## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 81

###### Sifrei Devarim 81:1
[Sifrei Devarim 81:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/81:1)

(דברים יב ל) **הִשָּׁמֶר** – בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. **פֶּן** – בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 81**¹⁴⁵
1. “Take care” (Dt. 12:30)—
this phrase denotes a proscription.

footnotes:
¹⁴⁵ H:135; JN1:227.


###### Sifrei Devarim 81:2
[Sifrei Devarim 81:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/81:2)

**פֶּן תִּנָּקֵשׁ אַחֲרֵיהֶם**, שֶׁמָּא תִּמָּשֵׁךְ אַחֲרֵיהֶם, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא תִּדְמֶה לָהֶם, שֶׁמָּא תַּעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְיִהְיוּ לְךָ לְמוֹקֵשׁ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Lest” (Dt. 12:30)—
and this also denotes a proscription.
“Lest you be enticed to *follow* them” (Dt. 12:30)—
perhaps you will be *drawn after* them,
or, perhaps, you will *resemble* them,
emulating their behavior,
and they will become a trap for you.


###### Sifrei Devarim 81:3
[Sifrei Devarim 81:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/81:3)

**אַחֲרֵי הִשָּׁמְדָם מִפָּנֶיךָ**, מִפְּנֵי מָה אֲנִי מַשְׁמִידָם מִפָּנֶיךָ? שֶׁלֹּא תַעֲשֶׂה כְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם וְיָבוֹאוּ אֲחֵרִים וְיַשְׁמִידוּ פָּנֶיךָ!

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“After He has annihilated them from before you” (Dt. 12:30).
Why shall I annihilate them from before you?
So that you do not emulate their behavior,
causing others to come to annihilate you.


###### Sifrei Devarim 81:4
[Sifrei Devarim 81:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/81:4)

**פֶן תִּדְרֹשׁ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר**, שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר: הוֹאִיל וְהֵם יוֹצְאִים בְּטָגָא – אַף אֲנִי אֵצֵא בְּטָגָא, הוֹאִיל וְהֵם יוֹצְאִים בְּאַרְגָּמָן – אַף אֲנִי אֵצֵא בְּאַרְגָּמָן, הוֹאִיל וְהֵם יוֹצְאִים בְּתוֹלְסִין – אַף אֲנִי אֵצֵא בְּתוֹלְסִין, **וְאֶעֱשֶׂה כֵּן גַּם אָנִי**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
“Lest you seek out their gods, *saying*” (Dt. 12:30)—
do not say:
since they go about in a toga,
I, too, will go about in a toga! Since they go about in purple,
I, too, will go about in purple!
Since they go about in broad pants,
I, too, will go about in broad pants!
”And I shall do the same!” (Dt. 12:30).


###### Sifrei Devarim 81:5
[Sifrei Devarim 81:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/81:5)

(דברים יב לא) **לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה כֵן לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ**, יֵשׁ כֵּן לָעֲבֹדָה וְיֵשׁ כֵּן לַמִּתְעַבֵּד. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: בְּדָבָר שֶׁמַּקְרִיבִים אוֹתוֹ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, אִם מַקְרִיבִים אוֹתוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה – חַיָּב. דָּבָר שֶׁמַּקְרִיבִים אוֹתוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אִם הִקְרִיבוֹ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ – פָּטוּר. דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין מַקְרִיבִים אוֹתוֹ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, וְהִקְרִיבוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אִם מַקְרִיבִים כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ – חַיָּב, וְאִם לָאו – פָּטוּר.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “Do not treat HASHEM your God *in this way*” (Dt. 12:31)—
*this way* can refer to
the one serving the god,
or *this way* can refer to
the object that is served as a god.
On this basis, they taught:
**Regarding an item normally offered on the Altar—**
**if they offer it in service of a foreign cult,**
**[the officiant] is held liable**
**[for serving a foreign cult].**
**Regarding an item normally offered in a foreign cult—**
**if they offer it on the Altar,**
**[the officiant] is exempt from liability.**
**Regarding an item *not* normally offered on the Altar,**
**yet they offered it in service of a foreign cult—**
**if a similar item is offered on the Altar,**
**he is held liable.**
**But if not, he is exempt**.¹⁴⁶

footnotes:
¹⁴⁶ F: 146, n.6 ascribes this construction to Mechilta Shimon, p. 105 (ed. Hoffmann). But I cannot find it in ed. Epstein-Melammed or ed. Nelson.


###### Sifrei Devarim 81:6
[Sifrei Devarim 81:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/81:6)

יָכוֹל לֹא יְהוּ מַקְרִיבִים חַטָּאוֹת וַאֲשָׁמוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **כִּי כָל תּוֹעֲבַת ה׳ אֲשֶׁר שָׂנֵא** – דָּבָר הַשָּׂנאוּי וּמְתֹעָב לַמָּקוֹם. דָּבָר אַחֵר: לֹא נִתְכַּוְּנוּ לְהַקְרִיב אֶלָּא מַה שֶׁהַמָּקוֹם שׂוֹנֵא. **כִּי גַם אֶת בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם**, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם, אֲבוֹתָם וְאִמּוֹתָם מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **בְּנֵיהֶם** – גַּם בְּנֵיהֶם, **בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם** – גַּם בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם. אָמַר רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה: אֲנִי רָאִיתִי גּוֹי אֶחָד שֶׁכְּפָתוֹ לְאָבִיו וְהִנִּיחוֹ לִפְנֵי כַּלְבּוֹ – וַאֲכָלוֹ.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Is it possible to say that
they should not offer Purification-offerings or Guilt-offerings
[on the Altar, to avoid the appearance of idolatrous service]?
The Teaching states:
“For they performed for their gods
every *abomination* that HASHEM your God *hates*” (Dt. 12:31)—
this refers to offering an item that is both
*hateful* and *abominable* to the All-Present,
[excluding legitimate offerings].
Another word:
Their intention was only to offer
what the All-Present hates.3. “For also their *sons* and *daughters*
they immolated in fire to their gods” (Dt. 12:31)—
I might infer only that
they offered up their *children*.
How do I know
to include their fathers and mothers?
The Teaching states:
“*Also* their sons”—
meaning not *just* their sons.
“*Also* their daughters”—
meaning not *just* their daughters.
Said R. Akiva:
I saw a certain gentile
who tied up his father before his dog.
And the dog ate him!