## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 80

###### Sifrei Devarim 80:1
[Sifrei Devarim 80:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/80:1)

(דברים יב כט) **כִּי יַכְרִית ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת הַגּוֹיִם**, עֲשֵׂה מִצְוָה הָאֲמוּרָה בָעִנְיָן, שֶׁבִּשְׂכָרָהּ יַכְרִית ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת הַגּוֹיִם.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 80**¹³⁹
1. “When HASHEM your God cuts down the nations” (Dt. 12:29)—
**accept upon yourselves**
**the commandment stated in this context,**
**in reward for which**¹⁴⁰ 55.1. 263.2
“HASHEM your God cuts down the nations

footnotes:
¹³⁹ H:134-135; JN1:227.
¹⁴⁰ This common-place appears also at Pisqa’


###### Sifrei Devarim 80:2
[Sifrei Devarim 80:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/80:2)

**אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָּא שָׁמָּה לָרֶשֶׁת אוֹתָם מִפָּנֶיךָ**, בִּשְׂכַר שֶׁתָּבוֹא – תִּירַשׁ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
upon whom you are *about to come*, to *disinherit* from before you” (Dt. 12:29)—
as a reward for *coming* you will *dispossess* them.


###### Sifrei Devarim 80:3
[Sifrei Devarim 80:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/80:3)

**וְיָרַשְׁתָּה אוֹתָם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְּאַרְצָם**, מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יט א) ״וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְּעָרֵיהֶם וּבְבָתֵּיהֶם״ יָכוֹל אִי אַתָּה רַשַּׁי לְהוֹסִיף עַל הַבִּנְיָן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אוֹתָם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְּאַרְצָם״: כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹצֶה לִבְנוֹת – בְּנֵה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“And you shall *disinherit* them and *settle* in their land” (Dt. 12:29)—
inferring from what is stated elsewhere:
“And you shall *disinherit* them and *settle* in their cities and *houses*” (Dt. 19:1),
is it possible to say that
you may not add to the [existing] structures?
The Teaching states:
“And you shall *disinherit* them and *settle* in their land” (Dt. 12:29)—
any place you wish to build, build!


###### Sifrei Devarim 80:4
[Sifrei Devarim 80:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/80:4)

**וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אוֹתָם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ**, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָה וְרַבִּי מַתְיָה בֶן חָרָשׁ וְרַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן אֲחִי רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבִּי יוֹנָתָן שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹצְאִים חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ וְהִגִּיעוּ לִפְלַטְנוֹם, וְזָכְרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל; זָקְפוּ עֵינֵיהֶם וְזָלְגוּ דִּמְעוֹתֵיהֶם וְקָרְעוּ בִּגְדֵיהֶם, וְקָרְאוּ אֶת הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה (דברים יא לא): ״וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֹתָהּ וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵת כָּל הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה״. אָמְרוּ: יְשִׁיבַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁקוּלָה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “And you shall disinherit them and settle in their land” (Dt. 12:29).
The story is told:
R. Judah b. Betyra and R. Matya b. Heresh,
R. Hananiah b. Ahi, R. Joshua, and R. Jonathan,
were leaving [to journey beyond] the Land.
When they reached Poltos,¹⁴¹
they recalled the Land of Israel.
They lifted up their eyes
and their tears flowed.
They tore their garments,
and recited this verse:
“And you shall dispossess them and *settle* there, and take care to preserve *all these* laws” (Dt. 11:31-32).
They said: settling the Land of Israel
outweighs all the commandments of the Torah!

footnotes:
¹⁴¹ Following F:146, n.4, Hammer renders the name to Paltana. I am unable to locate the reference. Presumably it is at or just beyond the border to the Land of Israel.


###### Sifrei Devarim 80:5
[Sifrei Devarim 80:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/80:5)

מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן שַׁמּוּעַ וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן הַסַּנְדְּלָר שֶׁהָיוּ הוֹלְכִים לִנְצִיבִים אֵצֶל רַבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בְּתֵירָה לִלְמֹד מִמֶּנּוּ תּוֹרָה, וְהִגִּיעוּ לְצַיְדָן וְזָכְרוּ אֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. זָקְפוּ עֵינֵיהֶם וְזָלְגוּ דִּמְעוֹתֵיהֶם וְקָרְעוּ בִּגְדֵיהֶם וְקָרְאוּ אֶת הַמִּקְרָא הַזֶּה (דברים יא לא): ״וִירִשְׁתֶּם אוֹתָהּ וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ וְשָׁמַרְתָּ לַעֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים״. אָמְרוּ: יְשִׁיבַת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁקוּלָה כְּנֶגֶד כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה! חָזְרוּ וּבָאוּ לָהֶם לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
The story is told:
R. Elazar b. Shammua and R. Yohanan the Sandler,
were going to Nisibis,¹⁴²
to the home of R. Judah b. Betyra,
to learn Torah from him.
When they reached Sidon,¹⁴³
they recalled the Land of Israel.
They lifted up their eyes
and their tears flowed.
They tore their garments,
and recited this verse:
“And you shall dispossess them and *settle* there and take care to preserve *all these* laws” (Dt. 11:31-32).
They said: settling the Land of Israel
outweighs all the commandments of the Torah!
So they turned around
and returned to the Land of Israel.¹⁴⁴

footnotes:
¹⁴² A city on the Parthian-Roman frontier.
¹⁴³ A city on the coast of Lebanon.
¹⁴⁴ F:146, n.3 doubts that the two stories before us are original to Sifre.