Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 194
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(דברים כ ה) מִי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בָּנָה. יָרַשׁ, לָקַח, נִתַּן לוֹ בְּמַתָּנָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: מִי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה.
(Devarim 20:5) "Who is the man that has built a new house": This tells me only of one who has built. Whence do I derive (the same for) one who inherited, acquired, or received it as a gift? From "Who is the man?" (— in any event).
בַּיִת, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בַּיִת. מִנַּיִן לְרַבּוֹת בּוֹנֶה בֵּית הַתֶּבֶן, וּבֵית הַבָּקָר, וּבֵית הָעֵצִים, וּבֵית הָאוֹצָרוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֲשֶׁר בָּנָה. יָכוֹל אַף הַבּוֹנֶה בֵּית שַׁעַר, אַכְסַדְרָה וּמִרְפֶּסֶת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: בַּיִת – מָה בַּיִת מְיֻחָד, שֶׁהוּא בֵּית דִּירָה – יָצְאוּ אֵלּוּ, שֶׁאֵינָם בֵּית דִּירָה.
"a house": Whence do I derive (the same for) a straw loft, a cattle shed, a wood hut, and a treasure store? From "who has built" (— any manner of building). I might think then that also included are gateways, porticos, and porches; it is, therefore, written "house." Just as a house can be "inhabited," so, all that can be inhabited, to exclude the above, which cannot be "inhabited."
וְלֹא חֲנָכוֹ – פְּרָט לְגַזְלָן.
"and did not inhabit it": to exclude a (house) robber.
יֵלֵךְ וְיָשֹׁב לְבֵיתוֹ – יֵלֵךְ וְיִשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי כֹהֵן מֵעֶרְכֵי מִלְחָמָה וְיַחֲזֹר.
"let him go and return to his house": (Let him) heed the words of the Cohein at the battle formation and return,
פֶּן יָמוּת בַּמִּלְחָמָה, אִם אֵינוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ לְדִבְרֵי כֹהֵן – לְסוֹף הוּא מֵת בַּמִּלְחָמָה.
"lest he die in the war": If he does not heed the words of the Cohein, in the end he will die in the war.
וְאִישׁ אַחֵר יַחְנְכֶנּוּ, יָכוֹל דּוֹדוֹ וּבֶן דּוֹדוֹ? נֶאֱמַר כָּאן ״אַחֵר״ וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (דברים כ ז) ״אַחֵר״, מָה אַחֵר הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן נָכְרִי, אַף אַחֵר הָאָמוּר כָּאן נָכְרִי.
"and another man will inhabit it": I might think, his son or the son of his brother — It is written here "another," and elsewhere (Ibid. 28:30) "another." Just as "another" there is a gentile, so, "another" here.