Ki Seitzei 21:10 · unit 1

TT #1 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · First aliya · Passuk 21:10

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה עַל־אֹֽיְבֶ֑יךָ וּנְתָנ֞וֹ יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ בְּיָדֶ֖ךָ וְשָׁבִ֥יתָ שִׁבְיֽוֹ׃

When you go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem your God delivers them into your hand, and you take captives from them.

Chabad.org — 21:10

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim 211.

Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim 211

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
כִּי תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה – בְּמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר.

English: “When you go out to war” — Scripture is speaking of an optional war (milchemes reshus).

On the daf / in context: Sifrei (and the parallel in Sotah 44b) distinguishes milchemes reshus from milchemes mitzvah. In a commanded war against the seven nations one may not take captives at all (“lo sechayeh kol neshama”). The language “when you go out” therefore limits the captive-woman law to discretionary wars of territorial expansion.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — limiting the scope of the law by the ordinary force of “ki seitzei” versus commanded conquest.

What Is Learned

The laws of the captive woman apply only in an optional war, not in a commanded war against the seven nations of Canaan.