Shoftim 21:02 · unit 6

TT #352 · Parashas Shoftim · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 21:02

The Complete Passuk

וְיָצְא֥וּ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יךָ וּמָדְדוּ֙ אֶל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֥ת הֶחָלָֽל׃

Then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure to the cities that are around the slain person.

Torah Temimah points to Sotah 45b.

TT lemma: וּמָדְדוּ.

Core Text

וּמָדְדוּ – אֲפִלּוּ מְדִידָה גַּסָּה.

English: ‘And measure’ – even a rough measurement.

On the daf / in context: Precision is required, yet the process itself is what matters.

Derash on the act of measuring (Bavli) — the measurement must be done carefully to identify the nearest city.

The elders carefully measure the distances so that the nearest city is correctly identified and charged with the rite.