(Devarim 20:11) "And it shall be, if it answers you for peace": I might think, even (if) some (do so); it is, therefore, written "and it opens itself to you" — all of it and not part of it.
(Even Canaanites, whom you are otherwise commanded to destroy) "shall be tribute to you and they shall serve you": If they said: We accept tribute but not servitude; servitude, but not tribute, they are not heeded — They must accept both.
"But if it does not make peace with you, and it makes war with you": Scripture apprises you that if it does not make peace with you (and you let it be), in the end it will make war with you.
(Ibid. 20:13) "Then the L-rd your G-d will deliver it into your hands": If you do all that has been stated, in the end, the L-rd your G-d will deliver it into your hands.
"then you shall smite all of its males by the sword": I might think, even the children; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 14) "but the women and the little ones … you shall take for yourself": — But perhaps the little ones of the females are meant! — Can you say this? Now if (in the war with) Midian, where the adult women were put to death, the little ones were spared, then here, where the adult women were spared, how much more so would the little ones be spared (and no verse would be needed to tell us that). It must be, then, that "little ones" here refers to the little ones of the males. "all of its spoil shall you take for yourself": I might think that their spoil should be forbidden; it is, therefore, written "its spoil shall you take for yourself, and you shall eat the spoil of your foes."
(דברים כ יא) וְהָיָה אִם שָׁלוֹם תַּעַנְךָ, יָכוֹל אַף מִקְצָתָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וּפָתְחָה לָךְ, כֻּלָּהּ וְלֹא מִקְצָתָהּ.
(Devarim 20:11) "And it shall be, if it answers you for peace": I might think, even (if) some (do so); it is, therefore, written "and it opens itself to you" — all of it and not part of it.
וְהָיָה כָּל הָעָם הַנִּמְצָא בָהּ – לְרַבּוֹת כְּנַעֲנִים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ.
"then all the people found in it": including Canaanites within it.
יִהְיוּ לְךָ לָמַס וַעֲבָדוּךָ, אָמְרוּ: ״מְקַבְּלִים אָנוּ עָלֵינוּ מִסִּים וְלֹא שִׁעְבּוּד״, ״שִׁעְבּוּד וְלֹא מִסִּים״ – אֵין שׁוֹמְעִים לָהֶם, עַד שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ עֲלֵיהֶם זוֹ וָזוֹ.
(Even Canaanites, whom you are otherwise commanded to destroy) "shall be tribute to you and they shall serve you": If they said: We accept tribute but not servitude; servitude, but not tribute, they are not heeded — They must accept both.
(דברים כ יב) וְאִם לֹא תַשְׁלִים עִמָּךְ וְעָשְׂתָה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה, הַכָּתוּב מְבַשֶּׂרְךָ שֶׁאִם אֵינָהּ מַשְׁלֶמֶת עִמְּךָ – לְסוֹף שֶׁהִיא עוֹשָׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה.
"But if it does not make peace with you, and it makes war with you": Scripture apprises you that if it does not make peace with you (and you let it be), in the end it will make war with you.
וְצַרְתָּ עָלֶיהָ, אַף לְהַרְעִיבָהּ, אַף לְהַצְמִיאָהּ, אַף לַהֲמִיתָהּ בְּמִיתַת תַּחֲלוּאִים!
"then you shall lay siege to it" — even to reduce it by famine, thirst, or plague.
(דברים כ יג) וּנְתָנָהּ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ, אִם עָשִׂיתָ אֶת כָּל הָאָמוּר בָּעִנְיָן – לְסוֹף שֶׁה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתְנָהּ בְּיָדֶךָ.
(Ibid. 20:13) "Then the L-rd your G-d will deliver it into your hands": If you do all that has been stated, in the end, the L-rd your G-d will deliver it into your hands.
וְהִכִּיתָ אֶת כָּל זְכוּרָהּ לְפִי חָרֶב, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי אַף הַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁבְּתוֹכָהּ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כ יד): רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה. אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא טַף שֶׁל נְקֵבוֹת? אָמַרְתָּ: וּמָה מִדְיָן, שֶׁהֵמִית אֶת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת, הֶחֱיָה אֶת הַקְּטַנּוֹת, כָּאן שֶׁהֶחֱיָה אֶת הַגְּדוֹלוֹת, אֵינוֹ דִין שֶׁיְּחַיֶּה אֶת הַקְּטַנּוֹת? הָא אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר כָּאן טַף – אֶלָּא טַף שֶׁל זְכָרִים, מִנַּיִן שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה עִמְּךָ מִלְחָמָה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: רַק הַנָּשִׁים וְהַטַּף וְהַבְּהֵמָה וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בָעִיר כָּל שְׁלָלָהּ תָּבֹז לָךְ, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא בִזָּתָם אֲסוּרָה לָךְ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: תָּבֹז לָךְ וְאָכַלְתָּ אֶת שְׁלַל אוֹיְבֶיךָ.
"then you shall smite all of its males by the sword": I might think, even the children; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 14) "but the women and the little ones … you shall take for yourself": — But perhaps the little ones of the females are meant! — Can you say this? Now if (in the war with) Midian, where the adult women were put to death, the little ones were spared, then here, where the adult women were spared, how much more so would the little ones be spared (and no verse would be needed to tell us that). It must be, then, that "little ones" here refers to the little ones of the males. "all of its spoil shall you take for yourself": I might think that their spoil should be forbidden; it is, therefore, written "its spoil shall you take for yourself, and you shall eat the spoil of your foes."