Pisqa’ 201335H:218; JN2:93 1. “This is how you must treat all the distant cities” (Dt.20:15)— the distant cities fall under this Teaching, but nearby cities do not fall under this Teaching.
“Which are not among the cities of those peoples” (Dt.20:15)— the cities of those [Canaanite] gentiles do not fall under this Teaching. “But—in the cities of those peoples, you must not leave a soul alive” (Dt.20:16)— they shall die by the sword.336Mech ISH, neziqin, 17, s.v., mah lehalan besayyif
2. “You must utterly annihilate them” (Dt.20:17)— is it possible to say that their booty should be forbidden to you? The Teaching states: “And houses filled with every good thing” (Dt.6:11)— [the booty of these cities is permitted].
“The Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite” (Dt.20:17)— when He states: “As HASHEM your God has commanded you” (Dt.20:17)— this clause includes the Girgashites under the Teaching.
(דברים כ טו) כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה לְכָל הֶעָרִים הָרְחֹקֹת, הָרְחוֹקוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת וְאֵין הַקְּרוֹבוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת.
Pisqa’ 201335H:218; JN2:93
1. “This is how you must treat all the distant cities” (Dt.20:15)—
the distant cities fall under this Teaching,
but nearby cities do not fall under this Teaching.
אֲשֶׁר לֹא מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הֵמָּה, אֵין עָרֵי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה בַּתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת. (דברים כ טז) ״רַק מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה לֹא תְחַיֶּה כָּל נְשָׁמָה״ – בְּסַיִף.
“Which are not among the cities of those peoples” (Dt.20:15)—
the cities of those [Canaanite] gentiles
do not fall under this Teaching.
“But—in the cities of those peoples, you must not leave a soul alive” (Dt.20:16)—
they shall die by the sword.336Mech ISH, neziqin, 17, s.v., mah lehalan besayyif
(דברים כ יז) כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם, יָכוֹל תְּהֵא בִּזָּתָם אֲסוּרָה לְךָ? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים ו יא): ״וּבָתִּים מְלֵאִים כָּל טוּב״.
2. “You must utterly annihilate them” (Dt.20:17)—
is it possible to say that
their booty should be forbidden to you?
The Teaching states:
“And houses filled with every good thing” (Dt.6:11)—
[the booty of these cities is permitted].
הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי הַכְּנַעֲנִי וְהַפְּרִזִּי הַחִוִּי וְהַיְבוּסִי, כְּשֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוְּךָ ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ – לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַגִּרְגָּשִׁי.
“The Hittite, the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite,
the Hivite and the Jebusite” (Dt.20:17)—
when He states:
“As HASHEM your God has commanded you” (Dt.20:17)—
this clause includes the Girgashites under the Teaching.