## Sforno on Deuteronomy Chapter 29

###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:3:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:3:1)

**וְלֹא נָתַן ה׳ לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא יִתְעַלֶּה הִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּתוֹרוֹתָיו וּמוֹפְתָיו לָתֵת לָכֶם לֵב לָדַעַת, כְּאָמְרוֹ (שמות י:ב) ״לְמַעַן תְּסַפֵּר... וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי ה׳״, לֹא הוּשַׂג זֶה הַמְכֻוָּן מֵרֹב מְרִיכֶם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא נתן ה' לכם לב לדעת, even though He had tried by means of His teachings and His miracles to give the people a knowing heart, as we know from Exodus 10,20ולמען תספר.....וידעתם כי אני ה', “and in order that you will tell…and be aware that I am the Lord,” the lesson had not taken hold due to your overwhelming quarrelsomeness.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:4:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:4:1)

**וָאוֹלֵךְ אֶתְכֶם.** אָמְנָם עַתָּה, אַחַר שֶׁרְאִיתֶם רֹב חֲסָדָיו עִמָּכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּ, וְהֱבִיאֲכֶם עַתָּה אֶל אֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָכֶם אֲחֻזַּת אֶרֶץ שֶׁתּוּכְלוּ לְקַיֵּם בָּהּ הַמְּכֻוָּן, רָאוּי לָכֶם שֶׁמִּכָּאן וָהָלְאָה תִּתְּנוּ לֵב לָדַעַת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואולך אתכם, however, now that you have seen the vastness of His love for you and He has brought you to take possession of the lands of Sichon and Og, so that you are able to sustain yourselves by your own efforts, the time has come that you will finally possess the necessary sagacity, a heart which is knowledgeable.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:8:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:8:1)

**וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת.** שֶׁתְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיכֶם בְּהַר גְּרִזִים וּבְהַר עֵיבָל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ושמרתם את דברי הברית הזאת, the one you will accept at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eyval.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:8:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:8:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:8:2)

**לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּילוּ אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן.** שֶׁתַּשִּׂיגוּ הַמְכֻוָּן בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂיכֶם לְחַיֵּי עוֹלָם וּלְחַיֵּי שָׁעָה. חסלת פרשת כי תבוא.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
למען תשכילו את כל אשר תעשון, so that you will be successful both in your life on earth in all your undertakings, as well as achieving your goal to live on eternally in the world beyond physical death.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:9:1)

**אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם.** וּמִי שֶׁיַּטְעֶה אוֹתִי לֹא יוּכַל לְהַטְעוֹת אוֹתוֹ, וְעַל דַּעְתּוֹ תְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיכֶם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אתם נצבים...לפני ה' אלוקיכם , so that anyone who is capable of misleading me cannot mislead Him. You will accept this covenant in His presence, on His authority, not merely on mine.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:9:2)

**רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם.** רָאשֵׁיכֶם שֶׁהֵם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם, שִׁבְטֵי הַמּוֹשְׁלִים, וְהֵם הַנְּשִׂיאִים וְהַשָּׂרִים אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם שֵׁבֶט הַמּוֹשֵׁל.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ראשיכם שבטיכם זקניכם ושוטריכם, the people Moses describes as ראשיכם, are those who are heads of their tribes, elsewhere referred to as נשיאים, “princes. The term ראשalways includes the people who wield authority. זקניכם, your judges. ושוטריכם, the law enforcers empowered by the judges to enforce their judgments. Each one of these categories of people have the duty to teach the people (within the parameters of their special competence) how much better it is for them to accept Torah law than to defy it or neglect it.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:3
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:9:3)

**וְזִקְנֵיכֶם.** הֵם הַשּׁוֹפְטִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
(3) YOUR ELDERS. They are the judges.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:4
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:9:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:9:4)

**וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם.** אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם כֹּחַ לְהַכְרִיחַ בַּעֲלֵי הַדִּין. וְעַל כָּל אֵלּוּ הָרָאשִׁים מוּטָל לְהוֹרוֹת לֶהָמוֹן מַה טּוֹב לָהֶם שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אוֹ יְמָאֲנוּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
(4) YOUR OFFICIALS. Who have the power to compel litigants. And the responsibility rests on all of these chiefs to instruct the multitudes as to what is good for them to accept on themselves or to eschew.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:10:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:10:1)

**טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם.** שֶׁרָאוּי שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם בְּהַסְכָּמוֹת הָאָבוֹת וְהַבְּעָלִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
טפכם נשיכם, people who normally require the consent of their husbands or fathers to do what they do.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:10:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:10:2)

**מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ.** מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁבַּחוֹטְבִים עַד הָאַחֲרוֹן שֶׁבַּשּׁוֹאֲבִים, כְּמוֹ ״מֵעוֹלֵל וְעַד יוֹנֵק״ (שמואל א טו:ג), ״מִשּׁוֹר וְעַד שֶׂה״, ״מִגָּמָל וְעַד חֲמוֹר״ (שמואל א טו:ג).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
מחוטב עציך עד שואב מימיך, from the leader of the wood choppers to the most lowly of the water carriers. The construction here parallels comparisons as מעולל ועד יונק, “infants as well as sucklings,” (Samuel I 15,3) i.e. the highest ranking within its category to the lowliest ranking. Similar expressions are used when the Torah speaks of משור ועד שה, oxen as well as lambs, meaning the most expensive animals of your livestock to the least expensive. Similarly,מגמל ועד חמור, “from the camels down to the donkeys.”


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:11:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:11:1)

**לְעׇבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית.** אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים עִם כָּל זֶה הַסֵּדֶר וְהַהַסְכָּמָה, מוּכָנִים לִהְיוֹת עוֹבְרִים בִּבְרִית, וּמִזֶּה נִרְאֶה שֶׁכֻּלְּכֶם חֲפֵצִים לְקַבֵּל עֲלֵיכֶם בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לעברך בברית, you are all arranged in this order in order to signal your acceptance of the forthcoming covenant. It is clear from Moses’ addressing all the assembled, that they were of one mind at the time, all willing and eager to accept the covenant.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:11:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:11:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:11:2)

**אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֹּרֵת עִמְּךָ הַיּוֹם לְמַעַן הָקִים אוֹתְךָ וְכוּ׳.** וְהִנֵּה הָאֵל יִתְבָּרַךְ מְכַוֵּן בָּזֶה הַבְּרִית לְהָקִים אוֹתְךָ לוֹ לְעָם, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הוּא לְךָ לֵאלֹהִים, וּבָזֶה תִּקְנֶה חַיֵּי עוֹלָם. וּבִהְיוֹת תַּכְלִית זֶה הַבְּרִית כָּל כָּךְ נִכְבָּד, צָרִיךְ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה קַבָּלָתוֹ בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵמוּת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'אשר ה' אלוקיך כורת עמך היום, למען הקים אותך וגו, G’d’s objective in concluding this covenant with you this day is to reaffirm that you are His people and that He is your G’d. By entering into this covenant with Him you acquire eternal life, life beyond the death of your bodies. Seeing that the purpose of the covenant is of such importance, is of so elevated a nature, it is necessary that you embrace it wholeheartedly.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:14:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:14:1)

**וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר אֵינֶנּוּ פֹּה עִמָּנוּ הַיּוֹם.** וְהֵם הַדּוֹרוֹת הַבָּאִים, וּלְפִיכָךְ צָרִיךְ שֶׁתּוֹדִיעֵם שֶׁמַּתְּנַת הָאָרֶץ וְזוּלָתָהּ הָיְתָה לָכֶם עַל תְּנַאי קִיּוּם הַבְּרִית, וּבְאוֹתוֹ הַתְּנַאי בְּעַצְמוֹ יִירְשׁוּ מִכֶּם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואת אשר עמנו פה עמנו היום, a reference to future, as yet unborn generations. You will therefore have to explain to these unborn generations in due course that you yourselves only received this land on the understanding that subsequent generations of Jews would remain loyal to the terms of your acceptance. They will continue to inherit the land from you only on that basis.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:15:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:15:1)

**כִּי אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֵת אֲשֶׁר יָשַׁבְנוּ.** וּלְפִיכָךְ רָאוּי לָחוּשׁ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
כי אתם ידעתם את אשר ישבנו, and this is why you have to be concerned that there should not be among you איש או אשה, neither a man nor a woman who would seduce you to follow the vain pursuits of the nations with whom you will be living in close proximity, and who might be the cause that you would default on the undertakings in this covenant. This is the reason I have insisted that all of you be present at this ceremony, seeing that G’d examines hearts He will know who only pays lip service to this covenant and who is sincere about it. You will not be able to deceive Him.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:17:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:17:1)

**פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה.** פֶּן נִפְתֶּה לִבָּם לְהַבְלֵי הַמּוֹאָבִים בְּשִׁבְתָּם עִמָּהֶם, וְיַחְשְׁבוּ לְבַטֵּל קַבָּלַת הַבְּרִית בִּלְבָבָם. וְלָכֵן אָמַרְתִּי שֶׁכֻּלְּכֶם נִצָּבִים לִפְנֵי ה׳ בּוֹחֵן כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב, שֶׁלֹּא תוּכְלוּ לְהַטְעוֹתוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
איש או אשה, neither a man nor a woman who would seduce you to follow the vain pursuits of the nations with whom you will be living in close proximity, and who might be the cause that you would default on the undertakings in this covenant. This is the reason I have insisted that all of you be present at this ceremony, seeing that G’d examines hearts He will know who only pays lip service to this covenant and who is sincere about it. You will not be able to deceive Him.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:17:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:17:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:17:2)

**פֶּן יֵשׁ בָּכֶם שֹׁרֶשׁ פֹּרֶה רֹאשׁ וְלַעֲנָה.** חוֹשֵׁב לְהַדִּיחַ רַבִּים אֶל דֵּעוֹתָיו הַנִּפְסָדוֹת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
פן יש בכם שורש פורה ראש ולענה, a simile for people planning to beguile the multitude to adopt their own idolatrous beliefs.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:18:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:18:1)

**וְהִתְבָּרֵךְ בִּלְבָבוֹ.** יְקַבֵּל הָאָלָה בְּפִיו וְיִתְבָּרֵךְ בִּלְבָבוֹ לְבַטֵּל אוֹתָהּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
והתברך בלבבו, while accepting the covenant with his lips, he already resolves in his heart to honour it in the breach, comforting himself, thinking שלום יהיה לי כי בשרירות לבי אלך, “I will be alright even though I will do my own thing.” He considers that seeing that he already planned to breach the covenant at the very moment when he accepted it with his lips, the covenant is not binding upon him.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:18:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:18:2)

**לְמַעַן סְפוֹת הָרָוָה אֶת הַצְּמֵאָה.** וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁיְּקַבֵּל הָאָלָה בְּפִיו הוּא כְּדֵי לְהוֹסִיף אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ הָרְוָה וּשְׂבֵעָה בְּכָל תַּאֲווֹתֶיהָ עִם עֲדַת אֵל הַצְּמֵאָה וְנִבְדֶּלֶת מִן הַתַּאֲווֹת הַגַּשְׁמִיּוֹת, כְּדֵי לִשְׂמוֹחַ עִמָּהֶם בְּבִרְכוֹתָם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
The only reason he had mouthed acceptance of the covenant was to become at one and the same time a beneficiary of the overwhelming number of people for whose sake G’d was going to bestow so many blessings on His people. This is the meaning of the words שלום יהיה לי כי בשרירות לבי אלך למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה; he knows full well that the holy community of the Jewish people, his brethren, have attained that status by resisting the lures of the evil urge instead of succumbing to it. This is why they will benefit from G’d’s largesse in such abundant manner. He therefore decided to have the best of both worlds by at least paying lip service to a covenant he knows he will not live by.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:19:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:19:1)

**לֹא יֹאבֶה ה׳ סְלֹחַ לוֹ.** בְּחַלְּלוֹ שְׁבוּעַת הָאָלָה שֶׁקִּבֵּל בְּפִיו, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁבִּטְּלָהּ בְּלִבּוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לא יאבה ה' סלוח לו, when he will violate the covenant which he accepted as a sacred oath with his lips, although he had mentally had his reservations at the very time when he confirmed the covenant with his mouth.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:22:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:22:1)

**גָּפְרִית וָמֶלַח.** כְּמַהְפֵּכַת סְדוֹם אֲשֶׁר הָפַךְ ה׳ (בראשית יט:כה), יַכִּירוּ שֶׁאֵין זֶה מִקְרֶה, אֲבָל אֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים, שֶׁהֲרֵי עָשָׂה בָּהּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה בִּסְדוֹם שֶׁנּוֹדַע שֶׁהוּא הָפַךְ אוֹתָהּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
'גפרית ומלח....במהפכת סדום אשר הפך ה, the people seeing this know full well that this was not something accidental but that it is a finger of G’d. The comparison is based on Sodom seeing that its destruction had both been predicted to Avraham and confirmed by Lot and his daughters who were survivors of that event.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:23:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:23:1)

**וְאָמְרוּ כָּל הַגּוֹיִם.** כַּאֲשֶׁר יִגְלוּ בֵּינֵיהֶם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואמרו כל הגויים, when they are faced with these incontrovertible facts.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:25:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:25:1)

**אֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדָעוּם.** שֶׁלֹּא יָדְעוּ מְצִיאוּתָם בְּשׁוּם פָּנִים, וְעָזְבוּ אֱלֹהֵיהֶם שֶׁהוּא אֱלֹהֵי אֱמֶת, שֶׁבָּא מוֹפֵת עַל מְצִיאוּתוֹ וִיכָלְתּוֹ וְהַשְׁגָּחָתוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אלוהים אשר לא ידעום, they did not even know of such a deity’s existence. For such unproven and almost anonymous deities they abandoned their G’d, the One Who had been proven as true, powerful, through all the miracles He had performed for them.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:25:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:25:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:25:2)

**וְלֹא חָלַק לָהֶם.** שֶׁיִּרְאוּ שֶׁאֵין שׁוּם מַזָּל מְתַקֵּן עִנְיָנָם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ולא חלק להם, a deity, be it a horoscope or whatever which He had not assigned to them. The reason G’d had never assigned such a horoscope to them had been to show them that they did not need it, as did the other nations. Moses had mentioned in Deut. 4,19-20 that G’d had assigned such intermediaries to the gentile nations.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:28:1
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:28:1)

**הַנִּסְתָּרֹת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ.** אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי שֶׁאַתֶּם נִצָּבִים כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי ה׳ שֶׁלֹּא יוּכַל אָדָם לְהַטְעוֹתוֹ וְהוּא יִפָּרַע מִן הַבּוֹגֵד, הִנֵּה זֶה יִהְיֶה בַּנִּסְתָּרוֹת בִּלְבַד.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
הנסתרות לה' אלוקינו, even though I have said that all of you are standing in the presence of the Lord whom it is impossible to mislead and deceive, so that He will collect His dues from everyone who owes him, G’d collects directly only from those whom it is not possible for His appointed representatives, i.e. a legally constituted judiciary to bring to justice.


###### Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:28:2
[Sforno on Deuteronomy 29:28:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Deuteronomy/r/29:28:2)

**וְהַנִּגְלוֹת לָנוּ וּלְבָנֵינוּ עַד עוֹלָם.** אֲבָל בַּנִּגְלוֹת הַדָּבָר מוּטָל עָלֵינוּ וְעַל בָּנֵינוּ, וְרָאוּי לָנוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶל כָּל דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת, לַעֲנוֹשׁ הַחוֹטְאִים וְלַעֲשׂוֹת בָּהֶם מִשְׁפָּט כָּתוּב.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
והנגלות לנו ולבננו עד עולם, however, any sins committed publicly must be dealt with by this judiciary, forever, [I suppose the words עד עולם mean that there is no statute of limitations as in gentile countries. Ed.] לעשות את כל דברי התורה הזאת, to avenge G’d‘s having been slighted by the public commission of violations of Torah law, especially those affecting other people directly.