## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 231

###### Sifrei Devarim 231:1
[Sifrei Devarim 231:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/231:1)

(דברים כב י) **לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר יַחְדָּו**, יָכוֹל לְעוֹלָם? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר (שמות כג יב) ״לְמַעַן יָנוּחַ שׁוֹרְךָ וַחֲמֹרֶךָ״ – כְּבָר שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר עוֹשִׂים מְלָאכָה! אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר **לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר**? זֶה עִם זֶה. שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא שׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר; מִנַּיִן לַעֲשׂוֹת שְׁאָר בְּהֵמָה וְחַיָּה וָעוֹף כְּיוֹצֵא בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ**, מִכָּל מָקוֹם. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר **בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר**? – בְּשׁוֹר וַחֲמוֹר אִי אַתָּה חוֹרֵשׁ, אֲבָל אַתָּה חוֹרֵשׁ בְּאָדָם וּבַחֲמוֹר!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 231**¹³⁸
1. “You *may not* plow with an ox and an ass as one” (Dt. 22:10)—
is it possible to say that this means “never?”
Yet, when he says:
“So that your ox and ass *may rest*” (Ex. 23:12),
[it seems that] the ox and ass
have already been worked [together]!
If so, why is it stated:
“You may not plow with an ox and an ass *as one*” (Dt. 22:10)—
that is, [yoked together] side by side.2. “An *ox* and an *ass*” (Dt. 22:10)—
I might infer only that
[the rule applies to] *an ox and an ass*.
**How do I know to treat**
**other cattle, wild animals, and fowl**
**in the same way as the ox and the ass?** ¹³⁹
The Teaching states:
“You may *not plow*” (Dt. 22:10)—
With any [combination of
incompatible work-animals]
If so, why does the verse specify:
“With an ox and an ass” (Dt. 22:10)?
**You may not plow with**
***an ox* and an ass [as one],**
**But you may certainly plow with**
***a man* and an ass!**¹⁴⁰

footnotes:
¹³⁸ H:241; JN2:144-145.
¹³⁹ Cf. M. Kil. 8:2.
¹⁴⁰ Cf. M. Kil.8:6.


###### Sifrei Devarim 231:2
[Sifrei Devarim 231:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/231:2)

**לֹא תַחֲרֹשׁ**, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא חוֹרֵשׁ; מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת הַדָּשׁ וְהַיּוֹשֵׁב וְהַמַּנְהִיג? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **יַחְדָּו**, מִכָּל מָקוֹם. רַבִּי מֵאִיר פּוֹטֵר בַּיּוֹשֵׁב.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “You may not *plow*” (Dt. 22:9)—
I might infer only that
*plowing* is covered by the rule.
How do I know to include
one threshing grain,
or sitting [in a wagon]¹⁴¹ and driving a team?
The Teaching states:
“As *one*” (Dt. 22:9)—
[this refers to] any labor
[associated with the animal’s work].
R. Meir exempts from the rule
the one sitting [in a wagon].

footnotes:
¹⁴¹ RH adds the clause, “in a wagon.”


###### Sifrei Devarim 231:3
[Sifrei Devarim 231:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/231:3)

**יַחְדָּו** – פְּרָט לְרָמָךְ. **יַחְדָּו** – פְּרָט לְקוֹשֵׁר אֶת הַסּוּס לְצִדֵּי הַקָּרוֹן אוֹ לְאַחַר הַקָּרוֹן, וְאֶת הַלַּבְדְּקָס לַגְּמַלִּים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“An ox and an *ass* as one” (Dt. 22:9)—
this excludes the *mule*.
“An *ox* and an *ass* as one” (Dt. 22:9)—
**this excludes**
**one who ties his horse**
**to the side of a wagon**
**or behind a wagon [pulled by an ox],**
**and a Libyan ass,**
**[pulling a load] with camels**.¹⁴²

footnotes:
¹⁴² Cf. M. Kil. 8:4.