## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 67

###### Sifrei Devarim 67:1
[Sifrei Devarim 67:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:1)

(דברים יב י) **וַעֲבַרְתֶּם אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּאָרֶץ**, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: שָׁלֹשׁ מִצְווֹת נִצְטַוּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשָׁעַת כְּנִיסָתָם לָאָרֶץ: לְמַנּוֹת לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, לִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה וּלְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 12:10) "And you will cross the Jordan and you will dwell in the land … (11) and the place that the L-rd your G-d will choose, etc." R. Yehudah says: Three mitzvoth were commanded to Israel upon their entrance to the land: to appoint a king over them, to build the Temple, and to cut off the seed of Amalek,


###### Sifrei Devarim 67:2
[Sifrei Devarim 67:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:2)

אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה יִקְדוֹם: אִם לְמַנּוֹת לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, אִם לִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה אִם לְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות יז טז): ״וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס יָהּ מִלְחָמָה לַה׳ בַּעֲמָלֵק״ – מִשֶּׁיָּשַׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כִּסֵּא ה׳ אַתָּה מַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁכִּסֵּא ה׳ זֶה הַמֶּלֶךְ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א כט כג): ״וַיֵּשֶׁב שְׁלֹמֹה עַל כִּסֵּא ה׳ לְמֶלֶךְ״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
and I would not know which takes precedence; it is, therefore, written (Shemoth 17:16) "For a hand upon the throne of the L-rd: The L-rd shall war against Amalek." When the king sits upon the throne of the L-rd, cut off the seed of Amalek. And whence is it derived that "the throne of the L-rd" refers to the king? From (I Chronicles 29:23) "And Solomon sat on the throne of the L-rd as a king."


###### Sifrei Devarim 67:3
[Sifrei Devarim 67:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:3)

וַעֲדַיִן אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה יִקְדּוֹם: אִם לִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה אִם לְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מַנְחִיל אֶתְכֶם**, וְאוֹמֵר (שמואל ב ז א-ב): ״וַיְהִי כִּי יָשַׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֵיתוֹ וַה׳ הֵנִיחַ לוֹ מִסָּבִיב״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל נָתָן רְאֵה נָא אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּבֵית אֲרָזִים וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים יֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ הַיְרִיעָה״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
And I still would not know which preceded — the building of the Temple or the cutting off of the seed of Amalek? It is, therefore, written (Devarim, *Ibid*.) "… and you will dwell in the land that the L-rd your G-d causes you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all of your foes roundabout and you will dwell secure (only *then*) (11) the place that the L-rd your G-d shall choose (i.e., the Temple) etc." And it is written (II Samuel 7:1-2) "And it was, when the king (David) dwelt in his house and the L-rd had given him rest roundabout from all of his foes, that the king said to Nathan the prophet: See now, I am living in a house of cedar while the ark of G-d dwells within the curtain, etc."


###### Sifrei Devarim 67:4
[Sifrei Devarim 67:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:4)

(דברים יב יא) **וְהָיָה הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם שָׁמָּה תָבִיאוּ**, שָׁם שָׁמָּה, הָיוּ שָׁם שְׁתֵּי מְחִצּוֹת: מְחִצָּה לְקָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים – וּמְחִצָּה לְקָדָשִׁים קַלִּים. (דברים יב יא)

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
3. “Then, to the place which HASHEM your God shall choose to invest with His Name *there*, *there* shall you bring . . . (Dt.12:11).
Why does the verse repeat, *there*, *there*?
Because *two* partitioned areas were *there*:
a partitioned area [within the Courtyard]
for [Priests to eat] the Most-Holy offerings⁶³
and a partitioned area [within Jerusalem’s walls],
for [common Israelites to eat] the Lesser-Holy offerings.⁶⁴

footnotes:
⁶³ Such as the Purification-offering of the New Moon and Festivals (e.g M. Zev.5:3).
⁶⁴ Such as, e.g., the Firstling, Second-tithe, and the Passover (M .Zev.5:7).