## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 349

###### Sifrei Devarim 349:1
[Sifrei Devarim 349:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/349:1)

(דברים לג ח) **וּלְלֵוִי אָמַר**, לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר? לְפִי שֶׁשִּׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי שְׁנֵיהֶם שָׁתוּ בְּכוֹס אֶחָד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מט ז): ״אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה אֲחַלְּקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל״. מָשָׁל לִשְׁנַיִם שֶׁלָּווּ מִן הַמֶּלֶךְ, אֶחָד פָּרַע לַמֶּלֶךְ וְחָזַר וְהִלְוָה אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ, וְאֶחָד לֹא דַיּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא פָּרַע אֶלָּא חָזַר וְלָוָה. כָּךְ שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי שְׁנֵיהֶם לָווּ בִּשְׁכֶם, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית לד כה): ״וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁנֵי בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אֲחֵי דִינָה אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ עַל הָעִיר בֶּטַח וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל זָכָר״. לֵוִי פָּרַע מַה שֶּׁלָּוָה בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות לב כו): ״וַיַּעֲמֹד מֹשֶׁה בְּשַׁעַר הַמַּחֲנֶה וַיֹּאמֶר כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ שִׂימוּ אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ עַל יְרֵכוֹ... וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בְנֵי לֵוִי כִּדְבַר ה׳״, וְחָזַר וְהִלְוָה אֶת הַמָּקוֹם בַּשִּׁטִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כה יא): ״פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הֵשִׁיב אֶת חֲמָתִי מֵעַל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקַנְאוֹ אֶת קִנְאָתִי בְּתוֹכָם וְלֹא כִלִּיתִי אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּקִנְאָתִי״. שִׁמְעוֹן לֹא דַיּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא פָּרַע אֶלָּא חָזַר וְלָוָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כה יד): ״וְשֵׁם אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל הַמֻּכֶּה אֲשֶׁר הֻכָּה אֶת הַמִּדְיָנִית זִמְרִי בֶּן סָלוּא נְשִׂיא בֵית אָב לַשִּׁמְעֹנִי״. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר **וּלְלֵוִי אָמַר**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 349**⁶⁴
1. “And regarding *Levi*, he said” (Dt. 33:8)—
Why is this stated?
Because Shimon and Levi both drank from the same cup
[in their murder of the Shechemites (Gn. 34:25-30)],
as it is said [in Jacob’s blessing to this children]:
“*Accursed* be their *anger*, for it is fierce;
and their *rage*, for it is harsh!
I will divide them in Jacob,
and will disperse them throughout Israel!” (Gn. 49:7)2. An analogy—
Two borrowed a certain sum from the king.
One of them repaid the king,
and even lent the king money.
As for the other fellow,
not only did he neglect to repay,
but he even borrowed more from the king!
So with *Shimon* and *Levi*—
both of them borrowed from Shechem,⁶⁵ and, thereby, “borrowed innocent lives” in their various attacks.
along the lines of what is said:
“The two sons of Jacob, *Shimon and Levi*,
the brothers of Dinah, each took his sword,
and stealthily entered the city,
*killing* all the males”
(Gn. 34:25).
*Levi* repaid,⁶⁶ *in the wasteland*, what he borrowed [at Shechem],
as it is said:
“And Moses stood *at the gate* of the encampment, saying . . .
Let each man strap his sword to his thigh,
and circulate from gate to gate
throughout the camp, *killing* brother, neighbor, and kin.
Then the *Levites* did according
To the Utterance of HASHEM” (Ex. 32:26-28)—
[but Shimon played no part in taking those lives for God].
Then, at Shittim, they *lent* [sinners’ lives] to the All-Present,
As it is said:
“Phineas b. Elazar b. Aaron the *Priest*
has turned My anger from the descendants of Israel
by *zealously defending My jealousy* in their midst.
Therefore, *I have not finished off* the descendants of Israel in My jealousy!” (Nu. 25:11)
As for Shimon,
not only did he *neglect to repay* [lives borrowed] at Shechem,
but he even *borrowed more* [Shimonite and Midianite lives] from the king!
As it is said:
“And the name of the Israelite man who was struck dead
with the *Midianite* woman, was Zimri b. Salu,
leader of the *Shimonite* patriarchal household.” (Nu. 25:17)
That is why it is stated
[in connection with Moses’ blessing of Shimon]:
“And regarding Levi, he said” (Dt. 33:8).

footnotes:
⁶⁴ H:362-363; JN2:425-426.
⁶⁵ It is not clear from the text exactly what was borrowed. Most commentators argue that Levi and Shimon “borrowed against their reward in the coming eon” by virtue of their murderous behavior. My interpretation, somewhat closer to the contextual sense of the text, is that Levi and Shimon killed innocents
⁶⁶ He killed, but in defense of God.


###### Sifrei Devarim 349:2
[Sifrei Devarim 349:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/349:2)

**תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶךָ**, מִי שֶׁעָתִיד לִלְבֹּשׁ אוּרִים וְתֻמִּים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “May Your *divination stones*⁶⁷ (usually rendred “Urim” and “Thumim”.) See, e.g., Ex. 28:30. The function of these objects is clearly some sort of divination of the future (as at Nu. 27:21). Their nature is also uncertain. Judging from the likely roots (*‘ –w-r* and *t-w-m*), I hazard a speculative translation: “perfected illuminators.”remain with your pious *man*” (Dt. 33:8)—
this refers to the [*Priest,* descended from Aaron,]
who will in the future inquire of the stones of divination.

footnotes:
⁶⁷ Heb: tumeikha we’ureikha; viz., ‘urim wetumim


###### Sifrei Devarim 349:3
[Sifrei Devarim 349:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/349:3)

**לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶיךָ**, לְמִי שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ לוֹ חֲסָדִים עַל יְדֵי בָנֶיךָ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Your *pious* man” (Dt. 33:8)—
the one who receives the *kindnesses* [of levitical gifts]
from your [Israelite] children.


###### Sifrei Devarim 349:4
[Sifrei Devarim 349:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/349:4)

**אֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתוֹ בְּמַסָּה**, הַרְבֵּה נִסְיוֹנוֹת נִסִּיתוֹ וְנִמְצָא שָׁלֵם בְּכָל נִסְיוֹנוֹת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Whom you *tested* at Massah” (Dt. 33:8)—
with many *trials* did you prove him,
and he prevailed in all his trials.


###### Sifrei Devarim 349:5
[Sifrei Devarim 349:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/349:5)

**תְּרִיבֵהוּ עַל מֵי מְרִיבָה**, סְקִיפַנְטִים נִסְתַּקַּפְתָּ לוֹ, אִם מֹשֶׁה אָמַר (במדבר כ י) ״שִׁמְעוּ נָא הַמֹּרִים״, אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם מֶה עָשׂוּ?

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
”And you *quarreled* with him at the waters of Meribah” (Dt. 33:8) –
you lodged *false accusations* against him.
When Moses said:
“Listen to me, you *rebels*!” (Nu. 20:10)—
what had Aaron and Miriam done
[to deserve to be slandered as rebels]?