Devarim 31:26

26 Take this sefer haTorah, and put it at the side of the Aron Brit Hashem Eloheichem, that it may be there for an ed (witness) against thee.

Devarim 31:26 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 31:26

Take this book of the law
Not Deuteronomy only, but the whole Pentateuch:

and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your
God;
not in the ark, for there were nothing there but the two tables of stone with the ten commands on them, ( 1 Kings 8:9 ) ; but on one side of it; the Targum of Jonathan says, it was

``put in a chest (or box) on the right side of the ark of the covenant;''

which is very probable. Jarchi observes, that the wise men of Israel are divided about it in the Talmud F5; some of them say there was a table (or ledge) that stood out from the ark without, and there it was put; others say it was put on the side of the tables of the law within the ark; the former are in the right:

that it may be therefore a witness against thee;
when they fall into idolatry or any other sin, a transgression of any of the laws therein contained.


FOOTNOTES:

F5 T. B. Bava Bathra, fol. 14. 1. 2.

Devarim 31:26 In-Context

24 And it came to pass, when Moshe had made an end of writing the divrei HaTorah hazot in a sefer, until they were finished,
25 That Moshe commanded the Levi’im, which bore the Aron Brit Hashem, saying,
26 Take this sefer haTorah, and put it at the side of the Aron Brit Hashem Eloheichem, that it may be there for an ed (witness) against thee.
27 For I know thy meri (rebellion), and thy oref hakasheh (stiff neck); behold, while I am yet alive with you today, ye have been mamrim (rebellious) against Hashem; and how much more after my death!
28 Gather unto me kol ziknei shvatim of you, and your shoterim, that I may speak these devarim in their hearing, and call Shomayim and Ha’Aretz to record as witnesses against them.
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