Chapter 17

אלא תזבח … כל דבר רע. אַזְהָרָה לַמְפַגֵּל בַּקֳּדָשִׁים עַ"יְ דִּבּוּר רָע. וְעוֹד נִדְרְשׁוּ בוֹ שְׁאָר דְּרָשׁוֹת בִּשְׁחִיטַת קָדָשִׁים (זבחים ל"ו):

1לא תזבח ... כל דבר רע THOU SHALT NOT SACRIFICE [UNTO THE LORD THY GOD ANY OF THE HERD OR FLOCK WHEREIN IS BLEMISH OR] ANY EVIL THING — This is an admonition to one who would make sacrifices abominable through an evil utterance (דבר רע). (See Rashi on Leviticus 7:18; cf. Sifrei Devarim 147:5). Besides this, other Halachas have been derived from it in the Treatise on “The slaughtering of Sacrifices” (Zevachim 36).

אלעבר בריתו. אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתְּכֶם שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה:

1לעבר בריתו TRANSGRESSING HIS COVENANT — i.e. the covenant which He made with you not to practise idolatry.

אאשר לא צויתי. לְעָבְדָם (מגילה ט'):

1אשר לא צויתי [AND HATH GONE AND SERVED OTHER GODS … EITHER THE SUN, OR MOON, OR ANY OF THE HOST OF HEAVEN] WHICH I HAVE NOT COMMANDED to worship them (Megillah 9b).

אנכון. מְכֻוָּן הָעֵדוּת:

1נכון [AND, BEHOLD, IT BE TRUE, AND THE THING BE] CERTAIN — i.e. the evidence of the witnesses is in agreement (מְכֻוָּן‎)

אוהוצאת את האיש ההוא אל שעריך וגו'. הַמְתַרְגֵּם אֶל שְׁעָרֶיךָ "לִתְרַע בֵּית דִּינָךְ" טוֹעֶה, שֶׁכֵּן שָׁנִינוּ "אֶל שְׁעָרֶיךָ" — זֶה שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּדּוֹן בּוֹ? נֶאֱמַר "שְׁעָרֶיךָ" לְמַטָּה וְנֶאֱמַר "שְׁעָרֶיךָ" לְמַעְלָה, מַה שְּׁעָרֶיךָ הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, אַף שְׁעָרֶיךָ הָאָמוּר לְמַטָּה שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "לְקִרְוָיךְ":

1והוצאת את האיש ההוא אל שעריך וגו׳ THEN THOU SHALT BRING FORTH THAT MAN [OR THAT WOMAN WHO HAVE DONE THAT EVIL THING] UNTO THY GATES — He who renders אל שעריך in the Targum by לתרע בית דינך, unto the gate of thy court, is in error, for thus we have learned (Sifrei Devarim 148:2; Ketubot 45b): אל שעריך — this means the gate (the city) in which he has worshipped the idol. Or, perhaps this is not so, but it means the gate where he is being judged (the judges sat “at the gate of the city”; cf., e.g., Ruth 4:1 ff.)?! The term שעריך, however, is used below (i.e. here, which is the latter part of this section) and is used above (v. 2), and this suggests an analogy. What is the meaning of שעריך that is mentioned above? Evidently the gate (the city) wherein he served the idol! So, too, does שעריך mentioned below (in our verse) denote the gate in which he served the idol. The correct rendering in the Targum is therefore לקרויך “thou shalt bring him forth unto thy cities” (cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 16:18).

אשנים עדים או שלשה. אִם מִתְקַיֶּמֶת עֵדוּת בִּשְׁנַיִם לָמָּה פֵּרֵט לְךָ בִשְׁלוֹשָׁה? לְהַקִּישׁ שְׁלוֹשָׁה לִשְׁנַיִם, מַה שְּׁנַיִם עֵדוּת אַחַת אַף שְׁלוֹשָׁה עֵדוּת אַחַת, וְאֵין נַעֲשִׂין זוֹמְמִין עַד שֶׁיִּזֹּמּוּ כֻלָּם (מכות ה'):

1שנים עדים או שלשה [BY THE MOUTH OF] TWO WITNESSES OR THREE [WITNESSES, SHALL HE THAT IS WORTHY OF DEATH BE PUT TO DEATH] — But if evidence can be established by two witnesses to what end does it (Scripture) mention to you explicitly that it may be established by three? Scripture does so in order to compare the evidence of three witnesses to that of two (to make the same law apply to both cases). How is it in the case of two? Their evidence forms one testimony; so, too, does the evidence of three (or many) witnesses form one testimony and they cannot be declared “plotting witnesses” unless all of them are proved to be “plotting witnesses” (Makkot 5b).

אכי יפלא. כָּל הַפְלָאָה לְשׁוֹן הַבְדָּלָה וּפְרִישָׁה, שֶׁהַדָּבָר נִבְדָּל וּמְכֻסֶּה מִמְּךָ:

1כי יפלא IF THERE BE [A THING] TOO HARD [FOR THEE IN JUDGMENT] — The term פלא always denotes separation and being at a distance; it means here that the matter is apart and is hidden from thee.

בבין דם לדם. בֵּין דָּם טָמֵא לְדָם טָהוֹר (נדה י"ט):

2בין דם לדם [IF THERE IS ANYTHING TOO HARD FOR THEE IN JUDGMENT] BETWEEN BLOOD AND BLOOD — i.e. between the blood of the menstruous woman that may be unclean blood, and blood that may be clean (Niddah 19a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 152:5),

גבין דין לדין. בֵּין דִּין זַכַּאי לְדִין חַיָּב:

3בין דין לדין BETWEEN PLEA AND PLEA — i.e. between a verdict of acquittal and a verdict of “guilty”.

דבין נגע לנגע. בֵּין נֶגַע טָמֵא לְנֶגַע טָהוֹר:

4בין נגע לנגע BETWEEN PLAGUE AND PLAGUE — i.e. between a plague that may be unclean and a plague that may be clean.

הדברי ריבת. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ חַכְמֵי הָעִיר חוֹלְקִים בַּדָּבָר, זֶה מְטַמֵּא וְזֶה מְטַהֵר, זֶה מְחַיֵּב וְזֶה מְזַכֶּה:

5דברי ריבה BEING THINGS OF STRIFE [WITHIN THY GATES] — i.e. that the scholars of the city (the judges) be of different opinions in that particular matter (cf. Onkelos), the one declaring it unclean, the other clean, the one sentencing, the other acquitting,

ווקמת ועלית. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ גָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת (ספרי; סנהדרין פ"ז):

6וקמת ועלית THEN SHALT THOU RISE AND GO UP [UNTO THE PLACE WHICH THE LORD THY GOD SHALL CHOOSE] — This (the phrase “go up”) teaches that the Temple (in the vicinity of which the Sanhedrin sat) was situated higher than all other places in Palestine (Sifrei Devarim 152:15; Sanhedrin 87a). (cf. however, Ibn Ezra on Numbers 16:12.)

אהכהנים הלוים. הַכֹּהֲנִים שֶׁיָּצְאוּ מִשֵּׁבֶט לֵוִי:

1הכהנים הלוים [AND THOU SHALT COME UNTO] THE PRIESTS THE LEVITES — i.e. unto the priests, who descend from of the tribe of Levi.

בואל השפט אשר יהיה בימים ההם. וַאֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ כִּשְׁאָר שׁוֹפְטִים שֶׁהָיוּ לְפָנָיו, אַתָּה צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹעַ לוֹ – אֵין לְךָ אֶלָּא שׁוֹפֵט שֶׁבְּיָמֶיךָ (ראש השנה כ"ה):

2ואל השפט אשר יהיה בימים ההם [AND THOU SHALT COME UNTO THE PRIESTS …] AND UNTO THE JUDGE THAT SHALL BE IN THOSE DAYS — The last apparently redundant words suggest: and even though he is not as eminent as other judges that have been before him, you must obey him — you have none else but the judge that lives in your days (i.e. you are only concerned with him) (Rosh Hashanah 25b).

אימין ושמאל. אֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר לְךָ עַל יָמִין שֶׁהוּא שְׂמֹאל וְעַל שְׂמֹאל שֶׁהוּא יָמִין, וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן שֶׁאוֹמֵר לְךָ עַל יָמִין יָמִין וְעַל שְׂמֹאל שְׂמֹאל (ספרי):

1ימין ושמאל [THOU SHALT NOT DEPART FROM THE WORD WHICH THEY SHALL TELL THEE] TO THE RIGHT NOR TO THE LEFT, even if he (the judge) tells you about what appears to you to be right that it is left, or about what appears to you to be left that it is right, you have to obey him; how much the more is this so if actually he tells you about what is evidently right that it is right and about what is left that it is left (cf. Sifrei Devarim 154:5).

אוכל העם ישמעו. מִכָּאן שֶׁמַּמְתִּינִין לוֹ עַד הָרֶגֶל וּמְמִיתִין אוֹתוֹ בָּרֶגֶל (סנהדרין פ"ט):

1וכל העם ישמעו AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL HEAR [AND FEAR] — From here we derive the law that they wait for him (i.e. defer the execution of a זקן ממרא, an elder who disregards the decision of the Supreme Court, to whom Scripture refers in v. 12 by the words והאיש אשר יעשה בזדון) until the next festival (when all Israel is assembled in Jerusalem) and they put him to death at the season of the festival (Sanhedrin 89a).

אלא ירבה לו סוסים. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא ישיב את העם מצרימה, שֶׁהַסּוּסִים בָּאִים מִשָּׁם, כְּמָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּשְׁלֹמֹה (מלכים א י') וַתַּעֲלֶה וַתֵּצֵא מֶרְכָּבָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּשֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְסוּס בַּחֲמִשִּׁים וּמֵאָה (סנהדרין כ"א):

1לא ירבה לו סוסים HE SHALL NOT MULTIPLY HORSES TO HIMSELF — but he shall have only what is sufficient for his carriages, in order that he shall not cause the people to return to Egypt, because horses come from there, as it is said in the history of Solomon (1 Kings 10:29) “And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver and a horse for a hundred and fifty” (Sanhedrin 21b).

אולא ירבה לו נשים. אֶלָּא י"ח, שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהָיוּ לוֹ לְדָוִד שֵׁשׁ נָשִׁים, וְנֶאֱמַר לוֹ (שמואל ב י״ב:ח׳) "וְאִם מְעָט וְאֹסִפָה לְּךָ כָּהֵנָּה וְכָהֵנָּה":

1ולא ירבה לו נשים NEITHER SHALL HE MULTIPLY WIVES TO HIMSELF only eighteen, for we find that David had six wives, and it was announced to him (by Nathan the prophet): “[Thus saith the Lord … I gave thy master’s wives into thy bosom] … and if that had been too little, I would add unto thee such and such as these (i.e. twice as many)” (Sanhedrin 21a).

בוכסף וזהב לא ירבה לו מאד. אֶלָּא כְּדֵי לִתֵּן לְאַכְסַנְיָא (ספרי; סנהדרין כ"א):

2וכסף וזהב לא ירבה לו מאד NEITHER SHALL HE GREATLY MULTIPLY TO HIMSELF SILVER AND GOLD — but only as much as he needs for his soldiers’ pay (Sanhedrin 21b).

אוהיה כשבתו. אִם עָשָׂה כֵן כְּדַאי הוּא שֶׁתִּתְקַיֵּם מַלְכוּתוֹ (ספרי):

1והיה כשבתו AND IT SHALL BE WHEN HE SITTETH [UPON THE THRONE OF HIS KINGDOM] — if he acts thus (as prescribed in the previous verses) he is worthy that his kingdom should endure (Sifrei Devarim 160:1).

באת משנה התורה. שְׁתֵּי סִפְרֵי תוֹרָה, אַחַת שֶׁהִיא מֻנַּחַת בְּבֵית גְּנָזָיו, וְאַחַת שֶׁנִּכְנֶסֶת וְיוֹצֵאת עִמּוֹ (סנהדרין כ"א); וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם "פַּתְשֶׁגֶן", פָּתַר משנה לְשׁוֹן שִׁנּוּן וְדִבּוּר:

2את משנה התורה [HE SHALL WRITE HIM] A משנה תורה — i.e. two scrolls of the Law, one that is placed in his treasury and the other that goes out and comes in with him (i.e. a small scroll which he carries everywhere with him) (Sanhedrin 21b). Onkelos, however, renders משנה by פתשגן, a copy; he thus interpreted the word משנה in the sense of שנן, repeating and uttering.

אדברי התורה. כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ:

1דברי התורה [ALL] THE WORDS OF [THIS] LAW — Take it as what it literally implies.

אולבלתי סור מן המצוה. אֲפִלּוּ מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁל נָבִיא:

1ולבלתי סור מן המצוה AND THAT HE DEPART NOT FROM THE COMMANDMENT — not even from a less important command given to him by means of a prophet.

בלמען יאריך ימים. מִכְּלַל הֵן אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ לָאו; וְכֵן מָצִינוּ בְשָׁאוּל שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ שְׁמוּאֵל (שמואל א י') "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תּוֹחֵל עַד בּוֹאִי אֵלֶיךָ", לְהַעֲלוֹת עוֹלוֹת, וּכְתִיב (שם י"ג) "וַיּוֹחֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים", וְלֹא שָׁמַר הַבְטָחָתוֹ לִשְׁמֹר כָּל הַיּוֹם, וְלֹא הִסְפִּיק לְהַעֲלוֹת הָעוֹלָה עַד שֶׁבָּא שְׁמוּאֵל וְאָמַר לוֹ "נִסְכָּלְתָּ לֹא שָׁמַרְתָּ וְגוֹ' וְעַתָּה מַמְלַכְתְּךָ לֹא תָקוּם", הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל מִצְוָה קַלָּה שֶׁל נָבִיא נֶעֱנַשׁ:

2למען יאריך ימים TO THE END THAT HE MAY PROLONG HIS DAYS [IN HIS KINGDOM] — From the positive statement you may derive the negative (that if he does not fulfil the commandments his kingdom will not endure). And so, indeed, do we find in the case of Saul that Samuel said to him, (I Samuel 10:8) “Seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come unto thee” to offer burnt sacrifices, and it is written, (I Samuel 13:8) “and he tarried seven days”, but he did not keep his promise to wait the whole of the seventh day and had scarcely finished offering the burnt offering when Samuel came (I Samuel 10:10) and said to him (I Samuel 10:13-14) “Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept [the commandment of the Lord thy God, which He commanded thee; for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel forever;] but now thy kingdom shall not continue”. Thus you learn that for the neglect of an unimportant command given by means of a prophet he was severely punished.

גהוא ובניו. מַגִּיד שֶׁאִם בְּנוֹ הָגוּן לְמַלְכוּת הוּא קוֹדֵם לְכָל אָדָם (הוריות י"א):

3הוא ובניו [THAT HE MAY PROLONG HIS DAYS IN HIS KINGDOM] HE, AND HIS CHILDREN — This tells you that if his son is worthy of becoming king he has to be given preference to any other person (Horayot 11b).

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org