## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 67

###### Sifrei Devarim 67:1
[Sifrei Devarim 67:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:1)

(דברים יב י) **וַעֲבַרְתֶּם אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּאָרֶץ**, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: שָׁלֹשׁ מִצְווֹת נִצְטַוּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּשָׁעַת כְּנִיסָתָם לָאָרֶץ: לְמַנּוֹת לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, לִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה וּלְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 67**⁶⁰
1. “When you cross the Jordan and settle in the Land” (Dt. 12:10).
**R. Judah says:**
**three commandments were given to Israel**
**at the time they entered the Land:**
**To *appoint* a king for themselves;**
**to *build* the Chosen Abode for themselves;**
**and to *annihilate* the descendants of Amalek.**⁶¹

footnotes:
⁶⁰ H:121; JN1:199-200.
⁶¹ =T. San.4:5.


###### Sifrei Devarim 67:2
[Sifrei Devarim 67:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:2)

אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה יִקְדוֹם: אִם לְמַנּוֹת לָהֶם מֶלֶךְ, אִם לִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה אִם לְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות יז טז): ״וַיֹּאמֶר כִּי יָד עַל כֵּס יָהּ מִלְחָמָה לַה׳ בַּעֲמָלֵק״ – מִשֶּׁיָּשַׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כִּסֵּא ה׳ אַתָּה מַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁכִּסֵּא ה׳ זֶה הַמֶּלֶךְ? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א כט כג): ״וַיֵּשֶׁב שְׁלֹמֹה עַל כִּסֵּא ה׳ לְמֶלֶךְ״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Now, I don’t know which takes precedence:
to *appoint* a king for themselves;
to *build* the Chosen Abode for themselves;
or to *annihilate* the descendants of Amalek?
The Teaching states:
“And Moses said: the hand is upon the throne of Yah;⁶²
HASHEM will be at war with Amalek for all generations” (Ex. 17:16).
That is, once a king sits on the throne of Yah,
then you *must annihilate* the descendants of Amalek.
Now, on what basis do I know that
the *throne of Yah* is that of the king?
For it is stated:
“Then Solomon sat upon the throne of HASHEM as king” (1Chron. 29:23).

footnotes:
⁶² A contraction of the four-letter Name of God.


###### Sifrei Devarim 67:3
[Sifrei Devarim 67:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:3)

וַעֲדַיִן אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ אֵיזֶה יִקְדּוֹם: אִם לִבְנוֹת לָהֶם בֵּית הַבְּחִירָה אִם לְהַכְרִית זֶרַע עֲמָלֵק? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מַנְחִיל אֶתְכֶם**, וְאוֹמֵר (שמואל ב ז א-ב): ״וַיְהִי כִּי יָשַׁב הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֵיתוֹ וַה׳ הֵנִיחַ לוֹ מִסָּבִיב״, וְאוֹמֵר: ״וַיֹּאמֶר דָּוִד אֶל נָתָן רְאֵה נָא אָנֹכִי יוֹשֵׁב בְּבֵית אֲרָזִים וַאֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים יֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ הַיְרִיעָה״.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. But I still don’t know which takes precedence—
to *build* the Chosen Abode for themselves,
or to *annihilate* the descendants of Amalek?
The Teaching states:
“When you . . . *settle* in the Land . . ., and you *dwell* in security;
*then*, to the place which HASHEM your God shall choose . . . (Dt. 12:10-11).
And He says:
“Now, when the king was *settled* in his home, and HASHEM gave him *respite* . . .,
*then* the king said to Nathan the Prophet:
Look how I dwell in a house of cedar while the Ark of God sits in a tent!” (2Sam. 7:1-2).


###### Sifrei Devarim 67:4
[Sifrei Devarim 67:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/67:4)

(דברים יב יא) **וְהָיָה הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמוֹ שָׁם שָׁמָּה תָבִיאוּ**, שָׁם שָׁמָּה, הָיוּ שָׁם שְׁתֵּי מְחִצּוֹת: מְחִצָּה לְקָדְשֵׁי הַקֳּדָשִׁים – וּמְחִצָּה לְקָדָשִׁים קַלִּים. (דברים יב יא)

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
3. “Then, to the place which HASHEM your God shall choose to invest with His Name *there*, *there* shall you bring . . . (Dt. 12:11).
Why does the verse repeat, *there*, *there*?
Because *two* partitioned areas were *there*:
a partitioned area [within the Courtyard]
for [Priests to eat] the Most-Holy offerings⁶³
and a partitioned area [within Jerusalem’s walls],
for [common Israelites to eat] the Lesser-Holy offerings.⁶⁴

footnotes:
⁶³ Such as the Purification-offering of the New Moon and Festivals (e.g M. Zev.5:3).
⁶⁴ Such as, e.g., the Firstling, Second-tithe, and the Passover (M .Zev.5:7).