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Negative commandment · Lo Ta’aseh #49 of 613

Not to allow a single member of the seven [Canaanite] nations to live

שלא להחיות אדם משבעה עממים

Parashat Shoftim שופטים · Sefer HaChinuch #528

The verse · Devarim 20:16

רַק מֵעָרֵי הָעַמִּים הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה כׇּל־נְשָׁמָה

“But of the cities of these peoples, which the Lord thy God gives thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breathes:”

Read Devarim 20:16 in context on Sefaria

The Rambam’s words

Not to allow a single member of the seven [Canaanite] nations to live, as [Deuteronomy 20:16] states: "Do not allow a soul to live."

שלא להחיות אדם משבעה עממים, שנאמר "לא תחייה, כל נשמה" (דברים כ,טז).

Where in the Mishneh Torah

Hilchot Kings and Wars הלכות מלכים ומלחמות

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