Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 152/ספרי דברים קנ״ב
א(דברים יז ח) כִּי יִפָּלֵא – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבְּמֻפְלָא הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר.
1Pisqa’ 152581. “If you are bedazzled”59 literally: “extraordinary,” “baffling.” Following is the JPS rendering of the first clause of Dt. 17:8: “If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over homicide, civil law or assault—matters of dispute in your courts.” The midrashic reading of the verse, presented in my own rendering of Sifre’s text, takes pains to re-signify the verse to make room for characteristic institutions associated with the oral Torah’s institutions of jurisprudence. Cf. Fraade, p.84-85. (Dt. 17:8).This teaches thatthe verse speaks [even] of a judicial appointeeof dazzling intellect.60 Tannaitic memory recognizes the mufla’ shel bet din as an appointed office (e.g., M. Hor.1:4, T. San.7:1) that should go to the most brilliant judge in the Sanhedrin.
במִמְּךָ – זוֹ עֵצָה.
2“Beyond your own [capacities]” (Dt. 17:8)—of deliberation.
גדָּבָר – זוֹ הֲלָכָה.
3“By an issue” (Dt. 17:8)—concerning the oral legal tradition.
דלַמִּשְׁפָּט – זֶה הַדִּין.
4“Of case-law” (Dt. 17:8)—that requires adjudication.
הבֵּין דָּם לְדָם – בֵּין דַּם נִדָּה לְדַם יוֹלֶדֶת לְדַם זִיבָה.
5“In distinguishing between blood and blood” (Dt. 17:8)—whether menstrual blood,parturient blood,or a bloody venereal discharge.
ובֵּין דִּין לְדִין – בֵּין דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת לְדִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת לְדִינֵי מַכּוֹת.
6“Between judgment and judgment” (Dt. 17:8)—whether monetary judgments,capital judgments,or judgments [regarding judicial] lashings.61 I follow RH and Fraade, p. 84 in rendering this phrase. Cf. H:189, “bodily injury law” and JN2:17. “assault.”
זבֵּין נֶגַע לָנֶגַע – בֵּין נִגְעֵי אָדָם לְנִגְעֵי בְגָדִים לְנִגְעֵי בָתִּים.
7“Between one plague-sign and another” (Dt. 17:8)—whether those affecting human bodies, clothing, or homes.
חדִּבְרֵי – אֵלּוּ עֲרָכִים וַחֲרָמִים וְהֶקְדֵּשׁוֹת.
8“And words” (Dt. 17:8)—[declarations of vows]concerning the monetary valueof persons, devoted objects, or consecrated gifts (Lv. 27:1-34).62, and heqdeshot denote vows to offer the monetary value of specific persons or objects to the upkeep of the Sanctuary.
טרִיבוֹת – זוֹ הַשְׁקָיַת סוֹטָה וַעֲרִיפַת עֶגְלָה וְטָהֳרַת מְצוֹרָע.
9“Of conflict” (Dt. 17:8)—whether the ordeal of the accused adulteress (Nu. 5:12ff.),the rite of the beheaded calf (Dt. 21:1-9),or the purification of victims of Scale-disease (Lv. 14:1ff.).
יבִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ – זֶה לֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה.
10“Within your gates (Dt. 17:8)—whether Gleanings, the Forgotten Sheaf, or Corner-offerings.63
יאוְקַמְתָּ – מִיָּד.
112. “Then shall you arise” (Dt. 17:8)—immediately!
יבוְקַמְתָּ – בְּבֵית דִּין,
12“Arise” (Dt. 17:8)—in the court.
יגמִכָּן אָמְרוּ (סנהדרין פי״א מ״ב): שְׁלֹשָׁה בָּתֵּי דִינִים הָיוּ שָׁם, אֶחָד עַל פֶּתַח הַר הַבַּיִת, וְאֶחָד עַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה, וְאֶחָד בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית.
13On this basis they taught:Three courts were there:one at the entrance to the Mount of the Abode;and one at the entrance to the Courtyard;and one in the Chamber of Carved Stone.
ידבָּאִים לָזֶה שֶׁל שַׁעַר הַר הַבַּיִת וְאוֹמֵר: ״כָּךְ דָּרַשְׁתִּי וְכָךְ דָּרְשׁוּ חֲבֵרַי, כָּךְ לִמַּדְתִּי וְכָךְ לִמְּדוּ חֲבֵרַי״. אִם שָׁמְעוּ, אָמְרוּ לָהֶם, וְאִם לָאו – בָּאִים לָזֶה שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה וְאוֹמֵר: ״כָּךְ דָּרַשְׁתִּי וְכָךְ דָּרְשׁוּ חֲבֵרַי, כָּךְ לִמַּדְתִּי וְכָךְ לִמְּדוּ חֲבֵרַי״. אִם שָׁמְעוּ, אָמְרוּ לָהֶם, וְאִם לָאו – אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ בָּאִים לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית, שֶׁמִּשָּׁם תּוֹרָה יוֹצְאָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳.
14They would first reachthe one at the entrance to the Mount of the Abode.And [he presiding justice]would announce:Thus have I expounded the matterand thus have my colleagues expounded it.Thus have I studied the matterand thus have my colleagues studied it.If [the judges] had heard a tradition [on the matter],they would declare it.But if not, they would goto the High Court in the Chamber of Carved Stone.From there would Torah go forth to all Israel,as it is said:“From that very place which HASHEM shall choose”64 (Dt. 17:10)
טווְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ, מַגִּיד שֶׁאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל גְּבוֹהָה מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת וּבֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ גָּבוֹהַּ מִכָּל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
153. “Then shall you arise and ascend” (Dt. 17:8)—this explains thatthe Land of Israel is higher than all other lands,and the Holy Abode is higher than all the Land of Israel.65 37.18.