## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 13

###### Sifrei Devarim 13:1
[Sifrei Devarim 13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:1)

(דברים א יג) **הָבוּ לָכֶם**, אֵין הָבוּ אֶלָּא עֵצָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב טז כ): ״הָבוּ לָכֶם עֵצָה מַה נַּעֲשֶׂה״, (שמות א י) ״הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 13**¹⁰⁷
1. “*Select*¹⁰⁸ormed from the root: *y-h-b,* “to give” also stands behind “judicious” (*hav;* attend to). for yourselves . . .” (Dt. 1:13).
The term, *select*, implies *consultation*,
for it is said:
“*Select* for yourselves *counsel*—what shall we do?” (2 Sam. 16:2).
[And He says:]
*“Be judicious*!
*Let us* deal cleverly with Israel” (Ex. 1:10).

footnotes:
¹⁰⁷ H:37-38; JN1:44-46
¹⁰⁸ Heb: havu, f


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:2
[Sifrei Devarim 13:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:2)

**אֲנָשִׁים**, וְכִי עָלְתָה עַל דַּעְתֵּנוּ נָשִׁים? מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **אֲנָשִׁים**? בַּחֲתִיכָה וּבִפְסִיפָס, אֲנָשִׁים וָתִיקִים וּכְשֵׁרִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“*Select* for yourselves *men*” (Dt. 1:13).
Should we have imagined that *women* might be chosen?
**What does the Teaching mean by *men*?**
**Those who can analyze**¹⁰⁹ “mosaic tiling.” Through metaphoric extension, “a multi-talented person”.: See F:21, n.8 **and compose [arguments].** ¹¹⁰
**“Men”—those of experience and talent.**

footnotes:
¹⁰⁹ Heb: pesippas,
¹¹⁰ //ARNA,28; cf. Sifre Nu. 92.


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:3
[Sifrei Devarim 13:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:3)

**חֲכָמִים**, זוֹ שֶׁשָּׁאַל אַרְיוֹס אֶת רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, אָמַר לוֹ: אֵי זֶה הוּא חָכָם? אָמַר לוֹ: הַמְקַיֵּם תַּלְמוּדוֹ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא **נָבוֹן**? אָמַר לוֹ: כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר **וּנְבֹנִים**. מַה בֵּין חָכָם לְנָבוֹן? חָכָם דּוֹמֶה לְשֻׁלְחָנִי עָשִׁיר: כְּשֶׁמְּבִיאִים לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – רוֹאֶה, וּכְשֶׁאֵין מְבִיאִים לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – מוֹצִיא מִשֶּׁלּוֹ וְרוֹאֶה. נָבוֹן דּוֹמֶה לְשֻׁלְחָנִי עָנִי: כְּשֶׁמְּבִיאִים לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – רוֹאֶה; כְּשֶׁאֵין מְבִיאִין לוֹ לִרְאוֹת – יוֹשֵׁב וְתוֹהֶה!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Men of *wisdom*” (Dt. 1:13)
This is what [the proselyte]¹¹¹ 13, n. 2. Arius asked R. Yose.
He said:
**Who is wise?**
**[R. Yose] replied:**
**One who retains his learning.**¹¹²
[Arius responded:]
Perhaps it actually means *discerning*?
[R. Yose] said:
The verse [at Dt. 1:13] already specified *discerning*.2. What is the difference between *wise* and *discerningt*?
A wise person is like a rich money changer.
When they bring him coins to appraise,
he examines them.
When they don’t bring him coins,
he takes out his own and examines them.
A discerning person is like a poor money changer.
When they bring him coins to appraise,
he examines them.
When they don’t bring him coins,
he sits and stares.¹¹³

footnotes:
¹¹¹ Little is known about Arius. See H: 396, Pisqa’
¹¹² // M. Avot 4:1.
¹¹³ The difference between money changers symbolizes the active seeker of wisdom and the passive appreciator of what others have learned. The wise student, like the wealthy money changer, reviews his accumulated wisdom if he encounters nothing new; the discerning student, by contrast, receives new wisdom gladly, but does not review what he has already learned.


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:4
[Sifrei Devarim 13:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:4)

**וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְדוּעִים לָכֶם. הֲרֵי שֶׁנִּתְעַטֵּף בְּטַלִּיתוֹ וּבָא וְיָשַׁב לְפָנַי; אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ מֵאֵיזֶה שֵׁבֶט הוּא, אֲבָל אַתֶּם מַכִּירִים אוֹתוֹ, שֶׁאַתֶּם גְּדַלְתֶּם בֵּינֵיהֶם. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר **וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיְּהוּ יְדוּעִים לָכֶם. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: אֵין כָּל יְשִׁיבָה וִישִׁיבָה יוֹשֶׁבֶת עַד שֶׁהַבְּרִיּוֹת מְרַנְּנוֹת אַחֲרֶיהָ, וְאוֹמְרוֹת: מָה רָאָה אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי לֵישֵׁב, וּמָה רָאָה אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁלֹּא לֵישֵׁב? לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר **וִידֻעִים לְשִׁבְטֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ יְדוּעִים לָכֶם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “And *known* to your *tribes*” (Dt. 1:13)—
they should be familiar to you.
Look—if he wraps himself in his shawl
and comes to sit before me,
I don’t know what tribe he’s from.
But you recognize him,
for you grew up among them.
Therefore it is said:
”*Known* to your *tribes*” (Dt. 1:13)—
so they should be familiar to you.
Rabban Shimon b.Gamliel says:
**Not a single council can convene**
**without people finding fault with it, saying:**
**how is So-and-so qualified to sit,**
**and how is So-and-so disqualified!**¹¹⁴ 16
Therefore it is said:
“Known to your tribes” (Dt. 1:13)—
so they should be familiar to you.

footnotes:
¹¹⁴ Cf. Sifre Nu. 93, SZ, beha`alotechah


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:5
[Sifrei Devarim 13:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:5)

**וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם**, יָכוֹל אִם מִנִּיתֶם אַתֶּם אוֹתָם מְמוּנִּים, וְאִם לָאו אֵינָם מְמוּנִּים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם**: אִם מִנִּיתִים – הֲרֵי הֵם מְמוּנִּים, אִם לָאו – אֵינָם מְמוּנִּים. יָכוֹל אִם גִּדַּלְתֶּם אַתֶּם אוֹתָם הֲרֵי הֵם גְּדוֹלִים, וְאִם לָאו אֵינָם גְּדוֹלִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם**: אִם גִּדַּלְתִּים – הֲרֵי הֵם גְּדוֹלִים, וְאִם לָאו – אֵינָם גְּדוֹלִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
4. “And I will *appoint* them as your *heads*” (Dt. 1:13).
Is it possible to say that
if Moses *appointed* them, they are appointed,
but if not, they are *not appointed*?
The Teaching states:
“And I will *appoint* them as your *heads*” (Dt. 1:13).
If I appointed them, they are appointed,
but if not, they are not appointed!
Is it possible to say that
if you exalted them to office, they are exalted,
but if not, they are not exalted?
The Teaching states:
“And I will appoint them as your *heads*” (Dt. 1:13).
If I exalted them to office, *they are exalted*,
*but if not*, they are *not* exalted.
Another word:
If you guard your words,
indeed, your *heads* [i.e., leaders] *will be* protected,
but if not, your heads will *not* be protected.


###### Sifrei Devarim 13:6
[Sifrei Devarim 13:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/13:6)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: אִם שְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת דַּבָּרֵיכֶם – הֲרֵי רָאשֵׁיכֶם שְׁמוּרִים, וְאִם לָאו – אֵין רָאשֵׁיכֶם שְׁמוּרִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר: אַל תְּהִי קוֹרֵא **וַאֲשִׂימֵם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם** אֶלָּא ״וַאֲשָׁמָם בְּרָאשֵׁיכֶם״; מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַשְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל תְּלוּיִים בְּרָאשֵׁי דַיָּנֵיהֶם; וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יחזקאל לג ז-ט): ״בֶּן אָדָם צֹפֶה נְתַתִּיךָ לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁמַעְתָּ מִפִּי דָּבָר וְהִזְהַרְתָּ אוֹתָם מִמֶּנִּי, בְּאָמְרִי לָרָשָׁע וְגוֹ׳ וְאַתָּה כִּי הִזְהַרְתָּ רָשָׁע״ וְגוֹ׳ (דברים א יד).

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
5. Another word:
Don’t vocalize the verse in the conventional way as:
“I will appoint them as your *heads.*”¹¹⁵
Rather, vocalize the verse as:
“Their guilt is upon your *heads.”*¹¹⁶
This teaches that
Israel’s guilt hangs *over the heads* of their judges.
And so He says [to Ezekiel]:
“As for you, O human! *I have appointed* you a *scout* for the House of Israel.
When you hear a word from My mouth, you must transmit my warning to them . . .
But if you have warned the wicked man to turn back from his way,
he may die for *his own sin*, but you will have *saved your life*” (Ezek. 33:2-9).

footnotes:
¹¹⁵ That is, do not vowelize the consonantal text as follows: ‘asimeim ber’osheichem
¹¹⁶ Rather vowelize it as: ‘ashamam bero’sheichem.