## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 6

###### Sifrei Devarim 6:1
[Sifrei Devarim 6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/6:1)

(דברים א ז) **פְּנוּ וּסְעוּ לָכֶם וּבֹאוּ**, זֶה דֶּרֶךְ עֲרָד וְחָרְמָה. **הַר הָאֱמֹרִי וְאֶל כָּל שְׁכֵנָיו**, זֶה עַמּוֹן וּמוֹאָב וְהַר שֵׂעִיר. **בָּעֲרָבָה**, זֶה מִישׁוֹר שֶׁל צוֹעַר. **בָהָר**, זֶה הַר הַמֶּלֶךְ. **וּבַשְּׁפֵלָה**, זֶה שְׁפֵלַת לוֹד וּשְׁפֵלַת דָּרוֹם. **וּבַנֶּגֶב וּבְחוֹף הַיָּם**, זֶה עַזָּה וְאַשְׁקְלוֹן וְקֵסָרִין. **אֶרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי**, זֶה גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י יט): ״וַיְהִי גְּבוּל הַכְּנַעֲנִי מִצִּידוֹן״ וְגוֹ׳.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 6**⁷²
1. “Start out and make your way” (Dt. 1:7)—
this is by way of Arad and Hormah.
“To the Amorite hills and to all their neighbors” (Dt. 1:7)—
to Amon, Moab and Mt. Seir.
“In the steppes” (Dt. 1:7)—
to the plain of Tzoar.
**“to the hill country” (Dt. 1:7)—**
**to the king’s mountain.**
**“to the lowlands” (Dt. 1:7)—**
**to the lowlands of Lud and the south.**⁷³
“and the Negeb, and the seacoast” (Dt. 1:7)—
to Gaza, Ashkelon, and Caesaria.
“the land of the Canaanite” (Dt. 1:7)—
to the Canaanite border,
for it is said:
“And the Canaanite border was from Sidon.” (Gn. 10:19). ⁷⁴

footnotes:
⁷² H:32; JN1:32-33
⁷³ According to M. Shev.9:2, Sabbatical Year produce from these regions is due to be removed from storage at the same time, since the produce is gone from the fields at a specific season prior to the festival of Passover. The Mishnah’s list is more detailed, but SD’s transmits the Mishnah in a midrashic framework.
⁷⁴ For discussion of toponyms, see H:393,n.2


###### Sifrei Devarim 6:2
[Sifrei Devarim 6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/6:2)

**וְהַלְּבָנוֹן**, אָמַר לָהֶם: כְּשֶׁאַתֶּם נִכְנָסִים לָאָרֶץ צְרִיכִים אַתֶּם לְהַעֲמִיד לָכֶם מֶלֶךְ וְלִבְנוֹת לָכֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה. מִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין לְבָנוֹן אֶלָּא מֶלֶךְ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יחזקאל יז ג): ״בָּא אֶל הַלְּבָנוֹן וַיִּקַּח אֶת צַמֶּרֶת הָאָרֶז״, וְאוֹמֵר (מלכים ב יד ט): ״הַחוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן״, וְאֵין לְבָנוֹן אֶלָּא בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה כב ו): ״גִּלְעָד אַתָּה לִי רֹאשׁ הַלְּבָנוֹן״, וְאוֹמֵר (ישעיה י לד): ״וְנִקַּף סִבְכֵי הַיַּעַר בַּבַּרְזֶל וְהַלְּבָנוֹן בְּאַדִּיר יִפּוֹל״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. **“And the Lebanon” (Dt. 1:7)—**
**Moses said to them:**
**when you enter the Land**
**you must appoint for yourselves a king,**
**and build for yourselves the Chosen Abode.**⁷⁵, one of the many epithets of the Jerusalem Temple. See below: *beit hamiqdash;* “the Holy Abode”.
How do we know that “Lebanon” must refer to a king?
For it is said:
“He came upon the Lebanon
and seized *the heads* of the cedars” (Ezek. 17:3).
And He says:
“The thorn that is in Lebanon sent this message to the *cedar* in Lebanon” (2 Ki. 14:9).
**But “Lebanon” actually refers to the Holy Abode,**
for it is said:
“You are as Gilead to me, *the summit* of Lebanon” (Jer. 22:6).
**And He says:**
**“The Lebanon will fall *to a mighty one*” (Is. 10:34).**⁷⁶ 2, ARNA:4

footnotes:
⁷⁵ //T.San.4:5. “Chosen Abode” renders the Heb: beit habekhirah
⁷⁶ Cf. Sifre Nu. 134, Mechilta Ishmael, amaleq


###### Sifrei Devarim 6:3
[Sifrei Devarim 6:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/6:3)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: לָמָּה קוֹרִים אוֹתוֹ לְבָנוֹן? שֶׁמַּלְבִּין עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה א יח): ״אִם יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים – כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Another word:
Why do they call [the Holy Abode] “Lebanon (*levanon)*?”
Because it *whitens* (*malbyn*)⁷⁷ Israel’s transgressions,
as it says:
“If your sins are like scarlet, they shall be *whitened* like snow” (Is. 1:18).⁷⁸

footnotes:
⁷⁷ The common root is l-b-n.
⁷⁸ See Pisqa’ 28.3


###### Sifrei Devarim 6:4
[Sifrei Devarim 6:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/6:4)

**עַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדוֹל נְהַר פְּרָת**, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁרֻבּוֹ וְתָקְפּוֹ כְּנֶגֶד אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. מְשַׁל הֶדְיוֹט אוֹמֵר: עֶבֶד מֶלֶךְ – מֶלֶךְ! הִדָּבֵק לִשְׁחִין – וְיִשְׁתָּחֵן לְךָ!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “Until the *great* river, the river Prat”⁷⁹ (Dt. 1:7).
This teaches that
*most* of its waters surge toward the Land of Israel.
As a common adage has it:
the slave of the king is like the king—
get close to a boil and it boils you!

footnotes:
⁷⁹ Namely, the Euphrates.


###### Sifrei Devarim 6:5
[Sifrei Devarim 6:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/6:5)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: שֶׁמַּפְרִיד וְהוֹלֵךְ עַד שֶׁכָּלֶה בַּמַּגְרֵפָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר: **נְהַר פְּרָת** שֶׁפּוֹרֶה וְרָב עַד שֶׁעוֹבְרִים אוֹתוֹ בִּסְפִינוֹת. הֲרֵי כָּל הַנְּהָרוֹת אוֹמְרִים לִפְרָת: מִפְּנֵי מָה אֵין אַתָּה מַשְׁמִיעַ קוֹלְךָ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁקּוֹלֵנוּ הוֹלֵךְ מֵרָחוֹק? אָמַר לָהֶם: מַעֲשַׂי מוֹכִיחִים עָלַי: אָדָם זוֹרֵעַ בִּי זְרִיעָה – עוֹלָה לִשְׁלֹשָׁה יָמִים; נוֹטֵעַ בִּי נְטִיעָה – עוֹלָה לִשְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם! הֲרֵי הַכָּתוּב מְשַׁבְּחֵנִי: **עַד הַנָּהָר הַגָּדֹל נְהַר פְּרָת**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Another word:
[Why is the river called the *Prat*?]⁸⁰
For it *branches off* continuously
until its waters dwindle into *a pail.* ⁸¹ the verb, *mafrid*, and the noun, *magrefah..*
Another word:
“The *great* river, the river *Prat*” (Dt. 1:7)—
because it expands and *grows*⁸² and *poreh* (“grows”).
until they must cross it in ships.4. Look at what all the rivers say to the Prat:
Why doesn’t your voice travel a distance, like ours?
It replies:
My deeds prove my value!
A person sows seed in earth flooded by me,
and reaps in three days.
A person plants a tree in earth flooded by me,
and reaps in thirty days!
See how Scripture praises me:
“Until the *great* river, the river Prat!” (Dt. 1:7)

footnotes:
⁸⁰ I have supplied the parenthetical question on the basis of context.
⁸¹ The exegesis is based on the assonance of the name, prat,
⁸² The exegesis is based on the assonance of prat