Reeh 13:7 · unit 3

TT #129 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:7

The Complete Passuk

כִּ֣י יְסִֽיתְךָ֡ אָחִ֣יךָ בֶן־אִ֠מֶּךָ אֽוֹ־בִנְךָ֨ אֽוֹ־בִתְּךָ֜ א֣וֹ ׀ אֵ֣שֶׁת חֵיקֶ֗ךָ א֧וֹ רֵֽעֲךָ֛ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּנַפְשְׁךָ֖ בַּסֵּ֣תֶר לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵֽלְכָ֗ה וְנַעַבְדָה֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה וַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃

If your brother, the son of your mother, or your son or your daughter or the wife of your bosom or your friend who is as your own soul, entices you in secret, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” that you have not known, you or your fathers.

Chabad.org — 13:7

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָחִיךָ בֶן אִמֶּךָ – וְכִי בֶּן אֵם מֵסִית וּבֶן אָב אֵינוֹ מֵסִית. אָמַר אַבַּיֵי, לֹא מִבַּעְיָא קָאָמַר, לֹא מִבַּעְיָא בֶּן אָב דְּסָנֵי לֵיהּ וּמְיַעֵץ לוֹ עֵצוֹת רָעוֹת, אֶלָּא אֲפִלּוּ בֶּן אֵם דְּלֹא סָנֵי לֵיהּ אֵימָא יְצַיֵּית לֵיהּ, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

English: “Your brother, the son of your mother” — Does a mother’s son entice while a father’s son does not? Abaye said: The verse states the less obvious case. It is not necessary to mention the son of the father, who hates him and gives him bad counsel; but even the son of the mother, who does not hate him, one might have thought he would listen to him — therefore the verse teaches that even he is included.

On the daf / in context: The verse deliberately chooses the closer, less antagonistic relative in order to teach that the prohibition applies even when the enticer is one who is ordinarily trusted and beloved.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sanhedrin) — the choice of “son of your mother” teaches that even a trusted relative is included in the law of the mesis.

What Is Learned

Even a beloved relative such as a maternal brother is included in the prohibition of the mesis; the law is not limited to hostile relatives.