Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 148/ספרי דברים קמ״ח
א(דברים יז ב) כִּי יִמָּצֵא – בְּעֵדִים. מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (דברים יט טו) ״עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים אוֹ עַל פִּי שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים יָקוּם דָּבָר״ זֶה בִּנְיַן אָב, שֶׁכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״יִמָּצֵא״ – בִּשְׁנֵי עֵדִים וּבִשְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים.
1Pisqa’ 148271. “When there is found among you” (Dt. 17:2)—with [the confirmation of] witnesses.Inferring from what is said elsewhere:“By the testimony of two witnesses,or by the testimony of three witnessesshall the matter be established” (Dt. 19:15),28 188.this verse (Dt. 17:2) creates an interpretive family29 literally, “a construction from a father.” That is, “an interpretive context governed by a dominant term.”.—namely, wherever [the passive verb], is found, appears[in the context of a capital offense],we interpret this to require two or three witnesses[in order to convene a trial].30 148, n.1.
בבְּקִרְבְּךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר? לְפִי שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ה) ״וְהוֹצֵאתָ אֶת הָאִישׁ הַהוּא אוֹ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה הַהִיא אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה אֶל שְׁעָרֶיךָ״, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ בוֹ – וְשַׁעַר שֶׁנִּדּוֹנוּ בוֹ! תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״שְׁעָרֶיךָ״ ״שְׁעָרֶיךָ״ לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה, מַה ״שְׁעָרֶיךָ״ הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ בוֹ וְלֹא שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּדּוֹנוּ בוֹ, אַף ״שְׁעָרֶיךָ״ הָאָמוּר כָּאן – שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּמְצְאוּ בוֹ וְלֹא שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּדּוֹנוּ בוֹ.
22. “In your midst, in one of your gates” (Dt. 17:2).What does the Teaching mean?Since it is said:“And you shall bring out to your gates that man or this woman,who has committed this wicked deed” (Dt. 17:5),shall I infer that they are brought out tothe place at which they were discovered sinningor to the place at which they are to be judged?The Teaching states:“Your gates” (Dt. 17:2) and “your gates” (Dt. 17:5).It thus permits the following exegetical inference:31 literally: “a similarity of meaning,” or, more expansively, “the meaning of the term in the present context is established from its meaning in a different context.”just as your gates, elsewhere (Dt. 17:5)refers to the place at which they were found,and not to the place at which they are to be judged,so, too, your gates, here (Dt. 17:2)refers to the place at which they were found,and not to the place at which they are to be judged.32 149.4
גלְפִי שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁהַנִּדָּחִים בְּסַיִף, יָכוֹל אַף הַמַּדִּיחִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים יז ה): ״אֶת הָאִישׁ אוֹ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה וּסְקַלְתָּם בָּאֲבָנִים וָמֵתוּ״.
33. Since we find thatthose led astray to serve in a foreign cult are [executed] by the sword,is it possible to say that the same applies tothose who led them astray?The Teaching states:“And you shall bring out that man or this woman . . .and pelt them with stones till they die” (Dt. 17:5).
דלְפִי שֶׁמָּצִינוּ שֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים עִיר הַנִּדַּחַת לֹא עַל פִּי אֶחָד וְלֹא עַל פִּי אִשָּׁה, יָכוֹל יְהוּ פְּטוּרִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה.
4Since we find thatthey do not declare a city led astrayon the testimony of one [male] witness,or on the testimony of a woman,is it possible to say that[individuals who do so] are exempt?The Teaching states:“A man or a woman” (Dt. 17:2)—[individuals who lead a city astray are culpable].
האֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַעֲבֹר בְּרִיתוֹ, קָרוּי חֲמִשָּׁה שֵׁמוֹת: חֵרֶם, תּוֹעֵבָה, שָׂנאוּי, מְשֻׁקָּץ וְעָוֶל, וְהַמָּקוֹם קָרָא לוֹ חֲמִשָּׁה שֵׁמוֹת: רַע, וּמֵפֵר בְּרִית, מְנָאֵץ, מַכְעִיס, וּמַמְרֶה, וְגוֹרֵם חֲמִשָּׁה דְבָרִים: מְטַמֵּא אֶת הָאָרֶץ, וּמְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם, וּמְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה, וּמַפִּיל אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּחֶרֶב, וּמַגְלֶה אוֹתָם מֵאַרְצָם.
54. “Who shall commit this evil before the eyes of HASHEM your God,to transgress His Covenant” (Dt. 17:2)—[such a person]is known to others by five epithets:Condemned; Abominable; Hateful; Disgusting; and Perverse.33, per.4:1.Cf. Pisqa’ 226.3And the All-Present knows him by five epithets:Wicked; Covenant-breaker; Blasphemer; Enrager; and Rebel.And he causes five catastrophes:He pollutes the Land; he profanes the Name; he repels the Presence;he causes Israel to fall by the sword, and he drives them off their Land.34, per.4:1
ואֵין לִי אֶלָּא זֶה בִּלְבַד, עוֹבֵד מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים יז ג): ״וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּעֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים״, מִנַּיִן אַף הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לָהֶם וְלַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אוֹ לַיָּרֵחַ אוֹ לְכָל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוִּיתִי״.
65. I might infer only that[the leader astray] alone causes these catstrophes.On what basis do I know thatthey are also caused byone who actually serves a foreign cult?The Teaching states:“And he goes and serves other gods” (Dt. 17:3).On what basis do I know thatthey are also caused byone who only prostrates himself?The Teaching states:“And he prostrates himself to them.and to the sun, or to the moon,or to any of the Heavenly retinue,about which I have not commanded you” (Dt. 17:3)
ז(דברים כח יד) לְעָבְדָם – לְהָבִיא אֶת הַמְשַׁתֵּף.
7“To serve them” (Dt. 28:14)—this clause includes [within the prohibition],one who associates[the God of Israel with the name of a foreign god].
חרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד יט) ״אֲשֶׁר חָלַק ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹתָם לְכָל הָעַמִּים״ יָכוֹל שֶׁחֲלָקָם לָאֻמּוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כט כה): ״אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּם וְלֹא חָלַק לָהֶם״.
86. R. Yose the Galilean says:Inferring from what is stated:“Those whom HASHEM your God has apportioned to all the peoples” (Dt. 4:19)—is it possible to say thatHe apportioned them to the nations [for worship]? The Teaching states:“Gods which they had never known,and in which they had no share” (Dt. 29:25)—[they— the nations—were not given their own gods to adore].
טרַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: אֶלְעָזָר בְּנִי אוֹמֵר בּוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה דְבָרִים (ירמיה יט ה): ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוִּיתִי״ – בַּתּוֹרָה, ״וְלֹא דִבַּרְתִּי״ – בַּעֲשֶׂרֶת הַדִּבְּרוֹת, ״וְלֹא עָלְתָה עַל לִבִּי״ – שֶׁיַּקְרִיב אָדָם אֶת בְּנוֹ עַל גַּב הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.
97. R. Yose says:My son, Elazar, teaches three words about[the Supernal One’s tolerance of the foreign cult]:“They built altars to Baal . . .which I did not command” (Jer. 19:5)—that is, in the Torah;“Of which I did not utter” (Jer. 19:5)—that is, in the Ten Utterances;“And which never entered my mind” (Jer. 19:5)—that a person might offer his child upon an altar!
יאֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: ״אֲשֶׁר לֹא צִוִּיתִי״ – עַל יִפְתָּח, ״וְלֹא דִבַּרְתִּי״ – עַל מֵישַׁע מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב, ״וְלֹא עָלְתָה עַל לִבִּי״ – שֶׁיַּקְרִיב אַבְרָהָם בְּנוֹ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ.
10Others teach:“Which I did not command” (Jer. 19:5)—referring to the sacrifice of Jephthah.35“Of which I did not utter” (Jer. 19:5)—referring to Mesha, King of Moab.36“And which never entered my mind” (Jer. 19:5)—that Abraham might offer his child upon an altar!