Kommentar zu Dewarim 23:8

לא תתעב אדמי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EDOMITE utterly, although it would be proper for you to abhor him because he came out against thee with the sword (Numbers 20:18—20).

לא תתעב אדומי, “Do not abhor the Edomite.” The Torah implies that though we would have reason to abhor this people seeing that they assumed a threatening posture against us (Numbers 20,18) nonetheless we are not to hold this against subsequent generations of Edomites. seeing there is a blood bond between our two nations, both being descendants of our patriarch Yitzchak. Neither must we detest the Egyptians although they drowned our boy babies; the fact remains that at a crucial point in our history Egypt offered a home to our people at a time when Yaakov’s family was in reduced circumstances (compare Rashi). Seeing that each of these nations had been guilty of grievous sins against the Jewish people only the third generation (after the Exodus) of these people are potential candidates for conversion to Judaism. By that time they may have become more refined. We are to detest Ammon and Moav, by contrast, seeing they seduced the Jewish people into sin, The Torah goes out of its way to prohibit us from seeking the welfare of these nations.
These verses gave rise to our sage in Sifri 252 to rule that seducing someone into sin is a more grievous sin that killing him seeing that the murderer robs the victim only of life on this terrestrial sphere whereas the seducer robs him of his eternity.

Completely, etc. Rashi is answering the question: It is written afterwards, “Children who will be born to them, in the third generation, will enter.” This implies that the second generation may not enter and if so he is despised! Why then does it say in the beginning, “Do not despise”? Rashi explains that when it is written, “Do not despise,” it means do not despise completely, but you may despise a bit.

VV. 8 u. 9. לא תתעב אדמי וגו׳. Obgleich beide Völkerschaften sich euch vor allem feindlich gezeigt haben, hast du sie doch nicht durchaus zu scheuen, darfst ihnen den Eintritt in einen Ehekreis gestatten; jedoch erst das dritte Geschlecht, der Enkel und die Enkelin eines zum Judentum übergetretenen אדמי und מצרי, dürfen sich mit ישראל verheiraten. Bis dahin dürfen sie nur untereinander oder mit anderen גרים sich verheiraten (siehe V. 3).

לא תתעב אדומי, “do not abhor an Edomite.” Some commentators see in this command a warning that although the Edomites had acted towards the Israelites in an extremely hostile manner when the latter came out of Egypt and they denied them the right of passage, they had, however, let them buy food or drink from them, as distinct from Sichon who had not. This is why the Torah in Deuteronomy 2,29 refers to this. Moav, though their founding father Lot had been the recipient of acts of kindness by Avraham his uncle, had denied any assistance to the Jewish people at that time. (Judges 11,17). An alternate interpretation is that although Edom had not allowed the Israelites to pass through its territory, the fact that they were cousins, Israel having been a brother of their founding father Esau, was reason enough not to abhor them.

לא תתעב אדומי ומצרי, “do not abhor an Edomite for he is your brother, nor an Egyptian for you were a stranger in his land” [for many years when you were not slaves. Ed.] This verse is written here as the members of these nations could not convert to Judaism until the third generation after the Exodus.

לא תתעב מצרי THOU SHALT NOT ABHOR AN EGYPTIAN all in all (utterly), although they cast your male children into the river. And what is the reason that you should not abhor him utterly? Because they were your hosts in time of need (during Joseph’s reign when the neighbouring countries suffered from famine); therefore although they sinned against you do not utterly abhor him, but —

The Holy Blessed One wanted to acclimate Israel to the refinements of the soul. And as a soul becomes more exalted it draws closer to that which it is close to. Therefore, he commanded him to remember the ties of brotherhood with the children of Edom. 

Totally, etc. Since it is written afterwards, “the third generation will enter,” this implies that the second generation may not enter. Why then does it say, “Do not despise the Egyptian”? Rashi answers that this is what it means, “‘Do not despise,’ totally,” but you may despise a bit, as I explained above regarding “do not despise the Edomite.” Rashi says here, [do not despise them] totally, because it says (Shmos 1:22) [that Pharaoh ordered], “Every boy who is born must be thrown into the river, but every daughter shall be allowed to live.” Even though they cast your males into the river, do not despise them [totally]. “What is the reason? Because, etc.” Therefore Rashi says here [do not despise them] totally.

בנים אשר יולדו להם (siehe zu V. 3).

לא תתעב מצרי, “do not detest the Egyptian.” Even though in the end they enslaved you, do not detest them as you were welcome and well treated residents in their country for many years.

And this too is a characteristic of a refined soul to pay back the good that is done to one and not to be ungrateful such that one would be considered base. And for this reason the Holy Blessed One trained us with this mitzvah.

What is the reason? Because they received you hospitably, etc. There are those who ask: Why does Rashi have to explain the reason why the third generation may enter, for the verse itself explains the reason, “For you were a stranger, etc.”? The answer is that Rashi was questioning — should they [be allowed to] enter the community merely because you were a stranger in his land, after they perpetrated all this evil of killing your firstborn? Do other countries harboring foreigners kill their firstborn? Therefore Rashi explains, “What is the reason, etc.” [and he says that the Egyptians helped us]. This “what is the reason” is the explanation of “for you were a stranger” written in the verse.

Fassen wir die Verse 2 —9 gegebenen פסולי קהל zusammen, so soll sich der jüdisch-nationale Kreis aufbauen durch Wahrung physischer und sittlicher Integrität des Geschlechtslebens (איסור פצוע דבה וממזר), internationaler Humanitätsverwandtschafts- und Dankbarkeitsgesinnungen כפסול עמוני ומואבי היתר עמונית ומואבית מיד ואדמי ומצרי דור שלישי).

Seit den assyrisch-babylonischen Eroberungskriegen sind jedoch die ursprünglichen Einwohner der Länder Ammon, Moab, Edom und Ägypten aus ihren Sitzen vertrieben und unter anderen Völkern gemischt ansässig, כבר עלה סנחריב מלך אשור ובלבל את כל האומות שנאמר ואסיר גבולות עמים ועתידותיהם שושתי ואוריד כאביר יושבים (Jesaias 10. 13), die Nachkommen der von den hier (Verse 4. — 9) gegebenen Ausschließungsgesetzen betroffenen Völkerschaften sind daher nicht mehr zu erkennen, und ist seitdem ein jeder גר gewordene Nichtjude, auch von den jetzt in עמון und אדום ,מואב und מצרים wohnenden Bevölkerungen sofort für sich und seine Nachkommen מותר לבא בקהל, nach dem Grundsatz: כל דפריש מרובא פריש (Berachot 28 a תוספות; Jebamot 76 b ד׳׳ה מנימין וכו׳ — siehe Schmot S. 302).