## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 254

###### Sifrei Devarim 254:1
[Sifrei Devarim 254:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/254:1)

(דברים כג י) **כִּי תֵצֵא מַחֲנֶה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ**, כְּשֶׁתְּהֵא יוֹצֵא הֱוֵי יוֹצֵא בְּמַחֲנֶה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 254**²⁶²
1. “*When* you go off to *encamp upon* your enemies” (Dt. 23:10)—
if you *must* go to battle, go with a full *camp*.

footnotes:
²⁶² H:255;JN2:181-182.


###### Sifrei Devarim 254:2
[Sifrei Devarim 254:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/254:2)

**עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ**, כְּנֶגֶד אוֹיְבֶיךָ אַתָּה נִלְחָם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“*Upon* your enemies” (Dt. 23:10)—
*upon* requires you
to battle *against* your enemies,
[and not to make alliances with them].


###### Sifrei Devarim 254:3
[Sifrei Devarim 254:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/254:3)

**וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע**, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי בְּטָהֳרוֹת וּבְטֻמְאוֹת וּבְמַעַשְׂרוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: עֶרְוָה. אֵין לִי אֶלָּא עֶרְוָה, מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וּשְׁפִיכַת דָּמִים וְקִלְלַת הַשֵּׁם? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע**. אִי **וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ**, יָכוֹל בְּטָהֳרוֹת וּבְטֻמְאוֹת וּבְמַעַשְׂרוֹת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: עֶרְוָה – מָה עֶרְוָה מְיֻחֶדֶת מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁגָּלוּ עָלָיו כְּנַעֲנִים וּמְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה, כָּךְ כָּל מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁגָּלוּ עָלָיו כְּנַעֲנִים וּמְסַלֵּק אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “You must carefully guard yourself against any *harmful thing*”²⁶³; literally, “a bad thing.” (Dt. 23:10)—
shall I understand this verse as requiring
separation of clean things from unclean things,
or separation of Tithes from [untithed] produce? The Teaching states:
“A *lewd thing*”²⁶⁴ literally, “an indecent thing.” (Dt. 23:15; 24:1)—
[implying some sexual impropriety].²⁶⁵ 269.1-6.
I might infer only that
*lewd* suggests [sexual] license.
How do I know that it might include
participation in a foreign cult,
shedding innocent blood,
or cursing the Name?
The Teachings states:
“You must carefully guard yourself against *any harmful* thing” (Dt. 23:10)—
[certainly including idolatry, bloodshed, and blasphemy]!3. Well, if *you must carefully guard yourself*,
isn’t it possible to say that the verse concerns
separation of clean things from unclean things,
or the separation of Tithes from [untithed] produce? The Teaching states:
**“A *lewd* thing” (Dt. 23:15; 24:1)—**
**just as *lewdness* is distinctive,**
**causing the expulsion of the Canaanites,**
**as well as the repulsion of the Presence,**
**so, too, *lewdness* [describes] any act that**
**causes the expulsion of the Canaanites,**
**or the repulsion of the Presence.**²⁶⁶ 258.3

footnotes:
²⁶³ Heb: davar r`a
²⁶⁴ Heb: `ervat davar;
²⁶⁵ Cf. Pisqa’
²⁶⁶ Cf. Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 254:4
[Sifrei Devarim 254:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/254:4)

כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר **דָּבָר** אַף עַל לָשׁוֹן הָרָע. דָּבָר אַחֵר: **וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ**, הִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא תְהַרְהֵר בַּעֲבֵרָה וְתָבֹא לִידֵי קֶרִי.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
So when He states:
“A *thing*” ²⁶⁷ is “word.” This meaning, and its various linguistic overtones, accounts for the prominence of *davar* in midrashic word-play. In the present instance, it is unclear whether the citation of *davar* is intended to include the phrase, *`ervat davar* (Dt. 25:15: “lewd thing”) or *davar r`a* (Dt. 25:10: “harmful thing”). The concluding reference to *leshon har`a* (“slanderous speech”) argues that *davar r`a* is the target phrase. *(*Dt. 23:10),
this includes slanderous speech.
Another word:
“Carefully guard yourself” (Dt. 23:10)—
be careful that fantasies of sexual transgression
don’t lead you into the clutches of ejaculation!²⁶⁸

footnotes:
²⁶⁷ The primary meaning of davar
²⁶⁸ This brief addition appears in only a few versions. See F:280, n.9.