Derasha 1 on Shoftim 17:05

TT #32 · Parashas Shoftim · First Aliyah · Passuk 5

The Complete Passuk

וְהֽוֹצֵאתָ֣ אֶת־הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֡וּא אוֹ֩ אֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֨ה הַהִ֜וא אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָ֠שׂ֠וּ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֨ר הָרָ֤ע הַזֶּה֙ אֶל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֶת־הָאִ֕ישׁ א֖וֹ אֶת־הָאִשָּׁ֑ה וּסְקַלְתָּ֥ם בָּאֲבָנִ֖ים וָמֵֽתוּ׃

you shall take the man or the woman who did that wicked thing out to the public place, and you shall stone them, that man or woman, to death.—

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim.

Sefaria · Sifrei Devarim

Core Text of Chazal

האיש ההוא. ההוא ולא אנוס, ההוא ולא שוגג, ההוא ולא מוטעה.

English: “That man.” “That one” — and not one who acted under compulsion; “that one” — and not one who acted unwittingly; “that one” — and not one who was misled.

On the daf / in context

The demonstrative “ha-hu” is understood to require that the offender acted with full will, knowledge, and awareness; forced, accidental, or mistaken acts are excluded.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The word “ha-hu” is taken as a limiting expression that excludes incomplete mental states.

What Is Learned

Only a person who acted deliberately, knowingly, and without coercion is liable to the death penalty for idolatry under this verse.