## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 56

###### Sifrei Devarim 56:1
[Sifrei Devarim 56:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/56:1)

(דברים יא ל) **הֲלֹא הֵמָּה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן** – מֵעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְאֵילָךְ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 56**¹⁰
1. “Are they not *across* the Jordan” (Dt. 11:30)—
*across* the Jordan and *beyond*:
words of R. Judah.

footnotes:
¹⁰ H:113-114;JN1:181-182.


###### Sifrei Devarim 56:2
[Sifrei Devarim 56:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/56:2)

**אַחֲרֵי דֶּרֶךְ מְבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ** – מָקוֹם שֶׁחַמָּה זוֹרַחַת.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“*Beyond* the road that goes in the direction of the *sun*” (Dt. 11:30)—
in the East, where the sun rises.


###### Sifrei Devarim 56:3
[Sifrei Devarim 56:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/56:3)

**אֵצֶל אֵלוֹנֵי מוֹרֶה**, וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (בראשית יב ו): ״וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָם בָּאָרֶץ עַד מְקוֹם שְׁכֶם עַד אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה״, מָה אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – שְׁכֶם, אַף אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה הָאָמוּר כָּאן – שְׁכֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי: אָמַרְתִּי לָהֶם לְסוֹפְרֵי כוּתִיִּים: זִיַּפְתֶּם אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְלֹא הֶהֱנֵיתֶם בָּהּ כְּלוּם, שֶׁכְּתַבְתֶּם ״אֵצֶל אֵלוֹנֵי מוֹרֶה שְׁכֶם״; אַף אָנוּ לְמֵדִים שֶׁזֶּה הוּא הַר גְּרִזִּים וְהַר עֵיבָל שֶׁבֵּין הַכּוּתִיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **הֲלֹא הֵמָּה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְגוֹ׳ אֵצֶל אֵלוֹנֵי מוֹרֶה**, וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר: ״וַיַּעֲבֹר אַבְרָהָם בָּאָרֶץ״ מָה אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן – שְׁכֶם, אַף אֵלוֹן מוֹרֶה הָאָמוּר כָּאן – שְׁכֶם. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: לֹא זֶה הוּא הַר גְּרִזִּים וְהַר עֵיבָל שֶׁבֵּין הַכּוּתִיִּים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **הֲלֹא הֵמָּה בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן** – הַסְּמוּכִים לְעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן, **אַחֲרֵי דֶּרֶךְ מְבוֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ** – מְקוֹם שֶׁחַמָּה שׁוֹקַעַת, **בְּאֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי** – לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא מִן הַחִוִּים, **הַיֹּשֵׁב בָּעֲרָבָה** – לֹא הָיָה אֶלָּא בֵּין הֶהָרִים, **מוּל הַגִּלְגָּל** – אֵין אֵלּוּ רוֹאִים אֶת הַגִּלְגָּל.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**“By (*‘eitzel*) the terebinths**¹¹ **of Moreh” (*‘eilonei moreh*;Dt. 11:30)—**
**now, elsewhere He states:**
**“And Abram traversed the Land**
**until the place called Shechem,**
**until (*`ad*) the terebinth of Moreh” (*‘alon moreh*; Gn. 12:6)—**
**just as the terebinth of Moreh**
**mentioned elsewhere (Gn. 12:6) is called Shechem,**
**so, too, the terebinths of Moreh**
**mentioned here (Dt. 11:30)**
**must refer to Shechem.**¹²
2. Said R. Elazar b. R. Yose:
I said to the Samaritan scribes—
you have corrupted [the text of] the Torah!
Yet you gain nothing by
copying that text (Dt. 11:30) as follows:
“By the terebinths of Moreh, *that is, Shechem*.”
But we [disciples of sages], however,
learn [from our own tradition¹³) as the source of exegetical tradition.] that the verse puts
Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal in Samaritan territory.
For it is stated:
“Are they not across the Jordan . . . *by the terebinths of Moreh*” (Dt. 11:30).
And elsewhere He states:
**“And Abram traversed the Land . . . until the place called Shechem,**
***until the terebinth of Moreh*” (Gn. 12:6).**
**Just as the *terebinth of Moreh***
**mentioned elsewhere (Gn. 12:6) is called Shechem,**
**so, too, the *terebinths of Moreh***
**mentioned here (Dt. 11:30)**
**must refer to Shechem.**¹⁴ 56:1.
3. R. Eliezer says:
This does not refer to
Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, in Samaritan territory.
For it is stated:
“Are they not across the Jordan” (Dt. 11:30)—
that is, adjacent to trans-Jordan [on the east],
[while Samaria is on the western side of the Jordan].
“Beyond the road that goes in the direction of the sun” (Dt. 11:30)—
that is, to the west, where the sun sets.
“In the Land of the Canaanite” (Dt. 11:30)—
the reference must be to the Hivites
[rather than the Samaritans].
“Who dwell in the Arabah” (Dt. 11:30)—
[while Samaritans] live in the midst of the hills.
“Opposite Gilgal”¹⁵ (Dt. 11:30)—
and they cannot even see Gilgal
[from the hills of Samaria]!

footnotes:
¹¹ Probably a grove of pistachios.
¹² // M. Sotah 7:2.
¹³ RH’s text names analogical reasoning (gezerah shawah
¹⁴ // M. Sotah 7:2 and Pisqa’
¹⁵ Gilgal is in the Jordan valley.


###### Sifrei Devarim 56:4
[Sifrei Devarim 56:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/56:4)

רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: לֹא בָּא הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא לְהַרְאוֹתָם דֶּרֶךְ בַּשְּׁנִיָּה כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהֶרְאָם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, בַּדֶּרֶךְ לְכוּ, אַל תֵּלְכוּ בַּשָּׂדוֹת! **הַיֹּשֵׁב** – בַּיִּשּׁוּב וְלֹא בַמִּדְבָּר! **בָּעֲרָבָה** – בַּמִּישׁוֹר וְלֹא בֶהָרִים!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
4. R. Eliezer b. Jacob says:
this verse comes only to
prepare them for the second entry [into the Land],
as it had already done
for the first [entry under Joshua (e.g., Nu. 13:17)].
Thus: “Take the road” (Dt. 11:30)—
instructs Israel to avoid trampling the fields.
“Who dwell” (Dt. 11:30)—
in settlements rather than in the desert.
“In the Arabah”—
through the plain, rather than the hills.