Pisqa’ 205345H:220-221; JN2:98-100. 1. “Should you find a murder-victim” (Dt.21:1)— but not at a time when abandoned victims are plentiful. On this basis they taught: When murderers became common, they abolished the rite of the Beheaded Calf.346=M. Sotah 9:9; T. Sotah 14:1. This was when Elazar b. Dinai showed up, followed by Tekhinah b. Perishah. Known also as “the Boy Wonder,” he became notorious as “the Son of the Murderer.”347=M. Sotah 9:9. For details about the traditions of these obscure figures, see Albeck, 3:392-393, and Josephus, Antiquities XX 6.
2
חָלָל – וְלֹא חָנוּק. חָלָל – וְלֹא מְפַרְפֵּר.
“A murder victim” (Dt.21:1)—stabbed, but not strangled “A murder victim” (Dt.21:1)—but not still writhing.
3
בָּאֲדָמָה, וְלֹא טָמוּן בַּגַּל.
“On the ground” (Dt.21:1)—but not buried under debris.
4
נֹפֵל – וְלֹא תָלוּי בָּאִילָן.
“Fallen” (Dt.21:1)—but not hanging from a tree.
5
בַּשָּׂדֶה – וְלֹא צָף עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם.
“In a field” (Dt.21:1)—but not floating in the water.348=M. Sotah 9:2.
2. R. Elazar says: They used to behead the calf for any abandoned murder victim. Said R. Yose b. R. Judah to him: Now, if he was only strangled and then abandoned in a field, would they conduct the rite? No, they would behead the calf only for stabbing victims.350Cf. T. Sotah 9:1.
“And no one knows who stabbed him” (Dt.21:1). Thus—if it is known who stabbed him, and even of one [of the elders] had only seen him, they would not conduct the rite.
R. Akiva says: How do I know that if the court witnessed the murder, but could not identify the assailant, they would not conduct the rite? The Teaching states: “Our hands have not spilled this blood! Neither have our eyes seen it!” (Dt.21:7).351CF. T.Sotah 9:2.
3. “Then, your elders shall go out” (Dt.21:2)— the plural, elders, implies two. “And your justices” (Dt.21:2)— here are two more. Now, a court cannot yield a split decision, so they add one more justice, and now there are five: words of R. Judah.352//M. Sotah 9:1. R. Shimon says: “Your elders and your justices” (Dt.21:2)— one of each, yielding two. Now, a court cannot yield a split decision, so they add one more justice, And now there are three!353Cf. M. Sotah 9:1.
4. “And they measured to the cities” (Dt.21:2)— measuring from the victim to the cities, but not from the cities to the victim. On this basis they taught: If his head was found lying in one place, and his body was found lying in another place, they bring the head to the body: words of R. Eliezer. R. Akiva says: They bring the body to the head!354= M. Sotah 9:3. If the victim is found close to the border [of a gentile population], or near a city where there are gentiles, or near a city in which there is no [Israelite] court, they would not measure to these cities. They measure only to one In which there is an [Israelite] court.355Cf. T. Sotah 9:1.
(דברים כא א) כִּי יִמָּצֵא – וְלֹא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁמָּצוּי. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (סוטה ט ט): מִשֶּׁרַבּוּ הָרַצְחָנִים בָּטְלָה עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה, מִשֶּׁבָּא אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן דִּינַאי וּתְחִינָה בֶן פְּרִישָׁה. [״בֶּן פְּרִישָׁה״] הָיָה נִקְרָא – חָזְרוּ לִקְרוֹתוֹ ״בֶּן הָרַצְחָן״.
Pisqa’ 205345H:220-221; JN2:98-100.
1. “Should you find a murder-victim” (Dt.21:1)—
but not at a time
when abandoned victims are plentiful.
On this basis they taught:
When murderers became common,
they abolished the rite of the Beheaded Calf.346=M. Sotah 9:9; T. Sotah 14:1.
This was when Elazar b. Dinai showed up,
followed by Tekhinah b. Perishah.
Known also as “the Boy Wonder,”
he became notorious as “the Son of the Murderer.”347=M. Sotah 9:9. For details about the traditions of these obscure figures, see Albeck, 3:392-393, and Josephus, Antiquities XX 6.
חָלָל – וְלֹא חָנוּק. חָלָל – וְלֹא מְפַרְפֵּר.
“A murder victim” (Dt.21:1)—stabbed, but not strangled
“A murder victim” (Dt.21:1)—but not still writhing.
בָּאֲדָמָה, וְלֹא טָמוּן בַּגַּל.
“On the ground” (Dt.21:1)—but not buried under debris.
נֹפֵל – וְלֹא תָלוּי בָּאִילָן.
“Fallen” (Dt.21:1)—but not hanging from a tree.
בַּשָּׂדֶה – וְלֹא צָף עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם.
“In a field” (Dt.21:1)—but not floating in the water.348=M. Sotah 9:2.
אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ – לְרַבּוֹת עֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן.
“Which HASHEM your God is giving you” (Dt.21:1)—
including murder victims found in the Trans-jordan.349//T. Sotah 9:1.
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹמֵר: בְּכֻלָּם הָיוּ עוֹרְפִים! אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה: וְכִי אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא חָנוּק וּמֻשְׁלָךְ בַּשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁמָּא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִים? אֶלָּא בְּכֻלָּם אִם הָיָה חָלָל – עוֹרְפִים.
2. R. Elazar says:
They used to behead the calf
for any abandoned murder victim.
Said R. Yose b. R. Judah to him:
Now, if he was only strangled
and then abandoned in a field,
would they conduct the rite?
No, they would behead the calf
only for stabbing victims.350Cf. T. Sotah 9:1.
לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ, הָא אִם נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ, וַאֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד מֵהֶן רָאָהוּ – לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִים.
“And no one knows who stabbed him” (Dt.21:1).
Thus—if it is known who stabbed him,
and even of one [of the elders] had only seen him,
they would not conduct the rite.
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר: מִנַּיִן רָאוּהוּ בֵּית דִּין שֶׁהָרַג, וְלֹא הָיוּ מַכִּירִים אוֹתוֹ – לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְעָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכֻה אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה״ וְגוֹ׳.
R. Akiva says:
How do I know that
if the court witnessed the murder,
but could not identify the assailant,
they would not conduct the rite?
The Teaching states:
“Our hands have not spilled this blood!
Neither have our eyes seen it!” (Dt.21:7).351CF. T.Sotah 9:2.
(דברים כא ב) וְיָצְאוּ זְקֵנֶיךָ, זְקֵנֶיךָ – שְׁנַיִם, וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ – שְׁנַיִם, אֵין בֵּית דִּין שָׁקוּל – מוֹסִיפִים עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹד אֶחָד, הֲרֵי כָּאן חֲמִשָּׁה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר: זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ – שְׁנַיִם, אֵין בֵּית דִּין שָׁקוּל – מוֹסִיפִים עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹד אֶחָד, הֲרֵי כָּאן שְׁלֹשָׁה.
3. “Then, your elders shall go out” (Dt.21:2)—
the plural, elders, implies two.
“And your justices” (Dt.21:2)—
here are two more.
Now, a court cannot yield a split decision,
so they add one more justice,
and now there are five:
words of R. Judah.352//M. Sotah 9:1.
R. Shimon says:
“Your elders and your justices” (Dt.21:2)—
one of each, yielding two.
Now, a court cannot yield a split decision,
so they add one more justice,
And now there are three!353Cf. M. Sotah 9:1.
וּמָדְדוּ אֶל הֶעָרִים, מִן הֶחָלָל אֶל הֶעָרִים, וְלֹא מִן הֶעָרִים אֶל הֶחָלָל. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: נִמְצָא רֹאשׁוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד וְגוּפוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר – מוֹלִיכִים אֶת הָרֹאשׁ אֵצֶל הַגּוּף, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: הַגּוּף אֵצֶל הָרֹאשׁ. נִמְצָא סָמוּךְ לַסְּפָר, אוֹ לְעִיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ גּוֹיִם, אוֹ לְעִיר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ בֵּית דִּין – לֹא הָיוּ מוֹדְדִים. אֵין מוֹדְדִים אֶלָּא לְעִיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ בֵּית דִּין!
4. “And they measured to the cities” (Dt.21:2)—
measuring from the victim to the cities,
but not from the cities to the victim.
On this basis they taught:
If his head was found lying in one place,
and his body was found lying in another place,
they bring the head to the body:
words of R. Eliezer.
R. Akiva says:
They bring the body to the head! 354= M. Sotah 9:3.
If the victim is found close to
the border [of a gentile population],
or near a city where there are gentiles,
or near a city in which there is no [Israelite] court,
they would not measure to these cities.
They measure only to one
In which there is an [Israelite] court.355Cf. T. Sotah 9:1.