## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 208

###### Sifrei Devarim 208:1
[Sifrei Devarim 208:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/208:1)

(דברים כא ה) **וְנִגְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי**, מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יח ז) ״וְשֵׁרֵת בְּשֵׁם ה׳ אֱלֹהָיו״, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא תְמִימִים, בַּעֲלֵי מוּמִים מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **בְּנֵי לֵוִי**. **כִּי בָם בָּחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ [לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בִּשְׁמוֹ]**, מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵין בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים כְּשֵׁרָה בְּבַעֲלֵי מוּמִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 208**³⁶⁶
1. “Then the Priests, the sons of Levi, shall approach” (Dt. 21:5).
inferring from what is stated—
“And he shall serve in the name of HASHEM his God” (Dt. 18:7)—
I only know that
unblemished [Priests] may conduct the rite.
How do I know that
*disfigured* Priests are qualified as well?³⁶⁷ 208, n.2).
The Teaching states:
“The sons of *Levi*” (Dt. 21:5)—
[whether unblemished or disfigured].

footnotes:
³⁶⁶ H:222-223; JN2:103-104.
³⁶⁷ See M. Meg.4: 7, which excludes priests with disfigured hands.from lifting them in blessing. Cf. H:464 (pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 208:2
[Sifrei Devarim 208:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/208:2)

**לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בְּשֵׁם ה׳**, מַקִּישׁ בְּרָכָה לְשֵׁרוּת: מַה שֵּׁרוּת בַּעֲמִידָה – אַף בְּרָכָה בַּעֲמִידָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “For HASHEM your God has chosen from among them to serve Him
and to *give blessing* in His Name” (Dt. 21:5)—
the conjoining of *to serve* and *to bless* implies that
the *blessing* of the *Priest* is invalid if he is disfigured.
“To *serve* Him and to *give blessing* in His Name” (Dt. 21:5)—
Let us draw out the comparative implications:
Just as *serving* requires *standing*,
*blessing* also requires *standing*.


###### Sifrei Devarim 208:3
[Sifrei Devarim 208:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/208:3)

**וְעַל פִּיהֶם יִהְיֶה כָּל רִיב וְכָל נָגַע**, מַקִּישׁ רִיבִים לִנְגָעִים: מַה נְּגָעִים בַּיּוֹם – אַף רִיבִים בַּיּוֹם, מַה רִיבִים שֶׁלֹּא בִּקְרוֹבִים – אַף נְגָעִים שֶׁלֹּא בִּקְרוֹבִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “And their instructions (*`al pihem*) shall resolve every *dispute* and the status of every *plague-sign* (Dt. 21:5)—
the verse suggests a comparison
between civil *disputes* and *plague-signs*:
Just as plague-signs are examined during the day,
so, too, civil disputes are judged during the day;
just as civil disputes are not
judged by relatives,
so, too, plague-signs are not
examined by relatives.


###### Sifrei Devarim 208:4
[Sifrei Devarim 208:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/208:4)

אוֹ, מָה רִיבִים בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה אַף נְגָעִים בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה? וְדִין הוּא, אִם מָמוֹנוֹ בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה גּוּפוֹ לֹא יְהֵא בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא יג ב): ״אוֹ אֶל אַחַד מִבָּנָיו הַכֹּהֲנִים״, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁכֹּהֵן אֶחָד רוֹאֶה אֶת הַנְּגָעִים!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Or [may we argue that]:
Just as civil disputes are
judged by courts of three,
so, too, the status of plague-signs is
examined by three Priests?
Now, this is only reasonable!
If a matter affecting one’s wealth
is judged by three [judges],
shouldn’t a matter affecting one’s body
be judged by three [Priests]?
[Nevertheless,] the Teaching states:
“Now, when there appears, on the skin of his flesh. . . something akin to an unclean eruption, then he should be brought before Aaron the Priest,
or *one* of his priestly sons” (Lv. 13:2)—
This teaches you that only one Priest need examine plague-signs.