Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 21

10“If you go out to war against your enemies, and God, your God, delivers him into your hands, and you take captives,   יכִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹֽיְבֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנ֞וֹ יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ:
כִּֽי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה - If you go out to war. Scripture is discussing an optional war, for in the war to conquer the Land of Israel it cannot be said “and you take captives,” for it has already said “you must not allow any soul to live.” 1   כִּֽי־תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה.  בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר, שֶׁבְּמִלְחֶמֶת אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין לוֹמַר וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ, שֶׁהֲרֵי כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (דברים כ') לֹא תְחַיֶּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה:
וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ - And you take captives. This includes Canaanites whom you find among them, even if they are members of the seven nations.   וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ.  לְרַבּוֹת כְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵם מִשִׁבְעָה אֻמּוֹת (ספרי; סוטה ל"ה):
11and you see a beautiful woman among the captives, and you desire her and take her for yourself as a wife,   יאוְרָאִ֨יתָ֙ בַּשִּׁבְיָ֔ה אֵ֖שֶׁת יְפַת־תֹּ֑אַר וְחָֽשַׁקְתָּ֣ בָ֔הּ וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֥ לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה:
אֵשֶׁת - A woman - i.e., even a married woman.   אֵשֶׁת.  אֲפִלּוּ אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ:
וְלָֽקַחְתָּ לְךָ לְאִשָּֽׁה - And take her for yourself as a wife. The Torah spoke here merely as a concession to the evil inclination, for if the Holy One, blessed be He, would not allow him to take her, he would marry her anyway in a prohibited manner. Nonetheless, if he does marry her, he will eventually despise her, as it says afterwards: “If a man has…,” 2 and he will eventually father from her a “wayward and rebellious son.” 3 This is why these passages are juxtaposed.   וְלָֽקַחְתָּ לְךָ לְאִשָּֽׁה.  לֹא דִּבְּרָה תוֹרָה אֶלָּא כְּנֶגֶד יֵצֶר הָרַע, שֶׁאִם אֵין הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא 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):
12you must bring her into your home, and she must shave her head and let her nails grow.   יבוַֽהֲבֵאתָ֖הּ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ בֵּיתֶ֑ךָ וְגִלְּחָה֙ אֶת־רֹאשָׁ֔הּ וְעָֽשְׂתָ֖ה אֶת־צִפָּֽרְנֶֽיהָ:
וְעָֽשְׂתָה אֶת־צִפָּֽרְנֶֽיהָ - And (lit.) make her nails - i.e., she must let them grow in order that she look repulsive.   וְעָֽשְׂתָה אֶת־צִפָּֽרְנֶֽיהָ.  תְּגַדְּלֵם כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְנַוֵּל (ספרי; יבמות מ"ח):
13She must take off the garment she is wearing in her captivity. She must remain in your house, and she must weep for her father and her mother for a full month. After that, you may go to her and have marital relations with her, and she will become your wife.   יגוְהֵסִ֩ירָה֩ אֶת־שִׂמְלַ֨ת שִׁבְיָ֜הּ מֵֽעָלֶ֗יהָ וְיָֽשְׁבָה֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ וּבָֽכְתָ֛ה אֶת־אָבִ֥יהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּ֖הּ יֶ֣רַח יָמִ֑ים וְאַ֨חַר כֵּ֜ן תָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֨יהָ֙ וּבְעַלְתָּ֔הּ וְהָֽיְתָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה:
וְהֵסִירָה אֶת־שִׂמְלַת שִׁבְיָהּ - She must take off the garment of her captivity - since they are attractive, for the women of enemy nations beautify themselves when a war is being fought in their city in order to lure the soldiers of the other nations into being with them.   וְהֵסִירָה אֶת־שִׂמְלַת שִׁבְיָהּ.  לְפִי שֶׁהֵם נָאִים, שֶׁהַגּוֹיִם בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם מִתְקַשְּׁטוֹת בַּמִּלְחָמָה בִּשְׁבִיל לְהַזְנוֹת אֲחֵרִים עִמָּהֶם (ספרי):
וְיָֽשְׁבָה בְּבֵיתֶךָ - She must remain in your house - i.e., in the house that he uses, so that he confront her when he enters and confront her when he leaves, seeing her weeping and her unsightliness, so that she should become repulsive to him.   וְיָֽשְׁבָה בְּבֵיתֶךָ.  בַּבַּיִת שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ, נִכְנָס וְנִתְקָל בָּהּ, יוֹצֵא וְנִתְקָל בָּה, רוֹאֶה בִּבְכִיָּתָהּ, רוֹאֶה בְּנִוּוּלָהּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּתְגַנֶּה עָלָיו (ספרי):
וּבָֽכְתָה אֶת־אָבִיהָ - She must weep for her father. Why must she do all this? So that the captor’s Jewish wife be happy and this one sad; the Jewish wife appear beautiful and this one appear unsightly.   וּבָֽכְתָה אֶת־אָבִיהָ.  כָּל כָּךְ לָמָּה? כְּדֵי שֶׁתְּהֵא בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׂמֵחָה וְזוֹ עֲצֵבָה, בַּת יִשְׂרָאֵל מִתְקַשֶּׁטֶת וְזוֹ מִתְנַוֶּלֶת (שם):
14If you do not desire her, you must divorce her and send her away on her own. You may not sell her for money, nor may you keep her as a bondwoman, since you afflicted her.   ידוְהָיָ֞ה אִם־לֹ֧א חָפַ֣צְתָּ בָּ֗הּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ֙ לְנַפְשָׁ֔הּ וּמָכֹ֥ר לֹֽא־תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה בַּכָּ֑סֶף לֹֽא־תִתְעַמֵּ֣ר בָּ֔הּ תַּ֖חַת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִנִּיתָֽהּ:
וְהָיָה אִם־לֹא חָפַצְתָּ בָּהּ - If you do not desire her. Scripture informs you that you will eventually despise her.   וְהָיָה אִם־לֹא חָפַצְתָּ בָּהּ.  הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁסּוֹפְךָ לִשְׂנֹאתָהּ (שם):
לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ - means: You must not make use of her. In the Persian language, slavery and servitude are called עִימְרָאָה. I learned this from the work of Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan.   לֹא תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ.  לֹא תִּשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהּ, בִּלְשׁוֹן פַּרְסִי קוֹרִין לְעַבְדוּת וְשִׁמּוּשׁ "עִימְרָאָה", מִיסוֹדוֹ שֶׁל רַ' מֹשֶׁה הַדַּרְשָׁן לָמַדְתִּי כֵן:
15If a man has two wives—one beloved and the other despised—and they bear him sons, the beloved one and the despised one, and the firstborn son is from the despised one,   טוכִּי־תִֽהְיֶ֨יןָ לְאִ֜ישׁ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֗ים הָֽאַחַ֤ת אֲהוּבָה֙ וְהָֽאַחַ֣ת שְׂנוּאָ֔ה וְיָֽלְדוּ־ל֣וֹ בָנִ֔ים הָֽאֲהוּבָ֖ה וְהַשְּׂנוּאָ֑ה וְהָיָ֛ה הַבֵּ֥ן הַבְּכֹ֖ר לַשְּׂנִיאָֽה:
16on the day that he bequeaths his estate to his sons, he will not able to give the son of the beloved one birthright precedence over the son of the despised one, who is the firstborn son.   טזוְהָיָ֗ה בְּיוֹם֙ הַנְחִיל֣וֹ אֶת־בָּנָ֔יו אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יִֽהְיֶ֖ה ל֑וֹ לֹ֣א יוּכַ֗ל לְבַכֵּר֙ אֶת־בֶּן־הָ֣אֲהוּבָ֔ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י בֶן־הַשְּׂנוּאָ֖ה הַבְּכֹֽר:
17Rather, he must acknowledge the firstborn—the son of the despised one—by giving him a double share of all that he possesses, because he is the first product of his virility; the birthright entitlement is therefore his.   יזכִּי֩ אֶת־הַבְּכֹ֨ר בֶּן־הַשְּׂנוּאָ֜ה יַכִּ֗יר לָ֤תֶת לוֹ֙ פִּ֣י שְׁנַ֔יִם בְּכֹ֥ל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵ֖א ל֑וֹ כִּי־הוּא֙ רֵאשִׁ֣ית אֹנ֔וֹ ל֖וֹ מִשְׁפַּ֥ט הַבְּכֹרָֽה:
פִּי שְׁנַיִם - A double share - equal to that of two brothers.   פִּי שְׁנַיִם.  כְּנֶגֶד שְׁנֵי אַחִים:
בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵא לוֹ - Of all that he possesses. From here, we learn that the firstborn does not take a double share in assets due to accrue to the estate after the father’s death, as he does in the father’s realized estate at his death.   בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵא לוֹ.  מִכָּאן שֶׁאֵין הַבְּכוֹר נוֹטֵל פִּי שְׁנַיִם בָּרָאוּי לָבֹא לְאַחַר מִיתַת הָאָב כְּבַמֻּחְזָק (ספרי; בכורות נ"א):
18If a man has a son who is wayward and rebellious, not obeying his father or his mother, they may chasten him. If he does not heed them,   יחכִּי־יִֽהְיֶ֣ה לְאִ֗ישׁ בֵּ֚ן סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמוֹרֶ֔ה אֵינֶ֣נּוּ שֹׁמֵ֔עַ בְּק֥וֹל אָבִ֖יו וּבְק֣וֹל אִמּ֑וֹ וְיִסְּר֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א יִשְׁמַ֖ע אֲלֵיהֶֽם:
סוֹרֵר - Wayward - i.e., he strays from the proper path.   סוֹרֵר.  סָר מִן הַדֶּרֶךְ:
וּמוֹרֶה - And rebellious - i.e., he refuses to obey his father’s words. It is a term related to the word מַמְרִים “rebellious.”   וּמוֹרֶה.  מְסָרֵב בְדִבְרֵי אָבִיו, לְשׁוֹן מַמְרִים (דברים ט'):
וְיִסְּרוּ אֹתוֹ - They may chasten him - i.e., they warn him in front of three judges, who give him lashes if he does not heed the warning. A wayward and rebellious son is not liable until he steals money from his father to buy and eat a tartimar (half a maneh) of meat and drink half a log of wine, as it says: זוֹלֵל וְסֹבֵא “a glutton and guzzler,” 4 and it also says: אַל תְּהִי בְּסֹבְאֵי יַיִן בְּזֹלְלֵי בָשָׂר לָמוֹ “Do not be among those who guzzle wine or who gluttonously eat meat.” 5 A wayward and rebellious son is executed because of his eventual actions that he would commit were he not to be punished, since the Torah anticipates his ultimate disposition: He will eventually exhaust his father’s money, so that when he wishes to continue the gluttonous behavior to which he has become accustomed, he will be unable to do so, so he will stand at the crossroads and rob people. The Torah therefore said: It is better that he die while innocent of this crime rather than die guilty.   וְיִסְּרוּ אֹתוֹ.  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):
19his father and his mother must seize him and bring him out to the elders of his city and to the gate of his locale.   יטוְתָ֥פְשׂוּ ב֖וֹ אָבִ֣יו וְאִמּ֑וֹ וְהוֹצִ֧יאוּ אֹת֛וֹ אֶל־זִקְנֵ֥י עִיר֖וֹ וְאֶל־שַׁ֥עַר מְקֹמֽוֹ:
20They must say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is wayward and rebellious. He does not obey us: he is a glutton and guzzler.’   כוְאָֽמְר֞וּ אֶל־זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֗וֹ בְּנֵ֤נוּ זֶה֙ סוֹרֵ֣ר וּמֹרֶ֔ה אֵינֶ֥נּוּ שֹׁמֵ֖עַ בְּקֹלֵ֑נוּ זוֹלֵ֖ל וְסֹבֵֽא:
21All the men of his city must pelt him with stones until he dies. So must you eradicate this evil from your midst, so all Israel will hear and be afraid.   כאוּרְגָמֻ֠הוּ כָּל־אַנְשֵׁ֨י עִיר֤וֹ בָֽאֲבָנִים֙ וָמֵ֔ת וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִשְׁמְע֥וּ וְיִרָֽאוּ:
וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָֽאוּ - So all Israel will hear and be afraid. From here, we learn that this case requires a proclamation in court: “So-and-so is being stoned for being a wayward and rebellious son.”   וְכָל־יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָֽאוּ.  מִכָּאן שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הַכְרָזָה בְּבֵית דִּין; "פְּלוֹנִי נִסְקָל עַל שֶׁהָיָה בֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה":