Reeh 13:7 · unit 4

TT #130 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:7

The Complete Passuk

כִּ֣י יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ אָחִ֣יךָ בֶן־אִ֠מֶּךָ אֽוֹ־בִנְךָ֨ אֽוֹ־בִתְּךָ֜ א֣וֹ ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיקֶ֗ךָ א֧וֹ רֵֽעֲךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֗ה וְנַעַבְדָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife of your bosom or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you in secret, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” that you have not known, you or your fathers.

Chabad.org — 13:7

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei.

Sefaria — Sifrei

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בַּסֵּתֶר – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁאֵין אוֹמְרִים דִּבְרֵיהֶם אֶלָּא בַּסֵּתֶר, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר בַּנֶּשֶׁף בְּעֶרֶב יוֹם בְּאִישׁוֹן לַיְלָה וַאֲפֵלָה.

English: “In secret” — This teaches that they speak their words only in secret; and so it says “in the twilight, in the evening of the day, in the blackness of night and darkness.”

On the daf / in context: The mesis characteristically operates in concealment; the verse underscores the clandestine nature of the seduction to idolatry.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — the secret character of the mesis’s words.

What Is Learned

The words of the mesis are spoken only in secret; the Torah itself indicates the hidden setting of such enticement.