Chapter 19

אתכין לך הדרך. "מִקְלָט", "מִקְלָט" הָיָה כָתוּב עַל פָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים (מכות י'):

1תכין לך הדרך THOU SHALT PREPARE THEE A WAY — “Refuge!” "Refuge!" was inscribed at each crossroad (to point the way to the nearest city of refuge) (Makkot 10b).

בושלשת את גבול ארצך. שֶׁיְּהֵא מִתְּחִלַּת הַגְּבוּל עַד הָעִיר הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל עָרֵי מִקְלָט כְּשִׁעוּר מַהֲלָךְ שֶׁיֵּשׁ מִמֶּנָּה עַד הַשְּׁנִיָּה וְכֵן מִשְּׁנִיָּה לַשְּׁלִישִׁית וְכֵן מִן הַשְּׁלִישִׁית עַד הַגְּבוּל הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (שם ט'):

2ושלשת את גבול ארצך AND THOU SHALT DIVIDE THE TERRITORY OF THY LAND … INTO THREE PARTS — so that from the point where the boundary begins unto the first city of refuge there should be the same length of journey as there is from it to the second city; and that there should be the same distance from the second to the third and from the third to the other (opposite) boundary of the Land of Israel (Makkot 9b).

אונדחה ידו. כְּשֶׁבָּא לְהַפִּיל הַגַּרְזֶן עַל הָעֵץ, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וְתִתְמְרֵיג יְדֵיהּ", לְשׁוֹן וְנִשְׁמְטָה יָדוֹ לְהַפִּיל מַכַּת הַגַּרְזֶן עַל הָעֵץ, "כִּי שָׁמְטוּ הַבָּקָר" (שמואל ב ו') תִּרְגֵּם יוֹנָתָן "אֲרֵי מַרְגוּהִי תּוֹרַיָּא":

1ונדחה ידו AND HIS HAND MOVED (SLIPPED) when he was about to let the axe fall upon the tree. The Targum rendering is ותתמריג ידה, the meaning being, “his hand moved itself to let the stroke of the axe fall upon the tree”. The words (II Samuel 6:6) כי שמטו הבקר are rendered in Targum Jonathan on by: ארי מרגוהי תוריא “for the oxen moved it (the Ark)”

בונשל הברזל מן העץ. יֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אוֹמְרִים נִשְׁמַט הַבַּרְזֶל מִקַּתּוֹ, וְיֵש מֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים שֶׁיִּשַּׁל הַבַּרְזֶל חֲתִיכָה מִן הָעֵץ הַמִּתְבַּקֵּעַ וְהִיא נִתְּזָה וְהָרְגָה (מכות ז'):

2ונשל הברזל מן העץ — Some of our Rabbis say that this means that the iron (axe) flew off from its handle (העץ); but some of them say that it means that the iron made a splinter of wood fall off from the tree which was being chopped, and it sprang off and killed him (according to this explanation the word העץ in both cases refers to the tree) (Makkot 7b).

אפן ירדף גאל הדם. לְכָךְ אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לְהָכִין לְךָ דֶּרֶךְ וְעָרֵי מִקְלָט רַבִּים:

1פן ירדף גאל הדם LEST THE AVENGER OF THE BLOOD PURSUE [THE SLAYER] — therefore I tell you to prepare the way for you and [to prepare] many cities of refuge.

אואם ירחיב … כאשר נשבע. לָתֵת לְךָ אֶרֶץ קֵינִי וּקְנִזִּי וְקַדְמוֹנִי:

1ואם ירחיב … כאשר נשבע AND IF [THE LORD THY GOD] ENLARGE [THY TERRITORY], AS HE HATH SWORN [UNTO THY FATHERS] to give thee the land of the Kenite, the Kenizzite and the Kadmonite (Sifrei Devarim 184:3).

אויספת לך עוד שלש. הֲרֵי תֵשַׁע, שָׁלוֹשׁ שֶׁבְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וְשָׁלוֹשׁ שֶׁבְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וְשָׁלוֹשׁ לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא (ספרי):

1ויספת לך עוד שלש THEN THOU SHALT ADD THREE [CITIES] MORE FOR THEE — Thus you have nine altogether: the three on the east side of the Jordan, the three in the land of Canaan and three more in the future to come when God will enlarge thy territory (Sifrei Devarim 185:1).

אוכי יהיה איש שנא לרעהו. עַל יְדֵי שִׂנְאָתוֹ הוּא בָא לִידֵי וארב לו, מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ עָבַר אָדָם עַל מִצְוָה קַלָּה, סוֹפוֹ לַעֲבֹר עַל מִצְוָה חֲמוּרָה, לְפִי שֶׁעָבַר עַל לֹא תִשְׂנָא (ויקרא י"ט), סוֹפוֹ לָבֹא לִידֵי שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וְכִי יִהְיֶה אִישׁ שֹׂנֵא לְרֵעֵהוּ וְגוֹ'", שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לִכְתֹּב וְכִי יָקוּם אִישׁ וְאָרַב לְרֵעֵהוּ וְהִכָּהוּ נָפֶשׁ (ספרי):

1וכי יהיה איש שנא לרעהו BUT IF A MAN HATE HIS FELLOW [AND LIE IN WAIT FOR HIM] — It is through his hatred that he comes to such a point as to “lie in wait for him”. From here they (the Rabbis) derived their statement: If a man transgresses a light command he will in the end transgress a weighty command; — because he transgressed the command (Leviticus 19:17) “Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart”, he will in the end come to such a point as to shed blood. It is for this reason that it is stated here, apparently redundantly, “but if a man hate his fellow [and lie in wait for him]”, for it ought to have written only: “But if a man rise up and lie in wait for his fellow and smite him mortally” (Sifrei Devarim 186:2).

אלא תחוס עינך. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר הָרִאשׁוֹן כְּבָר נֶהֱרַג, לָמָּה אָנוּ הוֹרְגִים אֶת זֶה וְנִמְצְאוּ שְׁנֵי יִשְׂרְאֵלִים הֲרוּגִים? (שם):

1לא תחוס עינך THINE EYE SHALL NOT PITY [HIM] — i.e. that thou shall not say, The first (the one) person has already been killed, why should we kill this also, so that two Israelites will be killed? (Sifrei Devarim 187:7).

אלא תסיג גבול. לְשׁוֹן "נָסֹגוּ אָחוֹר" (ישעיהו מ"ב), שֶׁמַּחֲזִיר סִימַן חֲלֻקַּת הַקַּרְקַע לְאָחוֹר לְתוֹךְ שְׂדֵה חֲבֵרוֹ לְמַעַן הַרְחִיב אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ; וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר "לֹא תִגְזֹל" (ויקרא י"ט), מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לֹא תַסִּיג? לִמֵּד עַל הָעוֹקֵר תְּחוּם חֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁעוֹבֵר בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוִין. יָכוֹל אַף בְּחוּץ לָאָרֶץ? תַּ"לֹ בנחלתך אשר תנחל וגו', בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבֵר בִּשְׁנֵי לָאוִין, וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ אֵינוֹ עוֹבֵר אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם לֹא תִגְזֹל (ספרי):

1לא תסיג גבול THOU SHALT NOT REMOVE [THY FELLOW-MAN’S] LANDMARK — תסיג is of the same meaning as (Isaiah 42:17) “they are turned back (נסגו אחור)”. The meaning is, that one moves the mark that shows the division of the land (i.e. the division between two adjoining fields) backwards into the field of his neighbour in order thereby to enlarge his own. — But does it not already state. (Leviticus 19:13) “Thou shalt not rob”, why, then, is it also commanded “Thou shalt not remove the landmark”? It teaches that one who obliterates his neighbour’s border line transgresses two negative commands (לא תגזול and לא תסיג). One might think that this is the case also if one does so outside the Land of Israel! Scripture, however, states, “in thine inheritance which thou shalt inherit [in the land]”;— thus in the Land of Israel one who does this transgresses two negative commands, whilst outside the Land he transgresses only the command of לא תגזול (Sifrei Devarim 188:1-2).

אעד אחד. זֶה בָנָה אָב – כָּל עֵד שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה שְׁנַיִם אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן פֵּרֵט לְךָ בוֹ אֶחָד (סנהדרין ל'):

1עד אחד ONE WITNESS [SHALL NOT RISE UP AGAINST A MAN FOR ANY INIQUITY] — This is the classic passage from which the general principle is derived that wherever the term “witness” (עד) occurs in the Torah, it means two witnesses, unless it specifically mentions in connection with it the word אחד (Sanhedrin 30a).

בלכל עון ולכל חטאת. לִהְיוֹת חֲבֵרוֹ נֶעֱנָשׁ עַל עֵדוּתוֹ, לֹא עֹנֶשׁ גּוּף וְלֹא עֹנֶשׁ מָמוֹן, אֲבָל קָם הוּא לִשְׁבוּעָה; אָמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ תֵּן לִי מָנֶה שֶׁהִלְוִיתִיךָ, אָמַר לוֹ אֵין לְךָ בְיָדִי כְּלוּם וְעֵד אֶחָד מְעִידוֹ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ, חַיָּב לִשָּׁבַע לוֹ (שבועות מ'):

2לכל עון ולכל חטאת [ONE WITNESS SHALL NOT RISE UP AGAINST A PERSON] FOR ANY INIQUITY OR ANY SIN — i.e. that his fellow man should be punished on account of his evidence either by bodily punishment or by a monetary punishment; but he may rise up against his fellow men to compel him to take an oath. If, for instance, one says to his fellow, “Return me the maneh which I lent you”, and he replies “I have nothing of yours in my possession”, and one witness testifies that he has, he (the defendant) must take an oath to satisfy him (Shevuot 40a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 188:9).

געל פי שני עדים. וְלֹא שֶׁיִּכְתְּבוּ עֵדוּתָם בְּאִגֶּרֶת וְיִשְׁלְחוּ לְבֵית דִּין, וְלֹא שֶׁיַּעֲמֹד תֻּרְגְּמָן בֵּין הָעֵדִים וּבֵין הַדַּיָּנִים (ספרי):

3על פי שני עדים [AT THE MOUTH OF TWO WITNESSES ... SHALL THE MATTER BE ESTABLISHED] — at their mouth, but not that they may write their evidence down in a letter and send it to the court, nor that an interpreter stand between the witnesses and the judges (Sifrei Devarim 188:10).

אלענות בו סרה. דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ, שֶׁהוּסַר הָעֵד הַזֶּה מִכָּל הָעֵדוּת הַזֹּאת. כֵּיצַד? שֶׁאָמְרוּ לָהֶם וַהֲלֹא עִמָּנוּ הֱיִיתֶם אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם בְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי (מכות ה'):

1לענות בו סרה [IF A WITNESS FOR VIOLENCE RISE UP AGAINST A MAN] TO TESTIFY AGAINST HIM סרה — i.e. a thing which does not exist at all; this term is used because this witness is far removed (הוסר) from having anything to do with this testimony. How is this? (Give an example of such a case)?! That two other witnesses say, “But were you not with us on that day (when you say you saw the defendant committing this crime) in such and such a place (different from that where the alleged crime, according to you, has taken place)?!” (Makkot 5a).

אועמדו שני האנשים. בְּעֵדִים הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר וְלִמֵּד שֶׁאֵין עֵדוּת בְּנָשִׁים, וְלִמֵּד שֶׁצְּרִיכִין לְהָעִיד עֵדוּתָן מֵעוֹמֵד (שבועות ל'):

1ועמדו שני האנשים THEN BOTH THE MEN ... SHALL STAND [BEFORE THE LORD] — Scripture here is referring to the witnesses, and teaches firstly that no evidence is valid when given by women, and teaches secondly that they (the witnesses) must submit their testimony while standing (Shevuot 30a; cf. Sifrei Devarim 190:1-3).

באשר להם הריב. אֵלּוּ בַעֲלֵי הַדִּין:

2אשר להם הריב BETWEEN WHOM THE STRIFE IS — this refers to the contestants (Sanhedrin 19a).

גלפני ה'. יִהְיֶה דּוֹמֶה לָהֶם כְּאִלּוּ עוֹמְדִין לִפְנֵי הַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים פ"ב) בְּקֶרֶב אֱלֹהִים יִשְׁפֹּט (סנהדרין ו'):

3'לפני ה BEFORE THE LORD — It should seem to them as though they are standing before the Omnipresent God, for it is said, (Psalms 82:1) “He (God) judges amongst the judges” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 190:5; Sanhedrin 6b).

דאשר יהיו בימים ההם. יִפְתָּח בְּדוֹרוֹ כִּשְׁמוּאֵל בְּדוֹרוֹ, צָרִיךְ אַתָּה לִנְהֹג בּוֹ כָּבוֹד:

4אשר יהיו בימים ההם [AND THEY ... SHALL STAND BEFORE ... THE JUDGES] WHO SHALL BE IN THOSE DAYS — The apparently redundant words “who shall be in those days” suggest: Jephthah in his generation must be regarded as was Samuel in his generation: you must treat him with respect (Rosh Hashanah 25b; cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 17:9 and Deuteronomy 26:3).

אודרשו השפטים היטב. עַל פִּי הַמְזִמִּין אוֹתָם, שֶׁבּוֹדְקִים וְחוֹקְרִים אֶת הַבָּאִים לַהֲזִימָם בִּדְרִישָׁה וַחֲקִירָה:

1ודרשו השפטים היטב AND THE JUDGES SHALL DILIGENTLY ENQUIRE concerning the statement of those who assert them (the first witnesses) to be “plotting witnesses”, in that they investigate and crossexamine those who assert them to be “plotting witnesses” by diligent enquiry and scrutiny.

בוהנה עד שקר העד. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר עֵד — בִּשְׁנַיִם הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר:

2והנה עד שקר העד AND, BEHOLD, IF THE WITNESS BE A FALSE WITNESS — Wherever עד is written, [except if the numeral אחד, “one” is added (cf. Rashi on v. 15)], Scripture is speaking of two witnesses (Sanhedrin 30a).

אכאשר זמם. וְלֹא כַאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה, מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ הָרְגוּ אֵין נֶהֱרָגִין (מכות ה'):

1כאשר זמם [THEN SHALL YE DO UNTO HIM] AS HE HAD INTENDED TO HAVE DONE [UNTO HIS BROTHER] — as he had intended to do, but not as he has done! Hence they (the Rabbis) stated that if they (the false witnesses) have already killed (i.e. if by their evidence the defendant has already been executed) they are not put to death (Makkot 5b).

בלעשות לאחיו. מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לאחיו? לִמֵּד עַל זוֹמְמֵי בַת כֹּהֵן נְשׂוּאָה שֶׁאֵינָן בִּשְׂרֵפָה אֶלָּא כְּמִיתַת הַבּוֹעֵל שֶׁהִיא בְחֶנֶק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כ"א) "הִיא בָאֵשׁ תִּשָּׂרֵף" – הִיא וְלֹא בוֹעֲלָהּ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר כָּאן לאחיו, כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם לַעֲשׂוֹת לְאָחִיו, וְלֹא כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם לַעֲשׂוֹת לַאֲחוֹתוֹ, אֲבָל בְּכָל שְׁאָר מִיתוֹת הִשְׁוָה הַכָּתוּב אִשָּׁה לְאִישׁ וְזוֹמְמֵי אִשָּׁה נֶהֱרָגִין כְּזוֹמְמֵי אִישׁ, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהֱעִידוּהָ שֶׁהָרְגָה אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, שֶׁחִלְּלָה אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, נֶהֱרָגִין בְּמִיתָתָהּ, שֶׁלֹּא מִעֵט כָּאן אֲחוֹתוֹ אֶלָּא בְמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ לְקַיֵּם בָּהֶן הֲזַמָּה כְּמִיתַת הַבּוֹעֵל (ספרי; סנהדרין צ'):

2לעשות לאחיו [THEN SHALL YE DO UNTO HIM AS HE HAD INTENDED] TO HAVE DONE TO HIS BROTHER — What is the force of לאחיו? Would it not have sufficed to state כאשר זמם לעשות? But it teaches in regard to witnesses who have been proved to have “plotted” against a married daughter of a priest by an accusation of adultery, that they are not to be punished with burning (as would have been the punishment of the accused woman, if she had been found guilty), but with the death penalty to which the alleged adulterer would have been subject, which is strangulation. For it is said of such a woman, (Leviticus 21:9) “she shall be burnt to death” — ‘‘she”, but not her paramour (he is not burnt but strangled) — therefore it states here לאחיו, “unto his brother” — ‘‘[ye shall do unto him] as he had intended to have done to his brother” but not as he had intended to have done to his sister. This case, however, is an exception, but with regard to any other death penalties Scripture puts women on the same level with men, and consequently those who are proved to have “plotted” against a woman are made to suffer the same death penalty as those who are proved to have “plotted” against a man. For instance, they have testified against her that she killed a person, or that she desecrated the Sabbath, then they are made to suffer the death she would have suffered, for Scripture excludes here by the word אחיו the “plotting” witnesses from the death penalty of the sister (i.e. which the woman would have suffered) only because it is a case where the law regarding plotting witnesses can be applied to them by letting them suffer the death-penalty of the paramour (Sifrei Devarim 190:14; Sanhedrin 90a).

אישמעו ויראו. מִכָּאן שֶׁצְּרִיכִין הַכְרָזָה – אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי נֶהֱרָגִין עַל שֶׁהוּזַמּוּ בְּבֵית דִּין (סנהדרין פ"ט):

1ישמעו ויראו [AND THOSE WHO REMAIN] SHALL HEAR AND FEAR — From here we derive the law that a public announcement is required: “The men named so-and-so are to be executed because they have been convicted by the court as “plotting witnesses” (Sanhedrin 89a).

אעין בעין. מָמוֹן, וְכֵן שֵׁן בְּשֵׁן וְגוֹ' (ספרי; בבא קמא פ"ד):

1עין בעין EYE FOR EYE — i.e. monetary compensation; similarly also “tooth for tooth” etc. (Sifrei Devarim 190:16; Bava Kamma 84a; cf. also Rashi on Exodus 21:24).

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934 · Public domain · sefaria.org