## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 158

###### Sifrei Devarim 158:1
[Sifrei Devarim 158:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/158:1)

(דברים יז טז) **רַק לֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ סוּסִים**, יָכוֹל לֹא יַרְבֶּה לְמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וּלְפָרָשָׁיו? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **לוֹ**, **לוֹ** אֵינוֹ מַרְבֶּה אֲבָל מַרְבֶּה הוּא לְמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וּלְפָרָשָׁיו.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 17:16) "Only he shall not multiply for himself horses": I might think not (even enough) for his chariot and his charioteers; it is, therefore, written "he shall not multiply for *himself*" — but he may multiply for his chariot and his charioteers.


###### Sifrei Devarim 158:2
[Sifrei Devarim 158:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/158:2)

אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר **לְמַעַן הַרְבּוֹת סוּס**? סוּסִים בְּטֵלִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
How, then, is "horses" to be understood? As "idle" horses.


###### Sifrei Devarim 158:3
[Sifrei Devarim 158:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/158:3)

מִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ סוּס אֶחָד וְהוּא בָּטֵל, כְּדַי הוּא שֶׁיַּחֲזִיר אֶת הָעָם לְמִצְרַיִם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **רַק לֹא יַרְבֶּה לּוֹ סוּסִים וְלֹא יָשׁוּב**

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Whence is it derived that the addition of even one idle horse constitutes a transgression? From (*Ibid*.) "in order to multiply *a horse*."


###### Sifrei Devarim 158:4
[Sifrei Devarim 158:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/158:4)

וַהֲלֹא דְּבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר: וּמָה מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁהַבְּרִית כְּרוּתָה עָלֶיהָ, עֲבֵרָה מַחֲזִירָתָהּ לְשָׁם, שְׁאָר אֲרָצוֹת, שֶׁאֵין הַבְּרִית כְּרוּתָה עֲלֵיהֶן – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Now does this not follow *a fortiori*, viz.: If a mitzvah on which the covenant hinges (i.e., to go to Eretz Yisrael and not to return to Egypt [viz. Shemoth 14:12]) — a transgression (in this instance, returning there for horses,) returns them to Egypt, (this, the thrust of "that he not return the people to Egypt in order to add a horse"), then (returning them to the) other lands, on which the covenant does not hinge, how much more so (will a transgression return them there)!