Derasha 2 on Behar 25:30

Parashas Behar · Aliyah 5 · Passuk 25:30

The Complete Passuk

וְאִ֣ם לֹֽא־יִגָּאֵ֗ל עַד־מְלֹ֣את לוֹ֮ שָׁנָ֣ה תְמִימָה֒ וְקָ֨ם הַבַּ֧יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּעִ֛יר אֲשֶׁר־לֹ֥א חֹמָ֖ה לַצְּמִיתֻ֑ת לַקֹּנֶה֙ אֹת֔וֹ לְדֹרֹתָ֔יו לֹ֥א יֵצֵ֖א בַּיֹּבֵֽל׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Sifra (Torat Kohanim).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sifra
אֲשֶׁר לֹא חֹמָה. קְרִי בֵיהּ אֲשֶׁר לוֹ חֹמָה.

English: “Which has no wall.” Read it as “which has a wall.”

Type of Learning

Classical derasha (Sifra) — ketiv/keri style reading.

What Is Learned

The text is understood as referring to a city that has a wall (despite the written form), i.e., a properly walled city from the time of Yehoshua.