Pisqa’ 87167H:138-139; JN1:238-239. 1. “If your brother, your mother’s son —or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or the kinsman dear to you— secretly tempts you, saying:” (Dt.13:7). The term temptation168Heb: hasatah; root: s-w-t, “allure,” “instigate.” suggests [that the victim was] already corrupted. This view accords with what is said: “There was none like Ahab, who dedicated himself to doing evil in the eyes of HASHEM, and who was then tempted by his wife, Jezebel” (1Ki.21:25).
Others say: the term temptation suggest [that the victim was] provoked,169Heb: geirui: root: g-r-y, “instigation,’ ‘provocation”. for it is stated: “And now, may my Lord King listen to the words of his servant— if HASHEM has tempted you against me, let Him be appeased by an offering” (1Sam.26:19).
2. Inferring from what is stated: “The fathers shall not be put to death on account of the children” (Ezek.24:16), we learn that they may not testify against each other. [in regard to temptations] Is it possible to say that just as they may not testify against each other, they may not [be charged with] tempting each other [to violate the Torah]? The Teaching states: “If your brother, your mother’s son . . . secretly tempts you . . . show him no pity” (Dt.13:7-9)— [close family members can be charged with temptation, as follows].
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אָחִיךָ – זֶה אָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ.
“Your brother” (Dt.13:7)—this is your paternal brother;
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בֶן אִמֶּךָ – זֶה בֶּן אִמֶּךָ.
“Your mother’s son” (Dt.13:7—this is your maternal brother;
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אוֹ בִנְךָ – בִּנְךָ מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
“Or your son” (Dt.13:7)—this is your son of any marriage;
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אוֹ בִתְּךָ – בִּתְּךָ מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
“Or your daughter” (Dt.13:7)—this is your daughter of any marriage;
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אוֹ אֵשֶׁת – זוֹ אֲרוּסָה.
“Or the wife” (Dt.13:7)—this is the betrothed one;
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חֵיקֶךָ – זוֹ נְשׂוּאָה.
“Of your bosom” (Dt.13:7)—this is the married one;
“Secretly”— this teaches that we repeat their words only in private [and not in public court proceedings]. And, similarly, He says: “In the twilight, towards the evening of the day, in the thick of night, and in the darkness—a woman comes towards him, dressed like a harlot for her purpose” (Prov.7:9-10). But words of Torah are only repeated in public. And, similarly, He says: “Wisdom calls out in the street. . . at the head of the squares she raises her voice” (Prov. 1:20)
3. “Let us go and serve other gods, whom neither you nor your ancestors have known” (Dt.13:7). R. Yose the Galilean says: Look—it is an insult to Israel, that the nations of the world do not abandon what their ancestors transmitted to them, yet Israel does abandon what their ancestors transmitted to them, by serving a foreign cult!
(דברים יג ז) כִּי יְסִיתְךָ אָחִיךָ בֶן אִמֶּךָ, אֵין הֲסָתָה אֶלָּא טָעוּת, כְּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א כא כה): ״אֲשֶׁר הֵסַתָּה אוֹתוֹ אִיזֶבֶל אִשְׁתּוֹ״.
Pisqa’ 87167H:138-139; JN1:238-239.
1. “If your brother, your mother’s son
—or your son or your daughter, or the wife of your bosom, or the kinsman dear to you—
secretly tempts you, saying:” (Dt.13:7).
The term temptation168Heb: hasatah; root: s-w-t, “allure,” “instigate.” suggests
[that the victim was]
already corrupted.
This view accords with what is said:
“There was none like Ahab, who dedicated himself to doing evil
in the eyes of HASHEM, and who was then tempted by his wife, Jezebel” (1Ki.21:25).
אֲחֵרִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵין הֲסָתָה אֶלָּא גֵּרוּי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א כו יט): ״וְעַתָּה יִשְׁמַע נָא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ אֵת דִּבְרֵי עַבְדּוֹ, אִם ה׳ הֱסִיתְךָ בִי יָרַח מִנְחָה״.
Others say:
the term temptation suggest [that the victim was] provoked,169Heb: geirui: root: g-r-y, “instigation,’ ‘provocation”.
for it is stated:
“And now, may my Lord King listen to the words of his servant—
if HASHEM has tempted you against me,
let Him be appeased by an offering” (1Sam.26:19).
מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כד טז) ״לֹא יוּמְתוּ אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים״, לָמַדְנוּ שֶׁאֵין מְעִידִים זֶה לָזֶה. יָכוֹל כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין מְעִידִים זֶה לָזֶה כָּךְ אֵין מְסִיתִים זֶה אֶת זֶה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: כִּי יְסִיתְךָ אָחִיךָ בֶן אִמֶּךָ.
2. Inferring from what is stated:
“The fathers shall not be put to death on account of the children” (Ezek.24:16),
we learn that
they may not testify against each other.
[in regard to temptations]
Is it possible to say that
just as they may not testify against each other,
they may not
[be charged with] tempting each other
[to violate the Torah]?
The Teaching states:
“If your brother, your mother’s son . . . secretly tempts you . . . show him no pity” (Dt.13:7-9)—
[close family members
can be charged with temptation, as follows].
אָחִיךָ – זֶה אָחִיךָ מֵאָבִיךָ.
“Your brother” (Dt.13:7)—this is your paternal brother;
בֶן אִמֶּךָ – זֶה בֶּן אִמֶּךָ.
“Your mother’s son” (Dt.13:7—this is your maternal brother;
אוֹ בִנְךָ – בִּנְךָ מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
“Or your son” (Dt.13:7)—this is your son of any marriage;
אוֹ בִתְּךָ – בִּתְּךָ מִכָּל מָקוֹם.
“Or your daughter” (Dt.13:7)—this is your daughter of any marriage;
אוֹ אֵשֶׁת – זוֹ אֲרוּסָה.
“Or the wife” (Dt.13:7)—this is the betrothed one;
חֵיקֶךָ – זוֹ נְשׂוּאָה.
“Of your bosom” (Dt.13:7)—this is the married one;
אוֹ רֵעֲךָ – זֶה הַגֵּר.
“Or the kinsman” (Dt.13:7)—this is the convert;
אֲשֶׁר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ – זֶה אָבִיךָ.
“Dear to you”(Dt.13:7)—this is your father;
בַּסֵּתֶר – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים דִּבְרֵיהֶם אֶלָּא בַּסֵּתֶר, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (משלי ז ט): ״בְּנֶשֶׁף בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה וַאֲפֵלָה״. אֲבָל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָה אֵין נֶאֱמָרִים אֶלָּא בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (משלי א כ): ״חָכְמוֹת בַּחוּץ תָּרֹנָּה וְגוֹ׳ בְּרֹאשׁ הוֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא״ וְגוֹ׳.
“Secretly”—
this teaches that
we repeat their words only in private
[and not in public court proceedings].
And, similarly, He says:
“In the twilight, towards the evening of the day, in the thick of night,
and in the darkness—a woman comes towards him,
dressed like a harlot for her purpose” (Prov.7:9-10).
But words of Torah are only repeated in public.
And, similarly, He says:
“Wisdom calls out in the street. . .
at the head of the squares she raises her voice” (Prov. 1:20)
(דברים יג ח) אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָדַעְתָּ אַתָּה וַאֲבֹתֶיךָ, רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי אוֹמֵר: הֲרֵי זֶה דְּבַר גְּנַי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם אֵין מַנִּיחִים מַה שֶׁמָּסְרוּ לָהֶם אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְיִשְׂרָאֵל מַנִּיחִים מַה שֶׁמָּסְרוּ לָהֶם אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם, וְהוֹלְכִים וְעוֹבְדִים עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה! (דברים יג ח)
3. “Let us go and serve other gods, whom neither you nor your ancestors have known” (Dt.13:7).
R. Yose the Galilean says:
Look—it is an insult to Israel,
that the nations of the world
do not abandon what their ancestors transmitted to them,
yet Israel
does abandon what their ancestors transmitted to them,
by serving a foreign cult!