Derasha 1 on Shoftim 17:12

TT #78 · Parashas Shoftim · First Aliyah · Passuk 12

The Complete Passuk

וְהָאִ֞ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֣ה בְזָד֗וֹן לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤עַ אֶל־הַכֹּהֵן֙ הָעֹמֵ֞ד לְשָׁ֤רֶת שָׁם֙ אֶת־יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ א֖וֹ אֶל־הַשֹּׁפֵ֑ט וּמֵת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הַה֔וּא וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Should the losing party act presumptuously and disregard the priest charged with serving there the Eternal your God, or the magistrate, that person shall die. Thus you will sweep out evil from Israel:

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin / Sifrei.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

אשר יעשה. בזדון — פרט לשוגג.

English: Who acts — presumptuously — excluding one who acts unwittingly.

On the daf / in context

Only deliberate, knowing defiance of the high court’s ruling incurs the death penalty.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — not a formal named middah of the 13.

What Is Learned

The death penalty for rebellion against the court applies only to intentional, high-handed disobedience.