## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 20

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

(דברים א כב) **וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי כֻּלְּכֶם וַתֹּאמְרוּ** – בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא. לְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים ה כ): ״וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי כָּל רָאשֵׁי שִׁבְטֵיכֶם וְזִקְנֵיכֶם״, יְלָדִים מְכַבְּדִים אֶת הַזְּקֵנִים, זְקֵנִים מְכַבְּדִים אֶת הָרָאשִׁים, וְכָאן הוּא אוֹמֵר: **וַתִּקְרְבוּן אֵלַי כֻּלְּכֶם, וַתֹּאמְרוּ** בְּעִרְבּוּבְיָא, יְלָדִים דּוֹחֲפִים אֶת הַזְּקֵנִים, זְקֵנִים דּוֹחֲפִים אֶת הָרָאשִׁים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 1:22) "And all of you drew near to me": promiscuously. And elsewhere it is written (*Ibid*. 5:26) "And you approached me (deferentially), all the heads of your tribes and your elders." The young honored the elders, and the elders honored the heads. And here it is written "And all of you drew near to me and you said" — promiscuously, the young pushing the elders, and the elders pushing the heads.


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

**וַתֹּאמְרוּ נִשְׁלְחָה אֲנָשִׁים לְפָנֵינוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ לָנוּ אֶת הָאָרֶץ**, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: עֲלוּבִים בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁכָּךְ בִּקְשׁוּ לָהֶם מְרַגְּלִים, אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם כְּשֶׁהֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ עֲרָבָה וְשׁוּחָה (ירמיה ב ו) – לֹא בִקַּשְׁתֶּם לָכֶם מְרַגְּלִים, עַכְשָׁיו שֶׁאַתֶּם נִכְנָסִים לְאֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה, לְאֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ – בִּקַּשְׁתֶּם לָכֶם מְרַגְּלִים?

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and you said: Let us send out men before us and let them spy out the land for us": R. Shimon says: This was a great shame for Israel. When they said: "Let us send out men before us," the L-rd said to them: When you were in the land of deserts and pits, I fed and sustained you, how much more so when you come to a good and broad land! How shameful those men who thus asked for themselves!


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

**וְיָשִׁיבוּ אֹתָנוּ דָּבָר**, בְּאֵיזֶה לָשׁוֹן הֵם מְדַבְּרִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and let them return to us word": concerning which language they speak.


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

**אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר נַעֲלֶה בָּהּ**, אֵין לְךָ דֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ עֲקֻמּוֹת, אֵין לְךָ דֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ כְּמָנוֹת, אֵין לְךָ דֶרֶךְ שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ פָּרָשׁוֹת.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"the (straightest) way by which we should go up": There is no road without turnings; there is no road without traps; there is no road without branchings.


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

**וְאֵת הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר נָבוֹא אֲלֵיהֶן**, לֵידַע בְּאֵיזֶה דֶּרֶךְ אָנוּ בָּאִים עֲלֵיהֶם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and the cities to which we will come": so that we know by which city to come against them.