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.
English: Rabbi Meir said: This may be compared to two twin brothers who lived in the same city. One was appointed king and the other became a bandit. The king ordered that the bandit be hanged. Everyone who saw him said, “The king is hanging.” The king therefore ordered that he be taken down.
On the daf / in context: Rabbi Meir’s parable explains why leaving the body hanging is itself a desecration of the Divine Name: the hanged criminal resembles the image of God, and prolonged display causes people to speak of God in a demeaning way.
Type of Learning
Aggadic parable (Rabbi Meir) explaining the reason for the commandment.
What Is Learned
Because man is created in the image of God, leaving a hanged body exposed causes a public desecration of the Divine Name; therefore the body must be taken down at once.