Ki Seitzei 21:23 · unit 1

TT #93 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · Second Aliyah · Passuk 21:23

The Complete Passuk

לֹא־תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל־הָעֵץ כִּי־קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא כִּי־קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים תָּלוּי וְלֹא תְטַמֵּא אֶת־אַדְמָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה׃

His body shall not remain overnight on the tree; rather you shall bury him on that same day, for a hanging person is a curse of God, and you shall not defile your land that Hashem your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Chabad.org — 21:23

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin 46a.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 46a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: מִנַּיִן לַמְלִין אֶת מֵתוֹ שֶׁעוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ.

English: The Sages taught: From where is it derived that one who leaves his dead overnight transgresses a negative commandment? The verse states, “His body shall not remain overnight on the tree.”

On the daf / in context: The Gemara in Sanhedrin derives the general prohibition against leaving any corpse overnight from the specific language of this verse concerning the hanged criminal.

Type of Learning

Derash extending the verse’s negative commandment beyond the hanged criminal to all dead (Sanhedrin).

What Is Learned

Leaving a corpse overnight without burial violates a negative commandment of the Torah.