Shoftim 19:05 · unit 9

TT #211 · Parashas Shoftim · Fifth Aliyah · Passuk 19:05

The Complete Passuk

וַאֲשֶׁר֩ יָבֹ֨א אֶת־רֵעֵ֥הוּ בַיַּעַר֮ לַחְטֹ֣ב עֵצִים֒ וְנִדְּחָ֨ה יָד֤וֹ בַגַּרְזֶן֙ לִכְרֹ֣ת הָעֵ֔ץ וְנָשַׁ֤ל הַבַּרְזֶל֙ מִן־הָעֵ֔ץ וּמָצָ֥א אֶת־רֵעֵ֖הוּ וָמֵ֑ת ה֗וּא יָנ֛וּס אֶל־אַחַ֥ת הֶעָרִים־הָאֵ֖לֶּה וָחָֽי׃

And one who comes with his fellow into the forest to chop wood, and his hand swings with the axe to cut the tree, and the iron slips from the wood and finds his fellow and he dies – he shall flee to one of these cities and live.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Makkot 7b.

TT lemma: לַחְטֹב עֵצִים.

Sefaria — Makkot 7b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
לַחְטֹב עֵצִים – מְלֶאכֶת הֶתֵּר.

English: ‘To chop wood’ – a permitted activity.

On the daf / in context: The context is ordinary, permitted labor.

Type of Learning

Derash on the nature of the activity (Bavli) — the verse assumes a normal, allowed occupation.

What Is Learned

The classic case assumes the killer was engaged in ordinary, permitted work when the accident occurred.