meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Tanakh/Commentary/Rashi/Torah/Rashi on Deuteronomy/English/Sefaria Community Translation.txt"}
text: Rashi on Deuteronomy
  רש"י על דברים
  Sefaria Community Translation
  
  
  Rashi on Deuteronomy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  "These are the words..."  Because these were words of rebuke. Here (Moses) recounts all the places that they angered God. Therefore, he left the details out and mentioned them only by means of implication on account of Israel's dignity.
  "To all Israel"  If Moses had delivered the rebuke to only some of the nation, those who remained in the market would have said, "You heard (rebuke) of the son of Amram but you failed to answer him thus and thus. If we had been there, we would have answered his rebuke."  Therefore, Moses gathered everyone together and said to them, "If any of you would like to disagree, go ahead!"
  In the wilderness - They were not in the wilderness but rather in the plains of Moab. Why then does it say "in the wilderness"? Because of that which they angered G-d in the wilderness, for they said, "If only we would have died...(Shemos 16:3) ...
  ...In the Plains. Because of the Plain, for they sinned with the Baal PeOr in Shittim in the plains of Moab. 
  Opposite the Sea of Reeds. Over their having rebelled at the Sea of Reeds. When they came to the Sea of Reeds they said, "Is it because there are not graves in Egypt (that you took us out to the wilderness to die). And similarly when they travelled from within the Sea, as it says, "And they rebelled about the Sea of Reeds, as stated in Arachin.
  rabbi yochanan said that he went through every place in the tanach and he couldnt find a place called tofel and lavan, these are talking about the fighting with the mann as it says " our lives are in g-ds bread, as in they were sick of it, and paaran is the chet hameraglim...
  And Chatzeirot. At the dispute of Korach. Alternatively, Moshe said to them, "You should have learned from what I did to Miriam at Chatzeirot because of defamatory talk, yet you spoke against G-d at the sin of the spies. 
  And Di-Zahav. He rebuked them over the image of the calf that they had made because of the abundance of gold which they had, as it says, "I provided much silver for her, and gold. They fashioned it for the Baal."
  
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  ...in seventy languages they were translated
  
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  ...the nations of Amon,Moav,and the mountain of Esau
  
  this is the kings mountain
  
  
  ...its called big in importance,they say the servant of a king is a king,the friend of a general will be bowed to,and someone with oil will drip onto someone else
  
  Verse 8
  
  
  [This implies that] there is no one objecting to the matter, so you do not need to go to war in order to take possession of the land. Had they [the nation] not sent spies, they would not have needed weapons [to conquer the land]. 
  ...why does it have to say to abraham,to yitachak,and to yaakob,this is because you only need the avrahams zechut by itself,yitzchacks zechut by itself,and yaakobs zechut by itself
  
  Verse 9
  
  "And I spoke unto you at that time, saying" - What is [the meaning of] 'saying'? Moses said to them, "I am not speaking to you by myself, rather from the mouth of the of the Holy One Blessed is He."
  
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  There were snakes the size of huge pillars and poles and scorpions whose stingers are as long as bows 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  "And I pleaded..."  The word 'pleading' always refers to a freewill gift.  Even though the righteous can and should rely on their good deeds, one does not pray to God for anything other than a freewill gift, as God said to Moses in Exodus 33:19, "I shall give grace whomever I want."
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  "[In my presence]" (lit. on my face). [Meaning] anywhere where I exist, which is really the entire universe. Alternatively, while I am in existence (i.e. always). I have already explained [the meaning] of the Ten Commandments.
  
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  "And it did not increase." We translate: "and it did not end", since His voice is strong and endures forever. Another interpretation: "And it did not increase"—nothing was added to what was revealed in that event.
  
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  You made me weak like a female, for I was worried over you, and you weakened my hand. For I saw that you no longer yearned to come close [to G-d], with love. Would it not have been better to learn direct from the Almighty rather than myself?
  
  
  
  
  
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  Adonai our God, Adonai is one. He is our God (Eloheinu) now, and not the God of other nations, and in the future He will be one God (Adonai echad), as it is written, “For then will I turn to the peoples A pure language, That they may all call upon the name of the LORD,” (Zeph. 3:9) and it is said, “In that day shall the LORD be One, and His name one.” (Zech. 14:9)
  
  Verse 5
  
  And thou shalt love: Implement His words based on love. One who does based on love is incomparable to one who does based on fear. One who does for his master out of fear, when [the master] overburdens him, [the servant] leaves him and goes on his way.
  with all thy heart: With your two inclinations. Alternatively, "with all thy heart," that your heart won't be divided toward the Omnipresent. 
  and with all thy soul: Even if He [God] should take your soul.
  and with all thy means: With all of your resources/money. There is the person whose money is more beloved to him than his own body. Thus, it states, "with all thy means." Alternatively, "with all thy means" means with each and every measure that He measures you by, whether by a good measurement or by retributive measurement. And so David says, (Psalms 116:13) "I will lift the cup of salvation, etc." and (Psalms 116:13) "I found trouble and grief."
  
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  The doorposts of your house. It is written [in the construct form and missing the middle letter vav] mezuzat, because one needs only one.
  And on your gate. To include the gates of a courtyard, and the gates of countries, and the gates of cities.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  If you have begun a commandment, be sure to finish it, for only the one who finishes it get the credit, as it is written (Joshua 24:32), "The children of Israel buried the bones of Joseph, which they had brought up from Egyp, in Sh'khem."  But did not Moses alone bring the bones up (from Egypt)?  Rather, (this teaches us that) because he did not manage to finish the commandment (of burying Joseph), the children of Israel did it and they received the credit.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  ... " To follow in all of His ways"- He is merciful and you should be merciful, He performs acts of kindness and you should perform acts of kindness
  ..."And to cling to Him"- Is it possible to say thus? But is He not a consuming fire? Rather cling to Torah scholars and I will consider it about you as if you attached yourself to Him
  
  
  
  
  
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  1. "Do not eat it (the blood)." This is a warning not to eat the blood of the organs.
  2. "So that it may go well for you..." Go and learn the reward of (following) the commandments:  If a man merits reward for himself and his descendants by eschewing blood, something that people find to be loathsome, how much more so does he get reward by eschewing theft and sexual sins, which are things that people desire.
  
  
  
  
  
  Verse 1
  
  ..."All of these words" - the easy and the hard.
  
  "Don't add to it" - (Sifrei) [To say that there are] five sections in tefillin, five species for [the mitzvah of] lulav, four blessings in the Priestly Blessing.
  
  
  
  
  
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  (1) To the stranger within your gates -- This is the ger toshav who takes it upon himself not to engage in the worship of other gods, and who eats carcasses. 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  Bread that is reminiscent of the oppression inflicted upon them in Egypt
  
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  Verse 19
  
  Do not pervert justice. - This means what is says it mean.
  Do not play favorites. Even while the litigants are making their cases. This is a warning to the judge that he not be gentle with one party and severe with the other, or making one stand before him while the other is allowed to remain seated. For when the (unfavored) litigant sees that the judge is honoring his friend (the other party), he will not bother to make his arguments.
  Do not take bribes -- Even to judge in a just manner.
  Because bribery blinds. - 
  
  Verse 20
  
  "Justice, justice thou shalt follow" - Seek good courts.
  
  
  
  
  
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  "and unto the judge that shall be in those days" - even if he is not like the judges of the past, you must listen to him; you  only have the judge in your own days. (Sifri)
  
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  Right and left: even if you are told by this judge that your right is left, and your left is right. and all the more so if he tells you that your right is right, and your left is left!
  
  
  
  
  
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  "Be pure with the LORD your God."  Walk with God in purity and look only to him. Do not look to future events; rather, accept with equanimity whatever God brings you - in order to be "with" God and with God's portion.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  "Is a man a tree of the field?" Here, the word "ki" functions in the sense of "perhaps": "Perhaps a tree of the field is human, and should be included in the proscription [of the town] before you, and should suffer with hunger and thirst just like the human inhabitants of the city?" Why would you destroy it!?
  
  
  
  
  
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  Woman: even a married woman
  You may take her as your wife: The Torah speaks only in deference to the wicked inclination, for if God would not permit her [to him], he would take her illicitly. However, if he does marry her, he will ultimately come to hate her, as it says afterwards, "If a man has [two wives]" and ultimately he will father from her a wayward rebellious son. This is why these topics are placed one after the other.
  
  
  
  
  
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   כי יקרא: פרט למזומן: If a bird’s nest chances before you: This excludes [a bird nest that is] ready at hand. - [Chul. 139a, Sifrei 22:55]
  you shall not take the mother: while she is on her young, [whereas if she is only hovering overhead, you may take her from upon her young]. - [Chul. 140b]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  "If she does not find favor in his eyes"- It is a positive commandment ('Mitzva") for him to divorce her (by means of a written 'get') if she does not find favor in his eyes.
  
  
  
  
  
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  ...An additional possibility: This is the language of cool and heat, cooled you and stopped you from boiling.  All the nations of the world were afraid to fight you [Israel] and this one came and started and showed the way to others.  It is likened to a legend of a boiling bath that no creature could enter. A scoundrel came and jumped in.  Even though he was scalded, he cooled it down for others.
  
  
  
  
  
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  ...And not from all firsts, for not all fruits are obligated in the mitzvah of bikkurim except if they are from the seven species as it says here "land" and it says there (8:8): "Land of wheat and barley". Just as the previous verse where the land of Israel is praised for the seven species so too here, the praise of the land of Israel which are the seven species.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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  The heads for the tribes
  The important ones first, afterwards  all of the people of Israel:
  
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  This teaches that Canaanites came to convert in the days of Moshe, like the way that the Gibeonites came in the days of Yehoshua. And this is what is says about the Gibeonites (Yehoshua 9:4), “they also did work wilily,” and Moshe gave to them [to be] woodcutters and drawers of water.
  
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  And also with generation that will be in the future
  
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  1.  והתברך בלבבו.  This refers to blessing. The person in question will bless himself as if to say, "These curses will not come to me, rather, I shall have peace."
  2. והתברך.  In Old French, this means benir soi, or bless oneself, as in התגלח (to shave oneself) and התפלל (pray, literally to judge oneself).
  3.  בשררות לבי אלך.  I shall do as my heart sees fit.
  4.  למען ספות הרוה. "For I (God) shall add to his punishment for what he has already done by accident, which I ignored.  He now causes me to add to them his deliberate sins, and I will punish him for everything."  Thus is how Onkelos translates it.
  5.  הרוה - "Moist" refers to sins that are committed by a drunkard, without intention.
  6.  הצמאה - "Thirsty" refers to one who sins deliberately and with desire.
  
  
  
  
  
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  It should have written "and he (G-d) will return" (with a hay, not just shin beis) Our Rabbis learn from here as if it were possible that the shechinah rests with Israel (the Jews) in (the time of) the hardship of their exile.  And when (the Jews) are redeemed, (Hashem had) redemption written about himself, that he would return with them. Furthermore, it can be said, that the day of gathering the exiled is so great and difficult, it as if He himself must actually hold each and every person with his hands to take him from his place (in exile). (this is) like the matter which is said (in the verse): "and you shall be gathered, one by one, Children of Israel." And also regarding the exiles of other nations, we have found this (for example) "And i will return the captivity of Egypt"
  
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  For if it were in the heavens, you would have to go up after it and learn it.
  
  
  
  
  
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  The men: to learn. 
  and the women: to listen.
   and the <i>taf</i> (youngsters): Why should he come? To give reward to those that bring them.
  
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  "...this song."  In reference to [Deut. 32:1] "Listen, you heavens, and I will speak" through [Deut 32:43] "...and make atonement for his land and people."
  
  
  
  
  
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  Remember the days of old: what God did to past generations who provoked Him to anger.
  reflect upon the years of [other] generations: [I.e.,] the generation of Enosh, whom [God] inundated with the waters of the ocean, and the generation of the Flood, whom [God] washed away. Another explanation is: [If] you have not set your attention to the past, then “reflect upon the years of generations,” i.e., to recognize the future, that He has the power to bestow good upon you and to give you as an inheritance the days of the Messiah and the world-to-come. — [Sifrei 32:6]
  Ask your father: These are the prophets, who are called “fathers,” as Scripture states regarding [Elisha’s crying out to] Elijah, “My father, my father, the chariot of Israel!” (II Kings 2:12).
  your elders: These are the Sages. — [Sifrei 32:7]
  and they will inform you: the events of the former times.
  
  
  
  
  
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  The mighty men of Israel would dwell in the border towns and lock the frontier so no enemies could enter; it was as if it were closed with locks and bars of iron and brass
  
  
  
  
  
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   2. According to God (at the mouth of God). With a kiss: 