Kommentar zu Dewarim 19:14

לא תסיג גבול THOU SHALT NOT REMOVE [THY FELLOW-MAN’S] LANDMARK — תסיג is of the same meaning as (Isaiah 42:17) “they are turned back (נסגו אחור)”. The meaning is, that one moves the mark that shows the division of the land (i.e. the division between two adjoining fields) backwards into the field of his neighbour in order thereby to enlarge his own. — But does it not already state. (Leviticus 19:13) “Thou shalt not rob”, why, then, is it also commanded “Thou shalt not remove the landmark”? It teaches that one who obliterates his neighbour’s border line transgresses two negative commands (לא תגזול and לא תסיג). One might think that this is the case also if one does so outside the Land of Israel! Scripture, however, states, “in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit [in the land]”;— thus in the Land of Israel one who does this transgresses two negative commands, whilst outside the Land he transgresses only the command of לא תגזול (Sifrei Devarim 188:1-2).

THOU SHALT NOT REMOVE THY NEIGHBOR’S LANDMARK. This is a warning against changing the boundaries of the division by which the princes apportioned the Land to the tribes²⁷⁵Numbers 34:16-29. or to any individual among them. Therefore he stated, which they of old time have set,²⁷⁶In Verse 14 before us. these being Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun, and the princes of the tribes,²⁷⁵Numbers 34:16-29. and therefore he mentioned in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit etc.²⁷⁶In Verse 14 before us. And the reason for this commandment is that no one should contemplate to say, “My portion which they gave me is not as valuable as the portion of my friend, because the dividers erred,” or he may feel suspicious of the lots, thus he will not consider it [his removal of the boundary marker] to be robbery at all. Therefore he commanded here that no one should controvert that division, and he may not make any change in the boundaries, either secretly or openly. Now this is an explanatory commandment, deriving from what He commanded, According to the lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer,²⁷⁷Numbers 26:56. and He further stated, These are the names of the men that shall take possession of the Land for you.²⁷⁸Ibid., 34:17. And in the opinion of our Rabbis²⁷⁹Sifre, Shoftim 188. that this verse is an admonition, teaching us that one who encroaches on his neighbor’s land in the Land of Israel transgresses two commandments,²⁸⁰I.e., Nor shalt thou rob him (Leviticus 19:13), and the verse before us. Outside the Land of Israel he transgresses only the commandment against committing robbery. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 234-235. the meaning of the expression which they of old time have set means that one is not to secretly change an old boundary and say “It was always here.” Scripture admonishes [concerning an old boundary] because it speaks of what usually happens, for a new boundary is recognized and known and no one changes it. Our Rabbis themselves have mentioned [the first interpretation, for thus they said in the Sifre]:²⁷⁹Sifre, Shoftim 188. “Whence do we know that one who uproots the boundaries of the tribes transgresses a negative commandment? Because Scripture states, Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor’s landmark, [which they of old time have set].” This is truly the plain meaning of Scripture.

לא תסיג, the word is similar in meaning to Isaiah 42,17 נסוגו אחור, “they retreat backwards.” Our verse describes someone who adjusts his neighbour’s boundary backwards in order to increase the size of his own land.