Sifrei on Va'etchanan, Piska 27

Here is the text of Sifrei Devarim, Piska 27, which comments on the verse in Parashat Va'etchanan:

---

The Base Verse

The Sifrei on Va'etchanan generally comments on Deuteronomy 6:5:

וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל־נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל־מְאֹדֶךָ

"And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might."

---

Sifrei Devarim, Piska 27 — Text

"בכל לבבך" — בשני יצריך, ביצר טוב וביצר הרע.

"With all your heart" — with both your inclinations, the good inclination and the evil inclination.

"ובכל נפשך" — אפילו הוא נוטל את נפשך.

"And with all your soul" — even if He takes your soul.

"ובכל מאדך" — בכל ממונך.

"And with all your might" — with all your money/possessions.

דבר אחר: "בכל מאדך" — בכל מידה ומידה שהוא מודד לך, הוי מודה לו מאוד מאוד.

Another interpretation: "With all your might (me'odecha)" — for every measure (middah) that He measures out to you, give Him great (me'od me'od) thanks.

---

Commentary and Context

This passage is foundational and is quoted extensively in rabbinic literature:

1. "With both inclinations" — The Sifrei teaches that true love of God must engage even the Yetzer HaRa (evil inclination). This is cited by [Rashi, Deuteronomy 6:5] and elaborated in [Mishnah Berakhot 9:5].

2. "Even if He takes your soul" — This is the source for the concept of Kiddush Hashem — sanctifying God's name even unto death. The Talmud [Berakhot 61b] tells the famous story of Rabbi Akiva reciting the Shema while being martyred, embodying this very teaching.

3. "With all your money" — Some people, the Sifrei notes, hold their money more dear than their lives. Therefore the Torah specifies both nefesh and me'od — teaching that neither life nor possessions should be withheld from the love of God.

4. The second interpretation of me'od — The wordplay on מאד / מידה teaches that love of God must extend to all circumstances, both good and difficult, which connects to the Mishnaic teaching [Berakhot 9:5] to bless God for bad tidings just as one blesses Him for good tidings.

---

Important Note

⚠️ I must be transparent with you: No specific source text was retrieved from a database for this question. The text I have presented above is based on my training knowledge of Sifrei Devarim. The content and translation are accurate to the best of my knowledge, but:

• The exact piska numbering (27) can vary slightly between editions of Sifrei
• For study or citation purposes, please verify against a critical edition such as Finkelstein's edition of Sifrei Devarim or the Bar Ilan Responsa Project

Would you like me to discuss any of these teachings in greater depth, or explore how the Rishonim and Acharonim interpret this passage?