Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 17 (Parashat Shoftim)

Devarim 17:1

לֹא-תִזְבַּח לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ שׁוֹר וָשֶׂה אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בוֹ מוּם--כֹּל דָּבָר רָע כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הוּא

. . .

You shall not sacrifice to God your Lord an ox or a sheep in which there is a blemish — of the sort of shameful matters that God your Lord abhors.

Devarim 17:2

כִּי-יִמָּצֵא בְקִרְבְּךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ אִישׁ אוֹ-אִשָּׁה אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֶת-הָרַע בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה-אֱלֹהֶיךָ--לַעֲבֹר בְּרִיתוֹ

. . . .

And if there be found among you, in any of your towns which God your Lord is giving you, a man or a woman who has done evil before God your Lord and transgressed His covenant —

Devarim 17:3

וַיֵּלֶךְ וַיַּעֲבֹד אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לָהֶם וְלַשֶּׁמֶשׁ אוֹ לַיָּרֵחַ אוֹ לְכָל-צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם--אֲשֶׁר לֹא-צִוִּיתִי

. . . .

and went and worshipped other objects of worship and bowed down to them, or to the sun or to the moon, or to the rest of the stars of the sky, which I have not permitted to him —

Devarim 17:4

וְהֻגַּד-לְךָ וְשָׁמָעְתָּ וְדָרַשְׁתָּ הֵיטֵב--וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל

. . .

then when you are informed of that, hear it out and examine it well; and if the matter is true and established, that this abhorrent thing has been done among you,

Devarim 17:5

וְהוֹצֵאתָ אֶת-הָאִישׁ הַהוּא אוֹ אֶת-הָאִשָּׁה הַהִוא אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ אֶת-הַדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה אֶל-שְׁעָרֶיךָ--אֶת-הָאִישׁ אוֹ אֶת-הָאִשָּׁה וּסְקַלְתָּם בָּאֲבָנִים וָמֵתוּ

. . . . . . . .

you shall bring out that man, or that woman, who did this wicked thing, to your localities — the man alone, or that woman alone — and you shall stone them with stones until they die.

Devarim 17:6

עַל-פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים אוֹ שְׁלֹשָׁה עֵדִים--יוּמַת הַמֵּת לֹא יוּמַת עַל-פִּי עֵד אֶחָד

. .

By the word of two witnesses or three shall the one to be put to death be put to death; he shall not be put to death by the word of one witness alone.

Devarim 17:7

יַד הָעֵדִים תִּהְיֶה-בּוֹ בָרִאשֹׁנָה לַהֲמִיתוֹ וְיַד כָּל-הָעָם בָּאַחֲרֹנָה וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ

. . .

And the hands of the witnesses shall strike him first to put him to death, and the hands of the rest of the people last. And purge those who do evil from your midst.

Devarim 17:8

כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט בֵּין-דָּם לְדָם בֵּין-דִּין לְדִין וּבֵין נֶגַע לָנֶגַע--דִּבְרֵי רִיבֹת בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ--אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ

. . . . .

And when a matter of judgments is obscure to you — between blood and blood, between ruling and ruling, between affliction and affliction — matters of disputes in your localities, then arise and go up to the place which God your Lord shall choose.

Devarim 17:9

וּבָאתָ אֶל-הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם וְאֶל-הַשֹּׁפֵט אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְהִגִּידוּ לְךָ אֵת דְּבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט

. . .

And go to the Levitical imāms and to the judge who holds office in that time, and seek from them the ruling of that judgment; they shall issue a legal opinion to you.

Devarim 17:10

וְעָשִׂיתָ עַל-פִּי הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יַגִּידוּ לְךָ מִן-הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה וְשָׁמַרְתָּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּךָ

. . . .

And act according to the matter upon which they issue a legal opinion for you, from that place which God shall choose; and take care to do according to all that they direct you.

Devarim 17:11

עַל-פִּי הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר יוֹרוּךָ וְעַל-הַמִּשְׁפָּט אֲשֶׁר-יֹאמְרוּ לְךָ--תַּעֲשֶׂה לֹא תָסוּר מִן-הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר-יַגִּידוּ לְךָ--יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל

. . .

And according to the guidance they direct you, and the ruling they pronounce to you, you shall do; you shall not deviate from the matter upon which they issue their legal opinion — neither right nor left.

Devarim 17:12

וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר-יַעֲשֶׂה בְזָדוֹן לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹעַ אֶל-הַכֹּהֵן הָעֹמֵד לְשָׁרֶת שָׁם אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אוֹ אֶל-הַשֹּׁפֵט--וּמֵת הָאִישׁ הַהוּא וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל

. . . . .

And any man who acts with insolence and will not accept from the imām who stands there to serve God your Lord, or from the judge — that man shall be put to death; and purge those who do evil from among Israel.

Devarim 17:13

וְכָל-הָעָם יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ וְלֹא יְזִידוּן עוֹד

And the rest of the people shall hear and be afraid, and shall not act insolently likewise.

Devarim 17:14

כִּי-תָבֹא אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְיָשַׁבְתָּה בָּהּ וְאָמַרְתָּ אָשִׂימָה עָלַי מֶלֶךְ כְּכָל-הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָי

. . . . .

And when you enter the land which God your Lord is giving you, and you possess it and settle in it, and you say: 'I will appoint over me a king, like the rest of the nations that are around me' —

Devarim 17:15

שׂוֹם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ מִקֶּרֶב אַחֶיךָ תָּשִׂים עָלֶיךָ מֶלֶךְ--לֹא תוּכַל לָתֵת עָלֶיךָ אִישׁ נָכְרִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא-אָחִיךָ הוּא

. . . .

it is permitted that you appoint over yourself a king whom God your Lord shall choose; and the king whom you appoint shall be from among your brothers; you may not appoint over yourself a foreign man who is not your brother.

Devarim 17:16

רַק לֹא-יַרְבֶּה-לּוֹ סוּסִים וְלֹא-יָשִׁיב אֶת-הָעָם מִצְרַיְמָה לְמַעַן הַרְבּוֹת סוּס וַיהוָה אָמַר לָכֶם לֹא תֹסִפוּן לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה עוֹד

. . . .

Only he shall not accumulate for himself many horses, lest he return the people to Egypt to acquire many horses — and God has already said to you: 'You shall not again return by that road, ever.'

Devarim 17:17

וְלֹא יַרְבֶּה-לּוֹ נָשִׁים וְלֹא יָסוּר לְבָבוֹ וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב לֹא יַרְבֶּה-לּוֹ מְאֹד

. . .

And he shall not accumulate for himself many women, lest his heart go astray; and silver and gold he shall not accumulate for himself greatly.

Devarim 17:18

וְהָיָה כְשִׁבְתּוֹ עַל כִּסֵּא מַמְלַכְתּוֹ--וְכָתַב לוֹ אֶת-מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת עַל-סֵפֶר מִלִּפְנֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם

. .

And when he sits upon the throne of his kingship, he shall have copied out for himself a copy of this Torah in a book, from the presence of the Levitical imāms.

Devarim 17:19

וְהָיְתָה עִמּוֹ וְקָרָא בוֹ כָּל-יְמֵי חַיָּיו--לְמַעַן יִלְמַד לְיִרְאָה אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהָיו לִשְׁמֹר אֶת-כָּל-דִּבְרֵי הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת וְאֶת-הַחֻקִּים הָאֵלֶּה לַעֲשֹׂתָם

. . . .

It shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear God his Lord, and observe all the words of this Torah and these ordinances, to act by them —

Devarim 17:20

לְבִלְתִּי רוּם-לְבָבוֹ מֵאֶחָיו וּלְבִלְתִּי סוּר מִן-הַמִּצְוָה יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאול--לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים עַל-מַמְלַכְתּוֹ הוּא וּבָנָיו בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל

. . .

so that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers, and so that he not deviate from the law to the right or to the left, in order that his days be prolonged over his kingdom — he and his sons among the sons of Israel.