## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 200

###### Sifrei Devarim 200:1
[Sifrei Devarim 200:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:1)

(דברים כ יא) **וְהָיָה אִם שָׁלוֹם תַּעַנְךָ**, יָכוֹל אַף מִקְצָתָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וּפָתְחָה לָךְ**, כֻּלָּהּ וְלֹא מִקְצָתָהּ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 200**³³³
1. “Now, if *it answers you* with peace” (Dt. 20:11).
Is it possible to say that
even if only part of the populace
[desires peace, peace should be negotiated]?
The Teaching states:
“And opens *itself* to you” (Dt. 20:11)—
implying that the entire populace,
not only part of it,
[has opened the city’s gates].

footnotes:
³³³ H:217-218; JN2:91:92


###### Sifrei Devarim 200:2
[Sifrei Devarim 200:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:2)

**וְהָיָה כָּל הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא בָהּ** – לְרַבּוֹת כְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Then *the entire populace* found there” (Dt. 20:11)—
including whatever Canaanites may be within it.


###### Sifrei Devarim 200:3
[Sifrei Devarim 200:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:3)

**יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ**, אָמְרוּ: ״מְקַבְּלִים אָנוּ עָלֵינוּ מִסִּים וְלֹא שִׁעְבּוּד״, ״שִׁעְבּוּד וְלֹא מִסִּים״ – אֵין שׁוֹמְעִים לָהֶם, עַד שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם זוֹ וָזוֹ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Shall be yours for tribute and servitude” (Dt. 20:11).
If they say:
We accept tribute but not servitude,
Or, we accept servitude, but not tribute,
pay no mind to them,
until they accept both conditions.


###### Sifrei Devarim 200:4
[Sifrei Devarim 200:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:4)

(דברים כ יב) **וְאִם לֹא תַשְׁלִים עִמָּךְ וְעָשְׂתָה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה**, הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁאִם אֵינָהּ מַשְׁלֶמֶת עִמְּךָ – לְסוֹף שֶׁהִיא עוֹשָׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “But, if the city will not make peace with you, *but wages war* against you” (Dt. 20:12)—
this verse announces to you that
if the city does not make peace with you,
it is destined to *wage war* against you.


###### Sifrei Devarim 200:5
[Sifrei Devarim 200:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:5)

**וְצַרְתָּ עָלֶיהָ**, אַף לְהַרְעִיבָהּ, אַף לְהַצְמִיאָהּ, אַף לַהֲמִיתָהּ בְּמִיתַת תַּחֲלוּאִים!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Then you shall lay siege to it” (Dt. 20:12)—
including starvation, thirst, and death by disease.³³⁴ 199.1.

footnotes:
³³⁴ Cf. Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 200:6
[Sifrei Devarim 200:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:6)

(דברים כ יג) **וּנְתָנָהּ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ**, אִם עָשִׂיתָ אֶת כָּל הָאָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן – לְסוֹף שֶׁה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתְנָהּ בְּיָדֶךָ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Once HASHEM your God has given it into *your hands*” (Dt. 20:13)—
if you have performed all that is stated here,
in the end, HASHEM your God will deliver it into *your hands*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 200:7
[Sifrei Devarim 200:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/200:7)

**וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת כָּל זְכוּרָהּ לְפִי חָרֶב**, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי אַף הַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כ יד): **רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה**. אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טַף שֶׁל נְקֵבוֹת? אָמַרְתָּ: וּמָה מִדְיָן, שֶׁהֵמִית אֶת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת, הֶחֱיָה אֶת הַקְּטַנּוֹת, כָּאן שֶׁהֶחֱיָה אֶת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת, אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁיְּחַיֶּה אֶת הַקְּטַנּוֹת? הָא אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כָּאן טַף – אֶלָּא טַף שֶׁל זְכָרִים, מִנַּיִן שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בָעִיר כָּל שְׁלָלָהּ תָּבֹז לָךְ**, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא בִזָּתָם אֲסוּרָה לָךְ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **תָּבֹז לָךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת שְׁלַל אוֹיְבֶיךָ**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Then you shall strike all its males with the blade of the sword” (Dt. 20:13)—
shall I infer from this that
even the young boys shall be put to the sword?
The Teaching states:
“Only, the women, the babies, and the livestock . . . you may take as booty” (Dt. 20:14)—
[but do not spare even the young boys].
Perhaps, the little girls as well
[shall be put to the sword]?
Take the case of the war against Midian (Nu. 31:17-18):
There they killed the adult women
and permitted the young girls to live,
whereas here (Dt. 20:14),
where they let the adult women live—
isn’t it logical that
they should let the young girls live?
I conclude, therefore, that
here, when *babies* are mentioned,
the reference is to male babies as well!
How do I know that any male combatant
[of whatever age must be put to the sword]?
The Teaching states:
“Only the women, the babies, and the livestock, whatever is in the city, all its spoils,
you may take as booty” (Dt. 20:14)—
[but male combatants must be put to the sword].
Is it possible to say that
their booty should be forbidden to you?
The Teaching states [to the contrary]:
“You may take as booty, and consume the spoils of your enemy
that HASHEM your God has given you” (Dt. 20:14)