## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 13

###### Sifrei Devarim 13:1
[Sifrei Devarim 13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:1)

(דברים א יג) **הָבוּ לָכֶם**, אֵין הָבוּ אֶלָּא עֵצָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב טז כ): ״הָבוּ לָכֶם עֵצָה מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה״, (שמות א י) ״הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 1:13) "*Havu* for yourselves": "*Havu*" connotes "counsel," as in (II Samuel 16:20) "*Havu* counsel for yourselves," (Shemoth 1:10) "*Havah*, let us plot (i.e., take counsel) against it."


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:2
[Sifrei Devarim 13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:2)

**אֲנָשִׁים**, וְכִי עָלְתָה עַל דַּעְתֵּנוּ נָשִׁים? מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **אֲנָשִׁים**? בַּחֲתִיכָה וּבִפְסִיפָס, אֲנָשִׁים וָתִיקִים וּכְשֵׁרִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"men": Would it enter our minds (that) women (are to be sought for this purpose)? What, then, is the intent of "men"? Venerable and revered.


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:3
[Sifrei Devarim 13:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:3)

**חֲכָמִים**, זוֹ שֶׁשָּׁאַל אַרְיוֹס אֶת רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אָמַר לוֹ: אֵי זֶה הוּא חָכָם? אָמַר לוֹ: הַמְקַיֵּם תַּלְמוּדוֹ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא **נָבוֹן**? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר **וּנְבֹנִים**. מַה בֵּין חָכָם לְנָבוֹן? חָכָם דּוֹמֶה לְשֻׁלְחָנִי עָשִׁיר: כְּשֶׁמְּבִיאִים לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – רוֹאֶה, וּכְשֶׁאֵין מְבִיאִים לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – מוֹצִיא מִשֶּׁלּוֹ וְרוֹאֶה. נָבוֹן דּוֹמֶה לְשֻׁלְחָנִי עָנִי: כְּשֶׁמְּבִיאִים לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – רוֹאֶה; כְּשֶׁאֵין מְבִיאִין לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – יוֹשֵׁב וְתוֹהֶה!

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"wise and understanding": As Arios asked R. Yossi: Who is wise? He answered: One who fulfills what he has learned. Arios: You say "one who fulfills what he has learned," but perhaps it means one who is understanding. Rebbi: "understanding" is already written. What is the difference between "understanding" and "wise"? The wise man is like a traveling money changer. When he is brought (coins to assess), he examines them. When he is not brought (coins), he sits idle. The understanding man is like a rich money-changer. When he is not brought (coins) to examine, he examines his own.


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:4
[Sifrei Devarim 13:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:4)

**וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְדוּעִים לָכֶם. הֲרֵי שֶׁנִּתְעַטֵּף בְּטַלִּיתוֹ וּבָא וְיָשַׁב לְפָנַי; אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מֵאֵיזֶה שֵׁבֶט הוּא, אֲבָל אַתֶּם מַכִּירִים אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁאַתֶּם גְּדַלְתֶּם בֵּינֵיהֶם. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר **וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיְּהוּ יְדוּעִים לָכֶם. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: אֵין כָּל יְשִׁיבָה וִישִׁיבָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת עַד שֶׁהַבְּרִיּוֹת מְרַנְּנוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ, וְאוֹמְרוֹת: מָה רָאָה אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי לֵישֵׁב, וּמָה רָאָה אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁלֹּא לֵישֵׁב? לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר **וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְדוּעִים לָכֶם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and known among your tribes": They should be familiar to you. If someone comes cloaked in his *talith* and sits before me, I know nothing about him. But you know about him, for you grew up with him. Thus, "known to your tribes." R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: No (judicial) session begins until people bring it into question: Why did this man consent to sit (as a judge)? And why did this man not consent to sit?


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:5
[Sifrei Devarim 13:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:5)

**וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם**, יָכוֹל אִם מִנִּיתֶם אַתֶּם אוֹתָם מְמוּנִּים, וְאִם לָאו אֵינָם מְמוּנִּים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם**: אִם מִנִּיתִים – הֲרֵי הֵם מְמוּנִּים, אִם לָאו – אֵינָם מְמוּנִּים. יָכוֹל אִם גִּדַּלְתֶּם אַתֶּם אוֹתָם הֲרֵי הֵם גְּדוֹלִים, וְאִם לָאו אֵינָם גְּדוֹלִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם**: אִם גִּדַּלְתִּים – הֲרֵי הֵם גְּדוֹלִים, וְאִם לָאו – אֵינָם גְּדוֹלִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"And I shall set them at your heads": For you might think that if you appoint them, they are appointed, and if you do not appoint them, they are not appointed; it is, therefore, written "And *I* shall set them." If I appoint them, they are appointed; if not, they are not appointed. I might think that if *you* have accorded them greatness they are great, and if not, they are not great; it is, therefore, written "at your heads."


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:6
[Sifrei Devarim 13:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:6)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: אִם שְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת דַּבָּרֵיכֶם – הֲרֵי רָאשֵׁיכֶם שְׁמוּרִים, וְאִם לָאו – אֵין רָאשֵׁיכֶם שְׁמוּרִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר: אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא **וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם** אֶלָּא ״וַאֲשָׁמָם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם״; מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּלוּיִים בְּרָאשֵׁי דַיָּנֵיהֶם; וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל לג ז-ט): ״בֶּן אָדָם צֹפֶה נְתַתִּיךָ לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁמַעְתָּ מִפִּי דָּבָר וְהִזְהַרְתָּ אוֹתָם מִמֶּנִּי, בְּאָמְרִי לָרָשָׁע וְגוֹ׳ וְאַתָּה כִּי הִזְהַרְתָּ רָשָׁע״ וְגוֹ׳ (דברים א יד).

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Variantly: "and I shall set them at your heads": If you guard your ways, your heads (i.e., your judges) will be guarded, and if not, your heads will not be guarded — whence we are taught that the guilt of Israel is on the heads of their judges. And thus is it written (Ezekiel 33:7-9) "A sentinel have I made you for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from My mouth, you must warn them for Me." (If you do not warn the wicked one and he dies, his blood will be on your head.)