כי תצא, ראשון

כי תצא למלחמה. בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, שֶׁבְּמִלְחֶמֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין לוֹמַר וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (דברים כ') לֹא תְחַיֶּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה:

If you should go to war. Optional warfare is Scripture’s subject; for, with regard to the war for Eretz Yisroel, it would be inappropriate to say, “and you capture prisoner from them,” since it has already said, “Do not allow a soul to remain alive.”

ושבית שביו. לְרַבּוֹת כְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁהֵם מִשִׁבְעָה אֻמּוֹת (ספרי; סוטה ל"ה):

And you capture prisoners from them. This includes the Canaanites among them, although they are members of the seven nations.

אשת. אֲפִלּוּ אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ:

A wife. Even someone’s wife.

ולקחת לך לאשה. לֹא דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד יֵצֶר הָרַע, שֶׁאִם אֵין הַקָּבָּ"ה מַתִּירָהּ יִשָּׂאֶנָּה בְאִסּוּר, אֲבָל אִם נְשָׂאָהּ סוֹפוֹ לִהְיוֹת שׂוֹנְאָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר אַחֲרָיו "כִּי תִהְיֶיןָ לְאִישׁ וְגוֹ'", וְסוֹפוֹ לְהוֹלִיד מִמֶּנָּה בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה, לְכָךְ נִסְמְכוּ פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת הַלָּלוּ (תנחומא):

You may take her as your wife. The Torah speaks only in deference to the wicked inclination, for if the Holy One, blessed is He, would not permit her, he would live with her illicitly. However, if he does marry her, he will ultimately hate her, as it is further said, “If a man has, etc.” And, ultimately, he will father, from her, a wayward, rebellious son. This is why these chapters adjoin one another.

ועשתה את צפרניה. תְּגַדְּלֵם כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְנַוֵּל (ספרי; יבמות מ"ח):

And allow her nails to grow. She must allow them to grow so that she becomes ugly.

והסירה את שמלת שביה. לְפִי שֶׁהֵם נָאִים, שֶׁהַגּוֹיִם בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם מִתְקַשְּׁטוֹת בַּמִּלְחָמָה בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַזְנוֹת אֲחֵרִים עִמָּהֶם (ספרי):

She must discard her prisoner’s garb. As they are attractive, since the young Gentile women beautify themselves during warfare, to invite promiscuous behaviour with them.

וישבה בביתך. בַּבַּיִת שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ, נִכְנָס וְנִתְקָל בָּהּ, יוֹצֵא וְנִתְקָל בָּה, רוֹאֶה בִּבְכִיָּתָהּ, רוֹאֶה בְּנִוּוּלָהּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְגַנֶּה עָלָיו (ספרי):

And she will remain in your home. In the home he makes use of. He enters and stumbles over her, leaves and stumbles over her, notices her weeping and disgrace, so that she becomes repulsive to him.

ובכתה את אביה. כָּל כָּךְ לָמָּה? כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׂמֵחָה וְזוֹ עֲצֵבָה, בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְקַשֶּׁטֶת וְזוֹ מִתְנַוֶּלֶת (שם):

And weep for her father. Why to such an extent? So that the Israelite daughter may be joyous, while this one is melancholy; the Israelite daughter may beautify herself, while this one becomes ugly.

והיה אם לא חפצת בה. הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁסּוֹפְךָ לִשְׂנֹאתָהּ (שם):

But it shall come to pass, that if you do not desire her. Scripture informs you that you will ultimately hate her.

לא תתעמר בה. לֹא תִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ, בִּלְשׁוֹן פַּרְסִי קוֹרִין לְעַבְדוּת וְשִׁמּוּשׁ "עִימְרָאָה", מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַ' מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לָמַדְתִּי כֵן:

You may not exploit her. You may not utilize her. In the Persian language, servitude and utilization is verbalized as imra’ah. From the commentary of R’ Moshe Hadarshan I have learned this.

פי שנים. כְּנֶגֶד שְׁנֵי אַחִים:

Doublefold. Equivalent to two brothers.

בכל אשר ימצא לו. מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין הַבְּכוֹר נוֹטֵל פִּי שְׁנַיִם בָּרָאוּי לָבֹא לְאַחַר מִיתַת הָאָב כְּבַמֻּחְזָק (ספרי; בכורות נ"א):

Of all that he possesses. From here [we derive] that the firstborn does not inherit doublefold of receivables due after the father’s death, as he does of property in his possession.

סורר. סָר מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ:

Wayward. Who strays from the path.

ומורה. מְסָרֵב בְדִבְרֵי אָבִיו, לְשׁוֹן מַמְרִים (דברים ט'):

And rebellious. Who rebels against his father’s instructions. The word means the same as “rebels.”

ויסרו אתו. מַתְרִין בּוֹ בִּפְנֵי שְׁלוֹשָׁה וּמַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ (ספרי; סנהדרין ע"א); בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיִּגְנֹב וְיֹאכַל תַּרְטֵימַר בָּשָׂר וְיִשְׁתֶּה חֲצִי לֹג יַיִן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "זוֹלֵל וְסֹבֵא", וְנֶאֱמַר (משלי כ"ג) "אַל תְּהִי בְּסֹבְאֵי יָיִן בְּזֹלְלֵי בָשָׂר לָמוֹ"; וּבֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה נֶהֱרָג עַל שֵׁם סוֹפוֹ, הִגִּיעָה תוֹרָה לְסוֹף דַּעְתּוֹ, סוֹף שֶׁמְּכַלֶּה מָמוֹן אָבִיו וּמְבַקֵּשׁ לִמּוּדוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מוֹצֵא, וְעוֹמֵד בְּפָרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים וּמְלַסְטֵם אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, אָמְרָה תוֹרָה יָמוּת זַכַּאי וְאַל יָמוּת חַיָּב (ספרי; סנהדרין ע"א):

Though they chasten him. They warn him before three [magistrates] and have him flogged. The wayward, rebellious son is not liable unless he steals and consumes a tartamor of meat, and drinks half a log of wine, as it is said, “gluttonous and drunken,” and it is said, ”Do not be among the wine guzzlers, among those who gluttonously consume meat for themselves.” The wayward, rebellious son is executed in consideration of his ignoble end. The Torah penetrates to the logical conclusion of his thought — ultimately, he will squander his father’s fortune, attempt to apply himself to his studies and fail, station himself near an intersection and plunder his fellow creatures; the Torah declares: Let him die in innocence rather than die laden with guilt.

וכל ישראל ישמעו ויראו. מִכָּאן שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הַכְרָזָה בְּבֵית דִּין; "פְּלוֹנִי נִסְקָל עַל שֶׁהָיָה בֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה":

Let all Yisroel hear and be fearful. From here [we derive] that there must be a proclamation at the courthouse: ‘So-and-so was stoned for having been a wayward, rebellious son’!