Ki Seitzei 21:23 · unit 10

TT #102 · 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 46b / Sifrei.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 46b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
כִּי קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים תָּלוּי – קַלָּנִי מֵרֹאשִׁי, קַלָּנִי מִזְּרוֹעִי. כְּלוֹמַר כְּבִיכוֹל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר: קַל הוּא לִי מֵרֹאשִׁי, קַל הוּא לִי מִזְּרוֹעִי, כְּשֶׁהָרְשָׁעִים תְּלוּיִים.

English: “For a hanging person is a curse of God” — [interpreted as] “I am light-headed, I am light-armed.” That is to say, the Holy One, blessed be He, says, as it were: “It is light upon My head, it is light upon My arm,” when the wicked are hanging.

On the daf / in context: Rabbi Meir’s additional reading of the verse (Sanhedrin 46b) presents the Divine Presence as sharing in the distress caused by the punishment of the wicked.

Type of Learning

Aggadic word-play (kilelat / kallani) expressing Divine empathy.

What Is Learned

Even when the wicked are punished, the Divine Presence is portrayed as sharing in the pain; therefore the body must not remain exposed.