Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 195
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 ו) וּמִי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נָטַע, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא נָטַע. יָרַשׁ, לָקַח, נִתַּן לוֹ בְּמַתָּנָה מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וּמִי הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נָטַע.
(Devarim 20:6) "And who is the man that has planted a vineyard": This tells me only of one who has planted a vineyard. Whence do I derive (the same for) one who inherited, acquired, or received a vineyards as a gift? From "Who is the man" (— any manner of man).
כֶּרֶם, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא כֶּרֶם. מִנַּיִן לְנוֹטֵעַ חֲמִשָּׁה אִילָנֵי מַאֲכָל, וַאֲפִלּוּ מֵחֲמֵשֶׁת הַמִּינִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֲשֶׁר נָטַע. יָכוֹל אַף הַנּוֹטֵעַ אַרְבָּעָה אִילָנֵי מַאֲכָל וַחֲמִשָּׁה אִילָנֵי סְרָק? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: כֶּרֶם.
This tells me only of a vineyard. Whence do I derive (the same for a plot containing) five food plants of five (different) kinds? From "that has planted," (fewer than five not being "planting"). I might think, even four food plants and five barren plants. It is, therefore, written "a vineyard," (these not being considered "a vineyard.")
רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר: אֵין לִי בְמַשְׁמָע אֶלָּא כֶּרֶם.
R. Eliezer b. Yaakov says: I understand the verse as applying only to a vineyard, (and not as five food plants).
וְלֹא חִלְּלוֹ – פְּרָט לְמַבְרִיךְ; וְלֹא חִלְּלוֹ – פְּרָט לְמַרְכִּיב.
"and did not redeem" (in the fourth year): to exclude (from "returning") one who sunk vines. "and did not redeem it": to exclude one who engrafted them.
יֵלֵךְ וְיָשֹׁב לְבֵיתוֹ – יֵלֵךְ וְיִשְׁמַע דִּבְרֵי כֹּהֵן מֵעֶרְכֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה 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 לֹא יִשְׁמַע 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 יְחַלְּלֶנּוּ – 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 redeem 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.