Reeh 13:17 · unit 8
TT #173 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:17
The Complete Passuk
וְאֶת־כָּל־שְׁלָלָ֗הּ תִּקְבֹּץ֮ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ רְחֹבָהּ֒ וְשָׂרַפְתָּ֨ בָאֵ֜שׁ אֶת־הָעִ֤יר וְאֶת־כָּל־שְׁלָלָהּ֙ כָּלִ֔יל לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ וְהָיְתָה֙ תֵּ֣ל עוֹלָ֔ם לֹ֥א תִבָּנֶ֖ה עֽוֹד׃
And all its spoil you shall gather into the midst of its open square and burn with fire the city and all its spoil completely for Hashem your God, and it shall be a mound forever; it shall not be rebuilt.
Chabad.org — 13:17
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Sifrei / Sanhedrin .
Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
לֹא תִבָּנֶה עוֹד – לִכְמוֹת שֶׁהָיְתָה אֵינָהּ נִבְנֵית, אֲבָל נַעֲשֵׂית הִיא גַּנּוֹת וּפַרְדֵּסִים.
English: “It shall not be rebuilt” — It may not be rebuilt as it was, but it may be made into gardens and orchards.
On the daf / in context: The language of “building” applies to houses, not to agricultural use of the land.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — permitting agricultural use of the site.
What Is Learned
The site of a wayward city may not be restored as a city, but may be converted into gardens and orchards.
Source pointed to by Torah Temimah: Sifrei. Only Chazal’s words and what they derived are presented. Ashkenazi transliteration.