## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 260

###### Sifrei Devarim 260:1
[Sifrei Devarim 260:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/260:1)

(דברים כג יח) **לֹא תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל**, אִי אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלֶיהָ בָּאֻמּוֹת. **וְלֹא יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ** אִי אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלָיו בָּאֻמּוֹת. שֶׁהָיָה בַדִּין: וּמָה אִם קְדֵשָׁה קַלָּה אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלֶיהָ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, קָדֵשׁ חָמוּר אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁתְּהֵא מֻזְהָר עָלָיו בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל? אוֹ חִלּוּף: אִם קָדֵשׁ חָמוּר אִי אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלָיו בָּאֻמּוֹת, קְדֵשָׁה קַלָּה אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא מֻזְהָר עָלֶיהָ בָּאֻמּוֹת? מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **קָדֵשׁ**? צָרִיךְ לְאָמְרוֹ, שֶׁאִלּוּ נֶאֱמַר קְדֵשָׁה וְלֹא נֶאֱמַר קָדֵשׁ, הָיִיתִי אוֹמֵר: אִם קְדֵשָׁה קַלָּה אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלֶיהָ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, קָדֵשׁ חָמוּר אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁתְּהֵא מֻזְהָר עָלָיו בָּאֻמּוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **לֹא תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל**, אִי אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלֶיהָ בָּאֻמּוֹת, **וְלֹא יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ**, אִי אַתָּה מֻזְהָר עָלָיו בָּאֻמּוֹת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 260**²⁹⁰
1. “No *daughter of Israel* shall become a *prostitute*”²⁹¹; literally, “one set apart: root, *q-d-sh*.” Usually used in relation to cultic prostitution. The male form is *qadeish.* (Dt. 23:18)—
but, you are *not* cautioned about
them among the *gentile* nations.
“Neither shall a *son of Israel* become a *prostitute*” (Dt. 23:18)—
but, you are *not* cautioned about
them among the *gentile* nations.2. Now, it might have been reasonable to argue:
Just as in the lesser sin of the female prostitute,
you are cautioned to avoid them among Israel,
so, too, in the more severe sin of the male prostitute,
isn’t it only logical that you be cautioned to keep away
from them among Israel?
Perhaps we can reverse the reasoning?
If, in a case of the severe sin of the male prostitute,
you are *not* warned to avoid them among the *gentile* nations,
so, too, in the lesser sin of the female prostitution,
isn’t it only logical that
you should *not* be warned to avoid them among the *gentile* nations?3. What does the Teaching say about this?
“A *male* prostitute” (Dt. 23:18)—
[since female prostitution is common,
while male prostitution is rare,]
this distinction is necessary.
For had it only stated:
“A *female* prostitute” (Dt. 23:18),
but not “a male prostitute,”
I might have thought:
If, in the case of the lesser sin of the female prostitute,
you are cautioned to avoid them among *Israel*,
so, too, in the severe sin of the male prostitute,
isn’t it only logical that
you should be cautioned to avoid
them among the *gentile* nations?
The Teaching states:
“No *daughter of Israel* shall become a prostitute” (Dt. 23:18)—
thus you are *not* cautioned regarding the gentile nations!
“Neither shall a *son of Israel* make prostitution his calling” (Dt. 23:18)—
thus you are *not* cautioned about the gentile nations!

footnotes:
²⁹⁰ H:258;JN2:189-190.
²⁹¹ Heb: qedeishah


###### Sifrei Devarim 260:2
[Sifrei Devarim 260:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/260:2)

[דָּבָר אַחֵר **לֹא תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה**] זוֹ אַזְהָרָה לַמֻּפְנָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית לח כא): ״לֹא הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Another word:
“No daughter of Israel shall become a prostitute” (Dt. 23:18)—
the referent of this warning is open-ended,
as it is said:
“There *was no* female prostitute here” (Gn. 38:21).²⁹²

footnotes:
²⁹² This brief unit appears in only a few textual witnesses. See F:283, n.8.