Commento su Deuteronomio 13:20

את כל הדבר EVERYTHING [I COMMAND YOU] — light precepts as well as grave ones (Sifrei Devarim 82:1),

לא תוסף עליו, for you might add something which is despicable in the eyes of the Lord. If, perchance, you would add new ways of the serving the Lord, you have no assurance that such innovation is acceptable to G’d, for instance the burning of one’s children in G’d’s honour.

Five totafos within the tefilin, etc. See my explanation above in Parshas Va’eschanan (4:2). Rashi’s statement, “five species with the lulav,” refers to where he binds them so that the five species are all bound together — For [only] then does he transgress. But if he did not bind them together, he does not transgress. Even according to the viewpoint that a lulav does not need binding, it is nevertheless understood that if he binds them together he transgresses the prohibition of, “Do not add.”

Kap. 13. V. 1. את כל הדבר וגו׳. Der masoretischen פרשיות-Abteilung nach bildet dieser Vers den Schluss des Vorhergehenden, und sagt: Darum erfinde dir keine neuen Götterverehrungen und suche das Wohlgefallen deines Gottes nicht mit anderen Weisen, als den von Ihm dir vorgeschriebenen. In treuer gewissenhafter Vollbringung dessen, was Er dir geboten, zollst du allein die Huldigung, die Er von dir erwartet. Die Mizwot, die Er dir geboten, und wie Er sie dir geboten, sind der Ausdruck seines Willens an dich und sagen dir, was Er von dir erwartet und was du zu tun hast, um dein Leben auf Erden seinem Wohlgefallen gemäß zu gestalten. Wie sie nicht die Eingebungen deines Beliebens, sondern das Diktat deines Gottes sind, so hast du auch nichts an ihnen zu modeln, hast nichts hinzuzufügen und nichts abzulassen. Mit jedem Mehr oder Minder sind sie eben das Diktat deines Gottes nicht mehr (siehe zu Kap. 4. 2. — ע׳׳ן דמב׳׳ם הל׳ ציצית פ׳׳א ט׳׳ן פלוגתא דרמב׳׳ם וראב׳׳ד)

לא תוסף עליו, “do not add thereto;” the letter ס here has the vowel tzeyre under it.עליו, additional numbers of sheep, goats of bulls to the offerings. Neither must you add other categories of offerings, such as your sons or daughters.

תשמרו לעשות OBSERVE TO DO — This statement is intended to attach also a prohibition (לאו) to the positive commands mentioned in this section (Sifrei Devarim 82:2), for wherever השמר is used it is a term that implies a prohibition, but the difference between this and an ordinary prohibition is that flagellation is not inflicted for infringing a prohibition resulting from the use of the term השמר in connection with a positive command.

ולא תגרע ממנו, even if, in your judgment, the rationale for observing the commandment in question no longer applies, is no longer relevant. An example would be Solomon’s reasoning that the restrictions placed by the Torah on the number of wives a king may have did not apply to him as none of these wives could possibly incite him to turn away from G’d. (compare Sanhedrin 21).

ולא תגרע ממנו, “neither are you to detract from the categories of offerings” designated by the Torah.

לא תסף עליו THOU SHALT NOT ADD THERETO — as, for instance, to place five chapters in the Tephillin, to employ five species of fruit and plants in the fulfilment of the command of Lulab, to recite four instead of three blessings in the Benedictions of the priests (Sifrei Devarim 82:4; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 4:2).

ונתן אליך אות [IF THERE ARISE AMONG YOU A PROPHET …] AND GIVETH THEE A SIGN that will show itself in the heavens, just as it is stated in the case of Gideon who spoke to the angel, (Judges 6:17) “[If now I found grace in your sight], then show me a sign (אות)”, and then it further states, (Judges 6:39) “[let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece;] let it be dry only upon the fleece [and upon all the ground let there be dew]”.

IF THERE ARISE IN THE MIDST OF THEE A PROPHET, OR A DREAMER OF DREAMS. Scripture calls him “a prophet” on the basis of his own claim, for it is he who claims, “G-d spoke with me while I was awake and I am His prophet sent to you [to command] that you [worship idols,” as mentioned in Verse 3]. But it is possible that Scripture alludes to that which is true [that the person does indeed possess certain prophetic powers], for there is a prophetic potential in the souls of some people by which they know of things to come without the person knowing whence it comes to him, but he will isolate himself and [then] a spirit will arrive within him saying, “Thus it will happen to that person in the future in a particular matter.” The philosophers call [that power of prophecy] kahin.¹⁰⁷This is borrowed from the Arabic, kahanah, a term referring to the power residing in man to be able to foretell the future. It is so explained by Shmuel ibn Tibbon in his list of “Foreign words.” They do not know its cause, but the matter is substantiated in the sight of witnesses. Perhaps the soul in its keenness cleaves to the pure intellect¹⁰⁸See Guide of the Perplexed II, 4 (p. 32 Friedlander’s translation). and concentrates on it. Such a person is called “prophet,” because he predicts events, and, therefore, the sign or wonder¹⁰⁹In Verse 2 before us. whereof he spoke comes to pass.

כי יקום בקרבך נביא, "When a prophet arises in your midst, etc." The word נביא implies that even if this person has an established reputation as a true prophet, if he asks you to violate any of G'd's commandments even temporarily and it involves idolatry he is guilty of death. [He may ask you to temporarily violate a different one of the commandments such as Elijah at Mount Carmel who rebuilt a private altar upon which it was forbidden to offer sacrifices after the Temple in Jerusalem had been built. Ed.]

כי יקום בקרבך נביא או חולם חלום, “If there will arise among you someone proclaiming himself as a prophet or as someone receiving messages from heaven in a dream, etc.” [There is a bracket by the publisher in my edition that calls attention to a gematriya our author (did not completely) publish in his commentary known as Baal Haturim in which the letters of the word נביא , prophet, (63) are shown to have the same numerical value as the word ובנה, “and her son.” The author did publish the other half of this, i.e. that the word בקרבך is equivalent in numerical value (324) of the words זו האשה (324) “this is the woman,” i.e. the woman experiencing the immaculate conception, who gave birth to the founder of Christianity who was halachically a Jew. Clearly, the author, living as he did in Christian Spain in the 14th century where the Inquisition held sway, did not want to expose himself to the accusation by the Inquisition that he had labeled that man as a false prophet. Chumash editions printed in predominantly Christian countries either omit the author’s comment on this verse altogether or present it in an entirely unintelligible form i.e. that the numerical value of the word בקרבך=the numerical value of the word זו. Ed.] To the question why the Torah (Moses) refers to such an impostor as נביא, prophet, the answer is simple, i.e. the Torah calls him by the title this man claims to possess. He claims that G’d appeared to him while he was fully awake and appointed him as His messenger. Nachmanides writes that it is possible that the Torah does not refer to an impostor at all, as some people possess souls that have been endowed with some gift of prophecy. Such people have some knowledge of future events although they themselves do not know the origin of such knowledge. They are in the habit of going into temporary seclusion and during that period and while in such seclusion, a spirit reveals to them parts of future events and the when and where of such events. When his listeners find out that the predictions by such people came true, they refer to him as a “prophet.” While we can only speculate on the source of such “prophets’” knowledge, Nachmanides suggests that possibly the soul of such a person, during its nightly sojourn in heavenly regions, established some kinship with disembodied heavenly beings who divulged such knowledge to his soul. Ibn Ezra writes that it is possible that the person described by Moses is someone who had “stolen” his prophetic announcement from a true prophet whom he had overheard as speaking of a vision he had. The “so-called” prophet discussed by Moses uses his knowledge of the true prophecy to establish his credibility concerning additional predictions that he had invented himself. [Compare Jeremiah 23,30 on this subject. Ed.]

And should you ask, why the Holy One, may He be blessed, etc. Rashi is answering the question: The word כי (for) is always a reason being given for what was written above. Yet here, how is it giving a reason? Therefore Rashi explains: “And if you should ask, etc.” And now the word, “for,” fits well as giving a reason.

VV. 2 — 6. ׳כי יקום וגו. Sanhedrin 90 a differiert die Auffassung, ob in diesen Sätzen nur speziell von einem Verführungsversuch zur ע׳׳ז oder überhaupt auch zur Übertretung anderer Bestimmungen des Gesetzes die Rede ist. Die Halacha ist nicht ganz sicher (siehe Lechem Mische zu Rambam, Hilchot Jessode Hatora 9, 1). Der Wortlaut des V. 5 spräche entschieden für die letzte Ansicht. Offenbar wird in diesem Verse die Erfüllung aller מצות und der treueste und pünktlichste Gehorsam in allgemeinstem Umfange dem Verführungsversuche solcher falschen Propheten gegenüber sicher gestellt. Entschieden ist (daselbst), dass עוקר הגוף דע׳׳ו, der Versuch der gänzlichen Aufhebung des ע׳׳ז-Verbots oder auch nur der zeitweiligen קיום מקצת וביטול מקצת, sowie עוקר הגוף דשאר מצות, der Versuch einer gänzlichen Aufhebung irgend eines anderen Gesetzes, der Todesstrafe verfallen macht. Die Auffassung von ר׳ חסדא und אביי einerseits und ר׳ המנונא und רבא andererseits gehen nur darin auseinander, dass nach ersteren עוקר הגוף דשאר מצות nicht hier besprochen wäre, sondern unter die Kap. 18, 15 — 22 über die Prophetenautorität gegebenen Bestimmungen falle und dessen Versuch der dort gegebenen חנק-Todesstrafe unterliege, nach letzteren aber in den Bestimmungen unseres Kapitels mit enthalten wäre und demnach der halachagültigen Lehre der חכמים gemäss, ebenso wie עוקר הגוף דע׳׳ז mit סקילה verpönt ist.

כי יקום בקרבך נביא, “if a prophet arises in your midst;” this subject is introduced here as the subject of idolatry will follow thereafter.

או מופת OR A WONDER showing itself on the earth. — Nevertheless you shall not hearken unto him (although the sign or the wonder come to pass; cf. v. 3). But if you ask, why then does God give him the power to perform a sign? Scripture replies, (v. 4) “for the Lord your God trieth you, [to know whether you really love the Lord your God]” (Sifrei Devarim 84:1; cf. Sanhedrin 90a).

ונתן אליך אות ומופת, “and he furnishes you with a sign or a miracle.” Nachmanides defines the meaning of the word אות as a visible sign that what the prophet predicted may indeed come to pass. [If the impostor predicted an event which in his words would occur in, say, three years’ time, he would need something to enable him to enroll his followers before the three years were up. Ed.] He would predict that the “sign” was something that would occur in short order and when it did, it would establish his credibility. The root of the word אות here is analogous to Deut.33, 2 ואתה" מרבבות קודש,“ “having arrived, materialized, with myriads of holy angels.” The word מופת refers to something supernatural that this impostor performs in the presence of all his listeners, immediately, again, in order to establish his credibility as having contact with the supernatural. In both instances the objective of such a “prophet” is not to compete with accredited prophets, but to mislead his listeners into believing that he had had a revelation asking him to make the people “update” their religious beliefs by introducing worship to additional deities. [This editor used to have difficulties with believing that the Jewish people could be naive enough to “fall” for such heretical claims by impostors, until I had learned the passage on Rav Ashi’s nocturnal encounter with the apparition of King Menashe, son of the illustrious King Chizkiyah, and his wife, daughter of the famous prophet Isaiah, and the commentary on that aggadah by Rabbi Yitzchak Arama in his Akeydat Yitzchok. Compare Sanhedrin 102, and this editor’s translation of Akeydat Yitzchok, pages 374-378. Ed.] When Moses demonstrated that by throwing his staff on the ground it turned into a snake, and when he took hold of its tail it reverted to becoming a harmless staff, the people were encouraged to believe him when he predicted that G’d had charged him with orchestrating their release from bondage which, of course, would take a little longer to accomplish. According to the plain meaning of the text, the פשט, what Moses speaks about is an impostor who does not even claim to speak in the name of Hashem, but who claims to have been appointed as a prophet for an alien deity, and this is what is meant by ואשר ידבר בשם אלוהים אחרים, “that he speaks in the name of other gods.” He will die, ומת, (compare Deut. 18,20) because this is the penalty for anyone prophesying in the name of other gods whether truthfully or not. That person is guilty of idolatry that carries the death penalty. However, our sages (Sanhedrin 90) explain our verse as speaking of a “prophet” who claims to speak In the name of Hashem,” claiming to have been authorized by Hashem to deliver his message that it is now in order to practice some aspect of idolatry, and that the deity in question is a junior partner of Hashem having assisted in the creation of the universe. The impostor may also try to convince you that Hashem is truly a greater G’d than anyone preceding him. This, while sounding harmless to the average Jew, is a basic form of idolatry, because it posits that there was anything of substance before Hashem created the universe. He claims to have been authorized to ask you to acknowledge these earlier gods in some way, even if ever so briefly. All such propositions are equally idolatrous, and the proponent qualifies for the death penalty. The Torah here commands explicitly that even if such a “prophet” claims to preach in the name of Hashem and his lifestyle is no different from that of any other pious Jew, these are not any considerations in his favour; he tried to lead you astray, hence he must be executed. The impostor in question dresses up his message by acknowledging the Exodus from Egypt, by acknowledging the revelation at Mount Sinai, etc., as he knows full well that it is useless to even question such historic events which are firmly anchored in the people’s collective psyche. [This is why the founders of the Christian religion built on the truth of the “old” testament, but by updating G’d’s attributes tried to introduce a new version of Hashem. Ed.] There never has been another Hashem, there never will be, and His essence or attributes are not subject to change. He revealed Himself at Sinai, in order to leave us in no doubt about all this.

ונתן אליך אות או מופת, "and he will demonstrate to you a sign or a wonder, etc." Why did the Torah not first mention what it is the prophet said and which he wishes to lend credence to by performing a miracle? Furthermore, what does the Torah mean when writing: ובא האות…לאמור, and the sign comes about….saying?" Does the sign then say something? Is it not the prophet who says something, i.e. to serve an alien deity, and that is why he incurs the death penalty?

AND HE GIVE THEE ‘OTH’ (A SIGN) OR ‘MOFEITH’ (WONDER). A Sign [denotes a natural phenomenon serving as] a symbol of something similar that will take place afterwards, this being associated with the expression, every man with his own standard, ‘b’othoth’ (according to the ensigns).¹¹⁰Numbers 2:2. See Ramban there that on each of the ensigns there was some symbol representing the character of the tribe. For when a prophet comes and says “The following [natural] matter is to represent something which is to take place” that is termed an oth (a sign), similar to what is stated, Therefore, the Eternal Himself shall give you an ‘oth’ (a sign)¹¹¹Isaiah 7:14. that G-d is with us, [the omen being] the name of the son of the prophet’s wife, [“Immanuel,” meaning “G-d is with us”]¹¹¹Isaiah 7:14. The word oth is thus derived from at hah [“coming,” since the oth represents something about to come]. A mofeith (a wonder), on the other hand, applies to something novel which the prophet does before us, making some change in the natural order of the world, similar to what is stated, to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land;¹¹²II Chronicles 32:31. And I will show ‘moft him’ (wonders) in the heavens and in the earth, blood and fire.¹¹³Joel 3:3. The word mofeith is thus a shortened form of mufleith (marvelous)¹¹⁴See Job 37:16: ‘mifl’oth’ (the wondrous works) of Him Who is perfect in knowledge. Ramban’s point is that the word mofeith is derived from mufleith with the letters lamed and aleph missing. — just like the expression ‘sheirith’ (the rest of) Israel¹¹⁵I Chronicles 12:38. In this instance the word sheirith drops the letter aleph which is found in she’eirith. [which is a shortened form of she’eirith]. The [Sacred] Language adopted the term to signify anything which is supernatural, just as it is stated, Thus Ezekiel shall be unto you ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder),¹¹⁶Ezekiel 24:24. and it is stated there, and thou shalt speak, and be no more dumb; so shall thou be ‘l’mofeith’ (for a wonder) unto them,¹¹⁷Ibid., Verse 27. seeing that his actions were wondrous in the eyes of the beholders. The word mofeith [a derivative from pele — wonder] is thus similar in sense to the following expression, and she is come down ‘p’la’im’ (wonderfully).¹¹⁸Lamentations 1:9. So also: the signs ‘v’thimhaya’ (and wonders);¹¹⁹Daniel 3:32. how great are His signs, ‘v’thimhohie’ (and His wonders) how mighty they are!;¹²⁰Ibid., Verse 33. the signs ‘v’hamoft him’ (and the wonders),¹²¹Further, 29:2; 34:11. for the terms pele and teimah refer to the same topic. Now, in the departure from Egypt there were signs, these being the matters which Moses told them from the beginning, such as, by tomorrow shall this ‘sign’ be,¹²²Exodus 8:19. and there were wonders which were done spontaneously without previously informing Pharaoh about them [such as the splitting of the Red Sea]. So also, what is ‘the sign’ that I shall go up to the House of the Eternal?¹²³Isaiah 38:22. [King Hezekiah asked of the prophet Isaiah] that he should give him foreknowledge [by means of a sign that he would recover from his illness]. And in connection with that very sign it states that [the king of Babylon sent his princes to Hezekiah] to inquire of ‘hamofeith’ (the wonder) that was done in the Land¹¹²II Chronicles 32:31. in order to learn how this novel matter had occurred among them.¹²⁴Ramban is evidently referring to all the various events described in II Chronicles 32:24-31 that occurred in the days of the Hezekiah — the miraculous salvation of Jerusalem from the hands of the Assyrians, etc. Thus the point is clearly established that an oth (a sign) is given before the event, while a mofeith (a wonder) is a supernatural event not announced beforehand. Hence Hezekiah asks for a sign that he will yet go up to the Sanctuary, while the king of Babylon seeks to inquire of the wonder which happened. Similarly, the rod which was turned to a serpent¹²⁵Exodus 7:15. He referred to as a sign¹²⁶Ibid., 4:17. when He informed the children of Israel thereby [of the purpose of Moses’ mission], and He called it a wonder¹²⁷Ibid., Verse 21. The Israelites did not require a miracle to prove the existence of G-d; to them the miracle was an oth, demonstrating that redemption was at hand. Pharaoh, on the other hand, did not believe in the G-d of Israel; to him, the miracle was a mofeith, a wondrous act entirely apart from any significance for the future (Malbim). when He performed it before Pharaoh as an unannounced miracle. Likewise, Just as My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot for three years as ‘a sign’ and ‘a wonder’ upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia, so shall etc.,¹²⁸Isaiah 20:3-4. [implying that the same act can be simultaneously an oth and a mofeith], because in this act of the prophet, there was a sign foretelling what was to come, and a wonder in the practice of the prophet in walking that way.
If so, the meaning of the expression [before us], and he give thee a sign or a wonder is that he will say, “I am the prophet sent to you that you worship a particular idol, and this shall be ‘the sign’ for you: tomorrow there shall come the locust, the caterpillar, and the palmer-worm.” Or he shall show them “a wonder:” he will cast down a rod before them and it will become a serpent. Now, in the Sifre the Rabbis have said:¹²⁹Sifre, Naso 23. “A sign is [identical to] a wonder and a wonder is [identical to] a sign except that the Torah refers [to them] in two terms.” Perhaps the intent of the Rabbis was [not to state that the terms are identical in meaning but that] there is no difference between the two or distinction in their legal status, and [therefore] it would have been sufficient to mention one. But the Torah wanted to elaborate on the matter saying in effect “whatever sign he gives you, from whatever signs [exist] on earth.”
Now, this man who calls himself “prophet” and commands [you] to worship idols is by way of the simple meaning of Scripture a prophet of an idol who says “The idol [Baal] Peor sent me to you declaring that he is god and he commanded that you worship him in a certain way.” It is he of whom Scripture further says, and he that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die,¹³⁰Deuteronomy 18:20. for all who prophesy in the name of other gods, do so in order that people worship them, because they are [that prophet’s] deities, and Scripture mentions him there, among the [general] false prophets. But what emerges from the words of our Rabbis¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. is that the prophet mentioned here prophesies in the name of G-d, saying “The Glorious Name¹³²Further, 28:58. sent me that you worship [Baal] Peor because he was His partner in creation,” or that he [Baal-peor] is greater than all the gods before Him and He desires that they worship him. And the Rabbis of blessed memory have mentioned¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. that even if he were to say that they should worship a certain idol but for one moment alone, for example, if he says, “Worship [Baal] Peor just this day alone and you will succeed in a certain project for such is the will before the Glorious Name” — that prophet is guilty of a capital offense. This, too, lies within the plain meaning of Scripture.
Thus Scripture commanded that we hearken not at all to him who prophesies in the name of G-d to worship the idols, nor take note of the signs and wonders that he will make. And it mentions the reason¹³³Verse 6 here: who brought you out of the land of Egypt. because we know from the exodus from Egypt which was an actual event — not a vision or a mirage — that the earth is the Eternal’s¹³⁴Psalms 24:1. and He is the Creator, the One Who wills all, and the Omnipotent, and there is no god beside Him, and we further know from the Revelation on Mount Sinai that face to face¹³⁵Above, 5:5. He commanded us to walk in this way, not to worship anything at all beside Him, and that He has not given His glory to another [deity].¹³⁶See Isaiah 42:8. This is the sense of the expression, which the Eternal thy G-d commanded thee.¹³⁷Verse 6. Thus the prophet hath spoken perversion against the Eternal¹³⁷Verse 6. Who never commanded him so, or he spoke perversion against His Glory, for it is not proper to worship another god.

Jedenfalls ist nicht nur der Abfall zur Abgötterei, sondern auch nur die Abrogierung eines einzigen Gebotes oder Verbotes auf dem Boden dieses göttlichen Gesetzes selbst gegen die Autorität eines Propheten sicher gestellt, mag dieser nun sich ad hoc durch אות ומופת als von Gott mit solchem Auftrag gesandt legitimieren oder, wie ר׳ עקיבא (daselbst) das Problem unseres Textes erläutert, חס ושלום שהקב׳׳ה מעמיד חמה לעוברי רצונו אלא כגון (Jirmija Kap. 38). bis dahin als ein wahrer Prophet ,חנניה בן עזור שתחלתו נביא אמת ולבסוף נביא שקר legitimiert und bewährt gewesen, und nun diese seine anerkannte Stellung im Dienste der Lüge missbrauchen wolle. Durch die unmittelbare Selbsterfahrung der göttlichen Gesetzesoffenbarung am Sinai steht die Sendung Mosche und das durch ihn überbrachte Gesetz in der Nation hoch hinaus über alle künftige Prophetie. Nur innerhalb des dem göttlichen Gesetze Gemäßen und für Aufrechthaltung desselben, hat das Wort eines künftigen, durch אות ומופת legitimierten Propheten Geltung. Gegen das göttliche Gesetz ist ein jedes Wort und selbst des hervorragendsten Mannes hinfällig und zeiht ihn selber der Lüge (siehe רמב׳׳ם הל׳ יסודי תורה — daselbst — und zu Kap. 18, 15 f.). Nur קיום מקצת וביטול מקצת דשאר מצות, nur ein zeitliches, momentanes Zuwiderhandeln gegen eine Vorschrift des göttlichen Gesetzes im Interesse des Gesetzes, הוראת שעה, ist mit Ausnahme der ע׳׳ז-Gesetze, durch einen bereits als נביא אמת bewährten Propheten gesetzlich möglich, wie אליהו בהר הכרמל zur Überzeugung des Volkes von der Richtigkeit der Baalspropheten im Gegensatz zu dem (Kap. 12, 13) gegebenen שחוטי חוץ-Verbote ein Opfer auf dem Karmel darbrachte (Sanhedrin 89 b u. 90 a; — siehe zu Kap. 18, 15). — נביא או חולם חלום (vergl. Bamidbar 12, 6).

It appears that our verse addresses the following situation. The prophet claims that G'd has instructed him to legitimise himself by means of a sign or a certain kind of miracle. The idea is that the prophet tells the people that if, as a result of his attempts to create a miracle and this miracle would materialise in a certain predetermined manner, then this would be proof that G'd had asked the people to worship a certain deity. If, on the other hand, said miracle would materialise in a different form, this would be proof that G'd wanted said deity to be burned and destroyed. ובא האות והמופת, and now the miracle has indeed materialised in the form which would indicate that the people ought to worship the deity which the prophet spoke about (although he had been careful to leave the decision to the people themselves), the Torah says: "do not hearken to him!" In other words, such a so-called prophet is guilty of the death penalty even though he himself had not insisted that the people engage in idolatry but had left the decision up to them and to their interpretation of the miracle's meaning. Although the people themselves had freely decided to engage in worship of such a deity, the "prophet" is still guilty of the death penalty.

אשר לא ידעתם, the miracle proving the existence of such a phenomenon seeing you had never heard of its existence. Seeing we do not know the function of the phenomenon makes it more difficult to dismiss the idea that it possesses powers. It is unlike sun and moon whose functions and limitations we know. We know that it is useless to pray to sun and moon, as their obvious limitations are known to us.

ובא האות והמופת, these false prophets came by their knowledge by means of their dealings with the necromancers, etc., people whom we are supposed to put to death.

V. 3. ובא וגו׳ אשר דבר וגו׳; es tritt das Zeichen ein, das er dir gegenüber angekündigt hat, um dir damit zu sagen, d. h. um damit seine Aufforderung zu unterstützen. Oder nach ר׳ עקיבא: Wenn ein Prophet aufsteht und hat dir bereits Zeichen und Beweis gegeben, es ist auch bereits eingetroffen das Zeichen und der Beweis, der aber nun zu dir spricht etc. etc.

ובא האות והמופת, “and the sign or wonder predicted will come to pass;” the letter ו in the word והמופת means: “or.”We have a similar construction in Exodus 21,15, where the line: ומכה אביו ואמו, means: “anyone who strikes his father or his mother.” Similar constructions occur in Exodus 21,17, and in numerous other places in the Torah. The Sifri quotes a Baraitha in which Rabbi Akiva is cited as saying that we must not be misled into believing that G-d would interfere with the position of sun or moon in order to comply with the wishes of a false prophet. What is meant in our verse is that a true prophet, who has in the past performed miracles, and had thus legitimised himself by having performed such miracles, has become a heretic and the people now believe him, not knowing that he has become a heretic. If such a prophet would call on the people to perform acts of idolatry, he must not be believed, regardless of the fact that at one time he was a legitimate prophet. No true prophet is to be believed if his message entails violating laws of the Torah, regardless of how many times he had in the past demonstrated that he was a true prophet, unless when he did so he said that he suggested such a violation only as a one time emergency measure due to exceptional circumstances. If you were to ask, that seeing that G-d knew in advance that such a prophet would turn into a heretic, so why did He equip him with prophetic powers in the first place?The Torah answers this question by telling us that it is G-d’s way of testing our faith in Moses’ Torah being the one and only Torah He has given us, and that it will not undergo changes in the course of history. (verse 4) This is even more true, when the socalled prophet performs acts by a slight of hand which deceive the onlookers into believing that he had performed miracle. The same is true if such a charlatan knows how to trick you into believing that you had heard things in the name of the Lord, things which he had never heard from G-d. Do not let either your eyes or your ears deceive you when the subject is the inviolability of the laws of the Torah. You must follow only the revealed word of G-d as handed down by Moses in the Torah.

אשר לא ידעתם: von denen ihr nichts erfahren, von deren Dasein ihr durch nichts Überzeugung gewonnen habt, oder vielmehr: von deren Nichtsein ihr überzeugt seid.

FOR THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D TRIETH YOU. This is to state that the purport of the wonder which came to pass and which G-d showed him in his dream or [as the philosophers say] in his kahin¹⁰⁷This is borrowed from the Arabic, kahanah, a term referring to the power residing in man to be able to foretell the future. It is so explained by Shmuel ibn Tibbon in his list of “Foreign words.” was G-d’s will in order to test you in your love of Him. Now I have already explained¹³⁸Genesis 2:1 (Vol. I, p. 275). that the term “test” is derived from the point of view of the one who is being tested. It states here to know [for the Eternal your G-d trieth you ‘to know’ whether ye do love … meaning] that it became known in fact what exists in potential and is revealed [only] to Him. Thus the commandment of this entire section refers to someone who prophesies to worship the idols. But concerning one who prophesies in the name of G-d to change any of the commandments of the Torah, our Rabbis have interpreted¹³¹Sanhedrin 90a. that if he came to [completely] uproot any item from the Torah, such as permitting [the eating of] swine or [permitting] one of the adulterous relationships, according to this judgment shall it be done to him¹³⁹Exodus 21:31. [i.e., he is liable to death as is stated here in Verse 6]. But if he declares it to be permissible only for some time as a temporary measure such as Elijah did on Mount Carmel [in permitting offerings to G-d outside of the Sanctuary in Jerusalem],¹⁴⁰I Kings 18:33-38. The purpose was to vindicate the belief in the true G-d and cause the people to reject the idolatrous worship of Baal. And because Elijah was an acknowledged righteous prophet we were commanded to listen to him (Rambam, Hilchoth Yesodei Hatorah 9:3). we are obligated to listen to him and to do everything that he commands us.
It appears [to me] that if he prophesies in the name of G-d to command a precept that he innovates, as happened concerning reading of the Scroll [of Esther on Purim],¹⁴¹See Ramban above, 4:2. that he is not guilty of a capital offense, only that we are not to obey him, because it is written, These are the commandments,¹⁴²Leviticus 27:34. [which our Rabbis interpret to mean]:¹⁴³Torath Kohanim, end of Bechukothai. The reading of the Megillah (Scroll of Esther) on Purim is “a positive commandment by the authority of the Scribes” (Mishneh Torah, Hilchoth Megillah V’Chanukah 1:1). “No prophet is henceforth permitted to declare any new matter therein.” But perhaps, since we do not believe him, he is thus a false prophet and his death is by strangulation.¹⁴⁴See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 25-26.

לא תשמע אל הנביא ההוא, do not even turn to listen to find out if his words have even partial substance, for there can be no question that the man is full of lies and tells you things he has made up, all for an evil purpose; כי דבר סרה, for what he portrays as a miracle is nothing but sleight of hand or forgery of some other kind.

כי מנסה ה׳ אלוקיכם אתכם לדעת, for the Lord your G'd is testing you, wanting to know, etc." You may well ask why such a prophet should be executed if G'd sent him to test the loyalty of the Jewish people! Clearly then the words כי מנסה do not mean that G'd instructed this prophet to say what he said, but it explains only why the miracles this prophet performed in order to legitimise himself were allowed to happen.

'כי מנסה ה' וגו, the only reason G’d allowed such people to possess what sounds like supernatural knowledge, is to test our faith, to see if we will heed the prohibition against using such sources of information and of tolerating such people as part of our culture. By choosing not to resort to the knowledge of such people of the future, etc., we accumulate merits in G’d’s books (compare Deut. 18,10-13). Refusing to believe such false prophets is in itself a good deed. Believing them is equivalent to believing in idolatry.

כי מנסה ה' אלוקיכם אתכם, “Hashem, your G’d is testing you, etc.” the reason why Hashem allows such a person to perform a miracle, or to correctly foretell an unlikely future event, is to put your faith in Him to a test, to see if you will use such people to try and foretell future events for you, thus subverting your absolute faith in Him. During the period in our history when there were prophets, the people when puzzled about events, would indeed turn to the accredited prophet and ask him to enquire from G’d about the meaning of events which they could not reconcile with what they had been taught to expect. Nachmanides has explained that the term ”test” when used by the Torah always refers to how it looks to the person being tested. G’d Himself never needs to test anyone as He is aware of man’s belief and reactions to so-called “tests.”

V. 4. כי מנסה וגו׳: Gott fordert als Probe eurer wirklichen, vollen Hingebung und Treue, dass ihr selbst durch solche durch Zeichen und Wunder unterstützte Versuchung eure Hingebung und Treue nicht erschüttern lasset.

לא תשמע אל דברי הניא ההוא, “do not listen to the words of that “prophet;” it is illogical to believe that such a prophet’s miracle could override My commandments to you, seeing that I have warned you of the possibility of such false prophets arising already before any such person did in fact claim to be My prophet.

או אל חולם החלום ההוא, to see if even part of what he dreamt reflected some truth of what was going to happen; you may be sure that the dreamers did not actually dream any part of what he claimed to have dreamt, but he invented all of it in order to seduce you;

Alternatively, the fact is that G'd never allowed any miracles to be performed by a prophet except to demonstrate His dominion over the forces of nature, i.e. that He created these forces. The words כי מנסה השם, "for G'd conducts a test, etc." are only an answer to the question why G'd allows some people to perform such miracles instead of preventing them so as not to mislead the Israelites. The Torah answers that G'd allows the world to function in its normal manner. If it were not for the fact that G'd on occasion wants to test His people, He would not allow such charlatans to perform miracles so as not to reinforce the power of the wicked.

כי מנסה “for He is testing;” I already explained the meaning of this “test.”

כי מנסה ה' אלוקיכם אתכם, by referring with hostility to a person who spoke out against G’d, you will be proven as truly loving G’d.

הישכם, the letter י in this word has the vowel chirik.

לדעת, once your previously theoretical faith in G’d has been so tested, you will become truly tested in your intimate conviction of G’d’s goodness which becomes an unshakable enduring conviction. Someone who believes truly in the goodness of the Lord cannot help but hate anyone who denies G’d’s goodness, just as if you love a human being truly you cannot help hating a person who hates the person whom you truly love.

ואת מצותיו תשמורו HIS COMMANDMENTS YE SHALL KEEP — the Law of Moses,

AFTER THE ETERNAL YOUR G-D SHALL YE WALK. This is a commandment that we follow His counsel, and of Him alone shall we inquire concerning every hidden thing and inquire concerning the future, as it is written, and she went to inquire of the Eternal;¹⁴⁵Genesis 25:22. because the people come unto me to inquire of G-d.¹⁴⁶Exodus 18:15. And so did the Israelites do with the prophets, [as it is said,] Is there not here a prophet of the Eternal, that we may inquire of the Eternal through him?;¹⁴⁷II Kings 3:11. that the Eternal thy G-d may tell us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing we should do.¹⁴⁸Jeremiah 42:3. And in the Sifre it is stated:¹⁴⁹Sifre, R’eih 85. “After the Eternal your G-d [shall ye walk] — this refers to the cloud [of Glory].”¹⁵⁰See Ramban to Numbers 9:19: “They did the will of G-d in following after the cloud [of Glory].” See also my Hebrew commentary here p. 406. This is as we have explained, that we are to hearken to the “voice” of His signs and follow His counsel.

אחרי ה' אלוקיכם תלכו, similarly phrased to והלכת בדרכיו in Deut. 28,9. You are not to seek out new paths which the “prophet” or “dreamer” employs to make you depart from the ways of the Lord.

אחרי ה׳ אלוקיך תלך, "Follow the Lord your G'd, etc. It is difficult to understand why our paragraph about the false prophet is interrupted by this verse. This verse should have been written only after verse 6 in which the penalty of execution of the false prophet is discussed. Besides, why did Moses use such long-winded phraseology as "you shall follow G'd, fear Him; His commandments you shall observe, and to His voice you shall hearken; Him you shall serve and to Him you shall cleave?"

אחרי ה' אלוקיכם תלכו, “You shall follow Hashem your G’d;” Nachmanides interprets these words as Moses urging the people to follow G’d’s advice exclusively, and if they feel the urge to know something in the future because they are consumed with worry, to turn only to Him via His accredited prophets. They are to emulate our matriarch Rivkah, who, when she was unable to account for what by all accounts was an unusual pregnancy, went to “enquire from a Divine source.” (Compare Genesis 25,23)...

אחרי ה' אלו-היכם תלכו, “Follow Hashem your G’d!” This is an exhortation to emulate G’d’s attributes. The call by Moses here is similar to והלכת בדרכיו in Deut. 28,9.
ואותו תיראו, “and Him you shall revere.” Do no relate to Him by trying to investigate His essence but by assessing His manifest actions.

The voice of the prophets. I.e., “Keep His commandments,” already implies the entire Torah given through Moshe, which includes all His commandments. If so, what is the meaning of, “Heed His voice”? Rather, it includes the voice of the prophets.

V. 5. אחרי ד׳ וגו׳: Gott, der durch seine Offenbarung euer Gott, ausschließlicher Lenker eurer Geschicke und Leiter eurer Taten geworden, sollt ihr treu nachfolgen etc. etc. und euch durch keinen Propheten in der treuen Nachfolge, in der Gottesfurcht, in der gewissenhaften Erfüllung seiner Gebote, in eurem Gehorsam, eurem Dienste, eurem Festhalten an Gott irre machen lassen. Wir haben bereits bemerkt, wie der Wortlaut dieses Verses dafür spricht, dass hier nicht nur von Verleitung zum Götzentum, sondern ebenso auch von Verleitung zu irgend welchem Treubruch gegen Gottes Gesetz die Rede ist. (Vergl. Bamidbar 15, 22 — 31 wo ebenfalls die prinzipielle Übertretung eines einzigen Gesetzes dem Gesamtabfall vom Gottesgesetz und dem Hinfall zum Götzentum gleichgestellt ist).

ובקלו תשמעו HIS VOICE YE SHALL OBEY — the voice of the prophets,

ואותו תיראו, even though the person who now claims to be a prophet had previously been considered as a pious and thoroughly G’d-fearing individual. Your prior esteem of him and his views must turn into total rejection and you must allow your awe and reverence for G’d and His words to outweigh any argument he may present. ואת מצותיו תשמורו, so that you will only observe His commandments and not any new ones claimed to be His by the new “prophet.” This refers in particular to matters involving idolatry where the most minute deviation automatically challenges the totality of Torah and all of its laws.

ואותו תיראו, “and Him you shall fear.” You should be secure in your heart that life and death are domains that are exclusively His, only He can decree death, and only He can decree life, therefore there is no point in fearing anyone else.

ואת מצותיו תשמרו, “and His commandments you are to observe.” This is a reference to the written Torah, the 613 commandments written therein.

In His Sanctuary. The word “serve” refers to sacrifices, which is in the Sanctuary. For if it refers to the service of fulfilling His commandments, this has already been mentioned.

I believe that Moses wanted to spell out the various elements which comprise serving the Lord. Once we know this we can better understand why the penalty for a false prophet or a dreamer applies even if he asks you to violate only a single one of these elements which are part of serving G'd by applying them to worship of an alien deity. The first element in serving the Lord, i.e. "following Him" is the acceptance of the yoke of Heaven and not the dictates of any other power claiming to be a god. This teaches us that if the prophet asks the people to accept the sovereignty of any other power he is guilty of enticing the people to serve idols. Moses was careful to use the word תלכו, "you shall walk (future)," to teach us that even if said prophet did not demand immediate acceptance of an alien deity he is still guilty of the death penalty from the moment he made such a statement.

AND HIM SHALL YE FEAR. You are to believe that it is He in Whose hand is the soul of every living thing,¹⁵¹Job 12:10. and it is in His power to kill and to make alive,¹⁵²II Kings 5:7. visiting iniquity,¹⁵³Exodus 20:5. and rewarding for meritorious deeds.

ואתו תעבדו HIM YE SHALL SERVE in His Temple (Sifrei Devarim 85:5).

ובקולו תשמעון, you are to carry out all the instructions given to you by properly accredited prophets and to listen to their commands, such as to Elijah at Mount Carmel, and not to the instructions of anyone canceling any of G’d’s commandments.

ואת מצוותיו תשמורו, “and His commandments you shall observe;” the Torah taught to you by Moses.

Embrace His ways; engage in kindness, etc. Why does Rashi not explain similarly above in Parshas Eikev (10:20) where it also written, “Cleave to Him”? The answer is: The simple meaning of the verse in Eikev [actually] is: “Embrace His ways; engage in kindness, etc.” But here in order that we do not make a mistake to explain [in a similar fashion] the verse “After Adonoy, your God, are you to go...” that it means “after having acquired all of these attributes, then “Cleave to Him” — in order that you shall have His Divine Providence. Therefore, Rashi needed to explain: “Embrace His ways, etc.”

Moses continues: ואותו תיראו, "and Him you shall fear," to emphasise that only Him you shall fear. You must not be afraid of any other so-called power in this universe. The Torah implies that even if the false prophet does not suggest you worship or sacrifice to any other power but only "fear" it, he has thereby become guilty of the death penalty. One must only fear G'd in Heaven.

AND HIS COMMANDMENTS SHALL YE KEEP. This refers to the Law of Moses.

ובו תדבקון AND UNTO HIM YE SHALL CLEAVE — i.e. cleave to His ways: do kindly actions, bury the dead, visit the sick, as did the Holy One, blessed be He (Sotah 14a).

ואותו תעבודו, exclusively. You cannot simultaneously serve any other deity as spelled out in Exodus 22,19 זובח לאלוהים יחרם, “if anyone is found offering sacrifices to any other deity he is guilty of death.”

ובקולו תשמעו, “and to His voice you shall hearken.” As a prelude to observing all His instructions, the ones communicated by His accredited Rabbis, in addition to that which is spelled out in the written text of the Torah. The reason why Moses appears to repeat himself here to some extent is because he wants to counter any effect of the words of a false prophet. Some people, out of fear that maybe the false prophet is a true prophet and not listening to him could bring harm on oneself, are inclined to “play it safe.“ Moses therefore warns such people not to do so. There is no other authority than Hashem that is authorized to issue any instructions whatsoever to His people. This is all part of the warning in 12,31, לא תעשה כן לה' אלוקיך, “do not do thus to the Lord your G’d.” The exclusivity of the nature of Hashem must be preserved at all times and in all places. Ibn Ezra understands the words אחרי ה' אלוקיכם תלכו, as an appeal by Moses for the Jewish people to emulate Hashem whenever and wherever that is possible. We are to follow in His footsteps to the extent that He has revealed them to us. The words: ואותו תיראו, he understands as warning us not to ask “why” before we perform His commandments. The words ואת מצותיו תשמורו, he understands as meaning that “performance” of the commandments is what is what is important, not any additional reason of why you do it, i.e. because you agree with it. The words: ובקולו תשמעו, he understands as any explanations, rationales, supporting these commandments being only a reminder of the essential element of each commandment being its performance whenever possible. The meaning of the words ואותו תעבודו, “Him you shall serve,” is “in deed,” whereas the words ובו תדבקון, “and to Him you shall cleave,” mean “with your heart, throughout your life from its beginning to its end.”

Moses continues: ואת מצותיו תשמרו, "and His commandments you shall observe," i.e. His commandments and not the demands made in the name of any other deity. The new element in this statement is that if, say, the deity orders you to do something which brings in its wake a tangible benefit, such as the promise that if you perform a certain act you will become rich as a result, then although the act itself has no connotation of worship you must not do it as you must not take orders from anyone but G'd. If the false prophet were to say that G'd has ordered him that the people should perform a certain idolatrous act in order to be successful, such a false prophet is liable to execution.

AND UNTO HIS VOICE SHALL YE HEARKEN — to do whatever He commands us to do aside from the Torah, such as Samuel said [to Saul], Thou hast done foolishly; thou hast not kept the commandment of the Eternal thy G-d¹⁵⁴I Samuel 13:13. [referring to a commandment transmitted to Saul by Samuel]. It is this which is explained further, A prophet will the Eternal raise up unto thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken,¹⁵⁵Further, 18:15. and it states, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My Name, I will require it of him¹⁵⁶Ibid., Verse 19. meaning that he will be liable to death by the hand of Heaven,¹⁵⁷Sanhedrin 89a. and as it happened because of the prophet’s command, “Smite me, and wound me by the word of the Eternal”¹⁵⁸I Kings 20:35. [and when the man refused to obey he was slain by a lion].¹⁵⁹Ibid., Verse 36. And so also the Rabbis said in the Sifre:¹⁴⁹Sifre, R’eih 85. “And unto His voice shall ye hearken — the voice of His prophets.”

ובו תדבקון, the objective of all your activities must be to carry out His will unaffected by any prior hostility.

Alternatively, the meaning could be that you should not ever entertain the thought to leave the service of the Lord. When someone is a slave, even if he is fortunate enough to have the most accommodating and sympathetic master, there are times when he wishes to be free, independent. A Jew is never to allow himself the feeling that he wants to be free of his obligations vis-a-vis the Lord. The affinity between Israelite and G’d should be one that neither party ever wishes to sever. The reason is that true freedom is this very cleaving to Hashem, the best insurance against being enslaved to the evil urge.

Moses goes on to say ובקולו תשמעו, "and you shall hearken to His voice," to remind you that you are to listen only to the teachings revealed in the Torah and to teach these sacred words. You are not to listen to words spoken by the Avodah Zarah. [I suppose it would be prohibited to listen to the sound of the voice of the oracle in Delphi. I was there myself, but it did not speak. Ed.] If the false prophet claims to have been instructed by G'd to listen to what such a deity has to say he is guilty of death even though he does not perform a deed or even fears the deity in any way.

AND HIM SHALL YE SERVE, AND UNTO HIM SHALL YE CLEAVE. I have already explained this.¹⁶⁰Above, 6:13; 11:22. Now it has already been stated, Thou shalt fear the Eternal thy G-d, and Him shalt thou serve.¹⁶¹Ibid., 6:13. But he repeated it here to negate [any consideration of obedience to a false prophet,] that we are not to fear the words of a [false] prophet because of the sign or wonder, and that we should not transgress the service of G-d because of the prophet’s words, for it is the Eternal alone that we are to fear, and no other god. [It was also repeated here] to add, and unto His voice shall ye hearken.

It is also possible to view the words ובו תדבקון not so much as a command but as a promise. It is the promise of life in the world to come if we have fulfilled the instructions in the first half of the verse to emulate the attributes of the Lord, to revere Him and to serve Him by praying to Him and to observe His commandments, both the written ones and the oral ones (compare Ibn Ezra).

ואותו תעבדו, "and Him you shall serve," etc. This also means "G'd exclusively." We can illustrate this with the story told in Gittin 57 of the Seleucid Emperor who said to Hannah's youngest son that he should merely pretend to throw the ring on his finger in front of the idol and he could then come and bring it back so that the onlookers would gain the impression that he had performed an act of obeisance though in his heart he had not meant to do this at all. The son refused and was killed for refusing. The Torah tells us here that if a false prophet were to come and tell such a son of Hannah in the name of G'd that he could do what the Emperor requested of him, such a prophet would make himself guilty of the death penalty [though all he wanted was to save the boys' life. Ed.].

ובו תדבקון, "and you are to cleave to Him. This expression may be understood in conjunction with Ketuvot 111 where the Talmud asks how it is possible for man who is made of matter to cleave to G'd who is totally abstract? The answer given is that we are to cleave to Torah scholars as they are the carriers of the Shechinah, the presence of G'd. By cleaving to Torah scholars one is considered as having attached onself to G'd. ובא האות והמופת לאמור נלכה אחרי אלוהים אחרים, "and the sign or the wonder comes about, of which he spoke to you saying: 'Let us follow gods of others, etc.'" Moses does not quote the false prophet as saying: "let us serve the gods of others" in order to teach us that he is guilty of the death penalty even without encouraging the Israelites to "serve" those gods. Even though Moses concludes the verse with the prophet saying: "and let us worship them," Moses merely means that in the end at one point or another such a false prophet will ask you to worship and to serve the deity in question. This is why in the next verse (6) the Torah speaks of והנביא ההוא, "that prophet;" i.e. "this prophet" who wanted to escape execution by his devious ways will be executed, כי דבר סרה על השם, "because he has said something perverse against G'd." Although this prophet did not literally promote idol worship he lied vis-a-vis G'd by prophesying lies. The Torah makes it plain that a true prophet would never predict such things, much less in the name of the Lord. Any command by an established prophet for the Jews to temporarily violate one of the commandments is valid only for one of the commandments not involving idolatry. With regards to idolatry the slightest deviation is taboo and G'd will not even tolerate a minute deviation in an emergency. Sifri confirmed what we have said by translating the word סרה, as "falsified." Committing fraud with the Torah is a capital sin.

Apart from the approach we have taken to explain our verse, i.e. that it is intended to address the six elements involved in serving G'd, one may also view Moses as alluding to the six major sections of the oral Torah, i.e. the Mishnah. The words: "follow the Lord your G'd" refer to the section called Zeraim. This section contains laws involving the gleaning after the farmers have harvested their grain or orchards, as well as many laws designed to cater to the needs of the poor. It therefore reflects the attributes of G'd who cares for the needy. It also contains a tractate about the need to bring one's second tithe all the way to Jerusalem to consume it or its equivalent in that city. There is also a story Shemot Rabbah 31 about a farmer who had duly discharged all the various commandments dealing with tithes and gifts to the Levite, the priest and the poor, and who found that the normal yield of his field amounted to one thousand bushels. After a while the farmer died and during the year following the father's death the field continued to yield its regular harvest. The son, who was miserly, separated less than the required amount of tithes, and found to his distress that in the following year the yield of the field declined by approximately the amount he had thought he had saved by cutting back on his tithes, etc. He continued to deprive the Levite and the poor of even more of their due only to find that the harvest of his field kept shrinking apace. The story proves that the earth's produce is in direct proportion to whether the farmer fulfils his social obligations laid down in the Torah. This is what Moses alluded to when he instructed the Israelites: אחרי ה׳ אלוקיכם תלכו, "follow after the Lord your G'd!"

Another nuance in the wording of this verse which suggests that it may allude to laws in the section Zeraim of the Mishnah, is that that section relates to laws governing man's nourishment and his food supply. Maimonides writes in his treatise Hilchot Deyot 3,2 that when man eats and drinks he has to concentrate on the thought that the purpose of eating and drinking is to keep his body in good health so that he can serve the Lord with all his strength. He bases this on Proverbs 3,6: "Acknowledge Him in all your ways (activities)." This is what Moses meant when he wrote אחרי ה׳..תלכו, "i. e. in your ways, your activities.

ואותו תיראו, "and Him you shall fear." This is an allusion to the second section of the Mishnah, the one called Moed which deals with all the festivals and the Sabbath. The word אתו is an allusion to the Sabbath which is called אות in Exodus 31,17. Festivals are also described in the Torah as אות, "sign." The author of Tikkuney Hazohar chapter 9 relates to that fact by saying that just as one needs to fear violating the Sabbath one should fear violating the laws pertaining to the festivals.

ואת מצותיו תשמרו, "and observe His commandments." This is an allusion to the section of the Mishnah called Nashim in which the many laws concerning marriage, forbidden unions, family purity, etc., are discussed.

ובקלו תשמעו, and to His voice you shall hearken; this is an allusion to the various tractates dealing with property rights called Nezikin. One needs to pay careful attention to the judges who render judgment in matters of civil disputes. One must not depart fom what the judges rule, as spelled out in Deut. 17,12 "any man who deliberately fails to obey the ruling by the priest, etc.

ואתו תעבדו, "and (only) Him you must serve." This is an allusion to the section called Kodoshin. It deals with the details of the Temple Service, etc.

ובו תדבקון, and to Him you shall cleave." This is an allusion to the sixth and final section of the oral Torah which deals with matters of ritual purity. By observing these laws in its details one becomes worthy of cleaving to the Shechinah, the presence of G'd.

סרה [BECAUSE HE HATH SPOKEN] סרה — i.e. something that is strange in the world (more lit., removed from the world), something which never existed and was never created (a pure invention), and which I never bade him say; detournure in O. F.

'יומת, כי דבר סרה על ה, even though he had claimed to speak in the name of the Lord and not in the name of some other deity, something which had convinced him that his crime was not subject to the death penalty. We encounter such a scenario in Jeremiah 26,16 where the elders of Jerusalem do not want to convict Jeremiah to the death penalty because he had spoken in the name of the Almighty G’d, i.e. had not denied His sovereignty, although he was perceived as a false prophet, no one accepting his predictions of doom and his call to repentance.

והנביא ההוא או חולם החלום ההוא, "And that prophet or the dreamer of that dream, etc." The Torah had to make reference to the prophet and to the dreamer separately; if the Torah had mentioned only the prophet I would have concluded that the death penalty which is the subject of this verse applies only to someone who had already enjoyed the reputation of being a true prophet. After all, the Israelites have been commanded to hearken to the words of a prophet in Deut. 18,15 where the Torah writes "to him (the prophet) you shall hearken." There is no command in the Torah obligating us to hearken to someone who proclaims that G'd appeared to him in a dream and ordered certain things; in fact many dreams are totally without spiritual significance. I would have reasoned that such a person has not misled the people sufficiently to warrant death. By including the dreamer in our verse the Torah makes plain that such a dreamer is equally guilty in the eyes of the law. If, on the other hand, the Torah had legislated the death penalty only for a person described as having had an appearance of G'd in a dream, I would have deduced from this that only the dreamer is guilty of death but that the words of a prophet who has been known to be a legitimate prophet must be taken seriously even when he asks us to violate the commandment and asks us to temporarily violate the commandment involving idolatry because of some emergency.

Uttered a fabrication. This includes any speech which removes Divine Providence from the lowly world. Therefore it states afterwards, “Who took you out of the land of Egypt, and Who redeemed you from the house of bondage.” Through this the concept of Divine Providence over the world and human actions became well known throughout the world..

Even if He had done nothing for you but redeemed you, etc. Otherwise why is the phrase, “Who redeemed you from the house of bondage,” necessary? For Scripture had already written, “Who took you out of the land of Egypt.” And when He took them out, they had already been set free [i.e., redeemed].

V. 6. יומת והנביא וגו׳ ,יומת וגו׳ ,להדיחך וגו׳: nach den הכמים (Sanhedrin 89 b), ebenso wie der מסית ומדיח des folgenden Gesetzes (V. 11) בסקילה.

כי דבר סרה, “for something perverse;” he falsified the message he claimed to have received from Me,” What he did was to lead you astray from revering Me. Where is the warning to such a false prophet not to practice his perversion given? It has been spelled out in the words of the Torah, with which he his familiar, “do not listen to him!” (Exodus 23,13) (Compare Torah sh’leymah by Rabbi Menachem Kasher item 182 on that verse.)

והפדך מבית עבדים AND WHO RELEASED YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE OF SERVANTS — even though he had no other claim on you but that He delivered you, it would be sufficient for Him to claim your obedience (Sifrei Devarim 86:5).

להדיחך מן הדרך, even though he had never asked you to abandon G’d, and had only presented an “updated” version of this same G’d’s commandments. He had, however, asked you to depart from “timeless Torah,” making G’d’s laws something that could be changed from time to time, thus making Moses the father figure of all prophets irrelevant. [my words. Ed.]

החלום ההוא יומת כי דבר סרה, "of this dream, will be executed for he spoke falsely, etc." The Torah had to write this as whereas we would have rejected a prophet who told us that G'd had spoken to him openly asking us to perform some kind of idolatry, we might have believed a man who claimed to have had a dream of this kind. Many strange and incomprehensible things occur in dreams, after all. At least we would have believed that the person claiming to have had a dream in which say the deity itself, i.e. the miracle he had performed invited us to perform certain acts, had in fact dreamed such a dream. Moreover, I would have reasoned that seeing all that person did was to tell us his dream without editorial comment, the Torah had to make it clear that such a person too must be executed. The Torah explains the reason by saying כי דבר סרה, that even if it turns out that what the dreamer foretold came true, he had no business to tell us of such a dream since by doing so he created a false image of G'd in our minds. G'd' goes on record that He could never give any such instructions which would involve acts of idolatry.

סור .כי דבר סרה bezeichnet sowohl das Abweichen von dem Pflichtgemäßen, als auch das Fortgehen aus der Reihe der Existenzen, wie ושבט מצרים יסור ,הבמות לא סרו (Secharja 10. 11), das Anderssein als gewöhnlich, Abweichen von dem Normalen, מה זה רוחך סרה (Kön. I. 21, 5). סרה, Substantiv, drückt daher sowohl den sittlichen Abfall, das Weichen von dem rechten Wege aus, תוסיפו סרה (Jes.1, 5), als auch das Aufhören einer Tätigkeit, מכת בלתי סרה. (Als Objekt einer Aussage bezeichnet es etwas völlig von der Wirklichkeit Entferntes, allen Grundes Entbehrendes. So Kap. 16, 16 von dem כי יקום עד חמם באיש לענות בו סרה ,עד זומם, worin Mackoth 5 a das völlig Unberechtigte der Zeugenaussage, die Nichtanwesenheit der Zeugen an dem Orte des angeblichen Vorganges ausgedrückt ist, שתסרה גופה של עדות. Ja, die Form תסרה scheint auf die Wurzel סרא ,פרה faul sein, hinzuweisen, eine Bedeutung, die der Wurzel סור ebenfalls nicht ferne liegen würde. סר סבאם (Hosea 4, 18): ihr Trank ist abgestanden, faul geworden. Ganz speziell aber kommt ׳דבר סרה על ד oder ׳אל ד wie hier noch zweimal von dem Missbrauch der Prophetie zur Lügenaussage im Namen Gottes vor, ׳כי סרה דברת אל ד und ׳כי סרה דבר על ד (Jirmja 28, 16 u. 29, 32). Aus beiden Stellen ist evident, dass in diesem Ausdruck סרה, nicht eben Abfall von Gott bedeuten und ׳דבר סרה על ד zum Abfall von Gott auffordern heißen könne. Abgesehen davon, dass sprachlich die Konstruktion mit. על und אל nicht entsprechend wäre, so haben auch dort Chananja und Schemaja keineswegs zum Abfall von Gott aufgefordert. Sie haben vielmehr im Namen Gottes etwas verkündet, wozu ihnen von Gott der Auftrag nicht erteilt war, אני לא שלחתיו ,לא שלחך ד׳ lautet bei beiden der Vorwurf. Sie befanden sich Gott gegenüber ganz in der Stellung eines עד זומם, sie bezeugten etwas von Gott und waren doch gar nicht zur Bezeugung in dieser Sache berechtigt, weil an sie gar kein Gotteswort ergangen war.

המוציא אתכם מארץ מצרים, "Who takes you out of the land of Egypt, etc." The Torah justifies the death penalty for the aforementioned dreamer. It recalls that when the Israelites left Egypt all of them were granted the vision of mind-boggling miracles in their waking hours. All of these miracles testified to the fact that only G'd was a power and only He had created nature, i.e. the universe. (compare what I have written on Exodus 20,2 in this connection). By what crooked kind of reasoning would the dreamer accept as truth something he merely saw in a dream which contradicted what he had seen when awake when he came out of Egypt? He should have discounted the dream instead of telling you about it! Surely, what he related to you could not have been the truth! The fact that he nevertheless told you about his dream makes him guilty of the death penalty.

להדיחך מן הדרך וגו׳: in dem Ausdruck מן הדרך wird Sanhedrin 90 a die Andeutung gefunden, dass in Beziehung auf ע׳׳ז selbst אפילו מקצת הדרך auch schon die Aufforderung zur geringsten, bloß momentanen Übertretung todesschuldig mache.

מן הדרך אשר צוך…ללכת בה, "from the path…He commanded you to go." The Torah further explains the severity of the sin of the "prophet" or dreamer. We have explained repeatedly that the violation of the second of the Ten Commandments is equivalent to violation of all the commandments just as observing this commandment is accounted for a person as if he had embraced all of the commandments. By suggesting that you violate this commandment, the "prophet" or dreamer has in fact become responsible for violating all the commandments. This also explains why if said "prophet" had suggested the temporary violation of any of the other commandments the Torah did not decree the death penalty. The reason is that such a sin did not involve the basic elements of the Torah. The difference of how we are to relate to the message by the prophet and dreamer respectively is as follows; if the prophet has been a true prophet up until now, we do what the people did when Elijah built the altar on Mount Carmel, i.e. we do not question it. On the other hand, we do not accept the message purporting to have been dreamed by someone who has no history of G'd communicating with him as we apply the principle that many dreams are meaningless.

ובערת הרע מקרבך, "and you shall destroy the evil from your midst." Perhaps the word רע refers to the evil urge which G'd describes as רע in Genesis 8,21 when He speaks of man's inclination to be רע from his early youth. This would account for the use of the letter ה before the word רע, as the reference is to an already well known רע. The Torah tells us that by sentencing and executing sinners such as the false prophet, this evil inclination will be removed from being an integral part of you, i.e. מקרבך.

כי יסיתך IF [THY BROTHER …] ENTICE THEE — The term יסת always denotes to “stir up”, “to incite”, as it is said, (I Samuel 26:19) ”If it be the Lord that hath stirred thee up (הסיתך) against me” (Sifrei Devarim 87:2); inciter in O. F., Engl, to incite — i.e. that he induces one to act thus.

כי יסיתך אחיך, "If your brother entices you, etc." In this paragraph the Torah teaches that enticement to sin is not only due to external sources but may be due to something within us, in fact some force born within us from the day we see the light of day. Our sages in Sanhedrin 91 derive this from Genesis 4,7: "sin rests at the door."

יסיתך, every advice the end result of which leads to disaster is called הסתה; examples of such meanings of the word הסתה occur in Job 2,3 ותסיתני לבלעו חנם, You have incited me against him for no reason.” Or, Kings I 21,25 אשר הסתה אותו איזבל אשתו, “at the instigation of his wife Izzevel.” Or, Chronicles II 18,2 ויסיתהו לעלות אל רמות גלעד, “he incited him to march against Ramot Gilead’ (a campaign which failed and cost Achav’s life)

אשר לא ידעת אתה ואבותיך, “that you did not know, and that your forefathers did not know either.” Moses mentions “your forefathers,” so that in the event that someone close to you, as close as your friend, i.e. even your own father, would try and seduce you to follow idolatrous ways, enquire from the other ”fathers” if they had ever heard of such deities as your own father now proposes that you should worship. They will confirm that your father is lying to you.

The word הסתה always denotes inciting ... He seduces him, etc. You might ask: At first Rashi explains, “The expression הסתה always denotes inciting,” but afterwards he writes, “He seduces him, etc.,” which denotes to mislead. This question has already been answered by Re”m in Parshas Bereishis regarding the verse (3:13), “The serpent seduced me.” He writes: Although the term הסתה usually means, “to mislead,” nevertheless Rashi explains here [in Re’ey], “The word הסתה always denotes inciting ... he seduces him, etc.” This is because inciting is only accomplished through words that are misleading. And the meaning of [Rashi’s words], “He seduces him into performing the act,” is, “he misleads him into performing the act.”

V. 7. כי יסיתך וגו׳. Das Gesetz hebt die innigsten Beziehungen, die Bande des Blutes, der Ehe und der Freundschaft hervor, zeigt eben damit, welchen Wert und welche Berechtigung es deren Einfluss auf Stimmung und Gesinnung der Gemüter zuerkennt, und will eben diesen berechtigsten und mächtigsten Banden gegenüber die Gottestreue sicherstellen. Kiduschin 80 b wird auf die besondere Hervorhebung בן אמך hingewiesen, um zu zeigen, wie das Gesetz ein vertrauliches Zusammenfinden der Söhne bei der Mutter voraussetzt. Denn von einer solchen intimen Vertraulichkeit, יחוד, ist hier die Rede: בסתר.

כי יסתך אחיך בן אמך, “If your brother, son of your mother, will attempt to entice you (to worship an idol);” The reason that the Torah adds the words: “son of your mother,” here is that it is likely that brothers of the same mother, i.e. the same womb, are closer to one another than brothers who only share the same father. Furthermore, sons of only the same father are likely to be hostile to one another for reasons of the eventual inheritance.

אחיך בן אמך, “your brother, the son of your mother.” The same applies to “your brother, the son of your father;” the reason why the Torah chose as its example the brother, son of your mother,” is that normally the bonds to one’s mother are closer, and one is in the same house with one’s mother all the time, while the father is in the field or elsewhere outside the house, earning his livelihood. Moreover, brotherly love to one another is often tainted by the fact that one has to share the father’s inheritance with one’s brother of the father, but not with a brother of the same mother.

אחיך THY BROTHER — means, thy brother on the father’s side (Sifrei Devarim 87:4).

Maternally. A vav is lacking, [and it means as if it said] ובן אמך (or your mother’s son). It is not correct to say that only a brother from the same father and mother is intended. For we find the term “brother,” indicates even a paternal brother, as in (Bereishis 42:13), “Your servants are twelve brothers,” and (below 25:5), “If brothers reside together.” Rather, the verse must be understood as if it said, “or.” [“Your mother’s son,” is written] because one’s paternal brother is more beloved to him than his maternal brother.

There is an additional internal "enticer," i.e. the spiritually negative force man creates every time he sins. This is the mystical dimension of Avot 4,2 that "one sin drags another in its wake." Kabbalists have talked at length about this subject explaining that every sin creates an accuser which in turn increases the power of the original evil urge within us. The more man sins the more powerful the forces which urge him to sin become. This is the meaning of Berachot 34 that מקום שבעלי תשובה עומדים אין צדיקים גמורים יכולין לעמוד, "that it is not possible to draw a valid comparison between the forces of evil to which a repentant sinner is exposed and to similar forces to which the person who is totally without sin is exposed."

אשר לא ידעת kann schwerlich eine bloße Unbekanntschaft im allgemeinen bezeichnen sollen, heißt es doch im folgenden Verse ausdrücklich auch הקרובים אליך, womit doch auch ein Bekanntsein vorausgesetzt ist. Vielmehr glauben wir, dass hier und so auch oben V. 3, Kap. 11, 28 u. 13, 13, sowie Jirmija 7, 9 der schneidende Gegensatz zu allen Göttern des Heidentums hervorgehoben werden soll. Die Realität Gottes, des einzig Einen ist dir durch unmittelbare Tatsachen eigenster Erfahrung zur höchsten Evidenz der Überzeugung gebracht worden. Dein Wissen von Gott hat den höchsten Grad der Gewissheit, während für das Gottsein alles dessen, was sonst Menschenwahn göttlich verehrt, nicht eine einzige Tatsache dem verstehenden und vernehmenden Urteil gegeben ist, aus welchem der Menschengeist sein "Wissen" zu konstruieren hat.

בסתר לאמור, “secretly, saying:” the Torah uses an example that is commonplace, i.e. forbidden matters are usually discussed under a mantle of secrecy. Rabbi B’chor shor sees in the Torah’s use here of the expression בסתר, “secretly,” the Torah’s answer to what Solomon said in Proverbs 11,13: הולך רכיל מגלה סוד, “a talebearer reveals secrets,” i.e. condemnation of revealing secrets; there is one exception to his rule and that is when worship of idols is being planned in secret. Then it becomes a positive commandment to reveal the people planning this to the authorities. Verse 9 even adds the fact that concealing such information is equivalent to transgressing a negative commandment also.

בן אמך THE SON OF THY MOTHER — i.e., thy brother on the mother’s side. (The meaning of the Hebrew words is: thy brother or the son of thy mother) (Sifrei Devarim 87:5).

This refers to your father, etc. [Rashi is referring to the term, “soul mate,” and] the verse is lacking the word “or.” For a father is never referred to as ריע (neighbor).

There is a third dimension to the personality of a person who indulges in sin. By doing so he acquires an additional soul, as it were. Just as we have a principle that he who observes the Sabbath is granted an additional soul (spiritually positive force) on that day, the reverse holds true for the habitual sinner.

חיקך [OR THE WIFE OF] THY BOSOM — i.e. who lies on thy bosom and is attached (מחוקה) to you, affichee in O. F. Similar is the expression (Ezekiel 43:14) “and from the bottom (מחיק) upon the ground” — i.e. from the foundation that is sunk in the ground.

When you continue on such an evil path, allowing yourself to be enticed into sin, one eventually integrates one's personality with the forces of evil so much so that instead of merely becoming the victim of enticement one denies the essence of Judaism leading one to embrace idolatry.

אשר כנפשך [OR THY FELLOWMAN] WHO IS AS THINE OWN SOUL — Thus refers to thy father (Sifrei Devarim 87:11). Scripture specially mentions all those who are dear to you — that you must not consent unto them nor spare them (v. 9), how much the less should you consent unto others or spare them.

When Moses speaks of בי יסיתך אחיך, "when your brother entices you," he describes the evil urge as someone who considers himself as "your brother" from birth. He adds the words בן אמך, "son of your mother," to explain whence the enticer originates, i.e. he is a "son" of our common mother Eve who was responsible for the fact that good and evil are inextricably mixed within us at birth. Concerning the second aspect of evil within us, i.e. the one created by our own sins -as opposed to Eve's- Moses says או בנך או בתך, "or your own son or your own daughter." These are references to the spiritually negative creations which are the result of our own sins. They too are called alien children. The reason that the Torah lists both בנך, "your son," as well as בתך, "your daughter" to describe such creations, is that some sins produce accusers of a masculine type whereas other sins produce accusers of a feminine variety. It all depends on the type of sin one has committed. The greater the sin the more likely that the accuser it creates is of the masculine type. If the sin is relatively minor, the accuser it creates may be described as בתך, "your daughter."

בסתר [IF THY BROTHER ENTICE THEE] SECRETLY — Scripture speaks of what usually occurs (but does not intend to exclude one who entices people publicly), for usually the words of the enticer are spoken in secret. Similarly does Solomon say of the strange woman that she practises her art of seduction (Proverbs 7:9) “In the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and the darkness” (Sifrei Devarim 87:12).

With regard to the third acquisition i.e. an evil soul which hence-forth accompanies the sinner constantly, Moses describes it as אשת חיקך, "the wife of your bosom," as it now resides inside the sinner and will add to the power of the forces which entice man to sin.

אשר לא ידעת אתה ואבתיך [LET US GO AND SERVE OTHER GODS] WHICH THOU HAST NOT KNOWN, THOU, NOR THY FATHERS — This would be a great disgrace for you: for not even the heathen nations abandon that which their fathers have handed down to them, and this man says to you, “Abandon what thy fathers have handed down to you”! (Sifrei Devarim 87:13).

Regarding the fourth element which entices man to sin, the opposite of the נשמה יתירה, the "additional soul" a Sabbath-observing Jew is equipped with on the Sabbath, the Torah calls it רעך אשר כנפשך, "your friend who is like your own soul." Once the sinner has been "softened up" by the enticer, the Torah describes the nature of the enticement, i.e. an invitation to serve alien gods.

Moses makes a point of describing this enticement as occurring בסתר, "secretly," seeing the enticer is in the habit of hiding his true purpose pretending to love you and to have your true interests at heart.

לאמור נלכה, saying "let us go." Moses inserts the word לאמור to make it clear that the enticer does not openly use words such as "let us commit idolatry," but he expresses himself more obliquely; all the while he aims at the eventual objective, i.e. to commit idolatry. When Moses portrays the enticer saying נלכה נעבוד, "let us go and serve, etc," he includes himself in such a way that his victim thinks that he too had never previously served idols. This makes the victim think that his own soul is speaking to him rather than an outside force which he would define as the evil urge against which he would be on guard.

אשר לא ידעת, "which you have never known, etc." Moses describes the enticer as marshalling arguments against the undertaking by the Israelites at the time of the revelation not to serve any alien deities. He argues that the undertaking entered into by the Israelites at that time included only the religions which were known at that time. He argues that any religion, i.e. form of idolatry, which did not exist at that time or which the Israelites did not know of at that time, was not something they were committed not to serve. He emphasises his point by stressing אשר לא ידעת אתה ואבותיך, "which neither you personally nor your ancestors were aware of." When your forefathers accepted the prohibition not to serve idols, these idols were not included either in what they undertook not to serve.

הקרבים אליך או הרחקים [LET US GO AND SERVE OTHER GODS … NAMELY, OF THE GODS] WHICH ARE NIGH UNTO THEE, OR FAR OFF [FROM THEE] — To what end does it (Scripture) mention the gods of the near nations and those of the far-off ones? But this is in effect what Scripture says: From your knowledge of the gods of the near nations, you may draw conclusions regarding the nature of the gods of those far-off; just as there is nothing real in those of the near ones so there is nothing real in those of the far-off ones (Sanhedrin 61b; Sifrei Devarim 88:1).

הקרובים אליך, even though these nations live in your vicinity and you are aware of the lies which their religion is based upon, and because you are, there would be no reason to worry about the influence of such a religion upon you.

מאלוהי העמים, "from among the gods of the nations, etc." The enticer points to the successful lives led by nations bordering on Israel and uses this as proof that there could be nothing wrong with their religion. Alternatively, the enticer points to the vast majority of nations who serve idols, especially during the time of the Romans when the Roman Empire built on idolatry was so pre-eminent in the world. The argument that the whole world prospered while worshiping the gods of the Romans while only the Jewish people were in abject poverty and exile, is apt to entice sinners very easily. Moses warns לא תאבה לו, "do not even be willing to enter into a discussion with such an enticer." Moses paraphrases what Solomon said in Proverbs 1,10: "my son, if sinners entice you do not consent." Deny the suggestion without bothering to argue the merits or otherwise of the enticer's argument. Please read my commentary on Deut. 2,30 that even arguing the point gives the enticer a foothold in your heart.

הקרובים אליך או הרחוקים ממך, “the ones close to you, or ones which are far removed from you” The Torah draws a comparison between the religions which are practiced by people physically near you to those practiced in distant countries. Just as you know that there is no substance to any religion of the pagans near you, there is no more substance to religions practiced by people further afield.
מקצה הארץ עד קצה ארץ, “from one end of the globe to the other end.” An oblique reference to sun and moon each of which travels from one end of the earth to the other.

This refers to the sun, the moon, and the heavenly hosts, etc. Otherwise Scripture should have written only, “At a distance from you to the ends of the earth.”

מקצה הארץ [GODS … FAR OFF FROM THEE] FROM THE ONE END OF THE EARTH [EVEN UNTO THE OTHER END OF THE EARTH] — This refers to the sun, the moon and the host of heaven (the stars) who move from one end of the world to the other (Sifrei Devarim 88:2).

או הרחוקים ממך מקצה הארץ, so that on account of the very distance there is no real concern that you would learn from their ways.

לא תאבה לו THOU SHALT NOT CONSENT UNTO HIM — i.e. thou shalt feel no longing (תאב) towards him, thou shalt show no affection for him (אהב); This is stated because it is said, (Leviticus 19:18) “Thou shalt love thy fellowman as thyself”; this man, however, thou shalt not love (Sifrei Devarim 89:1).

That is that He commanded us to sanctify His name. And that is His saying, "and I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel" (Leviticus 22:32). And the content of this commandment is that we are commanded to publicize this true faith in the world, and that we not fear the injury of any aggressor. And even though an oppressor seeks to coerce us, we may not listen to him, but rather must give ourselves over to dying; and not deceive him to think that we have denied [God or His Torah] - even if we [regardless] believe in Him, may He be exalted, in our hearts. And this is the commandment of sanctifying [God's] name, that the Jewish people is commanded as a whole - meaning, to allow ourselves to die at the hand of the coercer on account of our love for God, may He be exalted, and our faith in His unity. This is like that which was done by Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah at the time of the evil Nevuchadnetsar, when he commanded to bow down to an image and all of the masses bowed down to it, including the Jews; and there was no one there sanctifying the name of the Heavens. Rather all were afraid; and this was a great disgrace for all of Israel, since the commandment was lost from all of them. And this commandment (in such circumstances) is only commanded in such a large and public stand in which everyone is afraid. And this was a designated publicization of [God's] unity which was designated by God through Yishayah - that the disgrace of Israel not be complete during this stand, but that young men would appear at that difficult time; and death would not scare them and they would allow their lives [to be taken], such that they would publicize the faith and sanctify [God's] name among the masses. This is as He promised us when He said, "no more shall Yaakov be shamed, no longer his face grow pale. For when he - that is, his children - behold what My hands have wrought in his midst, they will sanctify My name, etc." (Isaiah 29:22-23). And the language of the Sifra is, "On this condition did I bring you out of Egypt: On condition that you sanctify My name among the masses." And in the Gemara (Sanhedrin 74b), they said, "Is a gentile (ben Noach) commanded about the sanctification of [God’s] name, or is he not commanded? Come and hear - the Children of Noach were commanded to observe seven commandments. And if you say like this, there would be eight." Behold it has become clear to you that it is among the commandments that are obligatory for the Jews. And they brought His saying, "and I shall be sanctified in the midst of the Children of Israel," as a proof for this commandment. And the regulations of this commandment have already been explained in the seventh chapter of Sanhedrin. (See Parashat Emor ; Mishneh Torah, Foundations of the Torah 5.)

THOU SHALT NOT ‘THOVEH LO’ — “you shall not ‘long’ for him, nor shall you love him. Because it is said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself¹⁶²Leviticus 19:18. — [it is necessary to caution that] this one [who seeks to mislead you into idolatry] you shall not love.” This is Rashi’s language quoting the Sifre.¹⁶³Sifre, R’eih 89. But in the Gemara the Rabbis have said [in connection with this verse]:¹⁶⁴Sanhedrin 61b. “But [if the one misled] avah (wanted) and consented [to the words of the inciter, although he actually did not worship the idols, the misleader] is guilty” [thus showing that the word thoveh is not an expression of “longing” as Rashi holds, but of “willingness”]. And this is correct, for avah is an expression of “desire,” as it is said, And the Eternal thy G-d was not ‘avah’ (willing) to hearken unto Balaam,¹⁶⁵Further, 23:6. meaning “He did not desire.” So also, he is not ‘avah’ (willing) to perform the duty of my husband’s brother,¹⁶⁶Ibid., 25:7. [this expression being based upon the statement in the first part of that verse], and if the man ‘desires’ not to take his brother’s wife. Thus, thou shalt not ‘thoveh lo’ means [“thou shalt not be willing] in your heart [to give credence to him”], nor hearken unto him by consenting to him, saying “I will do so; I will go and I will worship the idol you mentioned.” And [the inciter] becomes liable to the death penalty because of his [the victim’s] consent. And such is the opinion of Onkelos [who translated]: “Do not accept [the offer] from him.” Now these two prohibitions [Thou shalt not be willing to give credence to him in your heart, nor shalt thou hearken unto him] are like Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor’s house¹⁶⁷Above, 5:18. See “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 251-252. [which prohibits us from desiring what belongs to another], and Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s house¹⁶⁸Exodus 20:17. “The Commandments,” Vol. II, pp. 250-251. [which prohibits us from scheming to acquire it], so that if he desires it in his heart, he infringes the first prohibition, and if he goes on to do as he thought, he transgresses also the second negative commandment.¹⁶⁹Here too, if in his heart he gives credence to the words of the inciter he violates the first prohibition, and if he also consents to worship the idol he infringes the second negative commandment as well.

ולא תחוס עינך עליו, "and your eye shall not take pity on him;" this means that one has to deny the enticer everything he desires or holds dear, even things totally unrelated to what he proposed. The idea is to make him endure suffering. You should not say that there is no point in making this person endure pointless denials seeing that G'd Himself has permitted all these things to be enjoyed by man. Even though the afflictions we speak about affect primarily the soul, they will also have an effect on the spiritually negative mani-festations which have become an inseparable part of this human being. This is the mystical dimension of the whole concept of fasting. Man is to deny himself food and drink in order to weaken the forces of evil within him.

לא תאבה לו, when he suggests that you investigate the truth of his words that a certain form of idolatry is demonstrably effective for its believers, do not assent to listen to him.

לא תאבה לו ולא תשמע אליו, “do not accede to him and do not hearken to him.” Moses points out that both a mere expression to accede to such requests, or even listening to it without protest and giving the impression that you consider such proposals seriously, is culpable in Hashem’s eyes.

Do not be inclined towards him, etc. For this verse cannot be understood according to its simple meaning — “Do not agree with his words, and do not accept them.” For if so, what is the meaning of, “Do not view him compassionately ... for you must certainly execute him, etc.” He is about to be executed! Does the verse need to warn, “Do not agree with his words, and do not accept his words to serve other gods”?

V. 9. לא תאבה לו ולא תשמע אליו: der Verführung nicht in Wort und nicht in Tat Folge zu geben. ולא תחום עינך עליו (siehe zu Bereschit 45, 20): dich nicht durch den Wert, den die Persönlichkeit in deinen Augen hat, zur Schonung bestimmen lassen.

לא תאבה לו, “you shall not consent to him (his suggestion) according to Rashi the root of the word is אהב, Hence the meaning of the line is: “do not profess to love him;” we have a similar construction when the Torah asks us to love our fellow human beings as thyself in Leviticus 19,18. ולא תשמע אליו, “and to not even listen to him.” If he pleads with you to forgive him, in order not to report his criminal suggestions to the authorities, although as a rule the Torah teaches us not to abandon a person in need, (Exodus 23,5), in this instance this rule is to be ignored. Even though we are not to indulge in reciprocal hatred when the hatred has been initiated by the other person, in this instance we must react differently and prevent the spread of idolatry by enabling such a person to convert naive people to his seduction.

ולא תשמע אליו AND THOU SHALT NOT HEARKEN UNTO HIM when he makes entreaty for his life, that you should forgive him. This is stated because it says. (Exodus 23:5) “[If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee] thou shalt surely help him”; this man, however, thou shalt not help (Sifrei Devarim 89:2).

ולא תשמע אליו, you must not listen to him to make such an experiment, and to go through a “conditional” obeisance as a test. The reason is that the moment you even entertain doubts about the utter falsity of what the seducer claims, in the end you will become a victim of his persuasiveness. You could not even entertain any doubt about G’d and His Torah unless you had never properly understood the greatness of G’d and His mastery in the universe.

ולא תחוס עינך עליו, “and your eye must not pity him,” you must not have pity on him so as not to cause him to be executed.

Because it states, “Lay aside [your hatred of him] and assist him,”, etc. Onkelos explains עזוב תעזוב as, “Lay aside whatever is in your heart against him,” which means to [put aside] the hatred in your heart and be forgiving to him. Although Rashi explains above (Shmos 23:5) that the term עזוב תעזוב denotes assistance, here he says that it denotes forgiveness, because Rashi above is explaining the simple meaning of the verse. (Maharai explains likewise).

ולא תכסה, "and you must not cover up, etc," This may best be understood by a reference to Kidushin 81 in which the Talmud relates a story involving Rav Amram. [The subject matter is being alone with a woman who is not your wife and the implications of such a situation. Ed.] Certain female prisoners whose freedom had been bought by the people of Nehardea, the town in which the pious Rav Amram resided, were entrusted to him for safekeeping. He assigned to them the top floor, removing the connecting stairs. One day he was sorely tempted by his evil urge to socialise with one or the other of these women and he single-handedly put up a ladder to climb the upper floor which it would normally require several people to move. When half way up he cried out that his house was on fire which brought out the neighbours before he could succumb totally to the enticer within him. He embarassed himself thereby publicly, but told his colleagues that it was better for him to be embarassed in the here and now, than to face the consequences of his action in the hereafter where his embarassment would be far greater. Moses says here that you should not conceal the fact that the enticer is active within you, but by exposing this fact similar to Rav Amram, you will be able to defeat the enticer by publicly disgracing him for what he is. כי הרוג תהרגנו, "Rather, you must surely kill him."

NEITHER SHALL THINE EYE PITY HIM — to show him mercy that he not die.

ולא תחוס עינך עליו NEITHER SHALL THINE EYE SPARE HIM — This is stated because it says, (Leviticus 19:16) “thou shalt not stand against the blood of thy fellow” — this man, however, thou shalt not spare (Sifrei Devarim 89:3).

ולא תחמול ולא תכסה עליו, “and do not be compassionate with his plight, nor cover up for him.”

Moses adds: ידך תהיה בו בראשונה להמיתו, "your hand shall be the first against him to kill him." Moses indicates that in contrast to what Rav Amram did in the story related in Kidushin when he called on others to killl the evil urge within himself, you must do so yourself, at least you must begin the job. Only if you failed in your attempt may you do as Rav Amram did, i.e. call upon outsiders to do what is really your task. Only when you are in the position described by David in Psalms 109,22 that "my heart is pierced within me," may you call on G'd to do the job on your behalf as did David in Psalms 109,26, i.e. "Help me O Lord my G'd, etc." If you fail by yourself, Moses' final comment i.e. ויד כל העם באחרונה "and the hand of all the people at the end," applies. This is a reference to the situation when you may do as Rav Amram did and call in outside help.

NEITHER SHALT THOU SPARE because of the close [family] relationship as mentioned,¹⁷⁰Verse 7: If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter … as it is said, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.¹⁷¹Malachi 3:17.

ולא תחמל NEITHER SHALT THOU PITY [HIM] — i.e. thou shalt not occupy thyself in his favour (you shall not seek to find anything favorable to him) (Sifrei Devarim 89:4).

You must not dodge your duty to testify against such a person in court.

NEITHER SHALT THOU CONCEAL HIM — by not testifying against him in court. And in the Sifre it is written:¹⁶³Sifre, R’eih 89. “Neither shalt thou spare — you shall not plead in his favor. Neither shalt thou conceal — if you know anything unfavorable to him, you are not permitted to stand mute.” All [these interpretations]¹⁷²I.e., whether we interpret Neither shalt thou conceal by “not testifying” against him, or “withhold” anything unfavorable to him — the purport is the same, since covering up of evidence is a form of silence. convey the same thought, for the term “concealing” is from he that ‘concealeth’ his transgressions;¹⁷³Proverbs 28:13. but a prudent man ‘concealeth’ shame,¹⁷⁴Ibid., 12:16. meaning that he refrains from telling it. And he states, and they shall do no more any such wickedness as this is in the midst of thee,¹⁷⁵Verse 12. because this matter [of a misleader] is very common, and it would be frequently done were it not for the law [as a deterrent, hence this pronouncement was necessary], but the matter of a false prophet mentioned [above] is not a common occurrence, [therefore, unlike in the verse before us, no admonitions were mentioned in Verse 6].

ולא תכסה עליו AND THOU SHALT NOT CONCEAL (COVER OVER) HIM — If you know anything about him that will condemn him, you are not allowed to keep silent (Sifrei Devarim 89:5).

כי הרג תהרגנו BUT THOU SHALT SURELY KILL HIM — and if he has left the court after having been acquitted have him brought back for condemnation if you know anything against him; if, on the other hand, he has left the court after being found guilty do not bring him back to plead in his favour (Sifrei Devarim 89:6-7).

כי הרג תהרגנו, the word כי means אלא, but, i.e. but be sure to execute him.

כי הרג תהרגנו, “you are to surely kill him.” Seeing that the words of Torah all express mercy of one kind or another, it is not possible to understand the words הרג תהרגנו as an instruction to take revenge on the individual who is to be executed. If that were the purpose of the execution the Torah would actually train us in developing a cruel streak in our character; this is clearly at odds with all the Torah wishes to teach us. The consideration underlying the Torah’s insistence is the mercy and loving concern the Torah extends to all those who know the guilty party. If he were allowed to get away with it many more people would follow in his footsteps with terrible results for them. To make this whole point clear, the Torah first wrote: “you shall not be compassionate with him;” afterwards the Torah explains its concern for the people by writing that the execution of such a seducer will cause the survivors to relate to G’d with the proper degree of reverence so as to preclude the need for any executions in the future.

Do not retry him to exonerate him. Otherwise why does it need to say הרג תהרגנו (lit., you shall execute, execute him), which is apparently repetitive? Even though the Torah uses common speech, Re”m says: “We only say this if there is nothing to expound [from the apparent redundancy]. But if there is something to be expounded, then we do so.” But it seems to me that Rashi is answering the question: The entire phrase הרוג תהרגנו is seemingly superfluous! For it is written afterwards, “Let your hand strike him first to execute him.” Therefore, “surely execute him,” is to be expounded.

ידך תהיה בו בראשונה THINE HAND SHALL BE FIRST UPON HIM [TO PUT HIM TO DEATH] — He who was to be seduced to idolatry has the duty to put him to death; if he did not die by his hand he must die by the hands of others, as it goes on to state “and afterwards the hands of all the people” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 89:8).

וסקלתו באבנים, "you shall pelt him with stones, etc. Zohar volume three page 272 speaks of 5 stones needed to kill Satan the enticer and describes the number as a mystical dimension of the verse שמע ישראל.

כי בקש להדיחך, even though he did not cause tangible damage, and therefore might have thought himself immune from prosecution, as opposed to the person who incited to idolatry in the Ir Hanidachat, a city whose majority became idolaters. He is guilty of the death penalty כי בקש להדיחך, because of his attempt to convert people to idolatry. His execution will prevent him from seducing still others. Failure to execute him might result in his success.

V. 11. המוציאך וגו׳: alles, was du zu wissen brauchst, um Gott als Gott und als deinen Gott für immer unwandelbar anzuerkennen, ist dir durch יציאת מצרים gegeben.

באבנים ומת, “with stones so that he will die.” The stoning is to continue until the false prophet or seducer will die. If the first rock did not kill him then more rocks will be hurled at him. (Sifri) Where did the Torah issue its warning against such seducers who had not claimed to be prophets able to perform miracles? Compare verse 12 and how it is explained in the Talmud tractate Sanhedrin folio 63.

וכל ישראל ישמעו ויראון, "and all of Israel will hear about it and fear." When the Israelites will hear the outcry and the reason for it they will hear and continue to fear the Lord. The reason for the sequence of hearing and fearing is that explained by our sages in Kidushin in connection with the story of Rav Amram.

וכל ישראל וגו׳. Das Verbrechen und seine Strafe sollen dem ganzen Volke zum Bewusstsein gebracht werden, כותבין ושולחין בכל המקומות איש פלוני נתחייב מיתה בב׳׳ד. Nur bei vier Verbrechen ist die Veröffentlichung der Verurteilung zur allgemeinen Warnung Vorschrift: (Kap. 21, 21) ובן סורר ומורה (Kap. 13, 12) ארבעה צריכין הכרזה המסית (Kap. 19, 20) ועדים ווממים (Kap. 17. 13) וזקן ממדה. Bei זקן ממרה war sogar nach ר׳׳ע die Strafvollziehung bis zum רגל zu verschieben, damit sie in größter Öffentlichkeit geschehe (Sanhedrin 89 a; — siehe ל׳׳מ zu 8 ,3 הל׳ ממרים). Das Prinzip der Abschreckung ist daher keineswegs das Motiv der jüdischen Strafjustiz. Nur bei diesen vier Verbrechen gibt das Gesetz diesem Zwecke durch Veröffentlichung Folge.

וכל ישראל ישמעו וייראו ולא יוסיפו, neither the seducer himself nor others who found him convincing.

ולא יוסיפו לעשות כדבר הרע הזה, “so that they shall not continue to commit such evils.” If the law against people preaching idolatry publicly or privately were not strictly enforced such a “disease” would become an epidemic.

לשבת שם [IF THOU SHALT HEAR SAY IN THE CITIES WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH GIVEN THEE] TO ABIDE THERE — The words “to abide there” are added to exclude Jerusalem which city was not intended as a dwelling-place (Sifrei Devarim 92:5; cf. Bava Kamma 82b).

לשבת שם לאמור, "in which to dwell, saying, etc." Moses uses the word לאמור. According to Ketuvot 110 that it is a positive commandment to live in what used to be the land of Canaan, we must read the verse as if the words לשבת שם לאמור had been written in the sequence לאמור לשבת שם.

Which was not given as a dwelling place, etc. I.e., to any individual, but rather any Israelite has the right to dwell there, because Jerusalem was not apportioned to the tribes.

VV. 13 — 19. Die beiden vorangegangenen Gesetze treten dem Einfluss des Prophetentums, der Verwandtschaft und Freundschaft entgegen, wenn deren Macht zur Verleitung zum Abfall von Gott missbraucht werden sollte. Daran schließt sich nun endlich das Problem des Missbrauchs sozialer Stellung zur Verführung eines staatsbürgerlichen Gemeinwesens zum Abfall von Gott, und zwar bespricht das Problem den Fall — nach der תוספתא war und wird ein solcher Fall nur Problem bleiben —, dass die Versuchung gelinge und der größere Teil eines städtischen Gemeinwesens zum Götzendienst verleitet worden. Ein solcher Fall riefe das ganze jüdische Staatsganze zur Rettung seiner gottangehörigen Integrität durch Vernichtung des staatlichen Gliedes auf, das eben durch diesen Abfall nicht nur ein Verbrechen gegen Gott, sondern einen Verrat an dem ersten Grundprinzip der Nation begangen hätte und eben damit, wie gleich von vornherein schon der Versuch bezeichnet wird, יצאו מקרבך aus der nationalen Gesamtheit ausgetreten und als Feind dem jüdisch nationalen Ganzen gegenüber getreten wäre. Einem solchen zum Verräter an der heiligsten Sache des allgemeinen gewordenen Bürgerwesen gegenüber gibt das Gesetz dem Staate "das Schwert" (V. 16), die "Verteidigungswaffe der Völker gegen ihre Feinde" in die Hand, und spricht den Vernichtungsbann selbst über die Vermögensgüter der Hingerichteten, sowie die bleibende Zerstörung der Stadt aus, auf dass mit keinem durch solchen Verrat entweihten Gute auch nur der Anhauch eines solchen Verrats in den Besitz anderer übergehe und der durch solchen Verrat entweihte Grund nie wieder Stätte zur Entfaltung eines jüdischen Menschendaseins werde. Darin unterscheidet sich das vom einzelnen begangene Verbrechen des Götzendienstes von dem zum Götzendienst gebrachten Gemeinwesen. Jenes, das Einzelverbrechen, verfällt der härteren סקילה-Strafe, die aber nur die Person des Verbrechers trifft, dessen Vermögen unangetastet auf die Erben übergehet. Dieses, das zum Götzentum abgefallene Gemeinwesen, wird nur mit dem Schwerte geahndet, aber auch das Vermögen verfällt der Vernichtung. זה חומר ביחידים מבמרובים שהיחידים בסקילה לפיכך ממונס פלט והמרובים בסייף לפיכך ממונם אבד Sanhedrin 111 b). Hinsichtlich der persönlichen Strafbarkeit liegt der Gedanke nahe, dass eben in der verführerischen Gemeinsamkeit des Verbrechens ein Milderungsgrund für jeden Beteiligten liegen dürfte.

כי תשמע לאמור IF THOU SHALT HEAR … SAYING means, if thou shalt hear people saying thus: “[Certain men, worthless persons,] have gone out” etc.

Saying the following: Men have gone out, etc. I.e., the word לאמר (saying) here does not follow its usual meaning — “say again,” or, “say to them words of rebuke.” Rather, it is connected to the verse following [“Men have gone out.”]

We also need to analyse why the Torah used the apparently superfluous word אנשים in verse 14 when all that was necessary was for the Torah to write יצאו בני בליעל, "lawless people have emerged, etc." I would have known that what are meant are "men." If one were to argue that the word אנשים is in contrast to minors, there is no need to write this as minors are not subject to punishment. Apparently, by writing the word אנשים, the Torah wanted to inform us that the people in question used to be righteous people, צדיקים. According to Bamidbar Rabbah 16 the word אנשים always refers to righteous people. Moses says that as soon as they depart from their normal lifestyle they lose their status and are immediately described as בני בליעל.

אשר וגו׳ נתן לך לשבת שם: es ist die "Nation", welcher jeder Wohnort im Lande angehört, die gleichsam in jedem Wohnorte wohnt, deren Gesamtcharakter und Gesamtaufgabe sich in jedem einzelnen Wohnorte ausgeprägt und angestrebt finden soll. Nur unter treuer Wahrung dieses Gesamtcharakters und dieser Gesamtaufgabe hat jeder kleinste Ort ein berechtigtes Dasein innerhalb des großen Ganzen.

The Torah also teaches that although you have not had solid evidence that the people accused of having gone out to cause others to serve idols have indeed done so, it is your duty to start an immediate investigation of the rumours.

אנשים CERTAIN MEN — but not women (Sifrei Devarim 93:1).

יצאו אנשים בני בליעל, “lawless men have emerged from your midst;” the word בליעל means “not capable of rising spiritually to the domain of G’d.” Alternatively, the word is not connected to על but to עול, “yoke,” people who refuse to wear the yoke of any restrictive legislation, rejection of the authority of heaven. Our sages understand the emphasis on the word אנשים to mean that the legislation spelled out here does not apply if the instigators were women (compare Sanhedrin 111). The words יושבי עירם, “inhabitants of their city, are also understood restrictively, i.e. only if they misled people of their own city does this city have to be destroyed.

But not women. Otherwise why is the word אנשים (men) needed? For Scripture already writes בני בליעל (unscrupulous people). And this is why Rashi explains בליעל before he explains אנשים [even though it appears in the verse later].

V. 14. יצאו וגו׳ (siehe zu V. 13). אין ,אנשים ולא נשים ולא קטנים :אנשים אנשים פחות משנים, der Abfall wird nur dann als Verbrechen eines Gemeinwesens beurteilt, wenn die Verführung dazu durch eine Instanz geschehen, die sonst zum Einfluss in dem bürgerlichen Kreise berechtigt ist, also von mindestens zweien Männern, die demselben städtischen Gemeinwesen angehören, יושבי עירם ולא יושבי עיר אחרת, sonst wird das Verbrechen als nur von so und so vielen einzelnen verübt geachtet (Sanhedrin 111 b). — בנים שפרקו עול שמים מעל צואריהם ,בני בליעל (daselbst), also: בְלִי עֹל, die keinen über sich anerkennen, die die Oberhoheit Gottes von sich abgeworfen haben. Der Form nach würde man es als בלִי יַעַל auffassen, was keine Zukunft hat, keines Emporkommens, Entwickelns, Gedeihens würdig ist. Da בליעל mit wenigen Ausnahmen mit vorangehendem stat. constr. verbunden ist, so ist es jedenfalls Substantiv und daher: das Zügellose, Freche; oder: das Zukunftlose, Nichtswürdige; oder: die Frechheit, Nichtswürdigkeit.

בני בליעל. WORTHLESS PERSONS — people that have thrown off the yoke of the Omnipresent (the word is taken in the sense of בְּלִי עוֹל, without a yoke) (Sifrei Devarim 93:2).

,״נדח״ וידיחו das verstärkte ״נדה״, welches die Entfernung, und zwar eine persönliche Entfernung, davon נדח die völlige räumliche Trennung, und הדיח die gelungene Verführung zum Abfall. סות hingegen, die Wurzel von יסיתך (V. 7) verwandt mit צוד ,סוד ,זוד ist der Versuch der Verführung, das listige Umgarnen, um jemanden für einen Zweck zu gewinnen. לאמר: ihre verführenden Reden müssen durch Zeugen konstatiert sein, שצריכים עדים והתראה (daselbst).

ישבי עירם THE INHABITANTS OF THEIR CITY — but not the inhabitants of another city (Sifrei Devarim 93:4). From here they (our Rabbis) derived what they said, “A town is not treated as an עיר הנדחת (i.e. does not come under the category of a “condemned city” which according to vv. 16—17 must be utterly destroyed) unless it be men who lead them (the inhabitants) astray, and unless its seducers be of its midst (inhabitants of that city) (Sanhedrin 111b).

ודרשת וחקרת ושאלת היטב THEN SHALT THOU INQUIRE, AND MAKE SEARCH, AND ASK DILIGENTLY — From here — from the variety of expressions denoting inquiry in this verse — they (the Rabbis) derived the law of investigating capital cases by means of seven investigations” (referring to date, time and place). in the following manner: here (in our verse) there occur three expressions relating to inquiry, viz., ודרשת, וחקרת and היטב — the expression ושאלת does not come into account, because from it they derived בדיקות, the examination referring to accompanying circumstances, — and in another passage (Deuteronomy 19:18) it states, “and the judges shall enquire diligently (ודרשו השופטים היטב)”, and still in another passage (Deuteronomy 17:40) it states, “and thou shalt inquire diligently (ודרשת היטב)" — thus altogether seven expressions. — And although they are used in connection with different cases they learned by way of analogy (ג"ש) of the term היטב used here and in the passages quoted that it is intended to apply what is stated in one case to the others also (Sanhedrin 40a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 93:6).

AND THOU SHALT INQUIRE, AND MAKE SEARCH, AND ASK DILIGENTLY. The nature of “inquiry” and “making search” [with which the judges are to test witnesses] are explained in the words of our Rabbis.¹⁷⁶Sanhedrin 40a. Now Scripture mentions these investigations [here] in the case of an apostate city,¹⁷⁷Literally: “a city [whose inhabitants were] led astray” after the idols. and also in the case of an idol-worshipper,¹⁷⁸Further, 17:4. but it does not mention them in the case of the false prophet or the inciter, because the prophet publicizes himself with his signs and wonders, and in the case of the inciter Scripture addresses itself to the incited party: but thou shalt surely kill him,¹⁷⁹Above, Verse 10. and he [the incited party, is the one] who knows and bears witness, just as is stated, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him.¹⁸⁰Ibid., Verse 9. Thus, Scripture need not enjoin diligent inquiry and testing of witnesses because the facts are well known to those charged with administering the penalty; the public in the case of a false prophet, and the victim in the case of the inciter. But in the case of an apostate city¹⁷⁷Literally: “a city [whose inhabitants were] led astray” after the idols. and of an idol worshipper, which are deeds that reach us by means of report, Scripture mentions, with reference to them, inquiry and investigation [of the witnesses]. It was unnecessary to state this about the others liable to death because it is known by means of a kal vachomer.¹⁸¹A form of reasoning from “a minor” to “a major” matter. See Vol. II, p. 133, Note 208. Here it would apply as follows: If in those sins that bear less severe punishment [beheading in the case of an apostate city, etc.] the Torah requires “inquiry” and “investigation” of the witnesses, they are surely required in cases where the punishment is more severe, such as stoning. See Sanhedrin 40b. He states in the case of plotting witnesses, and the judges shall inquire diligently,¹⁸²Further, 19:18. because it cannot be determined which of the two conflicting groups of witnesses is telling the truth except after considerable investigation. Concerning the law, all cases are deduced from each other by means of a similarity of Scriptural expressions. And from all the combined expressions we derive the principle that we are to test the witnesses with seven inquiries,¹⁸³“In which Sabbatical seven-year period? In what year? In what month? On what date of the month? On what day [of the week]? In what hour? In what place?” (Sanhedrin 40a). Time and place are thus of the essence of the testimony. See the following note. and examinations.¹⁸⁴The “investigations” related to matters incidental to the crime, such as how the victim was dressed. In the case of “the seven inquiries” (see preceding note) if one of the witnesses said “I do not know,” their testimony becomes invalid. But in the examinations, even if both did not know, their evidence was still valid. However, if they contradicted each other in examinations, their evidence was invalid. The number of investigatory questions is unlimited. In fact, “the more a judge examines the evidence, the more he is deserving of praise” (ibid.).

ודרשת וחקרת, “You shall seek information and investigate.” Nachmanides, commenting on this phrase-ology, writes that there is a reason why the Torah urges painstaking investigation in connection with the phenomenon of the עיר הנדחת, the city of which the majority of the inhabitants have adopted idolatry, and also in the case of an individual who is found committing idolatry, whereas the same is not required for the false prophet or the seducer. The self-professed false prophet has already advertised his sin to all the people whom he addressed with his “divinely inspired” message. No court is needed to establish these facts. In the case of the seducer, מסית, the Torah had already called upon his victim or prospective cohort to come forward and to testify against the seducer. It has warned the victim not to be moved by pity. What more could the court do if the people addressed by the Torah fail to come forward? A seducer, who always acts under the cloak of secrecy, cannot be brought to trial except through the cooperation of the victim with the Torah. Knowledge about the first two situations is usually based on rumours first, not on eye-witnesses. The Torah therefore urges not to accept such rumours as fact, but to investigate the accusations thoroughly and without prejudice. We have a similar instruction by the Torah concerning conflicting testimony about a crime or sin by separate sets of witnesses. There too, the Torah (Deut. 19,18) writes: ודרשו השופטים היטב, “the judges must conduct careful examinations etc.,” seeing it is difficult to know which set of witnesses speaks the truth, both having a clean record up to that time.

ודרשת וחקרת, “you will have to seek out and investigate thoroughly.” Witnesses who testified in capital crimes were subjected to questioning on seven cardinal points. 1) in which Shemittah cycle did the offense take place; 2) in which year; 3) in which month; 4) on which day of the month; 5) which day of the week; 6) what time of day or night; 7) where did the crime occur? These questions are known as חקירות. In addition the witnesses have to answer questions known as בדיקות, questions which do not pertain to the substance of the testimony and which do not invalidate the testimony if the witness is unsure of some of the answers. Examples of these בדיקות are: what kind of garments did the killer and the victim wear, i.e. white or black? What was the color of the earth on which the victim was found white or red? It happened once that a witness testified that he had observed the crime being perpetrated at a certain place under a fig tree. The judges asked the witness to describe the color of the figs, whether the figs had long or short stalks (compare Maimonides Hilchot Eidut 1,6). The mystical dimension of the requirement for the 7 חקירות is that they are perceived as representing the six extremities on the globe with the Holy Sanctuary at the centre of the globe, i.e. the opposite end of each extremity. [In baseball jargon, this could be described as “covering all the bases.” Ed.] The center is the point at which the truth emerges.

“Thoroughly” and “Thoroughly” are extrapolated by the principle of textual comparison etc. It is as if they are all written together, “You must (1)investigate, and (2)inquire (3)thoroughly, and the magistrates must (4)investigate (5)thoroughly, and you must (6)investigate (7)thoroughly,” — these are the seven [inquiries].

V. 15. ודרשת וחקרת וגו׳. Die dem Gerichte der Anklage gegenüber obliegende Pflicht, die hier in den Sätzen: ודרשת וחקרת ושאלת היטב ausgesprochen ist, lautet auch Kap. 17. 4 bei der Anklage des Einzel-ע׳׳ז-Verbrechens: ודרשת היטב, und ebenso Kap. 19, 18 bei ודרשו השופטים היטב :עדים זוממים, und ist damit die דרישה וחקירה, das Ausforschen der Zeugen, auf deren Aussage nach dem jüdischen Kriminalprozess eine Anklage ausschließlich beruht, als die unerlässlich erste Aufgabe des Gerichtes gegeben. Die Halacha (Sanhedrin 40 a) unterscheidet dabei חקירות und חקירות .בדיקות: solche Fragen, deren Beantwortung so wesentlich ist, dass, wenn auch nur einer der Zeugen hinsichtlich einer derselben seine Unkenntnis, איני יודע, erklärt, עדותן בטילה, das ganze Zeugnis und mit ihm die darauf beruhende Anklage nichtig wird; und בדיקות: solche Fragen, deren Beantwortung nicht unumgänglich ist, ואפילו שנים אומרים אין אנו יודעין עדותן קיימת, und die nur dann Zeugnis und Anklage aufheben, wenn sie von den Zeugen widersprechend beantwortet werden, אחד חקירה ואחד בדיקה בזמן שמכחישין זה את זה עדותן בטילה (daselbst). Unter חקירות gehören nach aller Auffassung die sieben Zeit und Ort des bezeugten Vorganges präzisierenden Fragen: באיזו שבוע באיזו שנה באיזו חדש בכמה בחדש באיזה יום באיזו שעה באיזה מקום, in welcher Schemita, in welchem Jahr der Periode, in welchem Monat, an welchem Monatstage, an welchem Wochentage, zu welcher Stunde des Tages und an welchem Orte.

(Wir bemerken in Parenthese, dass unter der Herrschaft dieses Gesetzes der Verkaufswert aller Grundstücke von den bereits abgelaufenen und noch bevorstehenden Jahren bis zum Jobel und ebenso die besondere Zehntpflicht, ob מעשר שני oder מעשר עני von der Jahreszahl in der Schemitaperiode bedingt ist, und somit die Kenntnis dieser Zeitbestimmungen als allgemein geläufig vorauszusetzen war; siehe Wajikra 25, 15 und Dewarim 14, 28). Von der genauen Präzisierung der Zeit und des Ortes ist die allererste Vorbedingung jeder Zeugenschaft, die Konstatierung der Anwesenheit der Zeugen an dem Orte und in dem Momente des Vorganges abhängig. Ein durch Zeugen konstatiertes Alibi der Zeugen hebt nicht nur die Gültigkeit ihres Zeugnisses auf, sondern unterwirft sie als עדים זוממים derselben Strafe und denselben Nachteilen, die sie durch ihre erlogene Zeugenschaft über den von ihnen Angeklagten oder Bezeugten hatten herbeiführen wollen (siehe daselbst 19. 19). Jedes Zeugnis hat aber nur dann Geltung, wenn es unter der Gefahr und Möglichkeit der Alibieinziehung abgelegt worden, עדות שאתה יכול להזימה. Fehlt daher ein Moment der Zeit- und Ortbestimmung, so entfällt diese Möglichkeit und mit ihr die Gültigkeit des Zeugnisses. Diese שבע חקירות, obgleich sie nur das Formale Zeit und Ort des Vorganges betreffen, gehören gleichwohl aus dem angeführten Grunde ganz entschieden zu denen, deren Beantwortung unerlässlich ist und deren איני יודע das ganze Zeugnis aufheben. Fragen, die sich auf unwesentliche Nebenumstände beziehen und gleichwohl bis auf das an sich Gleichgültigste sich erstrecken können, ja, sollen, um die Wahrhaftigkeit der Zeugen durch die verschiedensten Querfragen zu erproben, — מסיעין :בדיקות daselbst 32 b) — heißen) את העדים ממקום למקום (פי׳ הרמכ׳׳ם מענין לענין) Ausfragungen, deren widersprechende Beantwortung, הכחשה, nicht aber deren Nichtbeantwortung, איני יודע, das Zeugnis aufhebt. Es scheint, dass רמב׳׳ם die Fragen: מכירים אתם אותו התריתם בו העובד ע׳׳ז את מי עבד ובמה עבד, die in der Mischna (daselbst 40 a) unmittelbar auf die שבע חקירות folgen, ihrem gesetzlichen Werte nach mit zu diesen zählt. Bilden sie doch auch so sehr den eigentlichen Tatbestand der Anklage, dass sich ein Aufrechthalten derselben bei einem איני יודע schwer denken lässt (vergl. ל׳׳מ zu הל׳ עדות Nach (1,4 רש׳׳י ,ראב׳׳ע und andern würde jedoch die Nichtbeantwortung dieser Fragen, von denen die Möglichkeit der הזמה nicht berührt wird, den Bestand des Zeugnisses nicht alterieren und zu den בדיקות zu zählen sein.

Legen wir die Auffassung des רמב׳׳ם zu Grunde, der zufolge es drei Kategorien gäbe, sachliche und formale הקירות mit bedingender Beantwortungskraft, und minderwesentliche Ausfragungen, בדיקות, bei denen nur eine widersprechende Beantwortung den Bestand des Zeugnisses und der Anklage erschüttert, so stellt sich unser Text dieser Auffassung völlig konform.

Es heißt: ודרשת וחקרת ושאלת היטב. Nun ist דרש wesentlich das Suchen eines Gegenstandes, ואת שעיר החטאת דרש דרש. (Wajikra 10, 16), דרשה צמר ופשתים (Prop. 31, 13), ודרשתי את צאני מידם (Ezech. 34, 10) u. f. In Beziehung auf einen Vorgang und eine darauf bezügliche Aussage ist es daher zunächst das Erforschen des "Was" der Aussage und des durch sie konstatierten Vorgangs, es ist die Frage nach dem "Inhalt" der Aussage und dem "Tatbestand" des Vorgangs, somit offenbar das Erforschen der "realen Umstände" die die species facti ausmachen, eben jene Fragen, die רמב׳׳ם mit zu den חקירות zählt, die somit die דרישה unseres Textes ausmachen würden. חקר ist aber wesentlich das Aufsuchen des Verborgenen, das Forschen nach dem Grunde, worauf etwas beruht. Dieses ist aber nichts anderes, als die von der Anwesenheit der Zeugen bedingte Wahrnehmung, die allein zur Zeugenaussage berechtigt, somit eben die שבע חקירות, die Zeit und Ort präzis suchenden Fragen, welche somit die חקירה unseres Textes verlangen würde. Außerdem gibt es aber noch Ausfragungen mannigfachster Art, die an sich minder wesentliche, ja völlig unwesentliche Umstände betreffen können, deren übereinstimmende oder nicht übereinstimmende Beantwortung die Wahrhaftigkeit der Zeugenaussage bestärken oder erschüttern, die בדיקות, welche unser Text unter שאלה, den allgemeinen Begriff der Ausfragung fassen würde. Das היטב dürfte sich auf alle drei beziehen.

אמת והנה אמת נכון הדבר: die Wahrheit des objektiven Tatbestandes, נכון: die durch keine הזמה erschütterte Begründung der Aussage, jenes die reale, dieses die formale Wahrheit.

הכה תכה THOU SHALT SURELY SMITE [THE INHABITANTS OF THAT CITY] — If you cannot put them to death by the death-penalty prescribed regarding them, kill them in some other way (Sifrei Devarim 94:1; Bava Metzia 31b; cf. Rashi on v. 10).

DESTROY IT UTTERLY, AND ALL THAT IS THEREIN. [Destroy] ‘it’ [utterly] — the men that have gone astray [after the idols]; and all that is therein — the women who followed after the men. But the children who are minors, among males and females, are not killed. And so the Rabbis said in the Sifre:¹⁸⁵Sifre, R’eih 94. “Chanan¹⁸⁶Ibid.: “Abba Chanan.” says: It is written, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers¹⁸⁷Further, 24:16. — the verse is speaking with reference to an apostate city.” But in the Tosephta¹⁸⁸On Tosephta see Vol. III, p. 118, Note 101. of Tractate Sanhedrin we find a difference of opinion regarding this matter:¹⁸⁹Tosephta, Sanhedrin 14:3. “Minors, children of people of an apostate city, who have gone astray with [the city] are not killed. Rabbi Eliezer says they are killed. Rabbi Akiba said to him: How do I fulfill then the verse, and He will give thee compassion, and make thee compassionate, and multiply thee etc.?¹⁹⁰Verse 18. If its intent is to show mercy to the adults, it is already stated, destroy it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof etc. And how then do I fulfill and make thee compassionate, and multiply thee? By applying it to the children therein etc.” Thus all these commandments are explanatory of what it says in the Torah, He that sacrificeth unto the gods shall be utterly destroyed,¹⁹¹Exodus 22:19. and now he explained the nature of this “utter destruction” with reference to inciters and the worshippers [of idols].

ואת בהמתה לפי חרב, to wipe out their memory as a form of vengeance on behalf of the G’d of Israel. The principle underlying the destruction of the belongings of these people is the same as that contained in G’d’s commandment to destroy every vestige of Amalek in order to obliterate any memory of that nation. (compare. Deut. 25,19) The prophet Samuel spelled this out prior to ordering King Sha-ul to carry out this commandment in Samuel I 15,3.

הכה תכה, “you shall surely smite.“ The Torah means that if one is unable for one reason or another to execute the inhabitants of this town by judicial process one must see to it that the people are killed even by other than accepted judicial procedures. This is why the verb הכה is repeated here (compare Baba Metzia 31).

לה' אלהיך [AND THOU SHALT BURN WITH FIRE THE CITY …] FOR THE LORD THY GOD — i.e. for the honor of His name and for His sake.

ואת כל שללה תקבוץ, ”and you are to collect all its loot (all the possessions).” Our sages in Sanhedrin 111 say that the word שללה “its loot,” excludes “the loot belonging to heaven” [a reference to donations the citizens had made to the Temple Treasury. Ed.] These are to be subject to redemption just like הקדשות of ordinary people in other towns. They are not to be burned. Included in such שלל שמים is the second tithe which normally is taken to Jerusalem to be consumed there by the owners (or its proceeds). Neither are holy writings such as Torah scrolls subject to this provision of all the possessions of the people in that city having to be burned. They need to be buried (Sanhedrin ibid.)

כליל לה' אלוקיך, “as a holocaust (completely) to the Lord your G–d.” You are to do this in public so that everyone knows that your motivation is not to enrich yourself by doing so. [According to an opinion in the Talmud, there is no record of this legislation ever having to have been enforced. Ed.]

כליל לה' אלו-היך, “completely for the Lord your G’d.” All of it henceforth belongs to G’d; no one has the right to use any of it for deriving any benefit from it whatsoever. On the same folio in Sanhedrin 111 Rabbi Shimon is quoted as saying in the name of G’d: “if you carry out the provisions written here concerning such an עיר הנדחת, a city which has to be obliterated, I will consider it as if you had offered a burnt-offering which the Torah describes as כליל לה'.” He based this on Exodus 32,29: מלאו ידכם היום לה' כי איש בבנו ובאחיו, “dedicate yourselves to the Lord this day, for each has opposed his son and his brother.”

למען ישוב ה' מחרון אף THAT THE LORD MAY TURN FROM THE FIERCENESS OF HIS WRATH — for as long as idol-worship exists in the world the fierce wrath of God is kindled against the world (Sifrei Devarim 96:3; Sanhedrin 111b; cf. Rashi on Genesis 9:32).

ולא ידבק מאומה מן החרם, in order to ensure that such loot not become a stumbling block for you, as when loot of idolaters is retained, something the Torah has forbidden not only in practice, but even the desire to own such loot has been forbidden (Deut. 7,25). We have discussed this matter on that verse.

This is the intention of this section here, according to the commandment of a city that is rejected, that this whole city [that rejected G-d] be killed by sword, and even their animals. This act will give rise to the nature of cruelty in the heart of man, as the Ishmaelites told us in the king's article that they have a great desire to kill a person and uproot them. The promise of God is that He'll give them mercy, even though nature will give birth to cruelty. The source of mercy [G-d] will affect the power of mercy [within you] to negate the cruelty that was born by virtue of the act [of killing out the city]. And it says about this city [that was killed out] as long as a man has a cruel nature, G-d will behave with him the same way, that G-d is not merciful [on the cruel-natured man], but compassionate.

And grant you mercy. The actions of the idolatrous city lead to three evils amongst Yisroel: 1. Anyone who kills another becomes cruel by nature. The court appoints a special agent to execute an individual who is liable to the death penalty. But a complete city will certainly create people who are murderers and cruel. 2. Everyone in that city will have had relatives in other cities, and it will increase hatred amongst the Jews. 3. It shrinks the Jewish population and leaves areas uninhabited. Therefore the Torah promises that all who perform the mitzvah of executing this city, without gaining any benefit from the spoils, will remove Hashem’s anger, and will bring Hashem’s attribute of mercy.

ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך, ”He will grant you mercy and be merciful to you and multiply you.” Moses wants us to set aside the concern that by applying death penalties we will decrease the number of Jews, and he promises that, on the contrary, by testifying against such sinners and bringing them to justice, Hashem will see to it that we will continuously increase in numbers.

למען ישוב ה' מחרון אפו, “so that the Lord will turn back from His burning wrath.” In this instance, though the Torah speaks only of Hashem, the attribute of Justice is meant. The mystical dimension of the עיר הנדחת is referred to by the woman from Tekoah (Samuel II 14,14) [who pleaded that David allow Avshalom to return from exile by describing a fictional event. Ed.]. She said (amongst other things) וחשב המלך מחשבות לבלתי ידח ממנו נדח, “(G’d will not take away the life) of one who makes plans so that no one may be kept banished.” The people of the עיר הנדחת had been cast out from the celestial domains. Burning all their former belongings was part of their expiation, just as we find that the congregation of Korach was not only killed by G’d but their belongings were burned (compare author’s comments on Numbers 16, 31-32). The site where this city used to be located will be a ruin forever never to be rebuilt even at the time when the Jewish people will experience resurrection of the dead.

V. 18. ״נתן רחמים ל־״ ,ונתן לך רחמים וגו׳ kommt nicht in dem Sinne vor, in welchem wir "jemandem Erbarmen schenken" verstehen würden, wo der Erbarmen Schenkende der Erbarmen Übende, und überhaupt Erbarmen schenken gleichbedeutend mit Sicherbarmen wäre. יתן לכם רחים לפני האיש. (Bereschit 43, 14), ואתן לכם רחמים וגו׳ (Jirmija 42, 12) heißt in beiden Stellen: machen, fügen, dass ein anderer, Josef, der babylonische König, sich eurer erbarme. Auch לא שמת להם רחמים (Jesaia 47, 6) wirft der Macht der Chaldäer vor, dass sie nicht eine erbarmungsvolle Behandlung der Gefangenen zum Gesetz gemacht. Auch hier dürfte es in gleichem Sinne heißen: nachdem du die letzte Spur von dem Verbrechen und den Verbrechern weggetilgt, wird Gott es dir wieder zulassen, dass du Erbarmen übest, während du in Behandlung der עיר הנדחת dem רחמים keine Stimme einräumen durftest. Die den אנשי עיר הנדחת gegenüber zu übende Strenge soll die Milde, die deinen Grundcharakter bilden soll, nicht alterieren. Nach vollbrachtem nationalen Gericht lässt dich Gott wieder zu deiner angestammten normalen Milde zurückkehren, lässt dich Erbarmen üben, auf dass du seines Erbarmens würdig bleibst. So auch die Weisen (Schabbat 151 b) ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך והרבך כל המרחם על הבריות מרחמין עליו מן השמים וכל שאינו מרחם על הבריות אין מרחמין עליו מן השמים, und Jebamoth 79 a: שלשה סימנים יש באומה זו הרחמנים והביישנים וגומלי חסדים רחמנים דכתיב ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך und Beza 32 b: ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך כל המרחם על הבריות בידוע שהוא מזרעו של אברהם אבינו.

ונתן לך רחמים, “so that He will show you mercy;” you will be rewarded for not having displayed mercy towards the inhabitants of this city.”

ולא ידבק בידך מאומה מן החרם, “none of the loot shall cleave to your hand from this “cursed” material. If you had imagined that you would benefit from this kind of loot, the opposite is the case, it will only bring disaster upon you. (B’chor shor)

When the Torah continues ונתן לך רחמים “that the Lord your G’d will grant you (the survivors) mercy, etc.,” this is similar to the promise by Yaakov (prayer) to his sons that on their second journey to Egypt the ruler (Joseph) should release Shimon and allow Binyamin to return home also. (Compare author’s comments on that verse in Genesis 43,14). The words 'כי תשמע בקול ה' are to be understood as “in order that you will hearken to the voice of Hashem Who is your G’d, and observe all of His commandments; then you will do what is right in His eyes,” i.e. in the eyes of Hashem the attribute known as the tetragrammaton.

The Torah adds once more ורחמך "and He will be merciful," to warn you that G'd will help us practice mercy only if we ourselves have endeavoured to develop this character trait within ourselves.

ורחמך, “and He will have compassion on you.” The letter ר in the word ורחמך has the vowel chirik, followed by the vowel patach under the letter ח, and the semi vowel sh’va, under the letter .מ

והרבך, "and He will multiply you." This is a consolation for the people who have watched their numbers being diminished when they executed the inhabitants of the עיר הנדחת, the city whose majority adopted idolatry as their religion. G'd promises that He will more than make up for the void created by these executions. The Torah adds: כי תשמע בקול השם, "if you hearken to the voice of the Lord." The Torah's promise to multiply the Jewish people will be fulfilled only if the execution of the inhabitants of the idolatrous city was motivated purely by religious considerations. If some of you exploited this opportunity to settle some personal score, the Torah's promise is null and void. The Torah adds the words לשמור את כל מצותיו "to observe all His commandments," to tell us that when one carries out the law concerning the עיר הנדחת one is considered as if one had performed all the commandments collectively.

והרבך, “and He will cause you to multiply.”