Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 207/ספרי דברים ר״ז
א(דברים כא ד) וְהוֹרִידוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִיא – מִצְוָה בְּזִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִיא.
1Pisqa’ 2073641. “Now, the elders of that city shall bring the calf down” (Dt. 21:4)—this is the obligation of the elders of that city.
באֶת הָעֶגְלָה אֶל נַחַל אֵיתָן – כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, קָשֶׁה; וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֵיתָן – כָּשֵׁר.
2“To a river-bed of rapids” (Dt. 21:4)—in the sense that it is difficult [to navigate].But even if it is not a rapids,the rite is fit.
געוֹרְפִים אוֹתָהּ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאֲחוֹרֶיהָ, וּמְקוֹמָהּ אָסוּר מִלִּזְרוֹעַ וּמִלַּעֲבוֹד. יָכוֹל יְהֵא אָסוּר לִסְרוֹק שָׁם פִּשְׁתָּן וּלְנַקֵּר שָׁם אֶת הָאֲבָנִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵעָבֵד בּוֹ וְלֹא יִזָּרֵעַ, זְרִיעָה בִּכְלָל הָיְתָה, וְלָמָּה יָצָאת? לְהַקִּישׁ אֵלֶיהָ – מָה זְרִיעָה מְיֻחֶדֶת שֶׁהִיא עֲבוֹדַת קַרְקַע; יָצְאוּ אֵלּוּ, שֶׁאֵין עֲבוֹדַת קַרְקַע.
3They behead the calffrom the back of its neckwith a cleaver.And the spot [at which it is killed]is forbidden from being sown orfrom being worked in any way. 365Is it possible to say thatit is forbidden as well to comb flax thereor to chisel stones there?The Teaching states:“Which had never been worked and had never been sown” (Dt. 21:4)—sowing [should be conceived] as an aspect of working.Why, then, is it singled out for special mention?To facilitate comparative inquiry:Just as sowing is distinctive,as work connected to the soil,this excludes from the rule these,which are not connected to the soil.
דוְעָרְפוּ שָׁם, נֶאֱמַר כָּאן עֲרִיפָה וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן (שמות יג יג) עֲרִיפָה, מָה עֲרִיפָה הָאֲמוּרָה כָּאן – עוֹרְפָהּ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאַחֲרֶיהָ, וְקוֹבְרָהּ, וַאֲסוּרָה בַּהֲנָיָה, אַף עֲרִיפָה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן – עוֹרְפָהּ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאֲחוֹרֶיהָ, וְקוֹבְרָהּ, וַאֲסוּרָה בַּהֲנָיָה.
42. “And they shall behead it there” (Dt. 21:4)—Here, beheading is mentioned, andelsewhere [in connection with the Firstling of an ass] (Ex 13:13) beheading is mentioned. Just as the beheading mentioned here (Dt. 21:4)requires beheading at the neck,and requires beheading with a cleaver,and requires beheading from behind,and requires burial of the carcass,and is forbidden for any benefit—So, too, the beheading mentioned elsewhere,requires beheading at the neck,and requires beheading with a cleaver,and requires beheading from behind,and requires burial of the carcass,and is forbidden for any benefit.
הבַּנָּחַל – אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֵיתָן.
5“In the river-bed” (Dt. 21:4)—even if it is not a rapids.