Va’eschanan 4:9 · unit 4

TT #26 · Parashas Va’eschanan · Passuk 4:9

The Complete Passuk

רַ֣ק הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֩ וּשְׁמֹ֨ר נַפְשְׁךָ֜ מְאֹ֗ד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וּפֶן־יָס֨וּרוּ֙ מִלְּבָ֣בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֥ם לְבָנֶ֖יךָ וְלִבְנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיךָ׃

Only take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that your eyes have seen…

Chabad.org — 4:9

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Menachos 99b (R’ Meir: one who forgets even a single item of his learning is regarded as liable for his life).

Sefaria — Menachos 99b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנֵן, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַשּׁוֹכֵחַ דָּבָר אֶחָד מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ.

English: We learned in a mishnah, R’ Meir says: Anyone who forgets even one item of his learning — Scripture regards him as if he is liable for his life, as it is said “and watch your soul very much, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen.”

On the daf / in context: The derasha applies only when the forgetting results from negligence (failure to review); if the material is simply too difficult, the verse itself limits the liability (“and lest they depart from your heart” — only when one actively removes them).

Type of Learning

Diyuk of “pen tishkach… asher ra’u einecha” — forgetting through neglect is treated as a capital-level failure.

What Is Learned

One who, through neglect, forgets even a single item of Torah is regarded by Scripture as having endangered his life; constant review is therefore obligatory.