Shoftim 19:21 · unit 3

TT #273 · Parashas Shoftim · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 19:21

The Complete Passuk

וְלֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶ֑ךָ נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּנֶ֗פֶשׁ עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ שֵׁ֣ן בְּשֵׁ֔ן יָ֥ד בְּיָ֖ד רֶ֥גֶל בְּרָֽגֶל׃

And your eye shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim 190 / Makkos.

TT lemma: וְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ.

Core Text

וְלֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ – שֶׁלֹּא תְלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת.

English: ‘And your eye shall not pity’ – that you not find grounds to acquit him.

On the daf / in context: No misplaced mercy for the zomemim.

Derash against misplaced pity (Sifrei) — the court must not spare the conspiring witnesses.

The court must not pity the malicious witnesses; the full measure of their plot is applied so that the evil is purged.