Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 34

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 6:7) "And you shall teach them to your sons": They shall be (well ) ordered in your mouth, so that if one questions you concerning them, you will not stammer in them, but answer him forthwith, as it is written (Proverbs 7:4) "Tell wisdom 'You are my sister,' and call understanding your acquaintance," and (Ibid. 3) "Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart," and (Psalms 45:6) "Your 'arrows' (of learning) are sharp." What is your reward for this? (Ibid.) "Peoples will fall under you, (your arrows piercing) the heart of the foes of the King," and (Ibid. 127:4) "As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children (i.e., the learning) of youth," and (Ibid. 5) "Happy the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will not be shamed when they speak with the foes (of the L-rd) in the gate (of learning)."

2

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "And you shall teach (lit., 'repeat') them to your sons." These (sections: Shema [Devarim 6:4-9], Vehaya im shamoa [Ibid. 11-21], and Vayomer [Bamidbar 15:38-41], the section of tzitzith) must be repeated [morning and evening]; and Kadesh li [Shemoth 13:1-10] and Vehaya ki yeviacha [Ibid. 11-16] need not be repeated. For it would follow a fortiori (that they should be repeated), viz.: If (the section of ) Vayomer, which is not included in "binding" (i.e., in the compartments of the tefillin) is included in (the mitzvah of) "repetition," then Kadesh li and Vehaya ki yeviacha, which are included in "binding" — how much more so should they be included in "repetition." It is, therefore, written "And you shall repeat them (the aforementioned) to your sons, and not the others.

3

English · Shraga Silverstein

— But I still would say: If Vayomer, which was preceded by other mitzvoth, is included in "repetition," then the Ten Commandments, which was not preceded by other mitzvoth — how much more so should it be included in "repetition"! — No, this is refuted by "Vayomer," which, though it is not included in "binding" is included in "repetition." It is, therefore, written "And you shall repeat them to your sons." These (the aforementioned) are included in "repetition," and not the Ten Commandments.

4

English · Shraga Silverstein

"to your sons": These are your disciples. And thus do you find in all places, that disciples are called "sons," viz. (II Kings 2:3) "And the sons of the prophets came forth." Now were they the sons of the prophets? Were they not disciples? This shows that disciples were called "sons."

5

English · Shraga Silverstein

And thus do you find with Chizkiyahu, king of Judah, who taught all of Torah to Israel and called them "sons," viz. (II Chronicles 29:11) "My sons, now be not lax." And just as disciples are called "sons," so is the master called "father," viz. (II Kings 2:12) "And Elisha saw (Eliyahu being borne aloft) and he cried out 'My father, my father — the chariot of Israel and its riders!'" And he saw him no more, and he took hold of his own garments, etc." And it is written (Ibid. 13:14) "And Elisha fell ill with the illness of which he would die, and Yoash the king of Israel came down to him and wept before him, crying 'My father, my father!'"

6

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid.) "And you shall speak in them": Make them (words of Torah) primary and not secondary, that your dealings be only in them, that you not intermix other words with them, that you not say: I have learned the wisdom of Israel; I shall now go and learn the wisdom of the Canaanites. It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 18:4) "to walk therein," and not to depart therefrom. And thus is it written (Proverbs 5:17) "Let them be to you alone and not to strangers with you."

7

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid.) "in your sitting in your house and in your walking upon the way": And thus is it written (Proverbs 6:22) "In your walking it shall lead you; in your lying down it shall guard you; and in your waking it shall speak for you." In your walking it shall lead you" — in this world; "in your lying down" it shall guard you" — at the time of death; "and in your waking": for the days of the Messiah; "it shall speak for you" — for entrance to the world to come.

8

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and in your lying down": I might think, even if he retired in the middle of the day; "and in your rising": I might think, even if he rose in the middle of the day. It is, therefore, written "in your sitting in your house and in your walking upon the way." Scripture speaks of the common instance (i.e., the time when people normally retire and rise). Variantly: This is the dispute between Beth Hillel and Beth Shammai. Beth Shammai say: In the evening all men recline and recite (the Shema), and in the morning they stand, it being written (lit.,) "and when you lie down and when you stand," and Beth Hillel say: All men recite in their (own) way, it being written "and when you walk upon the way." If so, what is the intent of "and when you lie down and when you rise"? The time when men (normally) retire, and the time when they (normally) rise.

9

English · Shraga Silverstein

And it once happened that R. Yishmael and R. Elazar b. Azaryah were together in one place, R. Yishmael expounding reclining, and R. Elazar b. Azaryah, standing. When the time for the (evening) Shema arrived, R. Elazar b. Azaryah reclined and R. Yishmael stood up — whereupon R. Elazar b. Azaryah said to R. Yishmael: "Yishmael, my brother, what you are doing may be compared to one's being told 'Your beard is (beautifully) long' and his replying (spitefully) "Let it be shorn then!'" R. Yishmael countered: ("I was not being spiteful, but) you reclined in accordance with the words of Beth Shammai, and I stood up in accordance with the words of Beth Hillel. Variantly: (I stood up) so that this (i.e., lying down) not be established as the rule (for future generations.)

10

English · Shraga Silverstein

For Beth Shammai say: In the evening all men recline and recite (the Shema), and in the morning they stand, it being written (lit.,) "and when you lie down and when you stand," and Beth Hillel say: All men recite in their (own) way, it being written "and when you walk upon the way." If so, what is the intent of "and when you lie down and when you rise"? The time when men (normally) retire, and the time when they (normally) rise.

Sifrei Devarim 34

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