Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 211/ספרי דברים רי״א
א(דברים כא י) כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה – בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר.
1Pisqa’ 21111. “When you go out to battle” (Dt. 21:10)—the verse speaks of an optional war.2 190.4, 198.2
בעַל אֹיְבֶיךָ – כְּנֶגֶד אוֹיְבֶיךָ.
2“Upon your enemies” (Dt. 21:10)—that is, against your enemies,[but not in an alliance with them].
גוּנְתָנוֹ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ, אִם עָשִׂיתָ כָּל הָאָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן – סוֹף שֶׁה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתְנוֹ בְּיָדֶךָ.
3“And HASHEM your God has delivered him into your hands” (Dt. 21:10)—if you have performed all that is stated here,in the end, HASHEM your God will deliver himinto your hands!
דוְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ – לְרַבּוֹת כְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ.
42. “And you take him captive” (Dt. 21:10)—including any Canaanites that might be within.
ה(דברים כא יא) וְרָאִיתָ בַּשִּׁבְיָה – בִּשְׁעַת שִׁבְיָה.
5“And you see among the captured” (Dt. 21:11)—that is, during her captivity.
ואֵשֶׁת – וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהִיא אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ.
6“A woman” (Dt. 21:11)—even though she is a married woman.
זיְפַת תֹּאַר, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁהִיא נָאָה, מִנַּיִן אֲפִילּוּ הִיא כְּעוּרָה? – תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְחָשַׁקְתָּ בָהּ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ יְפַת תֹּאַר.
7“In fine shape” (Dt. 21:11)—I infer from this only thatshe may be taken [as a war-bride]only as long as she is a beauty.How do I know thatshe may be taken even if she is ugly?The Teaching states:“And you desire her” (Dt. 21:11)—even though she’s not in fine shape.
חוְלָקַחְתָּ לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה, שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר ׳הֲרֵי זוֹ לְאַבָּה׳, ׳הֲרֵי זוֹ לְאָחִי׳.
8“Then you may take her as your wife” (Dt. 21:11)—lest you say:this one’s for my father, and that one’s for my brother!