## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 237

###### Sifrei Devarim 237:1
[Sifrei Devarim 237:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/237:1)

(דברים כב יז) **וּפָרְשׂוּ הַשִּׂמְלָה** – יְחַוְּרוּ דְּבָרִים כַּשִּׂמְלָה. זֶה אֶחָד מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהָיָה רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל דּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה בְּמָשָׁל. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ (שמות כב ב): ״אִם זָרְחָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עָלָיו דָּמִים לוֹ״, וְכִי עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ זוֹרַחַת? וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר ״אִם זָרְחָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ עָלָיו דָּמִים לוֹ״? מָה הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ – שָׁלוֹם לָעוֹלָם, אַף זֶה, אִם הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא שָׁלוֹם מִמֶּנּוּ וַהֲרָגוֹ – הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ (שמות כא יט): ״אִם יָקוּם וְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּחוּץ עַל מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ״ – עַל בּוּרְיוֹ. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר **וּפָרְשׂוּ הַשִּׂמְלָה** – יְחַוְּרוּ דְּבָרִים כַּשִּׂמְלָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 237**¹⁷⁴
1. “Then they *spread out her night-dress*” (Dt. 22:17)—
that is, let the evidence be as clear
as [a blood-stain on] a night-dress!
**This is one of the instances in which**
**R. Ishmael would interpret the Torah metaphorically.** ¹⁷⁵ often, “parable” or “analogy.” //Mechilta Ishmael, *neziqin,* 6.
**A similar instance:**
**“If the sun rises upon *him*, he is responsible for the blood” (Ex. 22:2)—**
**now, is the sneak-thief the only one**
**upon whom the sun rises?**
**What, then, can the Teaching mean by:**
**“If the sun rises upon *him*?”**
**Just as the sun’s light**
**augurs peace for the world**
**[by illuminating darkness],**
**so, too, had this guy known that**
**the intruder meant to be peaceful,**
**but [went and] killed him anyway—**
**he is indeed liable for the death.**¹⁷⁶
**A similar instance:**
**“If he shall get up and walk about in the street upon his *staff*” (Ex. 21:19)—**
***staff* in this case represents**
**the patient’s restored well-being.**
**A similar instance:**
**“Then they *spread out her night-dress*” (Dt. 22:17)—**
**that is, let the evidence be as clear**
**as [a blood-stain on] a night-dress!**¹⁷⁷ 6.

footnotes:
¹⁷⁴ H:245-246;JN2:155.
¹⁷⁵ Heb: mashal;
¹⁷⁶ Cf. T. San. 11:9.
¹⁷⁷ // Mechilta Ishmael, neziqin,


###### Sifrei Devarim 237:2
[Sifrei Devarim 237:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/237:2)

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר **וּפָרְשׂוּ הַשִּׂמְלָה לִפְנֵי זִקְנֵי הָעִיר** – נִמְצְאוּ עֵדֵי הַבַּעַל זוֹמְמִים. **וּפָרְשׂוּ הַשִּׂמְלָה**, יָבוֹאוּ עֵדָיו שֶׁל זֶה וְעֵדָיו שֶׁל זֶה, וְיֹאמְרוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם **לִפְנֵי זִקְנֵי הָעִיר**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. R. Akiva says:
And, similarly, Scripture says:
“Then they *spread out her night-dress* before the elders of the city” (Dt. 22:17)—
that is, if the husband’s witnesses are found to be in collusion against her
[the stained night dress is acceptable evidence to restore her reputation].¹⁷⁸
“Then *they spread out her night-dress* before the elders of the city” (Dt. 22:17)—
that is, let the witnesses for each party
present their cases before the elders of the city.

footnotes:
¹⁷⁸ The textual evidence for this material is unreliable. See F:269, n.9.


###### Sifrei Devarim 237:3
[Sifrei Devarim 237:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/237:3)

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: דְּבָרִים כִּכְתָבָם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
R. Eliezer b. Jacob says:
Let matters stand as they are written
[without benefit of metaphorical exegesis]!