Ki Seitzei 25:03 · unit 10

TT #634 · Parashas Ki Seitzei · Seventh Aliyah · Passuk 25:03

The Complete Passuk

אַרְבָּעִ֥ים יַכֶּ֖נּוּ לֹ֣א יֹסִ֑יף פֶּן־יֹסִ֨יף לְהַכֹּת֤וֹ עַל־אֵ֙לֶּה֙ מַכָּ֣ה רַבָּ֔ה וְנִקְלָ֥ה אָחִ֖יךָ לְעֵינֶֽיךָ׃

Forty times he shall strike him; he shall not add, lest he continue to strike him beyond these with a great blow, and your brother be degraded before your eyes.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Makkot 22b / Tosafot Sotah 8a.

TT lemma: וְנִקְלָה.

Sefaria — Makkot 22b / Tosafot Sotah 8a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וְנִקְלָה – כֵּיצַד מַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ? חַזַּן הַכְּנֶסֶת אוֹחֵז בְּבְגָדָיו אִם נִקְרְעוּ נִקְרְעוּ וְאִם נִפְרְמוּ נִפְרְמוּ עַד שֶׁהוּא מְגַלֶּה אֶת לִבּוֹ, מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב וְנִקְלָה אָחִיךָ – מִצְוָה לְנַוְּלוֹ.

English: ‘And he be degraded’ – how do they flog him? The officer of the synagogue takes hold of his garments; if they tear they tear, if they rip they rip, until he exposes his heart, because it is written ‘and your brother be degraded’ – it is a mitzvah to degrade him.

On the daf / in context: The procedure of tearing open the clothing is linked to the Torah’s language of degradation.

Type of Learning

Derash establishing the procedure of exposure (Bavli / Tosafot).

What Is Learned

Part of the penalty is the public exposure of the upper body; the garments are torn open so that the degradation is visible and complete.