Ki Seitzei 21:13 · unit 1

TT #14 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · First aliya · Passuk 21:13

The Complete Passuk

וְהֵסִ֩ירָה֩ אֶת־שִׂמְלַ֨ת שִׁבְיָ֜הּ מֵעָלֶ֗יהָ וְיָֽשְׁבָה֙ בְּבֵיתֶ֔ךָ וּבָ֥כְתָ֛ה אֶת־אָבִ֥יהָ וְאֶת־אִמָּ֖הּ יֶ֣רַח יָמִ֑ים וְאַ֨חַר כֵּ֜ן תָּב֤וֹא אֵלֶ֙יהָ֙ וּבְעַלְתָּ֔הּ וְהָיְתָ֥ה לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃

And she shall remove the garment of her captivity from upon her, and she shall remain in your house and weep for her father and her mother a full month; and afterward you may come to her and possess her, and she shall be your wife.

Chabad.org — 21:13

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim.

Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
שִׂמְלַת שִׁבְיָהּ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמַּעֲבִיר מִמֶּנָּה בְּגָדִים נָאִים וּמַלְבִּישָׁהּ בִּגְדֵי אַלְמָנוּת.

English: “The garment of her captivity” — this teaches that he removes from her fine clothes and dresses her in widow’s garments. (The Canaanite women would adorn themselves for battle in order to entice.)

On the daf / in context: “Simlah” regularly denotes attractive clothing. Sifrei therefore requires that the distinctive, alluring captive dress be removed and replaced with plain mourning clothes, further diminishing her attractiveness.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — the force of “simlas shivyah.”

What Is Learned

The captive woman must be stripped of her fine battle attire and dressed in plain mourning garments.