Shoftim 21:03 · unit 1
TT #353 · Parashas Shoftim · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 21:03
The Complete Passuk
וְהָיָ֣ה הָעִ֔יר הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל וְלָֽקְח֡וּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֜וא עֶגְלַ֣ת בָּקָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־עֻבַּד֙ בָּ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מָשְׁכָ֖ה בְּעֹֽל׃
And it shall be, the city nearest to the slain person – the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked and that has not drawn a yoke.
Chabad / Judaica Press
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Sotah 45b–46a .
TT lemma: הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה אֶל הֶחָלָל .
Sefaria — Sotah 45b–46a
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה אֶל הֶחָלָל – אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְרֻבָּה בְּאוּכְלוּסִין.
English: ‘The city nearest to the slain person’ – even if it is not the most populous.
On the daf / in context: Proximity, not population size, determines which city performs the rite.
Type of Learning Derash on the criterion of nearness (Bavli) — the nearest city is charged regardless of its size.
What Is Learned The city that is geographically closest to the body is the one whose elders bring the eglah arufah.
Source pointed to by Torah Temimah. Only Chazal’s words and what they derived are presented. Ashkenazi transliteration.