Ki Seitzei 25:08 · unit 4

TT #725 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 25:08

The Complete Passuk

וְקָֽרְאוּ־ל֥וֹ זִקְנֵֽי־עִיר֖וֹ וְדִבְּר֣וּ אֵלָ֑יו וְעָמַ֣ד וְאָמַ֔ר לֹ֥א חָפַ֖צְתִּי לְקַחְתָּֽהּ׃

Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and he shall stand and say: “I do not desire to take her.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yevamot / Sifrei.

TT lemma: וְדִבְּרוּ אֵלָיו.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

וְדִבְּרוּ אֵלָיו – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁמַּשִּׂיאִין לוֹ עֵצָה הַהוֹגֶנֶת לוֹ: אִם הָיָה הוּא יֶלֶד וְהִיא זְקֵנָה, אוֹ הוּא זָקֵן וְהִיא יַלְדָּה, אוֹמְרִים לוֹ כְּלָךְ אֵצֶל שֶׁכְּמוֹתְךָ וְלֹא תַּכְנִיס קְטָטָה לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתְךָ.

English: “And they shall speak to him” — teaching that they give him advice appropriate to him: if he is young and she is old, or he is old and she is young, they say to him “Go to someone like yourself and do not bring strife into your house.”

On the daf / in context: The court is expected to counsel the yavam according to the practical realities of the match, not merely to urge yibbum in every case.

Type of Learning

Derash on the content of the court’s counsel.

What Is Learned

The court gives the yavam suitable advice, including discouraging an unsuitable match.