Ki Seitzei 21:21 · unit 2

TT #86 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · First aliya · Passuk 21:21

The Complete Passuk

וּ֠רְגָמֻ֠הוּ כׇּל־אַנְשֵׁ֨י עִיר֤וֹ בָֽאֲבָנִים֙ וָמֵ֔ת וּבִֽעַרְתָּ֥ הָרָ֖ע מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ וְכׇל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יִשְׁמְע֥וּ וְיִרָֽאוּ׃

And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones and he shall die; and you shall burn out the evil from your midst, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

Chabad.org — 21:21

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim 220.

Sefaria — Sifrei Devarim 220

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ – עַקֹּר אֶת הָרָע מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל.

English: “And you shall burn out the evil from your midst” — uproot the evil from Israel.

On the daf / in context: The purpose of the severe penalty is the removal of a corrupting influence before it spreads. The same formula appears in other capital contexts.

Type of Learning

Derash on the purpose of the penalty.

What Is Learned

The execution is intended to remove a source of evil from the community before it spreads further.