Shoftim 21:04 · unit 5
TT #365 · Parashas Shoftim · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 21:04
The Complete Passuk
וְהוֹרִ֡דוּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֤וא אֶת־הָעֶגְלָה֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל אֵיתָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יֵעָבֵ֥ד בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִזָּרֵ֑עַ וְעָֽרְפוּ־שָׁם֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֶגְלָ֔ה בַּנָּ֖חַל׃
And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a hard valley that has not been worked and has not been sown, and they shall break the neck of the heifer there in the valley.
Chabad / Judaica Press
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Sotah 46b .
TT lemma: נַחַל אֵיתָן .
Sefaria — Sotah 46b
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
נַחַל אֵיתָן – שֶׁיִּהְיֶה אֵיתָן.
English: ‘A hard valley’ – that it shall be hard.
On the daf / in context: The physical character of the place is essential.
Type of Learning Derash requiring hardness (Bavli) — a soft or cultivated valley is invalid.
What Is Learned The place of the rite must be a hard, rough valley that has never been cultivated.
Source pointed to by Torah Temimah. Only Chazal’s words and what they derived are presented. Ashkenazi transliteration.