Reeh 13:14 · unit 8

TT #154 · Parashas Reeh · Third Aliyah · Passuk 13:14

The Complete Passuk

יָצְא֞וּ אֲנָשִׁ֤ים בְּנֵֽי־בְלִיַּ֙עַל֙ מִקִּרְבֶּ֔ךָ וַיַּדִּ֛יחוּ אֶת־יֹשְׁבֵ֥י עִירָ֖ם לֵאמֹ֑ר נֵלְכָ֗ה וְנַעַבְדָ֛ה אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־יְדַעְתֶּֽם׃

Men, base fellows, have gone out from your midst and have led astray the inhabitants of their city, saying, “Let us go and serve other gods” that you have not known.

Chabad.org — 13:14

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וַיַּדִּיחוּ – וְלֹא שֶׁהוּדְּחוּ מֵאֲלֵיהֶן.

English: “And they have led astray” — and not that they strayed of their own accord.

On the daf / in context: If the inhabitants adopted idolatry spontaneously without external seducers, the city is not judged as an ir ha-nidachas; each person is treated as an ordinary individual idolater.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sanhedrin) — spontaneous adoption of idolatry does not create ir-ha-nidachas status.

What Is Learned

An ir ha-nidachas requires active seduction by others; if the people strayed on their own they are judged as individuals.