Reeh 13:9 · unit 3

TT #135 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:9

The Complete Passuk

לֹא־תֹאבֶ֣ה ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א תִשְׁמַ֖ע אֵלָ֑יו וְלֹא־תָח֧וֹס עֵינְךָ֣ עָלָ֗יו וְלֹֽא־תַחְמֹ֥ל וְלֹֽא־תְכַסֶּ֖ה עָלָֽיו׃

You shall not consent to him and you shall not hearken to him; your eye shall not pity him, and you shall not spare and you shall not conceal him.

Chabad.org — 13:9

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei.

Sefaria — Sifrei

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ – מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, שֶׁיָּכוֹל הוֹאִיל דִּכְתִיב וְלֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ אִי אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לַעֲמֹד עַל דָּמוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינְךָ עָלָיו.

English: “Your eye shall not pity him” — Why is this stated? One might have thought that since it is written “you shall not stand by the blood of your fellow” you may not stand by this one’s blood either; therefore the verse states “your eye shall not pity him.”

On the daf / in context: The ordinary prohibition against standing by while a fellow Jew is in danger is suspended for the mesis; the Torah demands the opposite attitude.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — the mesis is excluded from the protection of “lo sa’amod al dam rei’echa.”

What Is Learned

One must not pity the mesis; the ordinary duty to save a fellow Jew does not protect him.