Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 193
Can copy this into an AI, or connect the whole library to your assistant. For deeper learning, you can directly use the original seforim, sites, and apps.
(דברים כ ד) כִּי ה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם הַהֹלֵךְ עִמָּכֶם, מִי שֶׁהָיָה עִמָּכֶם בַּמִּדְבָּר – הוּא יִהְיֶה עִמָּכֶם בְּעֵת צָרָה, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמות יד יד): ״ה׳ יִלָּחֵם לָכֶם וְאַתֶּם תַּחֲרִישׁוּן״.
(Devarim 20:4) "For it is the L-rd your G-d who goes with you to do battle with your foes": He who was with you in the desert will be with you at this time.
לְהִלָּחֵם לָכֶם עִם אוֹיְבֵיכֶם לְהוֹשִׁיעַ אֶתְכֶם – מִשְּׂרָפִים וְעַקְרַבִּים וְרוּחוֹת הָרָעִים.
"to save you": from snakes, scorpions, and adverse winds.
[(דברים כ ה) וְדִבְּרוּ הַשּׁוֹטְרִים], עַד כָּאן מְשׁוּחַ מִלְחָמָה מְדַבֵּר. מִכָּן אֵילָךְ – וְדִבְּרוּ הַשּׁוֹטְרִים.
Thus far the Cohein anointed for war speaks; from this point on, the officers.
[(דברים כ ז) אֲשֶׁר נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה –] אֲפִלּוּ אַלְמָנָה, אֲפִלּוּ שׁוֹמֶרֶת יָבָם, אֲפִלּוּ שָׁמַע שֶׁמֵּת לוֹ אָחִיו בַּמִּלְחָמָה – חוֹזֵר.
(whether he has betrothed a virgin or a widow, even one awaiting levirate marriage, and even if he has heard that his brother died in the war, he returns.)
[יֵלֵךְ וְיָשֹׁב לְבֵיתוֹ,] הַכֹּל שׁוֹמְעִים דִּבְרֵי כֹהֵן מֵעֶרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְהֵם חוֹזְרִים, וּמְסַפְּקִים מַיִם וּמָזוֹן לַאֲחֵיהֶם, וּמְתַקְּנִים אֶת הַדְּרָכִים.
All of them (the returnees) heed the words of the Cohein at the battle formation and return and supply water and food for their brothers and repair the roads.
וְדִבְּרוּ הַשּׁוֹטְרִים, יָכוֹל דְּבָרִים אֲחֵרִים? כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים כ ח) ״וְיָסְפוּ הַשּׁוֹטְרִים לְדַבֵּר אֶל הָעָם״ מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהֵם הַדְּבָרִים. וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְדִבְּרוּ הַשּׁוֹטְרִים? כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִתְחִיל שׁוֹטֵר לְדַבֵּר – כֹּהֵן מַשְׁמִיעַ לָהֶם כַּתְּנָאִים הַלָּלוּ.
Thus far the Cohein anointed for war speaks; from this point on, the officers. I might think (that they speak) their own words, but (8) "Then the officer shall speak further" already speaks of their own words. How, then, are we to understand "Then the officers shall speak"? As referring to the words of the Cohein appointed for war. How so? The Cohein spoke and an officer relayed what he said.