## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 122

###### Sifrei Devarim 122:1
[Sifrei Devarim 122:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:1)

(דברים טו יז) **וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת הַמַּרְצֵעַ**, מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַקּוֹץ וְאֶת הַזְּכוּכִית וְאֶת הַקְּרוּמִית שֶׁל קָנֶה? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **וְלָקַחְתָּ**, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: **מַרְצֵעַ**, מַה מַּרְצֵעַ הַמְיֻחָד מִן הַמַּתֶּכֶת – אַף אֵין לִי אֶלָּא מִן הַמַּתֶּכֶת. מִכָּן הָיָה רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת הֲלָכָה עוֹקֶפֶת הַמִּקְרָא. הַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה (ויקרא יז יג): ״וְשָׁפַךְ אֶת דָּמוֹ וְכִסָּהוּ בֶּעָפָר״, וַהֲלָכָה אָמְרָה: בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁמְּגַדֵּל צְמָחִים. הַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה (דברים כד א): ״וְכָתַב לָהּ סֵפֶר כְּרִיתוּת״, וַהֲלָכָה אָמְרָה: בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא בְּתָלוּשׁ. הַתּוֹרָה אָמְרָה: **בַּמַּרְצֵעַ**, וַהֲלָכָה אָמְרָה: בְּכָל דָּבָר. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר (שמות כא ו): ״בַּדֶּלֶת אוֹ בַמְּזוּזָה״ – מְעֻמָּד.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 15:17) "Then you shall take the awl and place it": Whence is it derived that also valid for this purpose are thorn, glass, and reed haulm? From "then you shall *take*" (anything that lends itself to "taking." These are the words of R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah. Rebbi says: Just as an awl is distinct in being of metal, so all that are of metal (may be used).


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:2
[Sifrei Devarim 122:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:2)

**מַרְצֵעַ**, זֶה מַרְצֵעַ גָּדוֹל.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"*the* awl": This is the large awl.


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:3
[Sifrei Devarim 122:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:3)

**וְלָקַחְתָּ אֶת הַמַּרְצֵעַ**, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין עַצְמוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כא ו): ״וְהִגִּישׁוֹ אֲדֹנָיו אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים״, אֵצֶל הַדַּיָּנִים, שֶׁיִּמָּסֵר בַּמּוֹכְרִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
“And you shall take the awl” (Dt.15:17)—
shall I infer that
[the piercing is done] privately,
between the two of them?
The Teaching states:
“Then his owner shall bring him before the *Authority*³⁶⁴ refers to God, although where exegetical necessity dictates, midrashic tradition stipulates that a human court is meant. (‘*elohim;* Ex.21:6)—
**Here, *Authority* refers *to the judges*** (*dayanim;* e.g., Ex.22:8),
**who then present him [for sale] to traders.** ³⁶⁵, 2.

footnotes:
³⁶⁴ Normally, ‘elohim
³⁶⁵ = Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:4
[Sifrei Devarim 122:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:4)

**בַּמַּרְצֵעַ** – בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא רוֹשֵׁם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
“With an awl” (Ex.21:6)—
**Anything that makes a mark**.³⁶⁶, 2.

footnotes:
³⁶⁶ // Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:5
[Sifrei Devarim 122:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:5)

אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: וַהֲלֹא יוּדָן בְּרַבִּי הָיָה דוֹרֵשׁ שֶׁאֵין רוֹצְעִים אֶלָּא בְמִילָת, וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין כֹּהֵן נִרְצָע, שֶׁמָּא נַעֲשֶׂה בַּעַל מוּם. אִם בְּמִילָת הוּא נִרְצָע, הֵיאַךְ נַעֲשֶׂה בַּעַל מוּם? אֶלָּא מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין רוֹצְעִים אֶלָּא בַּגָּבוֹהַּ שֶׁבָּאֹזֶן. רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אַף מִן הַסְּחוּס; שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: אֵין כֹּהֵן נִרְצָע.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
R. Eliezer Yuden Berebbi was wont to expound: The boring is done only in the ear-lap. R. Meir says: in the helix. For a Cohein is not bored in that this would render him "blemished," and if boring were in the ear-lap, how would he be rendered blemished thereby? We are hereby taught that boring is only in the height of the ear.


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:6
[Sifrei Devarim 122:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:6)

**אָזְנוֹ**, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן אָזְנוֹ, וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (ויקרא יד יד) אָזְנוֹ, מָה אָזְנוֹ הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן יְמָנִית, אַף אָזְנוֹ הָאָמוּר כָּאן יְמָנִית, בַּגָּבוֹהַּ שֶׁבָּאוֹזֶן.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"his ear": It is written here "his ear," and, elsewhere (in respect to a leper) (Vayikra 14:14) "his ear." Just as there, the right ear (is specified), so, here, the right ear (is intended).


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:7
[Sifrei Devarim 122:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:7)

**בְּאָזְנוֹ וּבַדֶּלֶת**, יָכוֹל בְּצַד אָזְנוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **בְּאָזְנוֹ וּבַדֶּלֶת**, מַגִּיד שֶׁנּוֹתֵן בָּאֹזֶן עַד שֶׁמַּגִּיעַ לַדֶּלֶת.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"in his ear": I might think, at the side of his ear; it is, therefore, written (Devarim 15:17) "in his ear and the door," whereby we are apprised that he pierces his ear (with the top of the awl) until it reaches the door.


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:8
[Sifrei Devarim 122:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:8)

**וְהָיָה לְךָ עֶבֶד עוֹלָם**, כָּל יְמֵי עוֹלָמוֹ שֶׁל אָדוֹן, אֲפִלּוּ נִמְכַּר שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה לִפְנֵי הַיּוֹבֵל. מִכָּן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר: עֶבֶד עִבְרִי עוֹבֵד אֶת הַבֵּן וְאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד אֶת הַבַּת, נִרְצָע – לֹא אֶת הַבֵּן וְלֹא אֶת הַבַּת. מִנַּיִן לִתֵּן אֶת הָאָמוּר כָּאן לְהַלָּן וְאֶת הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן כָּאן? – תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כא ו) עוֹלָם עוֹלָם לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and he shall be unto you a servant forever" — the "forever" of *Yovel*. — But, perhaps, "forever" literally! — It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 25:10) "And each one of you will return to his holding" (at the *Yovel*). Why, then, is it written "a servant forever"? For I might think that (after his ear is bored) he serves only *six* years, so that his end (i.e., the end of his servitude) not be graver than his beginning; it is, therefore, written "a servant 'forever'" — even thirty years, even forty, until the *Yovel*. "and he shall be unto *you* a servant forever," and, elsewhere, (Vayikra 21:5) "and he shall serve *him* forever" — not his son and not his daughter — whence it is ruled: A Hebrew man-servant serves the son, but not the daughter. One whose ear was bored and one who was sold to a gentile serves neither the son nor the daughter. Whence is it derived that what is stated here (Devarim) applies there (Vayikra), and what is stated there applies here? From "forever" (Devarim 15:17) - "forever" (Vayikra 21:5), for an identity (*gezeirah shavah* ).


###### Sifrei Devarim 122:9
[Sifrei Devarim 122:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/122:9)

**וְאַף לַאֲמָתְךָ תַּעֲשֶׂה כֵּן** – לְהַעֲנִיק. יָכוֹל אַף לָרְצִיעָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כא ה): ״וְאִם אָמֹר יֹאמַר הָעֶבֶד״, הָעֶבֶד וְלֹא הָאָמָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and to your maid-servant, too, shall you do *thus*": to bestow. I might think, also to bore the ear; it is, therefore, written (Shemoth 21:5) "And if the *man-servant* say, etc." The *man*-servant, and not the *maid*-servant.