## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 35

###### Sifrei Devarim 35:1
[Sifrei Devarim 35:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:1)

(דברים ו ח) **וּקְשַׁרְתָּם**, אֵלּוּ בִּקְשִׁירָה וְאֵין (במדבר טו לז) ״וַיֹּאמֶר״ בִּקְשִׁירָה, שֶׁהָיָה בַּדִּין: אִם (שמות יג ב) ״קַדֶּשׁ לִי״, (שמות יג יא) ״וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ״, שֶׁאֵינָם בְּשִׁנּוּן – הֲרֵי הֵם בִּקְשִׁירָה, ״וַיֹּאמֶר״, שֶׁהוּא בְּשִׁנּוּן – אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁיְּהֵא בִּקְשִׁירָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וּקְשַׁרְתָּם**. אֵלּוּ בִּקְשִׁירָה וְאֵין ״וַיֹּאמֶר״ בִּקְשִׁירָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 35**⁹⁵
1. “And bind them” (Dt. 6:8)—
*these* words are to be bound [in the prayer-amulets],
but the words, “HASHEM said to Moses . . .
instruct them to make fringes” (Nu. 15:37)”
are *not* to be bound
[despite being included in the Shema-liturgy]! ⁹⁶ 34.2.
Now, we might reason otherwise:
If the verses,
“Consecrate each Firstling to Me” (Ex. 13:2), and
“When HASHEM has brought you into the Land . . .” (Ex. 13:11)—
which are *not* included in the [liturgical] drill—
are indeed bound in the prayer-amulets,
shouldn’t it follow that
“HASHEM said to Moses” (Nu. 15:37)—
which is included in [the text of] the drill—
*also* be bound [in the prayer-amulets]?
The Teaching states:
“And bind them” (Deut. 6:8)—
*these* words are to be bound in the prayer-amulets,
but “And HASHEM said” (Nu. 15:37)
*are not to be* bound [in the prayer-amulets].

footnotes:
⁹⁵ H:65-67; JN1:97-100.
⁹⁶ Compare the parallel logical arguments of Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:2
[Sifrei Devarim 35:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:2)

עֲדַיִן אֲנִי אוֹמֵר: אִם ״קַדֶּשׁ לִי״, ״וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ״, שֶׁקְּדָמוּם מִצְווֹת אֲחֵרוֹת – הֲרֵי הֵם בִּקְשִׁירָה, עֶשֶׂר הַדִּבְּרוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא קְדָמוּם מִצְווֹת אֲחֵרוֹת – אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁיְּהוּ בִּקְשִׁירָה? אָמַרְתָּ קַל וָחוֹמֶר הוּא: אִם ״וַיֹּאמֶר״ שֶׁהוּא בְּשִׁנּוּן – אֵינוֹ בִּקְשִׁירָה, עֶשֶׂר הַדִּבְּרוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם בְּשִׁנּוּן – אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ בִּקְשִׁירָה? הֲרֵי ״קַדֶּשׁ לִי״, ״וְהָיָה כִּי יְבִיאֲךָ״ יוֹכִיחוּ, שֶׁאֵינָם בְּשִׁנּוּן – וַהֲרֵי הֵם בִּקְשִׁירָה! וְהֵם יוֹכִיחוּ לַעֲשֶׂרֶת דִּבְּרוֹת, שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָם בְּשִׁנּוּן – שֶׁיְּהוּ בִּקְשִׁירָה! תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וּקְשַׁרְתָּם** – אֵלּוּ בִּקְשִׁירָה וְאֵין עֶשֶׂר דִּבְּרוֹת בִּקְשִׁירָה!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
But I can still say:
“Consecrate each Firstling to Me” (Ex. 13:2), and
“When HASHEM has brought you into the Land” (Ex. 13:11)
are preceded by other commandments,
and are, indeed, to be bound [in the prayer-amulets].
Shouldn’t it, then, follow that
the Ten Utterances—
which are *not* preceded by other commandments—
are *also* to be bound [in the prayer-amulets]?
You can frame this logically:
If the verse,
“HASHEM said to Moses,” (Nu. 15:37)—
which is included in the [text of] the drill—
is *not* bound [in the prayer-amulets],
shouldn’t it follow that
the Ten Utterances—
which are *not* included in [the text of] the drill—
should *also not* be bound in the prayer-amulets?
The verses,
“Consecrate each Firstling to Me” (Ex. 13:2), and
“When HASHEM has brought you into the Land” (Ex. 13:11),
illustrate the case of the Ten Utterances.
For even though [the Ten Utterances] *are not* included in [the text of] the drill,
shouldn’t they have been bound [in the prayer-amulets]!
The Teaching states:
“And bind them” (Dt. 6:8)—
these verses *must* be bound[in the prayer-amulets],
but the Ten Utterances
*need not* be bound [in the prayer-amulets].


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:3
[Sifrei Devarim 35:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:3)

**וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ** – כֶּרֶךְ אֶחָד שֶׁל אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת, שֶׁהָיָה בַּדִּין: הוֹאִיל וְאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה, תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בַּיָּד וְתֵן תְּפִלִּין בָּרֹאשׁ, מַה בָּרֹאשׁ אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת אַף בַּיָּד אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת! תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ** – כֶּרֶךְ אֶחָד שֶׁל אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. **“And bind them as *a sign* on your hand” (Dt. 6:8)—**
***one* parchment sheet (*kerech*)**
**with *four* inscriptions (*totafot*).**
**Now, one might have reasoned:**
**Since the Torah commands us to**
**place prayer-amulets on the hand and the head—**
**just as the prayer-amulet of the head**
**contains *four* inscriptions**
**[on separate sheets],**
**so, too, that of the hand**
**should have *four* inscriptions**
**[on separate sheets]!**
**[Nevertheless,] the Teaching states:**
**“And bind them as *a sign* on your hand” (Dt. 6:8)—**
***one* parchment containing four inscriptions!**


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:4
[Sifrei Devarim 35:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:4)

אוֹ כְּשֵׁם שֶׁבַּיָּד כֶּרֶךְ אֶחָד אַף שֶׁל רֹאשׁ כֶּרֶךְ אֶחָד? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **וְהָיוּ לְטֹטָפֹת** – טוֹטֶפֶת טוֹטָפוֹת, הֲרֵי אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת אֲמוּרוֹת. אוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה אַרְבָּעָה כִּיסִים שֶׁל אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות יג ט): ״וּלְזִכָּרוֹן בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ״ – כִּיס אֶחָד שֶׁל אַרְבַּע טוֹטָפוֹת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Or [one can reason]:**
**Just as the prayer-amulet of the hand**
**contains *one* sheet**
**[with four inscriptions],**
**so, too, that of the head**
**should contain *one* sheet**
**[with four inscriptions].**
**The Teaching records**
**[variant spellings of “inscription” as follows]:**
**“They shall be like an inscription (*ttaft*)” (Dt. 6:8)—**
**[this defective spelling alludes to *one* inscription];**
**“They shall be like an inscription (*totaft*) (Dt. 11:18)—**
**[this defective spelling alludes to a *second* inscription];**
**“They shall be like inscriptions (*totafot*; Ex. 13:16)—**
**[this plural noun alludes to two more].**
**See? A total of four inscriptions is specified!**
**Or [perhaps]:**
**one should make *four* amulet-cases,**
**one *for each* of the four inscriptions?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“A mnemonic**⁹⁷ Often translated “memorial.” **before your eyes” (Ex. 13:9)—**
**[since “mnemonic” is a singular noun],**
**the head-amulet has one case with four inscriptions.**⁹⁸ 17.

footnotes:
⁹⁷ Heb: zikkaron.
⁹⁸ =Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:5
[Sifrei Devarim 35:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:5)

**עַל יָדֶךָ** – בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד, אוֹ **עַל יָדֶךָ** כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ? הַדִּין נוֹתֵן: הוֹאִיל וְאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בָּרֹאשׁ תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בַּיָּד, מַה בָּרֹאשׁ בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ, אַף בַּיָּד בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. **“On your hand” (Dt. 6:8)—**
**that is, on the bulge of the hand.**⁹⁹
**You specify the bulge of the hand!**
**Or, perhaps:**
**“on your hand” means just that?**
**Reason dictates:**
**Just as the Torah commands us**
**to put prayer-amulets on the head and on the hand—**
**insofar as the head-amulet [must be placed]**
**on the bulge of the head,**¹⁰⁰
**so too the hand-amulet [must be placed]**
**on the bulge of the hand.**¹⁰¹ 17.

footnotes:
⁹⁹ The reference is to the biceps on the upper arm.
¹⁰⁰ Viz., the apex of the forehead.
¹⁰¹ =Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:6
[Sifrei Devarim 35:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:6)

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: **עַל יָדֶךָ** – בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁל יָד, אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁל יָד אוֹ **עַל יָדֶךָ** כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְהָיָה לְךָ לְאוֹת **עַל יָדֶךָ**, לְךָ לְאוֹת, וְלֹא לַאֲחֵרִים לְאוֹת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
4. **R. Eliezer says:**
**“On your hand” (Dt. 6:8)—**
**on the bulge of the hand.**
**You specify the bulge of the hand!**
**Or, perhaps:**
**“on your hand” means just that?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“As a symbol**¹⁰² Often translated as “sign.” **on your hand” (Dt. 6:8)—**
**it shall convey meaning for you,**
**but not for others!**
**[Therefore, it should be under**
**the garment covering the bicep].**¹⁰³ 17.

footnotes:
¹⁰² Hebrew: ‘ot.
¹⁰³ = Mechilta Ishmael, paskha’


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:7
[Sifrei Devarim 35:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:7)

רַבִּי יִצְחָק אוֹמֵר: בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד, אוֹ **עַל יָדֶךָ** כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְהָיוּ הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עַל לְבָבֶךָ״, דָּבָר שֶׁכְּנֶגֶד לִבְּךָ, וְאֵיזֶה? זֶה גוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**R. Isaac says:**
**On the bulge of the hand.**
**You specify the bulge of the hand!**
**Or, perhaps:**
**“on your hand” means just that?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“And may these words . . .**
**be upon your heart” (Dt. 6:6)—**
**that is, something opposite your heart.**
**And what is that?**
**The bulge of the hand,**
**[namely, the bicep]!**¹⁰⁴

footnotes:
¹⁰⁴ =Ibid.


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:8
[Sifrei Devarim 35:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:8)

**עַל יָדֶךָ** – זֶה שְׂמֹאל. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר זֶה שְׂמֹאל, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא יָמִין? אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין רְאָיָה לַדָּבָר זֵכֶר לַדָּבָר (ישעיה מח יג): ״אַף יָדִי יָסְדָה אֶרֶץ וִימִינִי טִפְּחָה שָׁמָיִם״, וְאוֹמֵר (שופטים ה כו): ״יָדָהּ לַיָּתֵד תִּשְׁלַחְנָה וִימִינָהּ לְהַלְמוּת עֲמֵלִים וְהָלְמָה סִיסְרָא מָחֲקָה רֹאשׁוֹ וּמָחֲצָה וְחָלְפָה רַקָּתוֹ״, הָא אֵין יָדְךָ הָאָמוּר בְּכָל מָקוֹם אֶלָּא שְׂמֹאל!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
4. **“On your hand” (Dt. 6:8).**
**This is the left hand.**
**You say this is the left!**
**Perhaps, it’s really the right?**
**Although there is no Scriptural proof,**
**there is a hint of it, namely:**
**“My *hand* established the Earth, My *right hand* spread out the skies” (Is. 48:13).**
**And He says [of Yael’s assassination of Sisera]:**
**“Her *hand* reached for the tent-peg,**
**her *right hand* reached for the mallet (Judges 5:26).**
**See?**
**Wherever *hand* is stated without qualification, the meaning is the *left*!**¹⁰⁵

footnotes:
¹⁰⁵ = Ibid.


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:9
[Sifrei Devarim 35:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:9)

רַבִּי נָתָן אוֹמֵר: **וּקְשַׁרְתָּם – וּכְתַבְתָּם**, מַה כְּתִיבָה בְּיָמִין – אַף קְשִׁירָה בְּיָמִין.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
6. **Rabbi Nathan says:**
**“And bind them . . . and inscribe them” (Dt. 6:8-9).**
**Just as inscribing is normally with the right hand,**
**so, too, binding is normally with the right hand [on to the left].**


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:10
[Sifrei Devarim 35:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:10)

רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֶחָרוּם אוֹמֵר: מָצִינוּ שֶׁאַף יָמִין קְרוּיָה יָד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מח יז): ״וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף כִּי יָשִׁית אָבִיו יַד יְמִינוֹ עַל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינָיו וַיִּתְמֹךְ יַד אָבִיו לְהָסִיר אוֹתָהּ מֵעַל רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם עַל רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה״, אִם כֵּן מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר **עַל יָדֶךָ**? לְהָבִיא אֶת הַגִּדֵּם, שֶׁיְּהֵא נוֹתֵן בַּיָּמִין.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**R. Yose the Net-maker**¹⁰⁶.: “Abba Yose the Net-maker” **says:**
**We find that even the *right* implies *hand*.**
**For it is said:**
**“And Joseph saw that his father extended his *right* hand toward the head of Ephraim. . .**
**And he lifted his father’s hand to shift it from the head of Ephraim**
**to the head of Menasseh” (Gn. 48:17).**
**If so, why does the Teaching specify**
**“On your hand”? (Dt. 6:8),**
**to address the case of the amputee**
**who should put the hand-amulet on his right**
**[stump with his left hand].**¹⁰⁷

footnotes:
¹⁰⁶ Mechilta Ishmael, loc. cit
¹⁰⁷ = Ibid.


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:11
[Sifrei Devarim 35:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:11)

**וּקְשַׁרְתָּם לְאוֹת עַל יָדֶךָ וְהָיוּ לְטוֹטָפֹת בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ**, כָּל זְמַן שֶׁלַּיָּד בַּיָּד תֵּן שֶׁלָּרֹאשׁ בָּרֹאשׁ. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: כְּשֶׁנּוֹתֵן תְּפִלִּין – נוֹתֵן שֶׁלַּיָּד תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ שֶׁלָּרֹאשׁ, כְּשֶׁחוֹלֵץ – חוֹלֵץ שֶׁל רֹאשׁ תְּחִלָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ שֶׁל יָד.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
7. **“And bind them as a symbol on your hand, and like an inscription between your eyes” (Dt. 6:7-8).**
**As long as the hand-amulet is on the hand,**
**place the head-amulet on the head.**
**On this basis they taught:**
**When donning prayer-amulets,**
**he dons the hand-amulet first,**
**and afterward the head-amulet.**
**When removing them,**
**he removes the head-amulet first,**
**and afterward the hand-amulet.**¹⁰⁸

footnotes:
¹⁰⁸ = Ibid.


###### Sifrei Devarim 35:12
[Sifrei Devarim 35:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/35:12)

**בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ** – בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ. אַתָּה אוֹמֵר בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ, אוֹ **בֵּין עֵינֶיךָ** כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ? הַדִּין נוֹתֵן: הוֹאִיל וְאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה, תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בַּיָּד תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בָּרֹאשׁ, מַה בַּיָּד בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבַּיָּד, אַף בָּרֹאשׁ בְּגוֹבַהּ שֶׁבָּרֹאשׁ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: הוֹאִיל וְאָמְרָה תּוֹרָה, תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בַּיָּד תֵּן תְּפִלִּין בָּרֹאשׁ, מַה בַּיָּד מָקוֹם שֶׁרָאוּי לִטָּמֵא בְּנֶגַע אֶחָד, אַף בָּרֹאשׁ – מָקוֹם שֶׁרָאוּי לִטָּמֵא בְּנֶגַע אֶחָד.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
8. **“Between your eyes” (Dt. 6:8)—**
**that is, on the highest part of the head.**
**Or, perhaps:**
**“between your eyes” means just that?**
**Reason dictates:**
**insofar as the Torah states that**
**one should don prayer-amulets on the hand**
**and prayer-amulets on the head—**
**just as “the hand” means**
**the bulge of the hand,**
**so too “the head” means**
**the bulge of the head.**¹⁰⁹
9. **R. Judah says:**
**Insofar as the Torah states that**
**one should don prayer-amulets on the hand**
**and prayer-amulets on the head—**
**just as the *head* refers to**
***a spot* on the head**
**capable of contracting a plague-sign,**
**so to the *hand* refers to**
***a spot* on the arm**
**capable of contracting a plague-sign,**
**[such as white hairs appearing in a patch of discolored skin (Lv. 13:3)].**¹¹⁰

footnotes:
¹⁰⁹ = Ibid.
¹¹⁰ = Ibid.