## 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.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 21:5) "Then there shall draw near the Cohanim, the sons of Levi": What is the intent of this? (i.e., Don't we know that the Cohanim are the sons of Levi?) — Because it is written (*Ibid*.) "for them did the L-rd your G-d choose to serve Him," I might think that only unblemished Cohanim are eligible (for this rite); it is, therefore, written "the sons of Levi" — to teach that blemished Cohanim are eligible for the breaking of the neck of the heifer.


###### 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.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"to serve Him and to pronounce the benediction in the name of the L-rd": The (priestly) benediction is being likened to the (priestly) service. Just as the latter is performed, standing, so, the former.


###### 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.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and by their word shall every contention and every plague-spot be (ruled upon."): Contentions are being compared to plague-spots, and plague-spots to contentions. Just as plague-spots are (ruled upon) only in the daytime, so, contentions. And just as contentions are not (ruled upon) by kin, so, plague-spots. If so, why not say: Just as contentions require three (judges), so, plague-spots.


###### 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!

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
And it would follow *a fortiori*, viz.: If his money requires three, how much more so, his body! It is, therefore, written (re plague-spots, Vayikra 13:3) "… or to *one* of his sons, the Cohanim" — *One* Cohein rules on a plague-spot.