## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 350

###### Sifrei Devarim 350:1
[Sifrei Devarim 350:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/350:1)

(דברים לג ט) **הָאוֹמֵר לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִיו**, עָלַת עַל לֵב שֶׁלֵּוִי עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה? וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר נֶאֱמַר (שמות לב כו): ״וַיַּעֲמֹד מֹשֶׁה בְּשַׁעַר הַמַּחֲנֶה״! אֶלָּא זֶה אֲבִי אִמּוֹ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. **וְאֶת אֶחָיו לֹא הִכִּיר**, זֶה אֲחִי אִמּוֹ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל. **וְאֶת בָּנָיו לֹא יָדָע**, זֶה בֶּן בִּתּוֹ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 350**⁶⁸
1. “Who says of his *father* and his *mother*—I don’t *see* him” (Dt. 33:9).
Can you even imagine that
Levi would serve a foreign cult?
For hasn’t it been clearly stated:
“And Moses stood at the gate of
the encampment, saying :
All who are with HASHEM—come to me! . . .
Now, the *Levites* did according
to the Utterance of HASHEM” (Ex. 32:26-28).
Actually, the verse [has no bearing on idolatry].
It refers to rejection of
one’s *Israelite father* and *mother*.
[As it says:]
“And of his *brother*—I don’t *recognize* him” (Dt. 33:9)—
this refers to his Israelite maternal brother.
“And of his *sons*—I don’t *know* him” (Dt. 33:9)—
this is his Israelite daughter’s son.

footnotes:
⁶⁸ H:363; JN2:427


###### Sifrei Devarim 350:2
[Sifrei Devarim 350:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/350:2)

**כִּי שָׁמְרוּ אִמְרָתֶךָ**, בְּמִצְרַיִם. **וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ**, בַּמִּדְבָּר.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“For they observed Your Utterance” (Dt. 33:9)—
even in Egypt.
“And guarded Your covenant” (Dt. 33:9)—
in the wasteland.


###### Sifrei Devarim 350:3
[Sifrei Devarim 350:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/350:3)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: **כִּי שָׁמְרוּ אִמְרָתֶךָ** – בְּמִצְרַיִם, **וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ** – בַּמְרַגְּלִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Another word:
“For they observed Your Utterance” (Dt. 33:9)—
even in Egypt.
“And guarded Your covenant”—
in the incident of the scouts (Nu. 13:1ff.).