## Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy Chapter 25

###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:2:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:2:1)

**אִם בִּן הַכּוֹת וְגוֹ׳.** אָמַר **בִּן** בְּחִירִיק, רֶמֶז שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְהִתְבּוֹנֵן בּוֹ לָדַעַת אִם יָכוֹל לִסְבּוֹל הָאַרְבָּעִים, אֲבָל אִם אֲמָדוּהוּ לְפָחוֹת מִכֵּן אֵינוֹ לוֹקֶה אֶלָּא לְפִי מַה שֶׁאֲמָדוּהוּ (מכות כב:).

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**אם בן הכות הרשע, "if the person found guilty (the wicked one) is convicted he is to receive 39 lashes, etc."** The reason the Torah wrote the word בן with the vowel *chirik* instead of the customary vowel *segol* is that he who administers the lashes must evaluate if the victim is physically able to absorb these lashes without injury. In the event that the health of the individual in question cannot absorb the normal number of lashes, i.e. that he is not *ben hakkot,* he receives only as many lashes as are compatible with maintaining his level of health (compare *Makkot* 22).


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:5:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:5:1)

**לֹא תִהְיֶה אֵשֶׁת הַמֵּת וְגוֹ׳.** אַזְהָרָה לָהּ וּלְבָאֶיהָ, וְחַיֶּבֶת מַלְקוּת הִיא וְהַבָּא עָלֶיהָ, וְאָמְרוֹ **יְבָמָהּ יָבֹא עָלֶיהָ** רָמַז שֶׁאֵין חִיּוּב עַל הַיָּבָם אֶלָּא בִּיאָה אַחַת, וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי (שבת קיח:) חָמֵשׁ בְּעִילוֹת בָּעַלְתִּי וְחָמֵשׁ נְטִיעוֹת נָטַעְתִּי, וְאָמְרוּ בַּיְּרוּשַׁלְמִי (יבמות פ״א ה״א) שֶׁנָּפְלוּ לוֹ חָמֵשׁ יְבָמוֹת מֵחֲמִשָּׁה אַחִים וְנִזְקַק פַּעַם אַחַת לְכָל אַחַת. וְאָמְרוֹ **וּלְקָחָהּ** שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר שֶׁאוֹסְרָהּ עָלָיו מִכָּאן וְאֵילָךְ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״וּלְקָחָהּ לוֹ לְאִשָּׁה״, שֶׁהָרְשׁוּת בְּיָדוֹ אִם יִרְצֶה לְקַיְּמָהּ עוֹלָמִית. וְאָמְרוֹ **וְיִבְּמָהּ** שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֶמְרוּ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֲמוּרִים אֶלָּא רְשׁוּת, לְפִי שֶׁאֲסָרָהּ הַכָּתוּב לָעוֹלָם הִתִּירָה לַיָּבָם, אֲבָל הַתּוֹרָה לֹא חִיַּבְתּוֹ בַּדָּבָר, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״וְיִבְּמָהּ״.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**לא תהיה אשת המת החוצה לאיש זר, "the wife of the deceased shall not marry a man who is an outsider (stranger), etc."** This is a warning to her and to anyone who would cohabit with her that they would be guilty of 39 lashes if they ignored this negative commandment. The Torah also hints here that her brother-in-law, i.e. the potential husband in this levirate marriage, is not obligated to cohabit with her more than a single time. This is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yossi in *Shabbat* 118 who stated that he engaged in five such cohabitations from each of which a son was born. According to the Jerusalem Talmud *Yevamot* 1,1 Rabbi Yossi referred to 5 such levirate marriages he was required to endure as he had lost 5 brothers none of whom left behind any children. The additional word ולקחה, "and he shall marry her," is intended to give permission for the surviving brother who has fulfilled the duty of the levirate marriage with his sister-in-law to continue living with this woman in a regular marriage. When the Torah adds the word ויבמה, "and perform the levirate marriage on her," this is intended to counter the argument that everything which has been written by the Torah about this arrangement up until now only gave the brother of the deceasesd the option to perform this cohabitation as distinct from his duty to do so. We could have reasoned that inasmuch as under normal circumstances marrying a sister-in-law is absolutely forbidden, that the Torah relaxed this ruling only in order to give the brother-in-law permission to marry her, but did not obligate him to marry her. This is why the additional word ויבמה is necessary.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:9:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:9:1)

**וְעָנְתָה וְגוֹ׳.** אָמַר לְשׁוֹן עֲנִיָּה, פֵּרוּשׁ, תְּשׁוּבָה לְדִבְרֵי הַיָּבָם שֶׁאָמַר ״לֹא חָפַצְתִּי לְקַחְתָּהּ״, תַּעֲנֶה הִיא וְתֹאמַר ״כָּכָה יֵעָשֶׂה לָאִישׁ״ וְגוֹ׳:

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**וענתה ואמרה ככה יעשה לאיש, "and she will say in reply: "so shall be done to any man, etc."** The reason the Torah employs the term עניה, "reply," is because it is in answer to her brother-in-law who had refused to marry her.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:11:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:11:1)

**לְהַצִּיל וְגוֹ׳ וְשָׁלְחָה יָדָהּ וְגוֹ׳.** וְלֹא אָמַר הַכָּתוּב ״וְשָׁלְחָה יָדָהּ וְגוֹ׳ לְהַצִּיל אֶת אִישָׁהּ״, הֵעִיר בָּזֶה שֶׁאִם לֹא הָיָה לָהּ מְצִיאוּת לְהַצִּיל בַּעְלָהּ מִיַּד מַכֵּהוּ אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי זֶה, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין כֹּחַ בָּהּ לְהַצִּיל אֶלָּא בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה – פְּטוּרָה. וְדַוְקָא שֶׁהָיָה חֲבֵרוֹ מַכֵּהוּ מַכַּת נֶפֶשׁ, לָזֶה הִקְדִּים מַאֲמַר ״לְהַצִּיל״ קוֹדֶם מַאֲמַר ״וְשָׁלְחָה״, לוֹמַר שֶׁאִם יָדַעְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא שָׁלְחָה אֶלָּא לְהַצִּיל – פְּטוּרָה.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**להציל את אישה, in order to save her husband, etc.** It is interesting that instead of writing: "the wife stretches out her hand in order to save her husband," the Torah reversed the order by writing: "in order to save her husband she stretches out her hand." This teaches that if the woman had no other way of saving her husband except by grabbing his adversary's private parts she is not culpable. She is only free from guilt if the adversary was clearly threatening the life of her husband, not if he merely engaged in a brawl with him. The Torah managed to convey all this by writing the word "to save (the life of) her husband" prior to describing what the woman actually did.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:16:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:16:1)

**כָּל עוֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה כֹּל עוֹשֵׂה עָוֶל.** פֵּרוּשׁ ״כָּל עוֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה״ – אֶבֶן וָאֶבֶן, אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה, ״כֹּל עוֹשֵׂה עָוֶל״ הַדּוֹמֶה לְאֵלֶּה, שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר שֶׁגְּזֵרַת הַכָּתוּב הוּא עַל שְׁנֵי דְּבָרִים אֵלּוּ וְלֹא עַל דּוֹמֵיהֶם, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״כֹּל״ וְגוֹ׳:

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**כל עשה אלה, כל עשה עול. "are all who do this, anyone who commits a wrong."** The verse refers to people who use deceptive weights or measurements. The Torah means that anyone committing **other** wrongs is no better than people using deceptive weights or measurements. We should not think that the Torah singled out people who use deceptive weights and measurements for the description תועבה, "abomination," a term used as a rule for violation of sexual mores or for violating the laws of ritual impurity and forbidden foods.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:17:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:17:1)

**זָכוֹר וְגוֹ׳.** שֶׁאֵין כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶם שֶׁיָּצָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּלֹא קְדִימוּת יְדִיעָתָם מִמֶּנּוּ, אֶלָּא כַּאֲשֶׁר יִדְאֶה הַנֶּשֶׁר, וְהוּא קָרְךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק, "Remember what Amalek did to you, etc."** The reason the Torah singles out Amalek is because this nation was unique, attacking the Israelites by seeking them out, not even knowing where they were to be found. Just as an eagle flies far and wide to search for prey, so the Amalekites marched through hundreds of miles of desert in order to locate the Israelites.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:1
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:18:1)

**אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ.** יִתְבָּאֵר עַל פִּי דִּבְרֵיהֶם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ראש השנה ג.) שֶׁאָמְרוּ שֶׁהֶעָנָן הָיָה מְכַסֶּה עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא הָיָה מְקוֹמָם יָדוּעַ לָעוֹלָם, אֶלָּא כְּשֶׁמֵּת אַהֲרֹן נִסְתַּלְּקוּ עַנְנֵי כָבוֹד וּבָא הַכְּנַעֲנִי וַיִּלָּחֶם עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאִם כֵּן תִּקְשֶׁה מִנַּיִן יָדַע עֲמָלֵק מְקוֹם חֲנִיַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל לָבֹא אֶצְלָם לְהִלָּחֵם עִמָּם? לָזֶה אָמַר **אֲשֶׁר קָרְךָ**, פֵּרוּשׁ יִקֶר מִקְרֵהוּ וְיָדַע מַחֲנֵיהֶם בַּדֶּרֶךְ. וְאָמְרוֹ **וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ** וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ לֹא שֶׁהֶעָנָן הִנִּיחוֹ לִכָּנֵס לִפְנִים לְמַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא בְּאוֹתָן שֶׁהָיָה הֶעָנָן פּוֹלְטָן, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״וַיְזַנֵּב בְּךָ״ אוֹתָם הַנֶּחֱשָׁלִים אַחֲרֶיךָ.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**אשר קרך בדרך, "who happened to you on the way,** etc." This expression may be understood on the basis of *Rosh Hashanah* 3 where we are told that the cloud of G'd was continuously enveloping the Israelites so that no one knew the exact whereabouts of this people until the death of Aaron when this cloud dissipated. At that time the Canaanite (Amalekites dressed up as Canaanites) attacked the Israelites. In view of this, how did the Amalekites locate the encampment of the Israelites? To answer this question the Torah writes אשר קרך בדרך, "who chanced upon you on the way." The Torah goes on with ויזנב בך, "and he struck your hindmost ones, the ones who trailed behind." The Torah means that the cloud did not permit the Amalekites to penetrate into the camp of the Israelites; however, they struck only those whom the cloud had expelled as unfit for this kind of protection. When the Torah speaks of הנחשלים אחריך, "the weaklings behind you," it refers to the spiritually weak Israelites.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:2
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:18:2)

**וְאַתָּה עָיֵף וְיָגֵעַ וְגוֹ׳.** עָיֵף עֲדַיִן מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מִצְרַיִם, וְיָגֵעַ מִטּוֹרַח הַדֶּרֶךְ.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**ואתה עיף ויגע, "and you were tired and exhausted."** You were still עיף from your long and hard bondage in Egypt, and יגע exhausted from your trek through the desert.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:3
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:18:3)

וְאָמְרוֹ **וְלֹא יָרֵא אֱלֹהִים**, פֵּרוּשׁ, וּבָזֶה בָּא הַמּוֹרֶךְ בִּלְבָבְךָ יוֹתֵר מִמִּפְעַל עֲיֵפוּת וִיגִיעוּת, עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרוֹ (ישעיה לג,יד) ״פָּחֲדוּ בְצִיּוֹן חַטָּאִים״, אֲבָל אִם הָיוּ צַדִּיקִים לֹא יִפְחֲדוּ וְלֹא יִירְאוּ בְּמִלְחַמְתּוֹ. וְהֵעִיר הַכָּתוּב בַּטְּעָמִים שֶׁמַּשְׂנִיאִים אוֹתוֹ בְּלִבֵּנוּ, כִּי הֵצַר לְיִשְׂרָאֵל צָרָה גְּדוֹלָה, שֶׁבָּא עֲלֵיהֶם כַּאֲשֶׁר יִדְאֶה הַנֶּשֶׁר בְּלֹא יְדִיעָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָמַז גַּם כֵּן בְּמַאֲמַר ״קָרְךָ״, וְהֵם יְגֵעִים וַעֲיֵפִים, וְדָבָר הַמַּעֲמִיד הַכֹּחַ בַּיְּכֹלֶת הַנֶּעְלָם אֵין עִמָּם, מַה שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה כֵּן בִּשְׁאָר כָּל הַמִּלְחָמוֹת, שֶׁמִּלְּבַד שֶׁלֹּא יִיעָפוּ וְלֹא יִיגָעוּ בַּמִּלְחָמוֹת, עוֹד לָהֶם כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים יִרְאֵי אֱלֹהִים נְמוּכֵי לֵב.

**Or Hachayim, trans. Eliyahu Munk:**
**ולא ירא אלוקים, "and he did not fear G'd."** This fact inspired more fear in you than the combined fatigue and exhaustion you had experienced. We know from Isaiah 33,14: "the sinners in Zion are frightened," that people who are aware of having sinned will experience fear as opposed to those who are serene in their knowledge of leading a blameless life. The Torah is at pains to describe Amalek in terms which will cause us to hate him by describing his surprise attack on the Jewish people, his exploiting a time when the Israelites were tired and exhausted, pouncing upon them like an eagle. At that time they were also deprived of the power of the righteous who ensured that through their conduct G'd's cloud would completely envelop and protect them.


###### Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:4
[Or HaChaim on Deuteronomy 25:18:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Or%20HaChaim%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/25:18:4)

**חסלת פרשת כי תצא**