Shoftim 21:01 · unit 6

TT #335 · 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 44b.

TT lemma: כִּי יִמָּצֵא.

Core Text

כִּי יִמָּצֵא – פְּרָט לְמָצוּי מִתְּחִלָּה.

English: ‘If it is found’ – excluding one that was already known from the beginning.

On the daf / in context: The discovery must be new.

Derash on the discovery (Bavli) — the law applies to a newly found body.

The rite is for a body that is discovered; one whose presence was already known does not initiate the procedure.