Reeh 13:9 · unit 6

TT #138 · 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 Sanhedrin.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְלֹא תַחְמֹל וְלֹא תְכַסֶּה עָלָיו – תַּנְיָא, אֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין בַּסַּנְהֶדְרִין זָקֵן וְסָרִיס וּמִי שֶׁאֵין לוֹ בָּנִים; רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מוֹסִיף אַף אַכְזָרִי, וַחֲלוּפֵיהֶן בְּמֵסִית.

English: “You shall not spare and you shall not conceal him” — It was taught: One may not seat on the Sanhedrin an elderly man, a eunuch, or one who has no children; Rabbi Yehudah adds even a cruel man. The opposite is true for a mesis.

On the daf / in context: The composition of the court is adjusted for the mesis case: traits that would normally disqualify a judge for excessive severity become desirable.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sanhedrin) — the court for a mesis is deliberately composed of sterner judges.

What Is Learned

For a mesis the Sanhedrin is seated with the opposite qualifications of those required for ordinary capital cases.