## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 199

###### Sifrei Devarim 199:1
[Sifrei Devarim 199:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/199:1)

(דברים כ י) **כִּי תִקְרַב אֶל עִיר**, בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 199**³³¹
1. “When you approach a *city*” (Dt. 20:10)—
here the verse speaks of an optional war
[in which there is no mandate to destroy the population].

footnotes:
³³¹ H:217; JN2:89-90.


###### Sifrei Devarim 199:2
[Sifrei Devarim 199:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/199:2)

**אֶל עִיר** – וְלֹא לִכְרָךְ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“A *city*” (Dt. 20:10)—but not a town.


###### Sifrei Devarim 199:3
[Sifrei Devarim 199:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/199:3)

**אֶל עִיר** – וְלֹא לִכְפָר.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“A *city*” (Dt. 20:10)—but not a village.


###### Sifrei Devarim 199:4
[Sifrei Devarim 199:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/199:4)

**לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ** – וְלֹא לְהַרְעִיבָהּ וְלֹא לְהַצְמִיאָהּ, וְלֹא לַהֲמִיתָהּ מִיתַת תַּחֲלוּאִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“To engage it *in battle*” (Dt. 20:10)—
but not to starve it out,
or to foul its water,
or to unleash disease within it.


###### Sifrei Devarim 199:5
[Sifrei Devarim 199:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/199:5)

**וְקָרָאתָ אֵלֶיהָ לְשָׁלוֹם**. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ מֵתִים צְרִיכִים שָׁלוֹם. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ בְּמִלְחַמְתָּם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל צְרִיכִים שָׁלוֹם. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁדָּרֵי רוּם צְרִיכִים שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (איוב כה ב): ״עוֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם בִּמְרוֹמָיו״. גָּדוֹל שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁחוֹתְמִים בּוֹ בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים. וְאַף מֹשֶׁה הָיָה אוֹהֵב שָׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ב כו): ״וָאֶשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים מִמִּדְבַּר קְדֵמוֹת אֶל סִיחוֹן מֶלֶךְ חֶשְׁבּוֹן דִּבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “Then you shall sue it for peace” (Dt. 20:10).
**Great is peace,**
**for even the dead need peace,**
**Great is peace,**
**for even in Israel’s wars they needed peace.**
**Great is peace,**
**for those who dwell on high need peace,**
**as it is said:**
**“He makes peace in His lofty dwelling” (Job 25:2).**
**Great is peace,**
**for the Priestly Blessing concludes with *peace*.**
**And Moses, too, was a lover of peace,**
**as it is said:**
**“Then I sent messengers from the desert of Qadmut. to Sihon, the King of Heshbon,**
**with words of *peace*” (Dt. 2:25**).³³²

footnotes:
³³² Sifre Nu, 42, s.v., gadol hashalom