The Sifrei Devarim, a collection of legal interpretations on Deuteronomy, really digs into this. Let's look at Deuteronomy 20:16: "But from the cities of these people… you shall not allow any soul to live." Sounds pretty definitive. The Sifrei emphasizes that this means slaying them "by the sword." No ambiguity there.
But then, the very next verse (Deuteronomy 20:17) says, "But you shall utterly destroy them." Now, this raises a question. Does "utterly destroy" mean we also can't take any spoils from their cities? The Sifrei anticipates this question. It points to Deuteronomy 6:11, "and houses full of all good," to clarify that taking the spoils was permitted. Okay, so destruction of life, but not necessarily of property. It seems there was a line.
And who exactly were these people we were commanded to wipe out? The text lists "the Chitti, the Emori, the Canaani, etc." But the Sifrei adds another group: the Girgashi. How does it do this? By linking the list to the phrase, "as the L-rd your G-d commanded you." This inclusion highlights the comprehensiveness of the divine command. No one gets a pass.
So, complete annihilation. Not so fast.
Deuteronomy 20:18 states the reason for all of this: "So that they not teach you to do according to all their abominations." And here's the kicker. The Sifrei derives a crucial lesson from this verse. It teaches us that if these nations repented, they were not to be killed. This isn't just about military conquest. It’s about preventing spiritual corruption. The ultimate goal wasn’t simply physical destruction, but spiritual safeguarding. If the people chose a different path, a path away from what were considered "abominations," then the decree of annihilation was lifted. Repentance, teshuva, could alter destiny.
What does this tell us? Perhaps that even within seemingly absolute commandments, there’s room for nuance, for repentance, for the possibility of change. It’s a reminder that the divine isn't bloodthirsty, but concerned with the moral and spiritual well-being of humanity. Even in the heat of conquest, the door to redemption remained open. It is up to us to see that door, and what it means for ourselves.