Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 95
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 יג יז) וְאֶת כָּל שְׁלָלָהּ – לְרַבּוֹת נִכְסֵי רְשָׁעִים שֶׁבְּחוּצָה לָהּ.
Pisqa’ 95¹⁹⁸
- “And gather all its plunder” (Dt. 13:17)— including the property of its Wicked that is beyond it.
footnotes: ¹⁹⁸ H:143; JN1:250-251.
אֶל תּוֹךְ רְחֹבָהּ, אֵין לָהּ רְחוֹב – עוֹשִׂים לָהּ רְחוֹב.
“Into the midst of its plaza” (Dt. 13:17)— if the town has no plaza, build a plaza for it.
הָיָה רְחוֹב חוּצָה לָהּ, מִנַּיִן שֶׁכּוֹנְסִים אוֹתוֹ לְתוֹכָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֶל תּוֹךְ רְחֹבָהּ.
If the plaza was outside the city, how do we know to annex it to the city?
“Into the midst of its plaza” (Dt. 13:17).
וְשָׂרַפְתָּ בָאֵשׁ אֶת הָעִיר וְאֶת כָּל שְׁלָלָהּ – וְלֹא שְׁלַל שָׁמַיִם. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: אִילָנוֹת הַמְחֻבָּרִים מֻתָּרִים וְהַתְּלוּשִׁים אֲסוּרִים, בּוֹרוֹת שִׁיחִים וּמְעָרוֹת וְכִתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ מֻתָּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: שְׁלָלָהּ – וְלֹא שְׁלַל שָׁמַיִם. דָּבָר אַחֵר: שְׁלָלָהּ – וְלֹא שְׁלַל שָׁמַיִם.
“And you shall burn the city with fire, and all of its plunder” (Dt. 13:17)— but not the plunder **[already consecrated] to Heaven.**¹⁹⁹ On this basis they taught: trees that are still attached to the ground are permitted [to survive], but the uprooted are prohibited. Cisterns, ditches, and caverns, and holy texts are permitted,
“Its plunder” (Dt. 13:17)— but not the plunder **[already consecrated] to Heaven.**²⁰⁰ Another word: “Its plunder” (Dt. 13:17)— but not the plunder [already consecrated] to Heaven.
footnotes: ¹⁹⁹ =M. San.10:6. ²⁰⁰ //T.San.14:5. F:156, n.6 regards the text as an interpolation.
מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (סנהדרין פ״י מ״ו): הַהֶקְדֵּשׁוֹת שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ יִפָּדוּ, תְּרוּמוֹת יֵרָקְבוּ, מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי וְכִתְבֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ יִגָּנְזוּ.
On this basis they taught: consecrated animals that are within it should be redeemed, Threshing-floor-offerings should be left to rot, and Second-tithe [coins] and holy texts **should be removed from circulation.**²⁰¹
footnotes: ²⁰¹ =M. San.10:6
כָּלִיל לַה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָיְתָה תֵּל עוֹלָם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (יהושע ו כו): ״וַיַּשְׁבַּע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בָּעֵת הַהִיא לֵאמֹר אָרוּר הָאִישׁ לִפְנֵי ה׳ אֲשֶׁר יָקוּם וּבָנָה אֶת הָעִיר הַזֹּאת אֶת יְרִיחוֹ״, וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים שֶׁיְּרִיחוֹ שְׁמָהּ? אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא יִבְנוּ אוֹתָהּ וְיִקְרְאוּ שְׁמָהּ עִיר אַחֶרֶת, וְשֶׁלֹּא יִבְנוּ עִיר אַחֶרֶת וְיִקְרְאוּ שְׁמָהּ יְרִיחוֹ.
- “Entirely consumed for HASHEM your God, and it shall be a ruin for all time” (Dt. 13:17)— And, similarly, He says:
accursed before HASHEM is he who shall arise and rebuild this city, Jericho!” (Josh. 6:36). Now, don’t we know that its name is Jericho? Rather, the point is that they should neither rebuild it under another city’s name, nor build another city under the name of Jericho.
(יהושע ו כו) ״בִּבְכוֹרוֹ יְיַסְּדֶנָּה וּבִצְעִירוֹ יַצִּיב דְּלָתֶיהָ״. יָכוֹל שׁוֹגֵג? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (מלכים א טז לד): ״כִּדְבַר ה׳ אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר בְּיַד יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן נוּן״. אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה: מֵזִיד הָיָה!
[As for one who rebuilds a condemned city, it is said:] “At the cost of his first born will he lay its foundation, and at the cost of his youngest will he erect its doorways” (Josh. 6:26). Is it possible that Joshua’s curse applies to inadvertent [rebuilding of the condemned city]?
“According to the word of HASHEM, which He declared by means of Joshua b. Nun” (1Ki. 16:34). Conclude from this that [Hiel of Bethel, who rebuilt Jericho at King Ahab’s behest,] acted intentionally.²⁰²
footnotes: ²⁰² // T.San.14:6.