## Sforno on Deuteronomy Chapter 20

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

**כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה.** לְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ, שֶׁבְּמִלְחֶמֶת מִצְוָה לֹא הָיוּ שָׁם שָׁבִים מֵעוֹרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ חָתָן מֵחֶדְרוֹ וְכַלָּה מֵחֻפָּתָהּ (סוטה מ״ד).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי תצא למלחמה, outside the boundaries of the land of Israel. When a war is fought inside the boundaries of the Land of Israel, i.e. a defensive war, no one is allowed to be exempt from army service; even a bridegroom fresh from the wedding canopy is called up. (Sotah 44)


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

**פֶּן יָמוּת בַּמִּלְחָמָה וְאִישׁ אַחֵר יַחְנְכֶנּוּ.** שֶׁמָּא יֵשׁ עָלָיו עֲבֵרָה שֶׁבִּשְׁבִילָהּ יֵעָנֵשׁ בָּזֶה הָעֹנֶשׁ הַמְבֹאָר בַּתּוֹכֵחוֹת (דברים כח), וְיַזִּיק לְאֶחָיו שֶׁיָּנִיא אֶת לִבָּם וְזוּלָתוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
פן ימות במלחמה ואיש אחר יחנכנו, perhaps the man in question had been guilty of a sin on account of which he would be punished by death or one of the punishments mentioned in the Tochahach, the lengthy warnings of Moses in chapter 28. His death would undermine the morale of his brothers in arms.


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

**וּפָקְדוּ שָׂרֵי צְבָאוֹת.** אַחֲרֵי חֲזָרַת הַחוֹזְרִים, שֶׁמָּא יִפָּקְדוּ לְשַׂר צָבָא אֶחָד מֵהַחוֹזְרִים וְיָמֵס לְבַב כָּל צְבָאוֹ, כַּאֲמָרוֹ ״הַךְ הַכַּפְתּוֹר וְיִרְעֲשׁוּ הַסִּפִּים״ (עמוס ט:א).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ופקדו שרי צבאות, after all those who were sent home had left. If even one of the people that should have been sent home were included in the roll call by the commanders this might eventually prove demoralising if the party in question became a casualty of war. Compare Amos 9,1 הך הכפתור וירעשו הספים, “strike a knob and the very foundations will quake,” [insignificant appearing actions have far-reaching consequences. Ed.]


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

**הָרְחוֹקוֹת מִמְּךָ מְאֹד.** הָרְחוֹקוֹת מִן הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ מַחֲנֵה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַתָּה, כִּי גְבוּל יִשְׂרָאֵל שָׁם רָחוֹק מִכָּל צַד.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הרחוקות ממך מאד, distant from the present location of the Israelites in their camps. At that time the boundaries of the Land of Israel will be far from the center in every direction.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/20:19:1)

**לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן.** לֹא תַשְׁחִית אֶת הָעֵץ כְּדֵי לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן מַשְׁחִית בִּלְבָד, שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ אֶלָּא לְהַזִּיק לִבְנֵי הָעִיר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לא תשחית את עצה לנדוח עליו גרזן, do not destroy its trees merely in order to practice wielding an axe. Destruction must not be wanton; it is justified only if it serves to harm the enemy residing within the city.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/20:19:2)

**כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל.** כִּי אָמְנָם כְּרִיתַת הָעֵצִים דֶּרֶךְ הַשְׁחָתָה בִּלְבַד יַעֲשֵׂהוּ הַצָּבָא לְהַזִּיק, כַּאֲשֶׁר לֹא יִהְיֶה בָּטוּחַ לְנַצֵּחַ וְלָשֶׁבֶת בָּאָרֶץ. אֲבָל אַתָּה הַבָּטוּחַ לִכְבּוֹשׁ אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְלָשֶׁבֶת בָּהּ, אֵין לְךָ לְהַשְׁחִית עֵץ מַאֲכָל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי ממנו תאכל, wanton destruction of such trees is justified only when it is not certain that without such action the war will come to a successful conclusion. The wars of conquest of the Land of Israel, however, the success of which has been guaranteed by G’d, does not fall into this category; it will be won without the need to destroy such trees. Destroying fruit bearing trees in the Land of Israel harms the country.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:3
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/20:19:3)

**כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל.** שֶׁתִּכְבּוֹש הָאָרֶץ בְּלִי סָפֵק וְתֹאכַל מִמֶּנּוּ כְּשֶׁלֹּא תַשְׁחִיתֵהוּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי ממנו תאכל, because as soon as you have conquered the land you yourselves will want to eat the fruit of such trees.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:4
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/20:19:4)

**כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה.** כִּי הַאֻמְנָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה הָאָדָם, רָאוּי לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בִּגְלַל הָעִיר בַּמָּצוֹר, לִמְסוֹר אֶת עַצְמָם בְּיָדְךָ מִכֹּחַ מָצוֹר? וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ כֵן בָּזֶה, גַּם שֶׁרָאוּי לְהַזִּיק לְיוֹשְׁבֵי הָעִיר בִּכְלֵי מִלְחָמָה, כְּמוֹ בְּסוֹלְלוֹת וְזוּלָתָם, לְהָבִיא הָעִיר בַּמָּצוֹר, הִנֵּה בִּהְיוֹת שֶׁלֹּא תַשִּׂיג זֶה בְּהַשְׁחָתַת הָאִילָנוֹת, אֵין רָאוּי לְהַשְׁחִיתָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁרָאוּי שֶׁתַּשְׁחִית הָאָדָם יוֹשְׁבֵי הָעִיר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי האדם עץ השדה, for is a tree of the field equivalent to a human being, capable of defending itself and therefore posing a danger to you? Neither is it able to surrender on account of the siege; seeing that this is so, even though part of its timber could serve as a rampart for helping you to mount an attack against the city itself, since this will not be achieved (directly) by cutting down these trees it is not proper for you to destroy such trees, as opposed to your being permitted to kill human beings in that city opposing you and endangering you.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:5
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 20:19:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/20:19:5)

**לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר.** כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּבֹא בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה הָעִיר מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיִּמְסְרוּ אֶת עַצְמָם בְּיָדֶךָ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לבא מפניך במצור, so that you would besiege the city on their account so they would surrender to you? [the underlying idea, if I understand the author and the text correctly, is that the purpose of laying siege to a city instead of assaulting it and destroying it, is to preserve it intact after its inhabitants have been forced to surrender. Cutting down fruit bearing trees would be the opposite of your objectives in such a war. Ed.]


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

**רַק עֵץ אֲשֶׁר תֵּדַע כִּי לֹא עֵץ מַאֲכָל הוּא.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה מִמִּין עֲצֵי מַאֲכָל, כְּשֶׁתֵּדַע שֶׁהוּא זָקֵן אוֹ מְקֻלְקָל בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה רָאוּי שֶׁיִּטְרַח הָאָדָם בְּעִנְיָנוֹ, אוֹתוֹ תַּשְׁחִית.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
רק עץ אשר תדע כי לא עץ מאכל הוא, even if it belongs to a category of trees which normally bear fruit; if you know that it is defective or too old to still bear fruit, so that no sane human being would waste his time on tending it, pruning it, etc. אותו תשחית, such a tree you may destroy for your own purposes.