Shoftim 20:19 · unit 4
TT #326 · Parashas Shoftim · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 20:19
The Complete Passuk
כִּֽי־תָצ֣וּר אֶל־עִיר֩ יָמִ֨ים רַבִּ֜ים לְֽהִלָּחֵ֧ם עָלֶ֣יהָ לְתׇפְשָׂ֗הּ לֹֽא־תַשְׁחִ֤ית אֶת־עֵצָהּ֙ לִנְדֹּ֤חַ עָלָיו֙ גַּרְזֶ֔ן כִּ֚י מִמֶּ֣נּוּ תֹאכֵ֔ל וְאֹת֖וֹ לֹ֣א תִכְרֹ֑ת כִּ֤י הָֽאָדָם֙ עֵ֣ץ הַשָּׂדֶ֔ה לָבֹ֥א מִפָּנֶ֖יךָ בַּמָּצֽוֹר׃
When you besiege a city for many days to fight against it to capture it, you shall not destroy its trees by swinging an axe against them, for from them you may eat, and you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field a man, to come before you in the siege?
Chabad / Judaica Press
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim 203 .
TT lemma: לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן .
Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim 203
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן – לְהַשְׁחִית.
English: ‘By swinging an axe against them’ – to destroy.
On the daf / in context: The prohibited act is destructive chopping.
Type of Learning Derash defining the forbidden act (Sifrei) — the verse targets destructive use of the axe.
What Is Learned It is forbidden to take an axe to the fruit trees in order to destroy them during a siege.
Source pointed to by Torah Temimah. Only Chazal’s words and what they derived are presented. Ashkenazi transliteration.