Pisqa’ 162¹

1

“So that he might not esteem himself above his brothers” (Dt.17:20)—

and not above the consecrated [Priesthood].²

“Excepting that (bilti)³ he not turn aside from the commandment,

to the right or the left” (Dt.17:20)—

and he must not (shelo’)

turn aside from the commandment, to the right or the left. ⁴

“So that he might extend days over his kingdom” (Dt.17:20)—

if he behaves according to all the stipulations in this matter,

he will be privileged to lengthen days over his kingdom.⁵

“He and his sons” (Dt.17:20)—

if he dies, his son will stand to succeed him.

I might infer that

this principle of succession applies only to the king.

On what basis do I know of

any providers of Israel that their sons will stand to succeed them?

The Teaching states:

“He and his sons, in the midst of Israel” (Dt.17:20)—

any provider who is in the midst of Israel,

his son will stand to succeed him. ⁶

2

R. Hananya b. Gamliel says:

Look at what He says to King Solomon—

“And, also, I gave you what you didn’t request—wealth and honor” (1Ki.3:13).

As if to say: good things,

which I didn’t make conditional upon

your observance of the Torah, I have freely given you;

but good things which I did make conditional upon

your observance of the Torah, I will not give them to you—

unless you observe it!

And, similarly, He says:

“And if you walk in My paths, observing my statutes” (1Ki.3:14).

1. H:194-195; JN2:33.
2. The text is difficult, but appears to caution the king against conflict with the High Priest. See H:454, n. 1, for a summary of interpretive options. Cf., most recently, Fraade: 245, n. 117.
3. In Biblical Hebrew, a common particle of negation, as described in BDB, s.v. beilet.
4. Sifre offers a paraphrastic rendering of the biblical usage, substituting the archaizing bilti with an equivalent in rabbinic Hebrew.
5. Cf. Pisqa’ot 156.1, 162.1, 170.1, 174.1, 297.1, etc.
6. Cf. T. Sheq. 2:15