Text

Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 250

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 כג ה) עַל דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא קִדְּמוּ אֶתְכֶם בַּלֶּחֶם וּבַמַּיִם, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר עַל דְּבַר אַף עַל הָעֵצָה. וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (מיכה ו ה): ״עַמִּי זְכָר נָא מַה יָּעַץ בָּלָק מֶלֶךְ מוֹאָב״.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Devarim 23:5) "Because they did not greet you with bread and with water": Not only because of this, but also because of the counsel (of hiring Bilaam against you [Ibid.]), viz. (Michah 6:5) "My people, hear now, what Balak king of Moav counseled, etc."

בַּדֶּרֶךְ, בִּשְׁעַת טֵרוּפְכֶם.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Devarim, Ibid.) "on the way": at the time of your being tossed about.

בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם, בִּשְׁעַת גְּאֻלַּתְכֶם.

Sefaria Community Translation

"when you came out of Egypt": at the time of your redemption.

וַאֲשֶׁר שָׂכַר עָלֶיךָ אֶת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר, הֲרֵי דְבַר נוֹי לְבִלְעָם.

Sefaria Community Translation

"and that he hired against you Bilaam the son of Be'or": (this being the "Because" of Bilaam).

(דברים כג ו) וְלֹא אָבָה ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל בִּלְעָם, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַמְּקַלֵּל הוּא הַמְּקֻלָּל. וַיַּהֲפֹךְ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְּךָ אֶת הַקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאַף הַמְּקַלֵּל מִתְקַלֵּל. מִפְּנֵי מָה? כִּי אֲהֵבְךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ.

Sefaria Community Translation

(Devarim, Ibid. 6) "And the L-rd your G-d did not desire to heed Bilaam … and He turned the curse into a blessing for you" — whereby we are taught that the curser is cursed. Why? "For the L-rd your G-d loved you."

Next →