Devarim
Vaetchanan, Aliyah 7 ואתחנן, שביעי
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Devarim 7
כִּי יְבִֽיאֲךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה בָא־שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ וְנָשַׁל גּֽוֹיִם־רַבִּים ׀ מִפָּנֶיךָ הַֽחִתִּי וְהַגִּרְגָּשִׁי וְהָאֱמֹרִי וְהַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי וְהַֽחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי שִׁבְעָה גוֹיִם רַבִּים וַעֲצוּמִים מִמֶּֽךָּ׃
When Adonoy, your God, brings you into the land that you are coming there to inherit, He will cast out many nations from before you—the Chittites, the Girgashites and the Emorites, the Canaanites and the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites—seven nations more numerous and more powerful than you.
When Adonoy, your God, brings you into the land that you are coming there to inherit, He will cast out many nations from before you—the Chittites, the Girgashites and the Emorites, the Canaanites and the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites—seven nations more numerous and more powerful than you.
Rashi
וּנְתָנָם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהִכִּיתָם הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִים אֹתָם לֹא־תִכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית וְלֹא תְחׇנֵּֽם׃
Adonoy, your God, will defeat them before you, and you will smite them. You must surely annihilate them. Do not make a treaty with them, and do not favor them.
Adonoy, your God, will defeat them before you, and you will smite them. You must surely annihilate them. Do not make a treaty with them, and do not favor them.
Rashi
ולא תחנם. לֹא תִתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן, אָסוּר לוֹ לָאָדָם לוֹמַר "כַּמָּה נָאֶה גוֹי זֶה". דָּבָר אַחֵר, לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֲנִיָּה בָּאָרֶץ (עבודה זרה כ'):
And do not favor them. Do not hold them in esteem. It is forbidden to say, “How handsome is the heathen.” Another interpretation: do not give them an encampment (settlement) in the land.
וְלֹא תִתְחַתֵּן בָּם בִּתְּךָ לֹא־תִתֵּן לִבְנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ לֹא־תִקַּח לִבְנֶֽךָ׃
Do not marry them; do not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son.
Do not marry them; do not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son.
כִּֽי־יָסִיר אֶת־בִּנְךָ מֵֽאַחֲרַי וְעָבְדוּ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וְחָרָה אַף־יְהֹוָה בָּכֶם וְהִשְׁמִידְךָ מַהֵֽר׃
For he will turn your son away from Me and they will serve other gods; and Adonoy’s anger will be aroused against you and He will destroy you swiftly.
For he will turn your son away from Me and they will serve other gods; and Adonoy’s anger will be aroused against you and He will destroy you swiftly.
Rashi
כי יסיר את בנך מאחרי. בְּנוֹ שֶׁל גוֹי כְּשֶׁיִּשָּׂא אֶת בִּתְּךָ יָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ אֲשֶׁר תֵּלֵד לוֹ בִתְּךָ מֵאַחֲרַי, לִמְּדָנוּ שֶׁבֶּן בִּתְּךָ הַבָּא מִן הַגּוֹי קָרוּי בִּנְךָ, אֲבָל בֶּן בִּנְךָ הַבָּא מִן הַגּוֹיָה אֵינוֹ קָרוּי בִּנְךָ אֶלָּא בְּנָהּ, שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא נֶאֱמַר עַל בִּתּוֹ לֹא תִקַּח כִּי תָסִיר אֶת בִּנְךָ מֵאַחֲרַי:
For he will turn your son away from me. If the son of the gentile will marry your daughter, he will turn away your son (grandson) whom your daughter will bear for him, from following after Me. From this we learn that your daughter’s son, who is born of a gentile, is considered your son; but your son’s son, born of a gentile woman, is not considered your son, rather her son; for it is not said [regarding the prohibition:] “Do not take his daughter for your son,” because she will turn [your (grand)son away from Me], but only that he (the gentile) will turn your son, etc.
כִּֽי־אִם־כֹּה תַעֲשׂוּ לָהֶם מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶם תִּתֹּצוּ וּמַצֵּבֹתָם תְּשַׁבֵּרוּ וַאֲשֵֽׁירֵהֶם תְּגַדֵּעוּן וּפְסִילֵיהֶם תִּשְׂרְפוּן בָּאֵֽשׁ׃
Rather, thus shall you do to them: raze their altars and smash their monuments, cut down their worship-trees and burn their statues in fire.
Rather, thus shall you do to them: raze their altars and smash their monuments, cut down their worship-trees and burn their statues in fire.
Rashi
מזבחתיהם. שֶׁל בִּנְיָן:
Their altars. Constructed of several stones.
ומצבתם. אֶבֶן אַחַת:
Their monuments. Made of a single stone.
ואשירהם. אִילָנוֹת שֶׁעוֹבְדִין אוֹתָן:
Their worship-trees. Trees which they worship.
ופסיליהם. צְלָמִים:
Their statues. Carved images.
כִּי עַם קָדוֹשׁ אַתָּה לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּךָ בָּחַר ׀ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִהְיוֹת לוֹ לְעַם סְגֻלָּה מִכֹּל הָֽעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל־פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָֽה׃
For you are a holy people to Adonoy, your God; Adonoy, your God, chose you to be for Him a treasured people from all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.
For you are a holy people to Adonoy, your God; Adonoy, your God, chose you to be for Him a treasured people from all the peoples that are on the face of the earth.
לֹא מֵֽרֻבְּכֶם מִכׇּל־הָֽעַמִּים חָשַׁק יְהֹוָה בָּכֶם וַיִּבְחַר בָּכֶם כִּֽי־אַתֶּם הַמְעַט מִכׇּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃
Not because of the multitude your population beyond all peoples did Adonoy desire you and choose you; for you are the least of all the peoples.
Not because of the multitude your population beyond all peoples did Adonoy desire you and choose you; for you are the least of all the peoples.
Rashi
לא מרבכם. כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ; וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ לְפִי שֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם מַגְדִּילִים עַצְמְכֶם כְּשֶׁאֲנִי מַשְׁפִּיעַ לָכֶם טוֹבָה, לְפִיכָךְ חשק … בכם
Not because of the multitude of your population. This is to be taken literally, but there is also a Midrashic interpretation: Because you do not magnify yourselves (boasting) when I shower you with goodness, therefore did [Adonoy] delight in you.
כי אתם המעט – הַמְמַעֲטִין עַצְמְכֶם, כְּגוֹן אַבְרָהָם שֶׁאָמַר (בראשית י"ח) "וְאָנֹכִי עָפָר וָאֵפֶר", וּכְגוֹן מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן שֶׁאָמְרוּ (שמות ט"ז) "וְנַחְנוּ מָה", לֹא כִנְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר שֶׁאָמַר (ישעיהו י"ד) "אֶדַּמֶּה לְעֶלְיוֹן", וְסַנְחֵרִיב (שם ל"ו) שֶׁאָמַר "מִי בְּכָל אֱלֹהֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת", וְחִירָם שֶׁאָמַר (י"ח כ"ח) "אֵל אָנִי מוֹשַׁב אֱלֹהִים יָשַׁבְתִּי" (חולין פ"ט):
For you are the least. You diminish yourselves, as did Avrohom, who said, “I am but dust and ashes,” and like Moshe and Aharon who said, “What are we”? And you are not as Nevuchadnetzar, who said, “I will be compared to the Most High,” or like like Sancherev, who said, “Who are they among all the gods of these lands, [that have delivered their land out of my hand that Adonoy should deliver Jerusalem and of my hand”?] or like Chirom, who said, “I am a god, in the seat of God, I sit.”
כי אתם המעט. הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן דְּהָא:
For you are the least. Here the word כִּי is used to express “for.”
כִּי מֵאַהֲבַת יְהֹוָה אֶתְכֶם וּמִשׇּׁמְרוֹ אֶת־הַשְּׁבֻעָה אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם הוֹצִיא יְהֹוָה אֶתְכֶם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה וַֽיִּפְדְּךָ מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים מִיַּד פַּרְעֹה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרָֽיִם׃
Rather, out of Adonoy’s love for you and out of His keeping the oath that He swore to your forefathers did Adonoy take you out with a strong hand, and did He redeem you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Rather, out of Adonoy’s love for you and out of His keeping the oath that He swore to your forefathers did Adonoy take you out with a strong hand, and did He redeem you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
Rashi
כי מאהבת ה'. הֲרֵי כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֶלָּא – לא מרבכם חשק ה' בכם, אֶלָּא מאהבת ה' אתכם:
Rather, out of Adonoy’s love. Here the word כִּי is used to express “rather.” “Not because of the multitude of your population, did Adonoy desire you, rather, out of Adonoy’s love for you.”
ומשמרו את השבעה. מֵחֲמַת שָׁמְרוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁבוּעָה:
And out of His keeping the oath. On account of His keeping the oath.
וְיָדַעְתָּ כִּֽי־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא הָֽאֱלֹהִים הָאֵל הַֽנֶּאֱמָן שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד לְאֹהֲבָיו וּלְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֺתָו לְאֶלֶף דּֽוֹר׃
You will know that Adonoy, your God, is the God, the trusted Almighty, who keeps the covenant and the kindliness for those who love Him and for those who keep His commandments, for a thousand generations.
You will know that Adonoy, your God, is the God, the trusted Almighty, who keeps the covenant and the kindliness for those who love Him and for those who keep His commandments, for a thousand generations.
Rashi
לאלף דור. וּלְהַלָּן (דברים ה') הוּא אוֹמֵר "לַאֲלָפִים". כָּאן שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ אֵצֶל לְשֹׁמְרֵי מִצְוֹתָיו, הוּא אוֹמֵר לאלף, וּלְהַלָּן שֶׁהוּא סָמוּךְ אֵצֶל לְאֹהֲבַי, הוּא אוֹמֵר לַאֲלָפִים (סוטה ל"א):
For a thousand generations. But below it states: “For thousands of generations.” Here where it is connected to “and for those who keep His commandments” [referring to those who do so out of fear] it states “for a thousand generations; but below it is connected to “for those who love Me” [referring to those who do so out of love, whose reward is greater,] it states for thousands of generations.
לאהביו. אֵלּוּ הָעוֹשִׂין מֵאַהֲבָה:
For those who love Him. They obey [God’s commandments] out of love.
ולשמרי מצותיו. אֵלּוּ הָעוֹשִׂין מִיִּרְאָה:
And for those who keep His commandments. Referring to those who do so out of fear.
וּמְשַׁלֵּם לְשֹׂנְאָיו אֶל־פָּנָיו לְהַאֲבִידוֹ לֹא יְאַחֵר לְשֹׂנְאוֹ אֶל־פָּנָיו יְשַׁלֶּם־לֽוֹ׃
And He pays His enemy to his face to destroy him. He does not delay for His enemy—to his face does He pay him.
And He pays His enemy to his face to destroy him. He does not delay for His enemy—to his face does He pay him.
Rashi
ומשלם לשנאיו אל פניו. בְּחַיָּיו מְשַׁלֵּם לוֹ גְמוּלוֹ הַטּוֹב, כְּדֵי לְהַאֲבִידוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:
And He pays His enemy to his face. During his lifetime He rewards him for his good deeds, in order to destroy him [from participating] in the World to Come.
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ אֶת־הַמִּצְוָה וְאֶת־הַֽחֻקִּים וְאֶת־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם לַעֲשׂוֹתָֽם׃ {פ}
You are to guard the commandments and the statutes and the laws that I am commanding you today, to fulfill.
You are to guard the commandments and the statutes and the laws that I am commanding you today, to fulfill.
Rashi
היום לעשותם. וּלְמָחָר, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, לִטֹּל שְׂכָרָם (עירובין כ"ב):
Today, to fulfill. And tomorrow in the World to Come, [will you] receive the reward for them.
ונשל. לְשׁוֹן הַשְׁלָכָה וְהַתָּזָה, וְכֵן "וְנָשַׁל הַבַּרְזֶל" (דברים י"ט):
And He will cast out. This is an expression of casting away and displacing, and similarly, “And the iron flies off.”