## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 15

###### Sifrei Devarim 15:1
[Sifrei Devarim 15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/15:1)

(דברים א טו-טז) **וָאֶקַּח אֶת רָאשֵׁי שִׁבְטֵיכֶם אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וגו׳, וָאֲצַוֶּה אֶת שֹׁפְטֵיכֶם**, מְשַׁכְתִּים בִּדְבָרִים, אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם: אַשְׁרֵיכֶם! עַל מִי אַתֶּם בָּאִים לְהִתְמַנּוֹת? עַל בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ אַחִים וְרֵעִים, כֶּרֶם חֶמְדָּה וְנַחֲלָה, צֹאן מַרְעִית – וְכָל לְשׁוֹן חִבָּה!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 15**¹¹⁹
1. “So I took the heads of your tribes, men of wisdom . . .
and I commanded your justices” (Dt. 1:15-16)—
**I enticed them with words, saying to them:**
**How fortunate you are!**
**Over whom are you about to be appointed?**¹²⁰
Over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—
people who are addressed as
“brothers” and “friends,” ¹²¹ “a precious vineyard,”¹²²
“an inheritance,”¹²³ “sheep of His pasture,”¹²⁴
and other terms of endearment.

footnotes:
¹¹⁹ H:38-39; JN1:48-49
¹²⁰ Cf. the loose parallel with Sifre Nu. 92.
¹²¹ E.g., Ps. 122:8
¹²² E.g., Is. 5:7.
¹²³ E.g., Is. 54:17.
¹²⁴ E.g., Ezek. 34:31.


###### Sifrei Devarim 15:2
[Sifrei Devarim 15:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/15:2)

**אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וִידֻעִים**, זוֹ אַחַת מִשֶּׁבַע מִדּוֹת שֶׁאָמַר לוֹ יִתְרוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה. הָלַךְ וְלֹא מָצָא אֶלָּא שָׁלֹשׁ: **אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וִידֻעִים**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “*Men* of *wisdom*, and *knowledgeable*” (Dt. 1:15).
This is one of seven necessary qualities [of leadership]
that Jethro specified to Moses.
He sought them all [in each appointee], but found [no more than] three—
[all appointees were] *men,*[had] *wisdom*, and [were] *knowledgeable*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 15:3
[Sifrei Devarim 15:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/15:3)

**וָאֶתֵּן אוֹתָם רָאשִׁים עֲלֵיכֶם**, שֶׁיְּהוּ מְכֻבָּדִים עֲלֵיכֶם: רָאשִׁים בְּמִקָּח, רָאשִׁים בְּמִמְכָּר, רָאשִׁים בְּמַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן, רָאשִׁים בִּכְנִיסָה וִיצִיאָה: נִכְנָס רִאשׁוֹן וְיוֹצֵא אַחֲרוֹן. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר **וָאֶתֵּן אוֹתָם רָאשִׁים עֲלֵיכֶם** – שֶׁיִּהְיוּ מְכֻבָּדִים עֲלֵיכֶם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“So I placed them as *heads*¹²⁵ In this context, “ministers” or “administrators.” over you” (Dt. 1:15)—
that they should be *honored* by you as heads of purchasing,
heads of sales, heads of negotiation, heads of import and export,
the first to enter [a public gathering], and the last to leave.¹²⁶ in light of Sifre, but it is difficult to conflate Sifre’s interest in commercial appointments with the Bavli’s setting of the behavior appropriate to the disciple. Cf. Pardo *ad loc.*
This is why it is said:
“I placed them as *heads* over you” (Dt. 1:15)—
so they should be *honored* by you.

footnotes:
¹²⁵ Hebrew: r’oshim.
¹²⁶ B. Ber.43b records a list of “six things that bring shame upon a disciple,” the last being “he shall not be the last to enter the study circle.” F:25, l.1 reads this barait’a


###### Sifrei Devarim 15:4
[Sifrei Devarim 15:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/15:4)

**שָׂרֵי אֲלָפִים**, שֶׁאִם הָיוּ אֶלֶף תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת וְתִשְׁעִים וְתִשְׁעָה אֵינוֹ נִתְפָּס אֶלָּא שַׂר אֶלֶף. **שָׂרֵי מֵאוֹת**, שֶׁאִם הָיוּ מֵאָה וְתִשְׁעִים וְתִשְׁעָה אֵינוֹ נִתְפָּס אֶלָּא שַׂר מֵאָה. **שָׂרֵי חֲמִשִּׁים**, שֶׁאִם הָיוּ חֲמִשִּׁים וְאַרְבָּעִים וְתִשְׁעָה אֵינוֹ נִתְפָּס אֶלָּא שַׂר חֲמִשִּׁים. **שָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת**, שֶׁאִם הָיוּ תִּשְׁעָה עָשָׂר אֵינוֹ נִתְפָּס אֶלָּא שַׂר עֲשָׂרָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Commanders of thousands” (Dt. 1:15)—
that is, for each group of 1,999,
only a commander for one thousand would be picked,
[leaving a remainder of 999 for the next appointee].
“Commanders of hundreds” (Dt. 1:15)—
for each group of 199,
only a commander for one hundred would be picked,
[leaving a remainder of 99].
“Commanders of fifties” (Dt. 1:15)—
if there were fifty and forty nine,
only a commander of fifty would be picked.
“Commanders of tens” (Dt. 1:15)—
if there were nineteen,
only a commander of ten would be picked.


###### Sifrei Devarim 15:5
[Sifrei Devarim 15:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/15:5)

**וְשׁוֹטְרִים**, אֵלּוּ הַלְוִיִּם הַמַּכִּים בִּרְצוּעָה, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים ב יט יא): ״וְשׁוֹטְרִים הַלְוִיִּם לִפְנֵיכֶם״, וְאוֹמֵר (נחמיה ח יא): ״וְהַלְוִיִּם מַחְשִׁים לְכָל הָעָם לֵאמֹר הַסּוּ״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“And officers for your tribes” (Dt. 1:15).
These are the Levites, who administer the lash.
And this confirms what is said:
“The levitical officers stand ready before you” (2 Chron. 19:11).