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TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 23

Translation and Transliteration of 

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1No man shall marry his father's former wife, so as to remove his father's garment.

אלֹא־יִקַּח אִישׁ אֶת־אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו וְלֹא יְגַלֶּה כְּנַף אָבִיו׃

2No one whose testes are crushed or whose member is cut off shall be admitted into the congregation of Hashem.

בלֹא־יָבֹא פְצוּעַ־דַּכָּא וּכְרוּת שָׁפְכָה בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה׃

3No one misbegotten shall be admitted into the congregation of Hashem; none of his descendants, even in the tenth generation, shall be admitted into the congregation of Hashem.

גלֹא־יָבֹא מַמְזֵר בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה גַּם דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי לֹא־יָבֹא לוֹ בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה׃

4No Amonite or Moabite shall be admitted into the congregation of Hashem; none of their descendants, even in the tenth generation, shall ever be admitted into the congregation of Hashem,

דלֹא־יָבֹא עַמּוֹנִי וּמוֹאָבִי בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה גַּם דּוֹר עֲשִׂירִי לֹא־יָבֹא לָהֶם בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה עַד־עוֹלָם׃

5because they did not meet you with food and water on your journey after you left Egypt, and because they hired Balaam son of Beor, from Pethor of Aram-Naharaim, to curse you.

העַל־דְּבַר אֲשֶׁר לֹא־קִדְּמוּ אֶתְכֶם בַּלֶּחֶם וּבַמַּיִם בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּצֵאתְכֶם מִמִּצְרָיִם וַאֲשֶׁר שָׂכַר עָלֶיךָ אֶת־בִּלְעָם בֶּן־בְּעוֹר מִפְּתוֹר אֲרַם נַהֲרַיִם לְקַלְלֶךָּ׃

6But Hashem your God refused to heed Balaam; instead, Hashem your God turned the curse into a blessing for you, for Hashem your God loves you.

ווְלֹא־אָבָה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל־בִּלְעָם וַיַּהֲפֹךְ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְּךָ אֶת־הַקְּלָלָה לִבְרָכָה כִּי אֲהֵבְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ׃

7You shall never concern yourself with their welfare or benefit as long as you live.

זלֹא־תִדְרֹשׁ שְׁלֹמָם וְטֹבָתָם כָּל־יָמֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם׃

8You shall not abhor an Edomite, for he is your kinsman. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, for you were a stranger in his land.

lo t'-ta-AYV a-do-MEE KEE a-KHEE-kha HU lo t'-ta-AYV mitz-REE kee GAYR ha-YEE-ta v'-ar-TZO

חלֹא־תְתַעֵב אֲדֹמִי כִּי אָחִיךָ הוּא לֹא־תְתַעֵב מִצְרִי כִּי־גֵר הָיִיתָ בְאַרְצוֹ׃

 23:8   You shall not abhor an Egyptian

IDF field hospital for wounded Syrian civilians

Despite the bitter slavery the nation suffered at the hand of the Egyptians, the Torah teaches that we must care for all of Hashem’s children, even our persecutors, and not treat them the same way they treated us. In fact, the Torah emphasizes universal feelings of sympathy and compassion for all, and warns against rejoicing at the downfall of our enemies. It is for this reason that at the Seder meal every Pesach, when the Jewish people celebrate their salvation from the hands of their Egyptian oppressors, they spill symbolic drops of wine from their cups while mentioning the ten plagues, to indicate that their joy is diminished due the suffering caused to their enemies. The State of Israel has also demonstrated great sympathy towards its military enemies and towards the civilian populations of neighboring countries, despite their hostility. The field hospitals the IDF has maintained for Syrian refugees provide one example of the fact that the Israeli army is the most humanitarian one in the world.

9Children born to them may be admitted into the congregation of Hashem in the third generation.

טבָּנִים אֲשֶׁר־יִוָּלְדוּ לָהֶם דּוֹר שְׁלִישִׁי יָבֹא לָהֶם בִּקְהַל יְהֹוָה׃

10When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against anything untoward.

יכִּי־תֵצֵא מַחֲנֶה עַל־אֹיְבֶיךָ וְנִשְׁמַרְתָּ מִכֹּל דָּבָר רָע׃

11If anyone among you has been rendered unclean by a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp, and he must not reenter the camp.

יאכִּי־יִהְיֶה בְךָ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־יִהְיֶה טָהוֹר מִקְּרֵה־לָיְלָה וְיָצָא אֶל־מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה לֹא יָבֹא אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַמַּחֲנֶה׃

12Toward evening he shall bathe in water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp.

יבוְהָיָה לִפְנוֹת־עֶרֶב יִרְחַץ בַּמָּיִם וּכְבֹא הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ יָבֹא אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַמַּחֲנֶה׃

13Further, there shall be an area for you outside the camp, where you may relieve yourself.

יגוְיָד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה וְיָצָאתָ שָׁמָּה חוּץ׃

14With your gear you shall have a spike, and when you have squatted you shall dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement.

ידוְיָתֵד תִּהְיֶה לְךָ עַל־אֲזֵנֶךָ וְהָיָה בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ חוּץ וְחָפַרְתָּה בָהּ וְשַׁבְתָּ וְכִסִּיתָ אֶת־צֵאָתֶךָ׃

15Since Hashem your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let Him not find anything unseemly among you and turn away from you.

KEE a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha mit-ha-LAYKH b'-KE-rev ma-kha-NE-kha l'-ha-TZEE-l'-kha v'-la-TAYT o-y'-VE-kha l'-fa-NE-kha v'-ha-YAH ma-kha-NE-khah ka-DOSH v'-lo yir-EH v'-KHA er-VAT da-VAR v'-SHAV may-a-kha-RE-kha

טוכִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מִתְהַלֵּךְ בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶךָ לְהַצִּילְךָ וְלָתֵת אֹיְבֶיךָ לְפָנֶיךָ וְהָיָה מַחֲנֶיךָ קָדוֹשׁ וְלֹא־יִרְאֶה בְךָ עֶרְוַת דָּבָר וְשָׁב מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ׃

16You shall not turn over to his master a slave who seeks refuge with you from his master.

טזלֹא־תַסְגִּיר עֶבֶד אֶל־אֲדֹנָיו אֲשֶׁר־יִנָּצֵל אֵלֶיךָ מֵעִם אֲדֹנָיו׃

17He shall live with you in any place he may choose among the settlements in your midst, wherever he pleases; you must not ill-treat him.

יזעִמְּךָ יֵשֵׁב בְּקִרְבְּךָ בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־יִבְחַר בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בַּטּוֹב לוֹ לֹא תּוֹנֶנּוּ׃

18No Israelite woman shall be a cult prostitute, nor shall any Israelite man be a cult prostitute.

יחלֹא־תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

19You shall not bring the fee of a whore or the pay of a dog into the house of Hashem your God in fulfillment of any vow, for both are abhorrent to Hashem your God.

יטלֹא־תָבִיא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה וּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב בֵּית יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְכָל־נֶדֶר כִּי תוֹעֲבַת יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ גַּם־שְׁנֵיהֶם׃

20You shall not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen, whether in money or food or anything else that can be deducted as interest;

כלֹא־תַשִּׁיךְ לְאָחִיךָ נֶשֶׁךְ כֶּסֶף נֶשֶׁךְ אֹכֶל נֶשֶׁךְ כָּל־דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׁךְ׃

21but you may deduct interest from loans to foreigners. Do not deduct interest from loans to your countrymen, so that Hashem your God may bless you in all your undertakings in the land that you are about to enter and possess.

כאלַנָּכְרִי תַשִּׁיךְ וּלְאָחִיךָ לֹא תַשִּׁיךְ לְמַעַן יְבָרֶכְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מִשְׁלַח יָדֶךָ עַל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה בָא־שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ׃

22When you make a vow to Hashem your God, do not put off fulfilling it, for Hashem your God will require it of you, and you will have incurred guilt;

כבכִּי־תִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא תְאַחֵר לְשַׁלְּמוֹ כִּי־דָּרֹשׁ יִדְרְשֶׁנּוּ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מֵעִמָּךְ וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא׃

23whereas you incur no guilt if you refrain from vowing.

כגוְכִי תֶחְדַּל לִנְדֹּר לֹא־יִהְיֶה בְךָ חֵטְא׃

24You must fulfill what has crossed your lips and perform what you have voluntarily vowed to Hashem your God, having made the promise with your own mouth.

כדמוֹצָא שְׂפָתֶיךָ תִּשְׁמֹר וְעָשִׂיתָ כַּאֲשֶׁר נָדַרְתָּ לַיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נְדָבָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ בְּפִיךָ׃

25When you enter another man's vineyard, you may eat as many grapes as you want, until you are full, but you must not put any in your vessel.

כהכִּי תָבֹא בְּכֶרֶם רֵעֶךָ וְאָכַלְתָּ עֲנָבִים כְּנַפְשְׁךָ שָׂבְעֶךָ וְאֶל־כֶּלְיְךָ לֹא תִתֵּן׃

26When you enter another man's field of standing grain, you may pluck ears with your hand; but you must not put a sickle to your neighbor's grain.

כוכִּי תָבֹא בְּקָמַת רֵעֶךָ וְקָטַפְתָּ מְלִילֹת בְּיָדֶךָ וְחֶרְמֵשׁ לֹא תָנִיף עַל קָמַת רֵעֶךָ׃