Reeh 14:1 · unit 1

TT #185 · Parashas Reeh · Fourth Aliyah · Passuk 14:1

The Complete Passuk

בָּנִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם לַיהֹוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֑ם לֹ֣א תִתְגֹּדְד֗וּ וְלֹֽא־תָשִׂ֧ימוּ קׇרְחָ֛ה בֵּ֥ין עֵינֵיכֶ֖ם לָמֵֽת׃

You are children to Hashem your God; you shall not cut yourselves and you shall not make a baldness between your eyes for the dead.

Chabad.org — 14:1

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kiddushin.

Sefaria — Kiddushin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בָּנִים אַתֶּם – תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם – בִּזְמַן שֶׁאַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִים מִנְהַג בָּנִים אַתֶּם נִקְרָאִים בָּנִים, וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם נוֹהֲגִין מִנְהַג בָּנִים אֵין אַתֶּם נִקְרָאִים בָּנִים; וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, בֵּין כָּךְ וּבֵין כָּךְ אַתֶּם קְרוּיִים בָּנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בָּנִים לֹא אֵמֻן בָּם.

English: “You are children” — It was taught: Rabbi Yehudah says: “You are children to Hashem your God” — when you conduct yourselves as children you are called children; when you do not conduct yourselves as children you are not called children. And Rabbi Meir says: Whether thus or thus you are called children, as it is said “children in whom there is no faithfulness.”

On the daf / in context: The dispute turns on whether the status of “children of Hashem” is conditional upon proper behavior or is an unconditional designation.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Kiddushin) — the enduring (or conditional) status of Israel as children of Hashem.

What Is Learned

According to Rabbi Meir Israel remain “children” even when they do not act as such; according to Rabbi Yehudah the title depends on their conduct.