1)

What are the implications of "Zekeinecha ve'Shoftecha"?

1.

Rashi: "Zekeinecha" implies the Great Sanhedrin - the choice of your elders. 1

2.

Targum Yonasan: "Zekeinecha" implies two Chachamim, and "Shoftecha" three Dayanim (from the Sanhedrin), making five in all [who must go to measure].

3.

Sanhedrin 14a #1 (according to R. Yehudah): 'Zekenecha' implies two Dayanim, and 'Shoftecha' 2 two. And we add a fifth Dayan to make an odd number. 3

4.

Sanhedrin 14a #2 (according to R. Eliezer ben Ya'akov): "Zekenecha" refers to the Sanhedrin ha'Gadol and "Shoftecha", to the king 4 and the Kohen Gadol. 5 - all of whom must go out to where the murdered man is lying.


1

Which the Gemara in Sotah, 44b, learns via a Gezeirah Shavah "Zekeinecha" "Ziknei ha'Eidah" in Vayikra, 4:15.

2

The Gemara concludes that, according to R. Yehudah "Shoftecha" implies the Sanhedrin ha'Gadol, and he learns another two Dayanim from the 'Vav' in "ve'Shoftecha".

3

Since a Beis-Din may never consist of an even number of Dayanim.

4

As the Pasuk writes in Mishlei 29:4 "Melech be'Mishpat Ya'amid Aretz".

5

As the Torah writes in 17:9 "u'Vasa el ha'Kohanim ... ve'el ha'Shofet".

2)

What are the implicatons of "Ve'yatz'u Zekenecha ... "?

1.

Sotah, 44b: It implies that the Zekenim must go out personally and not send their Sheluchim. 1

2.

Yerushalmi Sanhedrin, 8:5: It implies that a lame person is not eligible to sit on the Sanhedrin. 2


1

It is not clear however, how the Gemara extrapolates it from the word "Ve'yatz'u - What else could the Torah have written?

2

See Torah Temimah citing Sanhedrin, Ibid. and note 16.

3)

From where and what are the Dayanim measuring?

1.

Rashi: From the corpse 1 to the surrounding towns in all directions, to determinee which is the nearest town. 2


1

See Sifsei Chachamim.

2

See Sifsei Chachamim and Torah Temimah, 19.

4)

From which part of the corpse do they measure?

1.

Ba'al ha'Turim: They measure from the head. 1

2.

Sotah 45b #1 (according to R. Eliezer): They measure from the navel. 2

3.

Sotah 45b #2 (according to R. Akiva): They measure from the nose. 3

4.

Sotah 45b #3 (according to R. Eliezer ben Ya'akov): They measure from the neck (where he became a corpse - Rosh in Pasuk 9).


1

As the Torah wrote in No'ach Bereishis, 7:22 "Nishmas Ru'ach Chayim be'Apav".

2

Rosh (in Pasuk 9) From where a fetus is initially created).

3

Rosh in Pasuk 9: The source of life. See Bereishis, 2:7,

5)

What are the implications of "u'Mad'du el he'Arim"?

1.

Refer to 21:2:5:1:

2.

Sifri: It implies that they must measure from the corpse to he towns and not vice-versa.

6)

What if it is obvious that one of the towns is the closest to the corpse?

1.

Sotah, 45a: "u'Mad'du el he'Arim" implies that it is a Mitzvah to measure, irrespective of whether they know which town is the closest or not.

7)

What if the corpse is found to be equidistant to two towns?

1.

Yerushalmi Sotah, 9:2: Then the two towns bring one Eglah Arufah between them and they stipulate that it covers the town to which it was actually the nearest. 1


1

See Torah Temimah, note 21.

Sefer: Perek: Pasuk:

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