Chumashחומש

לא כארץ מצרים הוא. אֶלָּא טוֹבָה הֵימֶנָּה, וְנֶאֶמְרָה הַבְטָחָה זוֹ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בִּיצִיאָתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁמָּא לֹא נָבֹא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וְיָפָה כָּזוֹ. יָכוֹל בִּגְנוּתָהּ הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, וְכָךְ אָמַר לָהֶם לֹא כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִיא אֶלָּא רָעָה הֵימֶנָּה? תַּ"לֹ "וְחֶבְרוֹן שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נִבְנְתָה לִפְנֵי וְגוֹ'" (במדבר י"ג), אָדָם אֶחָד בְּנָאָן, חָם בָּנָה צֹעַן לְמִצְרַיִם בְּנוֹ, וְחֶבְרוֹן לִכְנַעַן, דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ אָדָם בּוֹנֶה אֶת הַנָּאֶה וְאַחַר כָּךְ בּוֹנֶה אֶת הַגָּרוּעַ, שֶׁפְּסָלְתּוֹ שֶׁל רִאשׁוֹן הוּא נוֹתֵן בַּשֵּׁנִי, וּבְכָל מָקוֹם הֶחָבִיב קוֹדֵם, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁחֶבְרוֹן יָפָה מִצֹּעַן; וּמִצְרַיִם מְשֻׁבַּחַת מִכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית י"ג) "כְּגַן ה' כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם", וְצֹעַן שֶׁבַח מִצְרַיִם הִיא שֶׁהִיא מְקוֹם מַלְכוּת, שֶׁכֵּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ישעיהו ל') "כִּי הָיוּ בְצֹעַן שָׂרָיו", וְחֶבְרוֹן פְּסָלְתָּהּ שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְכָךְ הִקְצוּהָ לְקְבוּרַת מֵתִים, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הִיא יָפָה מִצֹּעַן. וּבִכְתֻבּוֹת (דף קי"ב) דָּרְשׁוּ בְּעִנְיָן אַחֵר, אֶפְשָׁר אָדָם בּוֹנֶה בַיִת לִבְנוֹ הַקָּטָן וְאַחַר כָּךְ לִבְנוֹ הַגָּדוֹל? אֶלָּא שֶׁמְּבֻנָּה עַל אֶחָד מִשִּׁבְעָה בְּצֹעַן:

לא כארץ מצרים הוא [THE LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST …] IS NOT AS THE LAND OF EGYPT, but it is better than it. He mentions Egypt because this assurance was made to Israel on their departure from Egypt, for they said: Perhaps we shall not come to a land as good and beautiful as this. — One might, however, think that Scripture is here speaking to its (the Land’s) disparagement, and that he states the following to them: It is not as the land of Egypt — but it is worse than it! It, however, states, (Numbers 13:22; see Rashi thereon) “And Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt etc.”. One person built both of them: Ham built Zoan for Mizrajim (Egypt), his son, and Hebron for Canaan, another son. The usual way is that a man first builds the better city, and afterwards builds the inferior one, because what is not good enough for the first he puts into the second, and, besides, the better is usually first. Thus you may learn that Hebron was a finer city than Zoan. Now Egypt is superior to all other lands, for it is stated of it, (Genesis 13:10) “Like the garden of the Lord, viz., like the land of Egypt”, and Zoan was the best city in Egypt, because it was the seat of royalty, for thus does it state, (Isaiah 30:4) “For in Zoan were its princes”; Hebron was the worst city in Canaan, — for this reason, indeed, they set it apart for a place of burial, — and yet it was finer than Zoan (cf. Sifrei Devarim 37:1-3). — In the Talmud, Treatise Ketuboth 112a, they derived this in another manner: Is it likely that a man would first build a house for his younger son (here Canaan), and afterwards for his elder son (Mizrajim)? But the meaning of שבע שנים נבנתה וכו׳ is that it (Hebron) was furnished (built up) with all excellencies seven times better than Zoan.

אשר יצאתם משם. אֲפִלּוּ אֶרֶץ רַעְמְסֵס אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ וְהִיא בְּמֵיטַב אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ וְגוֹ'" (בראשית מ"ז), אַף הִיא אֵינָהּ כְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל:

אשר יצאתם משם [THE LAND OF EGYPT] FROM WHICH YE WENT FORTH — even the district of Raamses in which ye dwelt and which was in the best part of the land Egypt, as it is said, (Genesis 47:11) “[And Joseph placed his father and his brethren] in the best part of the land, [in the land of Raamses]” — even that is not as good as the land of Israel (cf. Sifrei Devarim 38:7).

והשקית ברגלך. אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הָיְתָה צְרִיכָה לְהָבִיא מַיִם מִנִּילוּס, בְּרַגְלְךָ, וּלְהַשְׁקוֹתָהּ – צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לִנְדֹּד מִשְּׁנָתְךָ וְלַעֲמֹל, וְהַנָּמוּךְ שׁוֹתֶה וְלֹא הַגָּבוֹהַּ, וְאַתָּה מַעֲלֶה הַמַּיִם מִן הַנָּמוּךְ לַגָּבוֹהַּ, אֲבָל זוֹ למטר השמים תשתה מים – אַתָּה יָשֵׁן עַל מִטָּתְךָ וְהַקָּבָּ"ה מַשְׁקֶה נָמוּךְ וְגָבוֹהּ גָּלוּי וְשֶׁאֵינוֹ גָלוּי כְּאֶחָת (ספרי):

והשקית ברגלך [LIKE THE LAND OF EGYPT] WHICH THOU DIDST WATER WITH THY FOOT — The land of Egypt was such that you had to bring water from the Nile through your foot (i.e. you had to go to the Nile to bring water) to irrigate it — you had to rise from your sleep and to toil. Then again, the lowlying parts alone drank (were irrigated by the Nile) and not the higher land, and you had to take up water from the lower to the higher parts: but this land (Canaan), למטר השמים תשתה מים DRINKETH WATER OF THE RAIN OF HEAVEN — You may sleep soundly on your beds, and the Holy One, blessed be He, waters both low and high districts, both what is exposed and what is not exposed alike (Sifrei Devarim 38:2).

כגן הירק. שֶׁאֵין דַּי לוֹ בִגְשָׁמִים וּמַשְׁקִין אוֹתוֹ בָּרֶגֶל וּבַכָּתֵף:

כגן הירק AS A GARDEN OF HERBS, which has not enough from rain alone, and one has to water it through the foot and shoulder (one has to run about to bring water which one has to carry on one’s shoulder).

ארץ הרים ובקעת. מְשֻׁבָּח הָהָר מִן הַמִּישׁוֹר, שֶׁהַמִּישׁוֹר בְּבֵית כֹּר אַתָּה זוֹרֵעַ כֹּר, אֲבָל הָהָר בֵּית כֹּר מִמֶּנּוּ חֲמֵשֶׁת כֹּרִין – אַרְבָּעָה מֵאַרְבָּעָה שִׁפּוּעָיו וְאֶחָד בְּרֹאשׁוֹ:

ארץ הרים ובקעת [THE LAND WHITHER THOU ART PASSING IS] A LAND OF HILLS AND VALLEYS — The mountain is better than the plain because in the plain, in an area that takes a Kor of seed, you can sow only a Kor, but in the mountain the summit of which is an area that takes a Kor, from it you have areas for five Kors of seed: four from its four slopes and one on its summit (Sifrei Devarim 39:3).

ובקעת. הֵן מִישׁוֹר:

ובקעת — these are the plain lands.

אשר ה' אלהיך דרש אתה. וַהֲלֹא כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת דוֹרֵשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לְהַמְטִיר עַל אֶרֶץ לֹא אִישׁ" (איוב ל"ח)? אֶלָּא כִּבְיָכוֹל אֵינוֹ דוֹרֵשׁ אֶלָּא אוֹתָהּ, וְעַל יְדֵי אוֹתָהּ דְּרִישָׁה שֶׁדּוֹרְשָׁהּ, דּוֹרֵשׁ אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת עִמָּהּ:

אשר ה' אלהיך דרש אתה [A LAND] WHICH THE LORD THY GOD CARETH FOR — But does He not care for all lands, as it said, (Job 38:26) “[Who hath cleft a way for the lightning of the thunder …] to cause rain even on a land where no man is"? But, if one can say so of God, He cares for that land alone, but through the care which He bestows on it, He cares also for all other lands with it (Sifrei Devarim 40:1).

תמיד עיני ה' אלהיך בה. לִרְאוֹת מַה הִיא צְרִיכָה, וּלְחַדֵּשׁ בָּהּ גְּזֵרוֹת, עִתִּים לְטוֹבָה עִתִּים לְרָעָה כוּ', כִּדְאִיתָא בְּרֹ"הַ (דף י"ז):

תמיד עיני ה' אלהיך בה THE EYES OF THE LORD THY GOD ARE ALWAYS UPON IT, to see what it requires, and to make new dispensations for it, sometimes for good and sometimes for bad, as is stated in Treatise Rosh Hashanah 17b.

מרשית השנה. מֵרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה נִדּוֹן מַה יְּהֵא בְּסוֹפָהּ (שם ח'):

מרשית השנה FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR [TO THE END OF THE YEAR] — At the beginning of the year it is decided by God what will be right up to the end of it (Rosh Hashanah 8a).

והיה אם שמע. וְהָיָה מוּסָב עַל הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה מָּיִם:

והיה אם שמע AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IF YE WILL HEARKEN — The word והיה is to be connected with what is said above (v. 11): “it drinketh water of the rain of heaven”.

והיה אם שמע תשמעו. אִם שָׁמֹעַ בַּיָּשָׁן תִּשְׁמְעוּ בֶּחָדָשׁ, וְכֵן "אִם שָׁכֹחַ תִּשְׁכַּח" (דברים ח') – אִם הִתְחַלְתָּ לִשְׁכֹּחַ סוֹפְךָ שֶׁתִּשְׁכַּח כֻּלָּהּ, שֶׁכֵּן כְּתִיב בִּמְגִלָּה אִם תַּעַזְבֵנִי יוֹם יוֹמַיִם אֶעֶזְבֶךָּ:

שמע תשמעו lit: AND IT WILL COME TO PASS IF HEARKENING YE WILL HEARKEN — If you hearken to the old (if you hear again what you have already learnt, i.e. if you repeatedly study the old lessons), you will hearken to the new (you will the more easily gain new knowledge) (Sukkah 46b; cf. Rashi on Exodus 19:5). Similar is the meaning of אם שכח תשכח (Deuteronomy 8:19): If you have begun to forget, your end will be that you will forget all of it. So, too, is written in a certain Scroll: If thou forgettest Me one day, I will forget thee two days (cf. Sifrei Devarim 48:8; Jerusalem Talmud end of Berakhot).

מצוה אתכם היום. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ עֲלֵיכֶם חֲדָשִׁים, כְּאִלּוּ שְׁמַעְתֶּם בּוֹ בַיּוֹם (ספרי):

מצוה אתכם היום [MY COMMANDMENTS WHICH I] COMMAND YOU THIS DAY — This suggests that they should ever be to you as new commandments, as though you had heard them for the first time on that day (Sifrei Devarim 58).

לאהבה את ה'. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הֲרֵי אֲנִי לוֹמֵד בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֶהְיֶה עָשִׁיר, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֶקָּרֵא רַב, בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁאֲקַבֵּל שָׂכָר, אֶלָּא כָּל מַה שֶּׁתַּעֲשֶׂה עֲשֵׂה מֵאַהֲבָה וְסוֹף הַכָּבוֹד לָבֹא (שם):

לאהבה את ה׳ TO LOVE THE LORD — This means that you should not say: Well, I will learn, but in order that I may become rich, in order that I may obtain the title Rabbi, in order that I may receive a prize, — but whatever you do, do it out of love for God (Sifrei Devarim 41:23), and ultimately the honour which you desire will certainly come (Nedarim 62a).

ולעבדו בכל לבבכם. עֲבוֹדָה שֶׁהִיא בַּלֵּב, וְזוֹ הִיא תְפִלָּה, שֶׁהַתְּפִלָּה קְרוּיָה עֲבוֹדָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֱלָהָךְ דִּי אַנְתְּ פָּלַח לֵהּ בִּתְדִירָא" (דניאל ו'), וְכִי יֵשׁ פֻּלְחָן בְּבָבֶל? אֶלָּא עַל שֶׁהָיָה מִתְפַּלֵּל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) "וְכַוִּין פְּתִיחָן לֵהּ וְגוֹ'"; וְכֵן בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (תהילים קמ"א) "תִּכּוֹן תְּפִלָּתִי קְטֹרֶת לְפָנֶיךָ":

ולעבדו בכל לבבכם AND TO SERVE HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART — i.e. to serve Him with a service that is in the heart: that is prayer, for prayer is termed service (עבודה), as it is said, (Daniel 6:17) “Thy God whom thou servest continually”. But was there service (i.e. sacrificial service, the technical term for which is עבודה) in Babylon? But the term is used because he offered prayer there, as it is said, (Daniel 6:11) “Now his windows were open [in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem and he kneeled upon his knees three times a day and prayed]”. And so, too, it states in the case of David (Psalms 141:2): “Let my prayer be set forth as incense before Thee” (incense being part of the sacrificial service) (Sifrei Devarim 41:25-27).

בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם. וַהֲלֹא כְּבָר הִזְהִיר "בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ" (דברים ו'), אֶלָּא אַזְהָרָה לַיָּחִיד, אַזְהָרָה לַצִּבּוּר (ספרי):

בכל לבבכם ובכל נפשכם [TO LOVE THE LORD] WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL — But has it not already admonished us to love God, by the words (6:5) “[Thou shall love the Lord thy God] with all thy heart and with all thy soul”? But that was an admonition addressed to each and every individual (“with all thy heart”), whilst here it is an admonition addressed to them as a community (“with all your heart”) (Sifrei Devarim 41:29).

ונתתי מטר ארצכם. עֲשִׂיתֶם מַה שֶּׁעֲלֵיכֶם אַף אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה מַה שֶּׁעָלַי (שם):

ונתתי מטר ארצכם I WILL GIVE THE RAIN OF YOUR LAND [IN ITS SEASON] — You will then have done what devolved upon you, I, too, shall do what devolves upon Me (Sifrei Devarim 41:29; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 26:15).

בעתו. בַּלֵּילוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יַטְרִיחוּ אֶתְכֶם; דָּ"אַ – בְּעִתּוֹ בְּלֵילֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת שֶׁהַכֹּל מְצוּיִין בְּבָתֵּיהֶם:

בעתו [RAIN …] IN ITS SEASON — i.e. at night time, so that it may not cause you any trouble. — Another explanation of בעתו IN ITS SEASON is: on Sabbath (Friday) nights when everyone is usually at home (cf. Sifrei Devarim 42:2; Taanit 23a; see Rashi on Leviticus 26:4).

יורה. הִיא רְבִיעָה הַנּוֹפֶלֶת לְאַחַר הַזְּרִיעָה, שֶׁמַּרְוָה אֶת הָאָרֶץ וְאֶת הַזְּרָעִים:

יורה THE FIRST RAIN — This is the rain that falls after the sowing-time, which thoroughly drenches (מרוה) the soil and the seed (Sifrei Devarim 42:4; Taanit 6a).

מלקוש. רְבִיעָה הַיּוֹרֶדֶת סָמוּךְ לַקָּצִיר, לְמַלֹּאת הַתְּבוּאָה בְּקַשֶּׁיהָ. וּלְשׁוֹן מַלְקוֹשׁ דָּבָר הַמְאֻחָר כְּדִמְתַרְגְּמִינָן (בראשית ל') "וְהָיָה הָעֲטֻפִים לְלָבָן" – לַקִּישַׁיָּא; דָּ"אַ – לְכָךְ נִקְרֵאת מַלְקוֹשׁ, שֶׁיּוֹרֶדֶת עַל הַמְּלִילוֹת וְעַל הַקַּשִּׁין:

מלקוש THE LATTER RAIN is the rain that descends just before the harvest time to make the grain full (ripe) on its stalk. The term מלקוש refers to something that is late, just as in the Targum we translate והיה העטפים ללבן (Genesis 30:42; see Rashi thereon) “those born late were Laban’s” by לקשיא. — Another explanation: The reason why it is called מלקוש is because it falls at the same period upon the ears (מלילות) and the stalks (קש) (i.e. just before the harvest) (Taanit 6a).

ואספת דגנך. אַתָּה תַאַסְפֶנּוּ אֶל הַבַּיִת וְלֹא אוֹיְבֶיךָ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אִם אֶתֵּן דְּגָנֵךְ וְגוֹ' כִּי מְאַסְפָיו יֹאכְלֻהוּ" (ישעיהו ס"ב) וְלֹא כָעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְהָיָה אִם זָרַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ'" (שופטים ו'):

ואספת דגנך AND THOU SHALT GATHER IN THY CORN means: and thou shalt gather it into thy house, and not thy enemies, just as it is said, (Isaiah 62:8—9) “[The Lord hath sworn … ], surely I will no more give thy corn [to be food for thine enemies], but they that have gathered it shall eat it”; and not as it is said, (Judges 6:3) “And so it was when Israel had sown that the Midianites came up [and destroyed the produce of the land]” (Sifrei Devarim 42:10).

ונתתי עשב בשדך. שֶׁלֹּא תִצְטָרֵךְ לְהוֹלִיכָהּ לַמִּדְבָּרוֹת. דָּ"אַ — שֶׁתִּהְיֶה גּוֹזֵז תְּבוּאָתְךָ כָּל יְמוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים וּמַשְׁלִיךְ לִפְנֵי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וְאַתָּה מוֹנֵעַ יָדְךָ מִמֶּנָּה שְׁלוֹשִׁים יוֹם קֹדֶם לַקָּצִיר וְאֵינָהּ פּוֹחֶתֶת מִדְּגָנָהּ (ספרי):

ונתתי עשב בשדך AND I WILL GIVE GRASS IN THY FIELD [FOR THY CATTLE] in thy field: so that you will not need to lead them to distant pasture grounds. Another explanation: it means that you will be able to cut your grain all the rainy season and cast it before thy cattle as fodder, and if you withdraw your hand from it (stop doing this) only thirty days before the harvest, it will not give you less of its corn than if you had not fed your cattle with it (as is implied by ואכלת ושבעת, you will eat to the full) (Sifrei Devarim 43:2).

ואכלת ושבעת. הֲרֵי זוֹ בְרָכָה אַחֶרֶת שֶׁתְּהֵא בְרָכָה מְצוּיָה בַּפַּת בְּתוֹךְ הַמֵּעַיִם ואכלת ושבעת:

ואכלת ושבעת AND THOU SHALT EAT AND BE SATISFIED — This is quite another (a separate) blessing; it means that a blessing will be on the bread within the stomach (see Rashi on Leviticus 25:19). השמרו לכם

השמרו לכם. כֵּיוָן שֶׁתִּהְיוּ אוֹכְלִים וּשְׂבֵעִים הִשָּׁמְרוּ לָכֶם שֶׁלֹּא תִבְעֲטוּ, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם מוֹרֵד בְּהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶלָּא מִתּוֹךְ שְׂבִיעָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "פֶּן תֹּאכַל וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבְקָרְךָ וְצֹאנְךָ יִרְבְּיֻן" (דברים ח'), מַה הוּא אוֹמֵר אַחֲרָיו? "וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ":

TAKE HEED [THAT YOUR HEART MISLEAD YOU NOT] — when you have eaten and are full, take heed to yourselves that you kick not against God; for usually no man rebels against the Holy One, blessed be He, except out of satiety, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 8:12—14) “Lest thou eat and art full … and thy herds and flocks increase”. What is stated after this? “And thy heart be lifted up and thou forget [the Lord thy God]” (Sifrei Devarim 43:7).

וסרתם. לִפְרֹשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה, וּמִתּוֹךְ כָּךְ ועבדתם אלהים אחרים, שֶׁכֵּיוָן שֶׁאָדָם פּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַתּוֹרָה הוֹלֵךְ וּמִדַּבֵּק בַּעֲ"זָ, וְכֵן דָּוִד אוֹמֵר "כִּי גֵרְשׁוּנִי הַיּוֹם מֵהִסְתַּפֵּחַ בְּנַחֲלַת ה' לֵאמֹר לֵךְ עֲבֹד וְגוֹ'" (שמואל א כ"ו), וּמִי אָמַר לוֹ כֵן? אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁאֲנִי מְגֹרָשׁ מִלַּעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, הֲרֵינִי קָרוֹב לַעֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים:

וסרתם AND YE TURN ASIDE, to depart from the Torah, and through this, ועבדתם אלהים אחרים YE WILL SERVE OTHER GODS, for so soon as a man departs from the Torah he goes and clings to idol-worship. Similarly did David say, (I Samuel 26:19) “For they have driven me out this day, that I should not cleave to the inheritance of the Lord (the Torah) saying, Go, serve other gods”. But who had really said thus to him?! But he meant: Since I am driven out so that I can no longer occupy myself with the Torah, I am nearly exposed to the danger of serving other gods (Sifrei Devarim 43:14).

אלהים אחרים. שֶׁהֵם אֲחֵרִים לְעוֹבְדֵיהֶם – צוֹעֵק אֵלָיו וְאֵינוֹ עוֹנֵהוּ, נִמְצָא עָשׂוּי לוֹ כְּנָכְרִי (ספרי):

אלהים אחרים OTHER GODS — i.e. gods that are other (alien) to those who worship them: one calls to it, and it does not answer him; consequently it becomes to him like a stranger (Sifrei Devarim 43:17).

את יבולה. אַף מַה שֶּׁאַתָּה מוֹבִיל לָהּ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (חגי א') זְרַעְתֶּם הַרְבֵּה וְהָבֵא מְעָט (ספרי):

את יבולה [THE GROUND WILL NOT GIVE] ITS יבול — it will not yield even as much as what you have brought (יבול) to it (even the same quantity of seed you have sown in it), just as it is said, (Hag. 1:6) “You sow much, but bring in little” (Sifrei Devarim 43:28; cf. Rashi on Leviticus 26:20).

ואבדתם מהרה. עַל כָּל שְׁאָר הַיִּסּוּרִין אַגְלֶה אֶתְכֶן מִן הָאֲדָמָה שֶׁגָּרְמָה לָכֶם לַחֲטֹא; מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁשָּׁלַח בְּנוֹ לְבֵית הַמִּשְׁתֶּה וְהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וּמַפְקִידוֹ אַל תֹּאכַל יוֹתֵר מִצָּרְכְּךָ, שֶׁתָּבֹא נָקִי לְבֵיתְךָ, וְלֹא הִשְׁגִּיחַ הַבֵּן הַהוּא, אָכַל וְשָׁתָה יוֹתֵר מִצָּרְכּוֹ, וְהֵקִיא וְטִנֵּף אֶת כָּל בְּנֵי הַמְּסִבָּה, נְטָלוּהוּ בְיָדָיו וּבְרַגְלָיו וּזְרָקוּהוּ אֲחוֹרֵי פַּלְטְרִין (שם):

ואבדתם מהרה AND YE SHALL PERISH QUICKLY — In addition to all the other sufferings I will banish you from the soil which made you sin (Sifrei Devarim 43:29). A parable! It may be compared to the case of a king who sent his son to the banqueting hall and earnestly charged him, “Do not eat more than you need, in order that you may come home clean!” The son, however, took no notice of this; he ate and drank more than he needed, and vomited it up and befouled all the company. They took him by his hands and feet and cast him out of the palace (Sifrei Devarim 43:23).

מהרה. אֵינִי נוֹתֵן לָכֶם אַרְכָּא, וְאִם תֹּאמְרוּ וַהֲלֹא נִתְּנָה אַרְכָּא לְדוֹר הַמַּבּוּל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה (בראשית ו') דּוֹר הַמַּבּוּל לֹא הָיָה לָהֶם מִמִּי לִלְמֹד וְאַתֶּם יֵשׁ לָכֶם מִמִּי לִלְמֹד (ספרי):

מהרה [AND YE SHALL PERISH] QUICKLY — I will give you no respite. But if you ask: Was not respite given to the generation of the flood, as it is said, (Genesis 6:3) “His days shall be (i.e. a respite shall be given him for) one hundred and twenty years”? Then I reply: The generation of flood had no one from whom to learn, but you have someone from whom to learn (Sifrei Devarim 43:31).

ושמתם את דברי. אַף לְאַחַר שֶׁתִּגְלוּ הֱיוּ מְצֻיָּנִים בַּמִּצְווֹת, הַנִּיחוּ תְּפִלִּין, עֲשׂוּ מְזוּזוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִהְיוּ לָכֶם חֲדָשִׁים כְּשֶׁתַּחְזְרוּ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיהו ל"א) הַצִּיבִי לָךְ צִיֻּנִים (ספרי):

ושמתם את דברי AND YE SHALL PLACE MY WORDS [UPON YOUR HEART] — Even after you have been banished make yourselves distinctive by means of My commands: lay Tephillin, attach Mezuzoth to your doorposts, so that these shall not be novelties to you when you return. Similarly does it state, (Jeremiah 31:21) “Set thee up distinguishing marks” (Sifrei Devarim 43:34).

לדבר בם. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַבֵּן יוֹדֵעַ לְדַבֵּר, לַמְּדֵהוּ "תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה" שֶׁיְּהֵא זֶה לִמּוּד דִּבּוּרוֹ; מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ כְּשֶׁהַתִּינוֹק מַתְחִיל לְדַבֵּר אָבִיו מֵשִׂיחַ עִמּוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּמְלַמְּדוֹ תוֹרָה, וְאִם לֹא עָשָׂה כֵן הֲרֵי הוּא כְאִלּוּ קוֹבְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ולמדתם אתם את בניכם לדבר בם וגו'.

לדבר בם [AND YE SHALL TEACH THEM UNTO YOUR CHILDREN,] TO SPEAK OF THEM — From the moment when your son knows how to speak, teach him the text (Deuteronomy 33:4) “Moses commanded us the Torah as a possession of the congregation of Jacob” — so that this should be the means of teaching him to speak (Sukkah 42a). From this they (the Rabbis) derived their teaching: When the babe begins to speak, his father should speak with him in the Holy Tongue, and should instruct him in the Torah. If he does not do this, it is as though he buries him, as it is said here, “And ye shall teach them unto your children to speak of them, etc.”,

למען ירבו ימיכם וימי בניכם. אִם עֲשִׂיתֶם כֵּן יִרְבּוּ, וְאִם לָאו לֹא יִרְבּוּ, שֶׁדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה נִדְרָשִׁין מִכְּלַל לָאו הֵן וּמִכְּלַל הֵן לָאו (ספרי):

למען ירבו ימיכם וימי בניכם IN ORDER THAT YOUR DAYS MAY BE INCREASED AND THE DAYS OF YOUR CHILDREN — We may learn from this that if you do so, then they will be increased, but if not, they will not be increased, for the statements of the Torah may be expounded so as to derive from the negative the positive, and from the positive, the negative (Sifrei Devarim 46).

לתת להם. לָתֵת לָכֶם אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא לָתֵת לָהֶם, מִכָּאן מָצִינוּ לְמֵדִים תְּחִיַּת הַמֵּתִים מִן הַתּוֹרָה:

לתת להם [THE LAND WHICH THE LORD SWARE UNTO YOUR FATHERS] TO GIVE TO THEM — It is not written here “to give to you”, but “to give to them”. From this we are able to derive that the tenet of the “Resurrection of the Dead” is of Biblical origin (more lit., is from the Torah) (Sifrei Devarim 47:2).