Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 43

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 11:15) "And I shall give grass in your field to your beasts.": You will not need to take them into the wilderness (to graze). You say (it means) this, but perhaps it is to be taken literally, (that only your beasts and not you will be fed)! — (No,) for it is written (Ibid.) "and you will eat and be sated." How, then, am I to understand "And I shall give grass in your field to your beasts"? That you will not need to take them into the wilderness.

2

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Yehudah b. Bava says: "And I shall give grass in your field to your beasts": Within the (Sabbath) bound (i.e., two thousand ells). R. Shimon b. Yochai says: "And I shall give grass in your field to your beasts": You will cut (the grass) and throw it before your beast all the days of the rainy season, and leave it to itself thirty days before the harvest season, and it will work without lacking for corn.

3

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "And I shall give grass in your field to your field": This is flax. And thus is it written (Psalms 104:14) He makes flax sprout for the beast, and grass for the labor of man."

4

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and you will eat and be sated": It is a good sign for a man when his beast eats and is stated, viz. (Proverbs 12:10) "The righteous one knows the spirit of his beast."

5

English · Shraga Silverstein

When your beast eats and is sated, it works the ground with vigor, viz. (Ibid. 14:4) "There is much produce in the power of the ox."

6

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and you will eat and be sated": from the offspring. And even though there is no proof for this, it is intimated in (Jeremiah 31:12) "And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and they shall stream together to the goodness of the L-rd, for corn, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd."

7

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid. 15) "Take heed unto yourselves lest your hearts be enticed, etc.": He said to them: Take care that you do not rebel against the Holy One Blessed be He. For one rebels against Him only in the midst of satiety, as it is written (Ibid. 8:12-13) "Lest you eat and be sated, and you build and inhabit good houses, and your flocks increase for you, (and whatever you have increase.") What follows? (14) "and your heart be lifted and you forget the L-rd your G-d." Similarly, (Ibid. 31:20) "And I shall bring them to the land that I have sworn to their fathers, flowing milk and honey, and they shall eat and be sated and grow fat, and they shall turn to other gods, and serve them, and they shall spurn Me and break My covenant." Similarly, (in the incident of the golden calf), (Shemoth 32:6) "And the people sat down to eat and drink, and they arose to 'play.'"

8

English · Shraga Silverstein

Similarly, the men of the generation of the flood rebelled only out of satiety, it being written of them (Job 21:10) "Their bull genders and does not fail; their cow calves, and does not abort … (12) They take the timbral and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. (13) They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave." This (i.e., satiety) is the cause. (14) "And they say unto G-d: 'Depart from us'": They said: All we need (from Him) is one drop of rain. We do not need Him (for that. We can manage the water problem ourselves.) (Bereshith 2:6) "And a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground." The Holy One Blessed be He said to them: "You vaunt yourselves over the good that I have bestowed upon you? With it I shall exact punishment of you!" — (Ibid. 7:12) "And the rain was on the earth forty days and forty nights." R. Yossi b. Dermaskith says: They made their eyes (eineihem) rove up and down to satisfy their lust — The Holy One Blessed be He, in kind, opened upon them the upper and lower fountains (maynoth [like "eineihem"]) in order to destroy them, as it is written (Ibid. 13) "On this day were broken up all the fountains of the great deep, and the windows of heaven were opened."

9

English · Shraga Silverstein

And thus do you find with the men of the tower (of Bavel), that they rebelled against the Holy One Blessed be He only out of satiety, as it is written (Ibid. 11:1-2) "And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they sat there." The "sitting" here refers to eating and drinking, as in (Shemoth 32:6) "And the people sat down to eat and drink, and they arose to 'play.'" This is what caused them to say (Bereshith, Ibid. 4) "Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower with its top in heaven, and let us make a name for ourselves." What is said of them? (Ibid. 8) "And the L-rd scattered them from there over the face of all the earth."

10

English · Shraga Silverstein

And thus do you find with the men of Sodom, that they rebelled only out of satiety, it being written of them (Job 28:5) "a land from which bread came forth, and whose place was overturned as with fire." The men of Sodom said: "We have food; we have silver and gold. Let us arise and banish the law of hospitality from our midst" — to which the L-rd responded: "With the good that I have bestowed upon you, you want to banish the law of hospitality from your midst? I shall banish you from the world!" What is written of them? (Ibid. 4) "A stream (of fire and brimstone) burst forth from its source (upon Sodom), who (i.e., the people of Sodom) caused the (code of the) wayfarer to be forgotten." (Ibid. 12:5-6) "The torch of (the) shame (of Gehinnom awaits) him who is at ease in (his) thoughts, (saying: "I shall be at peace,") (and that he is) prepared (to join the ranks of) those whose foot slips. The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who anger G-d dwell secure, (and with all) that G-d has brought (to the evildoer, the 'hour' plays into) his hand." And this is the intent of (Ezekiel 16:48-50) "Behold, this was the sin of Sodom your sister. She and her daughter had pride, surfeit of bread and peaceful serenity; but she did not strengthen the land of the poor and the needy. And they grew presumptuous and committed abomination before Me, and I removed them (from the world) when I saw (their ways)."

11

English · Shraga Silverstein

Similarly, (Bereshith 13:10) "And Lot lifted his eyes and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was all watered (mashkeh)," and (Ibid. 19:33) "And they gave to drink (vatashkena [like "mashkeh"]) their father wine on that night (in order to cohabit with him)." Now where could they find wine in the cave? It was "in readiness" for them for that time, viz. (Yoel 4:18) "And it shall be on that day that the mountains shall drip wine." If the Holy One Blessed be He thus "accommodates" those who anger Him, how much more so those who do His will!

12

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Gamliel, R. Yehoshua, R. Elazar b. Azaryah and R. Akiva were once going to Rome, when they heard the sound of the (Roman) throng at a distance of one hundred and twenty mils — whereupon they began to cry, and, R. Akiva, to laugh. They: Why are you laughing? R. Akiva: Why are you crying? They: Shall we not cry when the idolators, who are sacrificing to the idols and bowing down to the images are dwelling in tranquility, while we — the footstool of our G-d (i.e., the Temple) has been consumed by fire and has become the habitation of wild beasts! R. Akiva: That is precisely why I am laughing. If He is so forthcoming to His angerers, how much more so to the doers of His will!

13

English · Shraga Silverstein

Another time, going up to Jerusalem, they came to Mount Scopus and tore their garments (in mourning over the destruction). When they saw a fox emerging from the holy of holies, they began to cry — and R. Akiva, to laugh. They: Akiva, will you always wonder why we are crying while you are laughing! He: And why are you crying? They: Why should we not cry over the place whereof it is written (Bamidbar 1:51) "And the zar (a non-priest) who comes near shall be put to death," when now a fox is emerging from it! We are fulfilling (Eichah 5:16-18) "For this our heart fails; for these our eyes are darkened: For the mountain of Zion is desolate; foxes walk in it." He: That is precisely why I was laughing. For it is written (Isaiah 8:2) "And I took for Myself faithful witnesses, Uriah the Cohein and Zecharyahu ben Yeverechyah." Now why the juxtaposition of Uriah with Zechariah? What did Zechariah say (Zechariah 8:4) "There yet shall sit old men and old women in the streets of Jerusalem, each his staff in his hand from abundance of days." And what did Uriah say? (Michah 3:12) "Therefore, because of you Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be heaps, and the Temple Mount as forest mounds." The Holy One Blessed be He is hereby saying: Here are My two witnesses. If the words of Uriah will be fulfilled, the words of Zechariah will be fulfilled. And if the words of Uriah will not be fulfilled, the words of Zechariah will not be fulfilled. I was happy at the fulfillment of the words of Uriah. In the end, the words of Zechariah will be fulfilled. At these words they said to him: "Akiva, you have consoled us."

14

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: (Devarim 11:16) "Take heed unto yourselves lest your hearts be enticed": He said to them: Take care that the evil inclination not lead you astray to separate yourselves from the Torah. For once a man separates himself from the Torah, he cleaves to idolatry, as it is written (Shemoth 32:8) "They have turned aside quickly from the way which I have commanded them; they have made for themselves a golden calf." And it is written (I Samuel 26:19) "If the L-rd has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. And if the sons of man, let them be cursed before the L-rd. For they have driven me out this day from joining the inheritance of the L-rd, saying 'Go and serve other gods.'" Now would it enter your mind that David, king of Israel, would serve idolatry? (The thought is,) rather, that his ceasing to occupy himself with words of Torah is equivalent to his cleaving to idolatry.

15

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid.) "and you go astray": from the way of life to the way of death

16

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and you serve other gods": Now are they gods? Is it not written (Isaiah 37:19) "And they have cast their gods into the fire. For they are not gods, but the work of men's hands." Why, then, "other gods"? For others make them gods.

17

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: Why are they called "other gods"? For they are "others" (i.e., "strangers") to their worshippers. And thus is it written (Ibid. 46:7) "He will also cry out to him (his god) and he will not answer. From his trouble he shall not save him."

18

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Yossi says: Why are they called "elohim" ("gods")? So as not to leave an opening for future generations to say: If they (their idols) were called by His name ("Elokim"), they would have been effective. And when were they called by His name? In the days of the generation of Enosh, of which it is written (Bereshith 4:26) "And to Sheth, too, there was born a son, and he called his name Enosh. Then they began to call (artifacts) by the name of the L-rd."

19

English · Shraga Silverstein

At that time Oceanus rose and flooded a third of the world. The Holy One Blessed be He said to them: You have made something new and called it by My name; I, too, will do something new and call it by My name, as it is written (Amos 5:8) "He called to the waters of the sea, and He spilled them out upon the face of the earth — 'the L-rd' is His name." R. Yitzchak says: If the names of idolatry were to be spelled out, all the hides in the world would not suffice, (for which reason the general "other gods" is written). R. Eliezer says: Why are they called "other gods"? For they (their worshippers) fabricated for themselves many gods. For if it were made of gold and he (its maker) needed gold, he would (appropriate that and) make it of silver; if of silver and he needed that, he would make it of copper; if of copper and he needed that, he would make it of iron; if of iron and he needed that, he would make it of lead; if of lead and he needed that, he would make it of wood.

20

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Chanina b. Antignos says: Come and see the rationale of the language of Scripture. Why is it called "Molech" (viz. Vayikra 18:21)? To designate anything that they made to rule (yamlichuhu") over them — even a splinter, even a pebble.

21

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: Why are they called "other (acherim) gods"? Because they come after (acharei) the last (acharonim) of the creations (i.e., man), who made them and called them "gods."

22

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 15:16) "and you bow down to them": You bow down to them, but not to Me! And thus is it written (in respect to the golden calf, Shemoth 32:8) "and they bowed down to it and they sacrificed to it." Others say: If Israel had not joined the name of the Holy One Blessed be He to that of idolatry (the golden calf), they would have been exterminated, viz. (Shemoth, Ibid.) "These are your gods, O Israel, who (plural) brought you up from the land of Egypt." R. Shimon says: But is not one who joins the name of Heaven with that of idolatry liable to extermination, it being written (Ibid. 22:19) "He who sacrifices to a god will be destroyed, other than to the L-rd alone!" What, then, is the intent of "who (plural) brought you up"? We are hereby taught that they made for themselves many calves. And thus (that they did not join the L-rd in their service) is it written (II Chronicles 29:7) "They have also shut up the doors of the ulam (the Temple hall), and they have put out the lamps, and they have not offered a burnt-offering in the holy place to the G-d of Israel." They did burn incense to something else. In the holy place they did not offer, but in chullin (a profane place) they did offer. To the G-d of Israel they did not offer, but they did offer to something else.

23

English · Shraga Silverstein

If you do thus, (Devarim 11:17) "the wrath of the L-rd will burn against you." An analogy: A father sent his son to a feast, instructing him: Do not eat more than you need and do not drink more than you need, so that you return clean to your home. The son did not heed his father's words, but ate and drank more than he needed, and he vomitted and sullied his fellows, who took him by his hands and feet and flung him behind the mansion. Thus, the Holy One Blessed be He says to Israel: I have brought you to a good, broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to eat of its fruits and to be sated with its good, and to bless My name upon it. You were not with the good — be with the penalty: "The wrath of the L-rd will burn against you!"

24

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and the wrath of the L-rd will burn against you": I might think (the intent is that) they will be exterminated; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and He will hold back the heavens, etc." Five types of punishments are destined to come upon you. And this is the intent of (Ibid. 32:23) "My arrows shall I end in them" — My arrows will end, but they will not end. And thus is it written (Eichah 4:11) "The L-rd has 'ended' His anger; He has spilled out His burning wrath."

25

English · Shraga Silverstein

"Burning wrath" is mentioned here, and it is mentioned elsewhere. Just as that mentioned elsewhere is the sword, so, that mentioned here. And just as that mentioned elsewhere is pestilence and wild beasts, so, that mentioned here. And just as that mentioned here is withholding of the rains and exile, so, that mentioned elsewhere. In sum, wherever "burning wrath" is mentioned, five punishments are understood: the sword, wild beasts, pestilence, withholding of the rains, and exile.

26

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and the wrath of the L-rd will burn against you": against you, and not against the Babylonians. So that the Babylonians will say: They (the Babylonians) are steeped in good, while they (the Jews) are stepped in sorrow; the Babylonians are not burying their sons and daughters and they are burying their sons and daughters.

27

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and He will hold back the heavens": The clouds will be "loaded" with rain, and not shed even one drop. And whence is it derived that even dews and winds (will not obtain)? From (Vayikra 26:19) "and I will make your heavens as iron." — But perhaps irrigation ditches will produce fruits. It is, therefore, written, (to indicate otherwise), (Ibid.) "and your earth as brass."

28

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim, Ibid.) "and the ground will not yield its yevul": not even what you bring (movil) to it. — But perhaps a tree will yield fruit. It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 26:20) "and the tree of the land will not yield its fruit." — But perhaps he can go abroad and be steeped in good; it is, therefore, written (Devarim 28:23) "And your skies over your head shall be as brass, and your earth under you as iron."

29

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and the wrath of the L-rd will burn against you, and He will hold back the heavens and there will not be rain … then you will go lost quickly (into exile)." After all the afflictions that I bring upon you, I will exile you. Sore is exile over and against all, as it is written (Ibid. 29:27) "And the L-rd drove them off from their land in wrath and fury and great rage, and He cast them into a different land as this day." And (Jeremiah 15:2) "And it shall be, if they say to you: Where shall we go? Then you shall say: Thus said the L-rd: Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such are for famine, to famine; and such as are for captivity, to captivity." And (Amos 7:17) "Therefore, thus says the L-rd: Your wife will be a harlot in the city, and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword, and your lands will be divided by line, and you will die in an unclean land, and Israel will go into captivity from off his land." And (Jeremiah 22:10) "Do not weep for the dead one, and do not bemoan him. But weep for the one that goes (into exile), for he will return no more to see the land of his birth." "Do not weep for the dead one": This is Yehoyakim, king of Judah. What is written of him? (Ibid. 22:19) "The burial of an ass will he be buried, dragged and cast beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

30

English · Shraga Silverstein

"But weep for the one that goes (into exile)": This is Yehoyachin king of Judah. What is written of him? (Ibid. 52:53) "He changed (from) his prison clothing, etc." — whence we learn that the corpse of Yehoyakim king of Judah which was cast to the heat of day and the cold of night was to be preferred to the life of (the exile), Yehoyachin king of Judah, whose seat was above that of all the kings, and who ate and drank in the chamber of kings!

31

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and you will go lost quickly": I will exile you immediately and give you no grace period. And if you ask: But the men of the generation of the flood had a grace period of a hundred and twenty years (viz. Bereshith 6:3), the generation of the men of the flood had no one from whom to learn — you have someone from whom to learn!

32

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and you will go lost quickly": exile after exile. And thus do you find with the ten tribes — exile after exile. And thus do you find with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin — exile after exile. They were exiled in the seventh year of Nevuchadnezzar, in the eighteenth year, and in the twenty-third year (viz. Jeremiah 52:28). R. Yehoshua b. Karcha says: An analogy: Robbers enter one's field and cut down his standing grain — and he does not protest. They cut down his sheaves — and he does not protest — until they fill up their tubs and leave. And thus is it written (Isaiah 8:23) "For there is no fatigue in (the nation, Ashur) which afflicts it (Eretz Yisrael). (This exile, the middle one,) will be (relatively) light, as (that of) the land of Zevulun and the land of Naftali (For in the second exile, too, only the two and a half tribes in trans-Jordan were exiled), but (in) the last, he will sweep (everything away)."

33

English · Shraga Silverstein

R. Shimon b. Yochai says: Now if of those of whom "quickly" (i.e., "and you will go lost quickly") was written, were exiled only after the passage of much time (i.e., even though they were idolatrous for many years, they were not exiled until the days of Tzidkiyahu), how much more so (will this [long passage of time] obtain with) those (Gog, etc.), of whom "quickly" was not written, it being written (of them, Ezekiel 38:8) "After many years you will be remembered (for punishment)."

34

English · Shraga Silverstein

"and you will go lost quickly … (18) And you shall place these, My words, upon your heart": Even though I am exiling you from Eretz Yisrael, be observant of the mitzvoth, so that when you return they will not be new to you. An analogy: A king was angry with his wife and she returned to her father's house. The king: "Continue wearing your jewels, so that when you return, they will not be new to you." So, the Holy One Blessed be He to Israel (in exile): "My children, be observant of the mitzvoth, so that when you return, they will not be new to you." As Jeremiah said (to the Jews going into exile, Jeremiah 31:21) "Set up signposts (tziyunim) for yourselves": These are the mitzvoth, in which Israel are distinctive (metzuyanim). (Ibid.) "Make high heaps for yourself": reminiscent of the destruction of the Temple, viz. (Psalms 137:5) "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand be forgotten." (Jeremiah, Ibid.) "Set your heart to the road, the way on which you came.": The Holy One Blessed be He says to them: "My children, give heart to the ways in which you walked, and repent (of them), and immediately you will return to your cities, viz. (Ibid.) "Repent, O virgin of Israel — Return to these, your cities!"

35

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: "and you will go lost quickly (from the good land"): You will be exiled quickly, and not to a "good" land like it. R. Yehudah says: "good" — This is Torah. And thus is it written (Proverbs 4:2) "For I have given you a goodly acquisition — Do not forsake My Torah."

Sifrei Devarim 43

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