Deuteronomy 26:14

14 I ate not of those things in my mourning, neither I separated them in(to) any uncleanness, neither I spended of those anything in burying of a dead body (I did not eat any of it while mourning, I did not put any of it aside for unclean uses, and I did not spend any of it for burying a dead body). I obeyed to the voice of my Lord God, and I did all things as thou commandedest to me.

Deuteronomy 26:14 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 26:14

I have not eaten thereof in my mourning
When in grief and sorrow on account of any afflictive circumstance, for these were to be eaten with joy, ( Deuteronomy 16:11 ) ( 26:11 ) ; and especially of the loss of relations by death, when holy things were not to be eaten by such persons; see ( Leviticus 10:19 ) ; and particularly tithes, though it is said ^F14,

``What is doubtful of tithing (whether it has been tithed or no) might be eaten by a mourner;''

and a man was reckoned such an one until his dead was buried. So Maimonides ^F15 observes,

``a mourner may not eat holy things, as it is written, ( Deuteronomy 26:14 ) ; he is one whose relation is dead, when he is obliged to mourn; for he is called by the law a mourner as long as the dead lies upon the face of the earth (above ground), or as long as he is not yet buried he is called a mourner; and so likewise on the day of burial:''

neither have I taken away [ought] thereof for [any] unclean [use];
or common use, or any other use than it was designed for, and devoted to; or for any unclean person, who by the law might not eat thereof; or, as Jarchi interprets it, that he had not removed it, or taken it away from being eaten, on account of any unclean person, because I am unclean and he pure, or he pure and I unclean:

nor given ought thereof for the dead;
for the necessities of the dead, as Aben Ezra; more particularly Jarchi, to make for him a coffin and grave clothes; and so the Targum of Jonathan interprets it of grave clothes for the dead; though that of Jerusalem of clothes for those that are polluted by the dead. It may have respect also to the parentalia, or funeral feasts made at the interment of the dead; though Aben Ezra says, there are some that say it was for idolatry, and so the person here speaking denies that he had made use of any of the holy things in honour of idols, of dead men deified; and some are of opinion that all the above things may have some respect to idolatrous practices {p}:

[but] I have hearkened to the voice of the Lord my God, [and] have
done according to all that thou hast commanded me;
observed his word, and kept close to it, and not swerved from it, but acted according to it in all things before referred to.

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FOOTNOTES:

F14 Misn. Demai, c. 1. sect. 2.
F15 Maimon. in Misn. Pesachim, c. 8. sect. 6.
F16 Vid. Patrick in loc.

Deuteronomy 26:14 In-Context

12 When thou hast fulfilled the tithe of all thy fruits, in the third year of thy tithes, thou shalt give (them) to the deacon, and to the comeling, and to the fatherless, either the motherless child, and to the widow, that they eat within thy gates, and be full-filled. (When thou hast taken the tithe of all thy fruits in the third year, which is the tithe-year, thou shalt give them to the Levite, and the newcomer, and the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, so that they can eat it within thy gates, and be filled full.)

13 And thou shalt speak in the sight of thy Lord God, and say, I have taken away that that is hallowed of mine house, and I gave it to the deacon, and to the comeling, and to the fatherless, either motherless child, and to the widow, as thou commandedest to me; I passed not (over) thy commandments, I forgot not thy behest. (And thou shalt say before the Lord thy God, I have brought forth from my house what was dedicated to thee, and I have given it to the Levite, and the newcomer, and the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow, as thou hast commanded me; I have not passed over thy commandments, I have not forgotten thy charge, or thy orders.)

14 I ate not of those things in my mourning, neither I separated them in(to) any uncleanness, neither I spended of those anything in burying of a dead body (I did not eat any of it while mourning, I did not put any of it aside for unclean uses, and I did not spend any of it for burying a dead body). I obeyed to the voice of my Lord God, and I did all things as thou commandedest to me.

15 Behold thou from thy saintuary, from the high dwelling place of heaven, and bless thou thy people Israel, and the land which thou hast given to us, as thou hast sworn to our fathers, the land flowing with milk and honey.

16 Today Israel, thy Lord God commanded to thee, that thou do these behests and dooms, that thou keep and fulfill them of all thine heart, and of all thy soul. (Today Israel, the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou obey these statutes and laws, or judgements, that thou keep and fulfill them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.)