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Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 155

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(דברים יז יב) וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה בְזָדוֹן, אֲשֶׁר לֹא שָׁמַע מִפִּי בֵּית דִּין וּמוֹרֶה.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Devarim 17:12) "And the man who shall do wilfully, not to listen": to its ruling.

אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה – עַל מַעֲשֶׂה הוּא חַיָּב וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַל הוֹרָיָה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"And the man who shall do": (A rebellious elder is not liable) until he teaches to do (what is contrary to the ruling of the Sanhedrin, [but not if he only voices disagreement with their ruling]).

בְזָדוֹן – עַל זָדוֹן הוּא חַיָּב וְאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַל שְׁגָגָה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"wilfully": He (the rebellious elder) is liable only for witting and not for unwitting transgression.

לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ – וְלֹא שׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ.

Sefaria Community Translation

"not to listen to the Cohein": (directly), but not ("not to listen") to one who hears it from him.

אֶל הַכֹּהֵן הָעֹמֵד לְשָׁרֵת, מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵין שֵׁרוּת כָּשֵׁר אֶלָּא מֵעוֹמֵד. הָא אִם יָשַׁב וְעָבַד – עֲבוֹדָתוֹ פְּסוּלָה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"to the Cohein who stands to serve": (Ibid. 18:5) "to stand to serve" tells me that the service (of the Cohein) is only "standing." This tells me only that it is a mitzvah (for him to stand). Whence do I derive that it is a categorical requirement (i.e., that it is not valid unless he is standing)? "who stands to serve" implies that if he sits, his service is invalid.

אוֹ אֶל הַשּׁוֹפֵט – זֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ: אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ כֹּהֲנִים וּלְוִיִּם כָּשֵׁר.

Sefaria Community Translation

"or to the judge": This is as we said: Even if there are no Cohanim and Levites there, it is valid.

וּמֵת הָאִישׁ – בִּסְתָם מִיתָה הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה, בְּחֶנֶק.

Sefaria Community Translation

"that man shall die": the unqualified death penalty in Scripture — strangulation.

הַהוּא – לֹא אָנוּס וְלֹא שׁוֹגֵג וְלֹא מֻטְעֶה.

Sefaria Community Translation

"that man": and not one who is forced or unwitting or under some misapprehension.

וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל – בַּעֵר עוֹשֵׂי הָרָעוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל!

Sefaria Community Translation

"and you shall remove the evil from Israel": Remove the doer of evil from Israel.

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