Reeh 13:13 · unit 3

TT #145 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:13

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע בְּאַחַ֣ת עָרֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֛ לָשֶׁ֥בֶת שָׁ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר׃

If you hear in one of your cities that Hashem your God is giving you to dwell there, saying,

Chabad.org — 13:13

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בְּאַחַת עָרֶיךָ – תַּנְיָא, אֵין עוֹשִׂין שָׁלֹשׁ עָרֵי נִדַּחַת, דִּכְתִיב בְּאַחַת, אֲבָל עוֹשִׂין אַחַת אוֹ שְׁתַּיִם, דִּכְתִיב עָרֶיךָ.

English: “In one of your cities” — It was taught: One may not declare three cities as ir ha-nidachas, because the verse says “in one”; but one may declare one or two, because the verse says “your cities.”

On the daf / in context: The singular “one” limits the number of cities that may be condemned at once, while the plural “your cities” permits more than a single city.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sanhedrin) — the numerical limit on cities that may be condemned together.

What Is Learned

At most two cities may be declared ir ha-nidachas; three may not.