Shoftim 21:01 · unit 4

TT #333 · Parashas Shoftim · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 21:01

The Complete Passuk

כִּֽי־יִמָּצֵ֣א חָלָ֗ל בָּאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ יְהֹוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֤ן לְךָ֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ נֹפֵ֖ל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע מִ֥י הִכָּֽהוּ׃

If a slain person is found in the land that the Eternal your God is giving you to possess, lying in the field, and it is not known who struck him.

Torah Temimah points to Sotah 45b / Sifrei.

TT lemma: לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ.

Core Text

לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ – הָא אִם נוֹדַע, אֲפִלּוּ אֶחָד בְּסוֹף הָעוֹלָם, לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין.

English: ‘It is not known who struck him’ – but if it is known, even if the killer is at the end of the world, they do not break the neck.

On the daf / in context: Knowledge of the killer cancels the rite.

Derash on the condition of unknown killer (Bavli / Sifrei) — once the identity is known the eglah is not performed.

If the identity of the killer becomes known, even if he is far away, the eglah arufah is not carried out.