Midrash · Halachah

Sifrei Devarim 186/ספרי דברים קפ״ו

א(דברים יט י) וְלֹא יִשָּׁפֵךְ דָּם נָקִי... וְהָיָה עָלֶיךָ דָּמִים – לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.

1Pisqa’ 186-187²³⁸ labeled “186-187.” See Finkelstein’s comment at F:226, n.5. Ish-Shalom:108 suggests that the mss tradition has failed to mark a saliq pisqa’ between 186 and 187 (which would fall, in F: 226, at the middle of l.6). Pardo notes the problem in his commentary, loc. cit., and divides the text into two units, 186 and 187, as do RH and TA. H:206 and JN2:68 follow F without comment, labeling the material here “Pisqa’ 186-187.”1. “Innocent blood shall not be spilled . . . imposing upon you blood-guilt” (Dt. 19:10).Caution the court [to be vigilant about it]!²³⁹ 186.1{Pisqa 187}²⁴⁰

ב(דברים יט יא) ״כִּי יִהְיֶה אִישׁ שׂוֹנֵא לְרֵעֵהוּ וְאָרַב לוֹ וְקָם עָלָיו״, מִכָּן אָמְרוּ: עָבַר אָדָם עַל מִצְוָה קַלָּה – סוֹפוֹ לַעֲבוֹר עַל מִצְוָה חֲמוּרָה. עָבַר עַל (ויקרא יט יח) ״וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ״ – סוֹפוֹ לַעֲבוֹר עַל ״לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר״, וְעַל (ויקרא יט יז) ״לֹא תִשְׂנָא אֶת אָחִיךָ״, וְעַל (ויקרא כה לו) ״וְחֵי אָחִיךָ עִמָּךְ״ עַד שֶׁיָּבֹא לִידֵי שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים! לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״כִּי יִהְיֶה אִישׁ שׂוֹנֵא לְרֵעֵהוּ וְאָרַב לוֹ וְקָם עָלָיו״.

21. “If it happens that a person hates his kinsman, and lies in wait for him to attack him” (Dt. 19:11).On this basis they taught:If someone transgressesa simple commandment—[suffering no consequences]—he will eventually transgressan arduous commandment.If, for example, he transgressed“You shall love your kinsman as yourself” (Lv. 19:18),he will eventually transgress“Do not retaliate” (Lv. 19:18) or“Do not harbor a grudge” (Lv. 19:18), or“Do not hate your brother” (Lv. 19:17), or“So that your brother can live with you” (Lv. 25:36)—until, eventually, he’ll spill blood. ²⁴¹This is why it is said:“If it happens that a person hates his kinsman, and lies in wait for him to attack him,and wounds him mortally, and he dies—then he may take refuge in one of these cities” (Dt. 19:11).