Vayeishev 37:21 · unit 1
Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 37:21
The Complete Passuk
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ׃
And Reuven heard it, and delivered him out of their hand; and said: Let us not take his life.
Chabad / Judaica Press
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Makkos 10a.
Sefaria — Makkos 10a
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
וַיִּשְׁמַע רְאוּבֵן וַיַּצִּלֵהוּ מִיָּדָם — מִכָּאן שֶׁהַמַּצִּיל אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ מִן הַמִּיתָה זָכֶה בּוֹ.
English: “And Reuven heard and delivered him from their hand” — from here we learn that one who saves his fellow from death acquires a merit thereby.
On the daf / in context: Makkos 10a discusses the reward and responsibility of one who intervenes to prevent bloodshed.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. Reuven’s intervention is read as establishing the principle of saving a life.
What Is Learned
One who saves another from death gains merit. Reuven’s act of delivering Yosef from the brothers’ plan illustrates this principle.