַ שֶׁהֵן עַזֵּי נֶפֶשׁ, וְשֶׁמָּא מִתּוֹךְ חָשְׁבוֹ בָּהֶם וּבְטִבְעָן הֶחָזָק תֶּחֱזַק נַפְשׁוֹ וְיִקְשֶׁה עָרְפּוֹ מֵהִנָּחֵם עַל חֲטָאָיו כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאוּי לוֹ. וְאִם אָמְנָה, בְּנִי, שֶׁאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי יַלְדוּת הֵן, עִמָּם תִּתְעוֹרֵר וְטַעַם זְקֵנִים תִּקָּח.
About the roots of this commandment are that since a sacrifice comes to purify the thoughts of a person and to make his deeds proper with this act — and as I wrote in the Order of Vayikchu Li Terumah (Sefer HaChinukh 95) — and since his sacrifice is coming from the fee of a prostitute, which is a filthy sin; maybe he will think about this evil matter at the time of his sacrifice and his thought will be disqualified by his thinking this evil and disgraceful thought. And so also with the price of a dog, for this reason: As a sacrifice brings a man to the atonement of his soul, and like the matter that when his sacrifice is slaughtered and cut into pieces, it is fitting for the owner of the sacrifice to think that it was fitting to do to him such, to his [own] body, for the matter of the sin; were it not for the kindness of God, may He be blessed, that was upon him, to take from him a little of his money as atonement. And with this action, it is fitting for him to soften his heart and soften his soul about its sins, to the point that it repents and has regret about what it has done, and agrees to not continue to sin any more — and like I wrote in its place about the matter of sacrifices and in the Order mentioned. And it is known that dogs are brazen-souled, and maybe from his thinking about them and their strong nature, his soul will strengthen itself, and he will become stiff-necked [against] regretting his sins, as is fit for him. And if I recount, my son, that these are words for children, you should be aroused by them, and “take the explanation of the elders.”
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (תמורה כט, א רמב"ם איסורי מזבח פ"ג ה"ח), שֶׁהָאֶתְנַן הוּא הָאוֹמֵר לָאִשָּׁה הֵא לָךְ דָּבָר זֶה בִּשְׂכָרֵךְ, וְאֶחָד זוֹנָה גּוֹיָה אוֹ שִׁפְחָה אוֹ יִשְׂרְאֵלִית שֶׁהִיא עֶרְוָה עָלָיו, אוֹ מְחֻיְּבֵי לָאוִין אֶתְנַנָּהּ אָסוּר. וְכֵן אֶתְנַן הַזְּכוּר בִּכְלַל אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה הוּא, אֲבָל אֶתְנַן אִשְׁתּוֹ נִדָּה אֵינוֹ בְּאִסּוּר אֶתְנָן. וְהַפּוֹסֵק עִם הַזּוֹנָה לָתֵת לָהּ טָלֶה אֶחָד, אִם נָתַן לָהּ אַחַר כָּךְ אֲפִלּוּ אֶלֶף טְלָאִים כֻּלָּן אֲסוּרִין מִשּׁוּם אֶתְנָן (רמב"ם שם י"א). וְאֵין אָסוּר מִשּׁוּם אֶתְנָן וּמְחִיר אֶלָּא גּוּפָן, לְפִיכָךְ אֵין הָאִסּוּר חָל אֶלָּא עַל דָּבָר הָרָאוּי לִקְרַב עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (רמב"ם שם הל' יד טו), וְהַנּוֹתֵן לָהּ בֶּהֱמַת קָדָשִׁים בְּמַתָּנָה לֹא נֶאֶסְרָה, שֶׁכְּבָר קָדַם וְזָכָה בָּהּ הֶקְדֵּשׁ. וְאֵיזֶהוּ מְחִיר כֶּלֶב? זֶה הָאוֹמֵר הֵא לְךָ טָלֶה זֶה תַּחַת כֶּלֶב זֶה, וַאֲפִלּוּ נָתַן לוֹ כַּמָּה טְלָאִים תַּחַת כֶּלֶב אֶחָד כֻּלָּן אֲסוּרִין. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ מְבֹאָרִין בְּפֶרֶק שִׁשִּׁי מִמַּסֶּכֶת תְּמוּרָה [הלכות איסורי מזבח פ"א].
The laws of the commandment: That which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Temurah 29a, see Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 3:8) that the fee is that which he says to the woman, “Behold, this thing is to you for your wage.” And it is one whether the prostitute is a gentile or a slave or an Israelite that is sexually forbidden to him, or from those that are prohibited by negative commandments. And so [too], the fee of a male is included in the fee of a prostitute, but the fee of his wife when she is menstruant is not within the prohibition of the fee. And one who resolves with the prostitute to give her one lamb — if he gives her another, even if he does this with a thousand lambs, they are all forbidden as the fee. (See Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 3:11.) And there is no prohibition of the fee and the price except with their bodies — therefore, the prohibition only applies to something that is fitting to offer on top of the altar. (See Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 3:14-15). And if one gives her a sanctified animal as a gift, it does not become forbidden, as the consecration already preceded and took possession of it. And what is the price of a dog? This is the one that says, “Behold, this lamb for that dog.” And even if he gave him several lambs for one dog, they are all forbidden. And the remainder of its details are elucidated in the sixth chapter of Terumah. (See Mishneh Torah, Things Forbidden on the Altar 1.)
וְנוֹהֵג אִסּוּר זֶה בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בִּזְמַן הַבַּיִת. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְהִקְרִיב אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה אוֹ מְחִיר כֶּלֶב, עִם הֱיוֹת הַקָּרְבָּן פָּסוּל, חַיָּב הַמַּקְרִיב מַלְקוּת כְּדִין מַקְרִיב בַּעַל מוּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ בְּסֵדֶר אֱמֹר אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים. וְהָרַמְבַּ"ן זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה, יַחְשֹׁב אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה וּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב לִשְׁנֵי לָאוִין בְּמִנְיָנוֹ בַּמִּצְוֹת.
And this prohibition is practiced by males and females during the time of the [Temple]. And one who transgresses it, and sacrifices the fee of a prostitute or the price of a dog — even with the sacrifice being invalid — the one who brings it is liable for lashes; like one who sacrifices a blemished animal, as we explained in the Order of Emor el HaKohanim. And Ramban, may his memory be blessed, calculates the fee of a prostitute and the price of a dog as two [separate] commandments in his tally of the commandments.