And nothing of the devoted thing shall cling to your hand, in order that Hashem may turn from His burning anger and grant you compassion and be compassionate to you and multiply you as He swore to your fathers.
English: “And He will grant you compassion and be compassionate to you” — Regarding the minor children of the people of an ir ha-nidachas, Rabbi Eliezer says they are put to death. How then do I fulfill “and He will grant you compassion”? Lest the court say, “We are making an ir ha-nidachas and tomorrow the relatives will harbor hatred against us.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I will fill them with compassion and place love for you in their hearts.”
On the daf / in context: Even when the court must carry out the severe law of the condemned city, Hashem promises to plant compassion in the hearts of the bereaved relatives so that they will accept the justice of the verdict.
Type of Learning
Derash on the verse (Sanhedrin) — divine assurance of reconciliation after the judgment of the ir ha-nidachas.
What Is Learned
Hashem fills the relatives of those executed in an ir ha-nidachas with compassion so that they accept the court’s judgment.