Va’eschanan 4:9 · unit 5

TT #27 · 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…

Chabad.org — 4:9

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to the Amoraic dispute on how many negative commandments are implied by the triple language of the verse (Reish Lakish / Ravina / R’ Nachman bar Yitzchak).

Sefaria — Menachos 99b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: כָּל הַשּׁוֹכֵחַ דָּבָר אֶחָד מִתַּלְמוּדוֹ עוֹבֵר בְּלָאו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח. רָבִינָא אָמַר: הִשָּׁמֶר וּפֶן — שְׁנֵי לָאוִין נִינְהוּ. רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק אָמַר: עוֹבֵר בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה לָאוִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח.

English: Reish Lakish said: Anyone who forgets one item of his learning violates a negative commandment… Ravina said: “hishamer” and “pen” are two separate lavin. R’ Nachman bar Yitzchak said: he violates three lavin, as it is said “hishamer lecha u-shmor nafshekha me’od pen tishkach.”

On the daf / in context: The multiple prohibitive expressions are counted as multiple distinct negative commandments against willful forgetting of Torah.

Type of Learning

Diyuk of the triple language (“hishamer / u-shmor / pen”) as multiple distinct lavin.

What Is Learned

Willful forgetting of Torah is prohibited by as many as three separate negative commandments derived from the language of this verse.