## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 249

###### Sifrei Devarim 249:1
[Sifrei Devarim 249:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/249:1)

(דברים כג ד) **לֹא יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל ה׳** – בִּזְכָרִים הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר וְלֹא בִנְקֵבוֹת, עַמּוֹנִי וְלֹא עַמּוֹנִית מוֹאָבִי וְלֹא מוֹאָבִית, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: ״עַל דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדְּמוּ אֶתְכֶם בַּלֶּחֶם וּבַמַּיִם״, מִי דַרְכּוֹ לְקַדֵּם? אֲנָשִׁים וְלֹא נָשִׁים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 23:4) "An Amoni and a Moavi shall not come into the congregation of the L-rd": Scripture speaks of males and not of females, it being written "Amoni" (masculine), and not "Amonith" (feminine); "Moavi," and not "Moavith."


###### Sifrei Devarim 249:2
[Sifrei Devarim 249:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/249:2)

שֶׁהָיָה בַדִּין: וּמַה מַּמְזֵר שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ ״עַד עוֹלָם״ עָשָה בוֹ נָשִׁים כַּאֲנָשִׁים, עַמּוֹנִים וּמוֹאָבִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם ״עַד עוֹלָם״, אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בָהֶם נָשִׁים כַּאֲנָשִׁים? אוֹ חִלּוּף: מַה עַמּוֹנִים וּמוֹאָבִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם ״עַד עוֹלָם״ לֹא עָשָה בָהֶם נָשִׁים כַּאֲנָשִׁים, מַּמְזֵר שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ ״עַד עוֹלָם״ אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשֶׂה בוֹ נָשִׁים כַּאֲנָשִׁים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״לֹא יָבֹא מַמְזֵר״, בֵּין אִישׁ בֵּין אִשָּׁה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
For it would follow: If (in the instance of) "*mamzer*," whereof it is *not* stated "for all time," women are equated with men, then Amonim and Moavim, whereof it *is* stated "for all time," how much more so should men be equated with women! Or, conversely: If Amonim and Moavim, whereof it *is* stated "for all time," women are not equated with men, then *mamzer*, whereof it is *not* stated "for all time," how much more so should women not be equated with men! It is, therefore, written "*mamzer*" — "*mum zar*," both men and women.


###### Sifrei Devarim 249:3
[Sifrei Devarim 249:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/249:3)

אַחַר שֶׁרִבָּה הַכָּתוּב מִיעֵט, הָא אֵין עָלֶיךָ לָדוּן אֶלָּא כְּדִין הָרִאשׁוֹן: וּמַה מַּמְזֵר שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בּוֹ ״עַד עוֹלָם״ עָשָׂה בּוֹ נָשִׁים כַּאֲנָשִׁים, עַמּוֹנִים וּמוֹאָבִים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּהֶם ״עַד עוֹלָם״ אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה בָּהֶם נָשִׁים כַּאֲנָשִׁים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״עַמּוֹנִי״ וְלֹא עַמּוֹנִית, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Now that Scripture has *in*cluded and *ex*cluded, you must revert to the first line of reasoning, viz.: If "*mamzer*," whereof it is *not* stated "for all time," women are equated with men, then Amonim and Moavim, whereof it *is* stated "for all time," how much more so should men be equated with women! It is, therefore, written "Amoni," and not "Amonith." These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Shimon says (*Ibid*. 23:5) "Because they did not greet you with bread and with water." Whose custom is it to greet? Men and not women, (women normally being in the home.)


###### Sifrei Devarim 249:4
[Sifrei Devarim 249:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/249:4)

אִם נֶאֱמַר **דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי** לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר **עַד עוֹלָם**? מוּפְנֶה לְהַקִּישׁ וְלָדוּן גְּזֵרָה שָׁוָה. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי״ וְנֶאֱמַר לְמַעְלָה ״דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי״, מַה דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי הָאָמוּר כָּאן עַד עוֹלָם, אַף דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה עַד עוֹלָם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(*Ibid*. 4) "even the tenth generation shall not come": If it is written "for all time," why need it be written "the tenth generation"? It is *mufneh* (free for interpretation) for purposes of comparison and identity (*gezeirah shavah*), viz.: It is written here (in respect to Amoni and Moavi) "the tenth generation," and there (in respect to *mamzer*) "the tenth generation." Just as here, "for all time," so, there, for all time.