## Sforno on Deuteronomy Chapter 18

###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:5:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:5:1)

**כִּי בוֹ בָּחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִכָּל שְׁבָטֶיךָ.** וְרָאוּי לְךָ לָתֵת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיּוּכַל לַעֲמֹד לְשָׁרֵת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי בו בחר ה' אלוקיך מכל שבטיך, and it is therefore called for that you provide him with food and clothing in order that he will be free to perform the Temple service on your behalf.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:8:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:8:1)

**לְבַד מִמְכָּרָיו עַל הָאָבוֹת.** אֵין עַל הָאָבוֹת לַחֲלֹק לְמִשְׁמְרוֹת כְּהֻנָּה, אֶלָּא מִמִּכָּרָיו, מַה שֶּׁהָיָה כָּל מִשְׁמָר מֵהֶם יָכוֹל לִמְכֹּר לַחֲבֵרוֹ בַּחֲלִיפִין, וְהֵם קָרְבְּנוֹת כָּל יְמוֹת הַשָּׁנָה, שֶׁיַּחֲלִיף כָּל מִשְׁמָר עִם חֲבֵרָיו אֶת חֶלְקוֹ בְּקָרְבְּנוֹת הַשָּׁנָה בְּעַד מַה שֶּׁיִּתְּנוּ לוֹ חֶלְקָם בְּשָׁבוּעַ אַחַת אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם. אֲבָל קָרְבְּנוֹת הָרְגָלִים שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם חֲלִיפִין וְאֵינָם מִכְּלַל מִמִּכָּרָיו שֶׁיּוּכְלוּ הָאָבוֹת לְחַלְּקָם לְמִשְׁמָרוֹת, לְפִיכָךְ **חֵלֶק כְּחֵלֶק יֹאכֵלוּ** מֵהֶם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לבד ממכריו אל האבות, the members of any priestly roster, known as בית אבות or as here. plain אבות, do not have the right to share their sacrificial meat with their relatives or friends except when this meat was part of the daily or weekly public offerings. These may be shared or exchanged between different rosters. However, any offerings brought to the altar on the pilgrimage festivals are not subject to the authority of the priestly roster officiating during that week at all. The expression ממכריו, “of his acquaintances,” does not apply to the days of the festivals. Therefore, the Torah orders that on that occasion basically any priest present may eat a share of such offerings regardless of whether he belongs to the roster of that particular week. This is why the Torah writes; חלק כחלק יאכלו, of the offerings presented during the festivals all the priests enjoy an equal share.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:10:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:10:1)

**לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ.** אֲפִלּוּ מֵעַם נָכְרִי, כְּגוֹן בַּעֲלַת אוֹב שֶׁנִּשְׁאֲרָה בְּעֵין דֹּאר (שמואל א כח).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לא ימצא בך, even among non-Jewish residents of the Holy Land. A prominent example would be the woman used by King Sha-ul to produce the deceased prophet Samuel to give him a message. (Samuel I 28)


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:13:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:13:1)

**תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה.** שָׁלֵם עִמּוֹ, שֶׁגַּם בִּדְרִישַׁת הָעֲתִידוֹת לֹא תִדְרוֹשׁ זוּלָתוֹ, אֲבָל תִּדְרוֹשׁ עַל יְדֵי נָבִיא אוֹ עַל יְדֵי אוּרִים וְתוּמִּים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
תמים תהיה, whole-hearted to the extent that you will not even try and gain information about future events except through an authentic prophet.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:14:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:14:1)

**וְאַתָּה לֹא כֵן נָתַן לְךָ.** שֶׁלֹּא יִתְאַמְּתוּ בְּךָ דִּבְרֵי הַמְעוֹנְנִים וְהַקּוֹסְמִים, כְּאָמְרָם (שבת קנו:) ״אֵין מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל״.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואתה לא כן נתן לך, even if you were to consult the various types of soothsayers listed here, their messages would never prove accurate as our sages already told us אין מזל לישראל, “no part of Israel’s destiny is linked to astrological constellations.” (Shabbat 156)


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:15:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:15:1)

**אֵלָיו תִּשְׁמָעוּן.** אִם יְצַוֶּה מִצְוַת שָׁעָה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אליו תשמעון, if his instructions which appear to deviate from Jewish norms are meant as a temporary measure, addressing a specific emergency.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:21:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:21:1)

**אֵיכָה נֵדַע אֶת הַדָּבָר.** כְּשֶׁיְּצַוֶּה לְשָׁעָה אֵיזוֹ מִצְוָה, כְּגוֹן אֵלִיָּהוּ בְּהַר הַכַּרְמֶל (מלכים א יח), וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁהִקִּיף יְרִיחוֹ בְּשַׁבָּת (יהושע ו) וְצִוָּה אֶת הַכֹּהֲנִים לָשֵׂאת אֶת הָאָרוֹן בַּיַּרְדֵּן וְלַעֲמוֹד שָׁם עַד שֶׁיַּעַבְרוּ כָּל הָעָם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
?איכה נדע את הדבר; when the authentic prophet commands a specific commandment such as when Elijah sacrificed on a private altar, something that had been forbidden for hundreds of years, or when Joshua waged war against Jericho on the Sabbath with all the violations this involved. (Kings I 18, and Joshua 6)


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:22:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 18:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/18:22:1)

**וְלֹא יִהְיֶה הַדָּבָר.** כִּי אָמְנָם לֹא תִתְחַדֵּשׁ מִצְוָה אֲפִילוּ לְשָׁעָה לֶהָמוֹן, אִם לֹא יִהְיֶה עִמָּהּ אֵיזֶה אוֹת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁהָיָה בִּיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּבְקִיעַת הַיַּרְדֵּן וּנְפִילַת חוֹמַת יְרִיחוֹ (יהושע ג:ו), וּבְאֵלִיָּהוּ יְרִידַת הָאֵשׁ מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם (מלכים א יח:לח). אָמְנָם מִצְוַת הַנָּבִיא שֶׁאָמַר ״אֶל רֵעֵהוּ הַכֵּנִי נָא״ (מלכים א כ:לה) הָיְתָה לְרֵעֵהוּ נָבִיא כָּמוֹהוּ שֶׁיָּדַע כִּי דְבַר ה׳ הוּא, לְפִיכָךְ נֶעֱנַשׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר מֵאֵן.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא יהיה הדבר, for when the prophet commands a “new” commandment, unless it is accompanied by a miracle attesting to his authority by G’d to do so, the fact that he failed to produced the promised miracle proves that he is a false prophet. An example of this is mentioned in Joshua in the valley of the river Jordan. (Joshua 3 when Joshua promised miracles and the people crossed the swollen Jordan river with dry feet, the waters having backed up) Also the predicted collapse of the protective wall around Jericho as the result of blasts on the shofar was such a miracle legitimising violating the Sabbath on that occasion. (Joshua 6) 
 In the case of the prophet Elijah at Mount Carmel, the heavenly fire descending and consuming his offering on the rebuilt altar, as well as the water in the surrounding moat, proved that he had acted with G’d’s approval, was totally authentic. (Kings I 18,38) Concerning the reverse, a prophet being punished for failing to carry out the instructions of his colleague, an example is found in Kings I 20,35-36. Were this not so, why would someone be punished for not inflicting physical hurt on his fellow man?