“Do not despise an Egyptian” (Dt.23:8)— Why not? “Because you were a migrant in his land” (Dt.23:8)— [therefore, you are in his debt].2. Said R. Elazar b. Azariah: The Egyptians received Israel with ulterior motives; yet the All-Present endowed them with a reward. Now, isn’t this a matter of simple logic? If someone had no intention to earn merit, yet his deed was meritorious, Scripture considers him to have earned merit— if he intended to earn merit, shouldn’t we expect all the more so that he be considered to have earned merit?254=T. Peah 3:10. Cf. Pisqa’ 283.6
R. Shimon says: Egypt drowned Israel in the waters [of the Nile] and Edom greeted them with the sword— yet Scripture forbids them entry into the Community [of Israel] for only three generations (Dt.23:4)]! The Ammonites and Moabites, however, are forbidden forever, because they took Balak’s counsel 255Cf. Pisqa’ 250.1 on Micah 6:5. and enticed Israel into sin. This teaches you that one who entices a person into sin does him more harm than his murderer. For a murderer expels him only from the present eon, but one who entices a person into sin expels him from the present eon as well as the coming eon.
(דברים כג ח) לֹא תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי, מִפְּנֵי מָה? כִּי אָחִיךָ הוּא, וּגְדוֹלָה אַחְוָה.
Pisqa’ 252253H:254;JN2:178.
1. “Do not despise an Edomite” (Dt.23:8)—
Why not?
“For he is your brother” (Dt.23:8)—
and brotherhood is praiseworthy.
לֹא תְתַעֵב מִצְרִי, מִפְּנֵי מָה? כִּי גֵר הָיִיתָ בְאַרְצוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה: הַמִּצְרִים לֹא קִבְּלוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָם, וְקָבַע לָהֶם הַמָּקוֹם שָׂכָר. וַהֲלֹא דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר: אִם מִי שֶׁאֵין מִתְכַּוֵּן לְזַכּוֹת וְזִכָּה מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ זִכָּה, הַמִּתְכַּוֵּן לְזַכּוֹת עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
“Do not despise an Egyptian” (Dt.23:8)—
Why not?
“Because you were a migrant in his land” (Dt.23:8)—
[therefore, you are in his debt].2. Said R. Elazar b. Azariah:
The Egyptians received Israel with ulterior motives;
yet the All-Present endowed them with a reward.
Now, isn’t this a matter of simple logic?
If someone had no intention to earn merit,
yet his deed was meritorious,
Scripture considers him to have earned merit—
if he intended to earn merit,
shouldn’t we expect all the more so that
he be considered to have earned merit?254=T. Peah 3:10. Cf. Pisqa’ 283.6
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: מִצְרִים הֵם טִבְּעוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמַּיִם, וַאֲדוֹמִים קִדְּמוּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּחֶרֶב וְלֹא אֲסָרָם הַכָּתוּב אֶלָּא עַד שְׁלֹשָׁה דוֹרוֹת, עַמּוֹנִים וּמוֹאָבִים מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנָּטְלוּ עֵצָה לְהַחֲטִיא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲסָרָם הַכָּתוּב אִסּוּר עוֹלָם, לְלַמֶּדְךָ שֶׁהַמַּחֲטִיא אֶת הָאָדָם קָשֶׁה לוֹ מִן הַהוֹרְגוֹ, שֶׁהַהוֹרְגוֹ אֵין מוֹצִיאוֹ אֶלָּא מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְהַמַּחֲטִיאוֹ מוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּמִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
R. Shimon says:
Egypt drowned Israel in the waters [of the Nile]
and Edom greeted them with the sword—
yet Scripture forbids them entry
into the Community [of Israel]
for only three generations (Dt.23:4)]!
The Ammonites and Moabites,
however, are forbidden forever,
because they took Balak’s counsel 255Cf. Pisqa’ 250.1 on Micah 6:5.
and enticed Israel into sin.
This teaches you that
one who entices a person into sin
does him more harm than his murderer.
For a murderer expels him only from the present eon,
but one who entices a person into sin
expels him from the present eon
as well as the coming eon.