Pisqa’ 201³³⁵

1. “This is how you must treat all the distant cities” (Dt. 20:15)— the distant cities fall under this Teaching, but nearby cities do not fall under this Teaching.

footnotes: ³³⁵ H:218; JN2:93

“Which are not among the cities of those peoples” (Dt. 20:15)— the cities of those [Canaanite] gentiles do not fall under this Teaching. “But—in the cities of those peoples, you must not leave a soul alive” (Dt. 20:16)— **they shall die by the sword.**³³⁶ 17, s.v., mah lehalan besayyif

footnotes: ³³⁶ Mech ISH, neziqin,

2. “You must utterly annihilate them” (Dt. 20:17)— is it possible to say that their booty should be forbidden to you? The Teaching states: “And houses filled with every good thing” (Dt. 6:11)— [the booty of these cities is permitted].

“The Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite” (Dt. 20:17)— when He states: “As HASHEM your God has commanded you” (Dt. 20:17)— this clause includes the Girgashites under the Teaching.