Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 160/ספרי דברים ק״ס
א(דברים יז יח) וְהָיָה כְשִׁבְתּוֹ עַל כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ – אִם עוֹשֶׂה הוּא כָּל הָאָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן, כְּדַי הוּא שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ.
1Pisqa’ 160951. “Now, when he occupies the throne of his kingdom” (Dt. 17:18).That is:If he behaves according to all the stipulations in this matter,then he will be privileged to occupy the throne of his kingdom.96 156.1, 162.1, 170.1, 174.1, 297.1, etc..
בוְכָתַב לוֹ – לִשְׁמוֹ; שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא נֵאוֹת בְּשֶׁל אֲבוֹתָיו.
2“Then, he shall inscribe for himself” (Dt. 17:17)—for his personal use,lest he benefit from the copies made by his ancestors.97
גמִשְׁנֵה, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה, שְׁאָר דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים יז יט): ״לִשְׁמֹר אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹתָם״. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה? – שֶׁעֲתִידָה לְהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת!
3“A copy”98 (Dt. 17:17)—do I infer from this that he must copyonly the Restatement of the Torah (mishneh hatorah)?99On what basis do I know that[he copies] the rest of the words of the Torah?100The Teaching states:“To preserve all the words of this Torah, and these statutes, and to perform them” (Dt. 17:19).If so, why is it stated:“A copy of this Torah” (Dt. 17:17)?[This refers to a copy in the original script,] 101). And when they were deserving in the days of Ezra, it was changed back to Assyrian . . . “for the script was eventually replaced.102; literally, “changed. The assonance with mishneh, both words sharing an identical root (sh-n-h), supports the verbal play.
דאֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין קוֹרְאִים בְּיוֹם הַקְהֵל אֶלָּא מִשְׁנֵה תּוֹרָה בִּלְבַד.
4Others say:on the Day of Assembly (Dt. 31:10-13),103 157.4.they recite only from[a copy of] the Restatement of the Torah.
העַל סֵפֶר – וְלֹא עַל הַלּוּחַ, עַל סֵפֶר – וְלֹא עַל הַנְּיָר, אֶלָּא עַל הַמְּגִלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: עַל סֵפֶר.
52. Inscribed “on a document”104 literally, “in a book.” (Dt. 17:18)—but not on a tablet;“On a document” (Dt. 17:18)—but not on papyrus.Rather, it must be inscribed on a scroll,for it is said:“On a document” (Dt. 17:18).105 See Pisqa’ 269 and161.4 Official proclamations were written on scrolls. So, too, the Torah—as befitting its status—should be written on a scroll.
ומִלִּפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם, שֶׁתְּהֵא מֻגַּהַת מִלִּפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם.
6“Before the levitical Priests” (Dt. 17:18)—the text should be corrected under[the supervision of] the levitical Priests].106
זעַל סֵפֶר, עַל גַּבֵּי עוֹר בְּהֵמָה טְהוֹרָה, וּמַגִּיהִים לוֹ מִסֵּפֶר עֲזָרָה עַל פִּי בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד.
7“On a document” (Dt. 17:18)—on the skin of a clean animal.And they correct it against Ezra’s scroll,supervised by the Court of Seventy One[which met in the Chamber of Carved Stone].107
חמִלִּפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם, מִכָּן דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲרָךְ שֶׁסּוֹף תּוֹרָה עֲתִידָה לְהִשְׁתַּכֵּחַ.
8“Before the levitical Priests” (Dt. 17:18)—on this basis, R. Elazar b. Arakh expounded:[But for their intervention,] the Torah would have been forgotten!108 157.4.