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Chumashחומש

דברים ד׳:מ״א-מ״ט

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

ד׳

מ״אאָ֣ז יַבְדִּ֤יל מֹשֶׁה֙ שָׁלֹ֣שׁ עָרִ֔ים בְּעֵ֖בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן מִזְרְחָ֖ה שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃

41Then Moses set aside three cities on the east side of the Jordan

רש״י

אז יבדיל. נָתַן לֵב לִהְיוֹת חָרֵד לַדָּבָר שֶׁיַּבְדִּילֵם, וְאַעַ"פִּ שֶׁאֵינָן קוֹלְטוֹת עַד שֶׁיֻּבְדְּלוּ אוֹתָן שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן, אָמַר מֹשֶׁה מִצְוָה שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לְקַיְּמָהּ אֲקַיְּמֶנָּה (מכות י'):

אז יבדיל — The imperfect form יבדיל instead of הבדיל is to be thus explained (cf. Rashi on Exodus 15:1): He set his attention to be zealous for the matter, — to set them apart. And although they were not to serve as cities of refuge until those of Canaan proper (the western side of the Jordan) were set apart for that purpose, Moses said, Any duty that it is possible for me to perform I will perform (Makkot 10a).

בעבר הירדן מזרחה שמש. בְּאוֹתוֹ עֵבֶר שֶׁבְּמִזְרָחוֹ שֶׁל יַרְדֵּן:

בעבר הירדן מזרחה שמש ON THE SIDE OF THE JORDAN TOWARDS THE SUN-RISING — i.e. on that side which is on the east of Jordan (not the side of the Jordan that is east of Canaan proper).

מזרחה שמש. לְפִי שֶׁהוּא דָּבוּק, נְקוּדָה רֵי"שׁ בַּחֲטָף, מִזְרָח שֶׁל שֶׁמֶשׁ – מְקוֹם זְרִיחַת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ:

מזרחה שמש — Because it (the word מזרחה) is in the construct state the ר is vowelled with Chataph (vocal Sheva), the meaning being, “the rising of the sun", i.e., the place of the sun's rising.

מ״בלָנֻ֨ס שָׁ֜מָּה רוֹצֵ֗חַ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִרְצַ֤ח אֶת־רֵעֵ֙הוּ֙ בִּבְלִי־דַ֔עַת וְה֛וּא לֹא־שֹׂנֵ֥א ל֖וֹ מִתְּמֹ֣ל שִׁלְשֹׁ֑ם וְנָ֗ס אֶל־אַחַ֛ת מִן־הֶעָרִ֥ים הָאֵ֖ל וָחָֽי׃

42to which a manslayer could escape,dmanslayer could escape I.e., regardless of the victim’s gender. As for a female culprit, the case may have been more complex. one who unwittingly slew another person without having been an enemy in the past; that person could flee to one of these cities and live:

מ״גאֶת־בֶּ֧צֶר בַּמִּדְבָּ֛ר בְּאֶ֥רֶץ הַמִּישֹׁ֖ר לָרֽאוּבֵנִ֑י וְאֶת־רָאמֹ֤ת בַּגִּלְעָד֙ לַגָּדִ֔י וְאֶת־גּוֹלָ֥ן בַּבָּשָׁ֖ן לַֽמְנַשִּֽׁי׃

43Bezer, in the wilderness in the Tableland, belonging to the Reubenites; Ramoth, in Gilead, belonging to the Gadites; and Golan, in Bashan, belonging to the Manassites.

מ״דוְזֹ֖את הַתּוֹרָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר־שָׂ֣ם מֹשֶׁ֔ה לִפְנֵ֖י בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

44This is the Teaching that Moses set before the Israelites:

רש״י

וזאת התורה. זוֹ שֶׁהוּא עָתִיד לְסַדֵּר אַחַר פָּרָשָׁה זוֹ:

וזאת התורה AND THIS IS THE LAW — this which he was about to set forth after this chapter.

מ״האֵ֚לֶּה הָֽעֵדֹ֔ת וְהַֽחֻקִּ֖ים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבֶּ֤ר מֹשֶׁה֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּצֵאתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

45these are the decrees, laws, and rules that Moses addressed to the people of Israel, after they had left Egypt,

רש״י

אלה העדת, אשר דבר. הֵם הֵם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר בְּצֵאתָם מִמִּצְרַיִם, חָזַר וּשְׁנָאָהּ לָהֶם בְּעַרְבוֹת מוֹאָב:

אלה העדות … אשר דבר THESE ARE THE TESTIMONIES … WHICH [MOSES] SPAKE — Those are the very same testimonies which he spoke when they came forth from Egypt; and he again repeated it (this law) to them in the plains of Moab.

מ״ובְּעֵ֨בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֜ן בַּגַּ֗יְא מ֚וּל בֵּ֣ית פְּע֔וֹר בְּאֶ֗רֶץ סִיחֹן֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוֹשֵׁ֖ב בְּחֶשְׁבּ֑וֹן אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִכָּ֤ה מֹשֶׁה֙ וּבְנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל בְּצֵאתָ֖ם מִמִּצְרָֽיִם׃

46beyond the Jordan, in the valley at Beth-peor, in the land of King Sihon of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, whom Moses and the Israelites defeated after they had left Egypt.

מ״זוַיִּֽירְשׁ֨וּ אֶת־אַרְצ֜וֹ וְאֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ ׀ ע֣וֹג מֶֽלֶךְ־הַבָּשָׁ֗ן שְׁנֵי֙ מַלְכֵ֣י הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּעֵ֣בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּ֑ן מִזְרַ֖ח שָֽׁמֶשׁ׃

47They had taken possession of his country and that of King Og of Bashan—the two kings of the Amorites—which were on the east side of the Jordan

רש״י

אשר בעבר הירדן. שֶׁהוּא בַּמִּזְרָח, שֶׁהָעֵבֶר הַשֵּׁנִי הָיָה בַּמַּעֲרָב:

אשר בעבר הירדן WHO WERE BEYOND THE JORDAN — On the east side of Jordan, because the other side was on the west. [This means on the side opposite the western side.]

מ״חמֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עַל־שְׂפַת־נַ֧חַל אַרְנֹ֛ן וְעַד־הַ֥ר שִׂיאֹ֖ן ה֥וּא חֶרְמֽוֹן׃

48from Aroer on the banks of the wadi Arnon, as far as Mount Sion,eSion Cf. “Sirion,” 3.9. that is, Hermon;

מ״טוְכׇל־הָ֨עֲרָבָ֜ה עֵ֤בֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן֙ מִזְרָ֔חָה וְעַ֖ד יָ֣ם הָעֲרָבָ֑ה תַּ֖חַת אַשְׁדֹּ֥ת הַפִּסְגָּֽה׃ {פ}

49also the whole Arabah on the east side of the Jordan, as far as the Sea of the Arabah, at the foot of the slopes of Pisgah.

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