## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 153

###### Sifrei Devarim 153:1
[Sifrei Devarim 153:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/153:1)

(דברים יז ט) **וּבָאתָ** – לְרַבּוֹת בֵּית דִּין שֶׁבְּיַבְנֶה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 17:9) "And you shall come": to include the *beth-din* in Yavneh.


###### Sifrei Devarim 153:2
[Sifrei Devarim 153:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/153:2)

**אֶל הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם**, מִצְוָה בְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁיִּהְיוּ בוֹ כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"to the Cohanim, the Levites": It is a mitzvah that there be Cohanim and Levites in the *beth-din*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 153:3
[Sifrei Devarim 153:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/153:3)

יָכוֹל מִצְוָה, וְאִם אֵין בּוֹ יְהֵא פָסוּל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְאֶל הַשֹּׁפֵט** – אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם כָּשֵׁר.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
I might think that if there are none, it is invalidated; it is, therefore, written "and to the judge": Though there be no Cohanim or Levites, it is a bona fide *beth-din*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 153:4
[Sifrei Devarim 153:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/153:4)

**אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם**, אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי: וְכִי עָלָת עַל דַּעְתְּךָ שֶׁתֵּלֵךְ אֵצֶל שׁוֹפֵט שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּיָמֶיךָ? אֶלָּא שׁוֹפֵט שֶׁהוּא כָּשֵׁר וּמֻחְזָק בְּאוֹתָם הַיָּמִים. הָיָה קָרוֹב וְנִתְרַחֵק – כָּשֵׁר, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (קהלת ז י): ״אַל תֹּאמַר מֶה הָיָה שֶׁהַיָּמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים הָיוּ טוֹבִים מֵאֵלֶּה כִּי לֹא מֵחָכְמָה שָׁאַלְתָּ עַל זֶה״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and to the judge that shall be in those days": Now would it enter your mind that one should go to a judge who is *not* in his days?! (The reference is to) one who was related (to the judge by marriage), and whose relationship was subsequently dissolved, in which instance he may be judged (in "those days" following the dissolution of the relationship). Variantly: Do not say (I must have a judge) like Moses and Aaron, but (go to) "the judge that shall be in those days." As it is written (Koheleth 7:10) "Do not say: 'What has happened that the earlier days were better than these?' For it is not from wisdom that you ask this."


###### Sifrei Devarim 153:5
[Sifrei Devarim 153:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/153:5)

**וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְהִגִּידוּ לְךָ אֵת דְּבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט** – אֵלּוּ דִּקְדּוּקֵי מִשְׁפָּט.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and they shall tell you *the things* of the judgment": the fine points.