## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 328

###### Sifrei Devarim 328:1
[Sifrei Devarim 328:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/328:1)

(דברים לב לה) **אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ יֹאכֵלוּ**, שֶׁהָיִינוּ נוֹתְנִים לָהֶם אַפְסַנְיוֹת וְעוֹשִׂים לָהֶם דּוֹנָאטִיבִי וּמַעֲלִים לָהֶם סְלָנְיָא.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 328**¹⁷³
1. “Who ate the fat of their *sacrificial-offerings*” (Dt. 32:38)—
[these are provisions extorted by Rome’s army].
For we gave them a *food* allowance,
we supplied an allowance for *personal expenses*,
and raised funds for an allowance of *salt*.
“Let them *arise* and *help* you!” (Dt. 32:38)—

footnotes:
¹⁷³ H:339;JN2:373.


###### Sifrei Devarim 328:2
[Sifrei Devarim 328:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/328:2)

**יָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶם**, ״יָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרוּ אֶתְכֶם״ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא **יָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶם**. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר: זֶה טִיטוּס הָרָשָׁע בֶּן אִשְׁתּוֹ שֶׁל אַסְפַּסְיָנוֹס, שֶׁנִּכְנַס לְבֵית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים וְגָדַר שְׁתֵּי פָרוֹכוֹת בְּסַיִף, וְאָמַר: אִם אֱלוֹהַּ הוּא יָבוֹא וְיִמְחֶה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Let them arise and help *you* help *yourselves* (*ya`azeru ‘etkhem*)”
is not written:
Rather, what is written?
“Let *Him* . . . help you (*ya`azerchem*)¹⁷⁴ permitting the possibility of reading the verb in the singular, as in my transliteration from the Hebrew.—
[since you have abandoned the Holy One,
you can expect no help from Him].
**R. Nehemiah says:**
**This [verse, “where are their gods?”]**
**recalls the Wicked Titus,**
**the son of Vespasian’s wife**
**[who challenged the Holy One’s apparent inaction].**
**He once entered the Most Holy,**
**and slashed two altar Veils**
**with his sword, saying:**
**If He is in fact God,**
**let Him file an objection!**¹⁷⁵

footnotes:
¹⁷⁴ MT’s consonantal text omits the waw,
¹⁷⁵ Cf. ARNB.7.


###### Sifrei Devarim 328:3
[Sifrei Devarim 328:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/328:3)

**אֲשֶׁר חֵלֶב זְבָחֵימוֹ יֹאכֵלוּ**, אָמַר: הַלָּלוּ מֹשֶׁה הִטְעָם וְאָמַר לָהֶם: בְּנוּ לָכֶם מִזְבֵּחַ וְהַעֲלוּ עָלָיו עוֹלוֹת וְהַסֵּכוּ עָלָיו נְסָכִים, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כח ד) ״אֶת הַכֶּבֶשׂ אֶחָד תַּעֲשֶׂה בַבֹּקֶר וְאֵת הַכֶּבֶשׂ הַשֵּׁנִי תַּעֲשֶׂה בֵּין הָעַרְבָּיִם״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “Who ate the *fat* of their *sacrificial-offerings*” (Dt. 32:38)—
[Titus¹⁷⁶] claimed that
Moses misguided *these* [gentiles] by saying to them:
Build for yourselves an altar,
and place Holocaust-offerings upon it,
and offer Libation-offerings along with it,
according to what is stated:
“One sheep shall you prepare for the morning
and the second prepare for the evening . . . and its Libation-offering” (Nu. 28:4-7)—
[and eat the fat covering their innards]!¹⁷⁷ to be eaten, but must be immolated on the altar. So perhaps Moses’s deception lies in misinforming about the disposition of the proscribed fats. Hammer surmises: “probably, Titus implied . . . Moses and Aaron ate the sacrifices they commanded and thus deceived the people.’ (H:503, *Pisqa’* 328, n.6).

footnotes:
¹⁷⁶ The speaker’s identity is unclear. I follow H:339 and JN2:373 identifying Titus.
¹⁷⁷ The point is obscure, and my speculative solution is one of many. Instructions for the Holocaust-offering at Lv. 1:8-9 are clear that the fats surrounding the innards are not


###### Sifrei Devarim 328:4
[Sifrei Devarim 328:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/328:4)

**יָקוּמוּ וְיַעְזְרֻכֶם יְהִי עֲלֵיכֶם סִתְרָה**, עַל הַכֹּל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מוֹחֵל, עַל חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם פּוֹרֵעַ מִיָּד.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Let them arise and help you! Let Him be your shield!” (Dt. 32:38)—
The Blessed Holy One pardons everything.
But for desecration of the Name,
He takes immediate retribution.