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Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 238

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(דברים כב יח) וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא אֶת הָאִישׁ – וְלֹא אֶת הַקָּטָן.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

Pisqa’ 238¹⁷⁹ 238, well-attested in other versions, is missing in F:270.

  1. “Then the elders of that city shall take the man” (Dt. 22:18)— but not a minor.

footnotes: ¹⁷⁹ H:245;JN2:156-157. The heading of Pisqa’

וְיִסְּרוּ אֹתוֹ – בְּמַכּוֹת.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“And they shall discipline him” (Dt. 22:18)— [by administering] judicial lashings.

(דברים כב יט) וְעָנְשׁוּ אֹתוֹ – מָמוֹן.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

And punish him” (Dt. 22:19)— [by levying] a monetary fine.

מֵאָה כֶסֶף – כֶּסֶף צוֹרִי.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“One hundred silver coins” (Dt. 22:19)— in Tyrian silver.

וְנָתְנוּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה – שֶׁיְּהוּ שֶׁלּוֹ.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“Which they must give to the young lady’s father” (Dt. 22:19)— the coins shall be his [as compensation for damage to the reputation of his household].

וְנָתְנוּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה – וְלֹא לַאֲבִי הַבּוֹגֶרֶת. וְנָתְנוּ לַאֲבִי הַנַּעֲרָה – פְּרָט לְגִיּוֹרֶת שֶׁהָיְתָה הוֹרָתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא בִּקְדֻשָּׁה וְלֵידָתָהּ בִּקְדֻשָּׁה, שֶׁאֵין לָהּ מֵאָה כֶסֶף.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“Which they must give to the young lady’s father” (Dt. 22:19)— but not to the father of an adult woman¹⁸⁰ literally, “having reached maturity.” The naarah* becomes a *bogeret* from thirteen and a half years of age. [who is no longer part of her father’s household]. “Which they must give to the *young lady’s* father” (Dt. 22:19)— **this excludes [the father of] a female proselyte,** **whose conception was not consecrated** **[by her mother’s conversion],** **but whose birth *was* consecrated** **[by her mother’s conversion].**¹⁸¹ **For, [when slandered by her husband], she is not entitled** **to [compensation of] one hundred silver *selas**¹⁸² (Latin: tetradrachma) is the equivalent of two sheqels. **[and neither, therefore, is her father].**¹⁸³

footnotes: ¹⁸⁰ Heb: bogeret; ¹⁸¹ That is, the proselyte was conceived prior to the mother’s own conversion, but she was born after the mother’s conversion. Since her lineage is impaired by the circumstances of conception, she must forego compensation. ¹⁸² A sel`a ¹⁸³ Cf. M. Ket. 4:3.

כִּי הוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע, לֹא עַל זוֹ בִּלְבַד הוֹצִיא שֵׁם רָע, אֶלָּא עַל כָּל בְּתוּלוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“For he brought her into disrepute” (Dt. 22:14)— he didn’t merely bring this one into disrepute; in fact, he [cast doubt upon] every maiden in Israel!

וְלוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁשּׁוֹתֶה בַּעֲצִיצוֹ; וַאֲפִלּוּ הִיא חִגֶּרֶת, וַאֲפִלּוּ הִיא סוּמָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ הִיא מֻכַּת שְׁחִין! נִמְצָא בָהּ דְּבַר זִמָּה, אוֹ שֶׁאֵינָהּ רְאוּיָה לָבוֹא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, יָכוֹל יְהֵא רַשַּׁי לְקַיְּמָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְלוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִשָּׁה, אִשָּׁה הָרְאוּיָה לוֹ.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015
  1. “And she shall be his wife” (Dt. 22:19)— this teaches that he drinks from his own urinal! For, even if she is lame, or even if she is blind, and, even if she’s covered with sores, [she remains his wife till he dies]. However—if he found in her a trace of lewdness, or if she was not suitable [by circumstances of birth] to enter the Community of Israel, is it possible to say that he has the right to maintain her in the marriage?
The Teaching states

“She shall be his wife” (Dt. 22:19)— **she’ll be a wife truly worthy of him!**¹⁸⁴ 245.1

footnotes: ¹⁸⁴ = M. Ket.3:5; cf. Pisqa’

לֹא יוּכַל לְשַׁלְּחָהּ כָּל יָמָיו – וַאֲפִלּוּ לְאַחַר זְמַן.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“He’ll be unable to send her off for the remainder of his days” (Dt. 22:19)— that is, even after the passage of time.

[כָּל יָמָיו] – מְשַׁלְּחָהּ הוּא לְיָבָם.

Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015

“For the remainder of his days” (Dt. 22:19)— [but if the marriage is childless,] he can send her to her brother-in-law [who may release her under the rule of the levir (see Dt. 25:5-10)].

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