Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 21 (Parashat Shoftim)

Devarim 21:1

כִּי-יִמָּצֵא חָלָל בָּאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לְרִשְׁתָּהּ נֹפֵל בַּשָּׂדֶה לֹא נוֹדַע מִי הִכָּהוּ

. . . .

And if a slain man be found in the land which God your Lord is giving you to take possession of, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him —

Devarim 21:2

וְיָצְאוּ זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ וּמָדְדוּ אֶל-הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹת הֶחָלָל

. .

then some of your elders and your judges shall go out and measure toward the towns that are around the slain man,

Devarim 21:3

וְהָיָה הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה אֶל-הֶחָלָל--וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא עֶגְלַת בָּקָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא-עֻבַּד בָּהּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא-מָשְׁכָה בְּעֹל

. .

and whichever town is nearest to him, the people of that town shall take a heifer from the cattle, one that has not been worked and has not drawn a yoke,

Devarim 21:4

וְהוֹרִדוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא אֶת-הָעֶגְלָה אֶל-נַחַל אֵיתָן אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יֵעָבֵד בּוֹ וְלֹא יִזָּרֵעַ וְעָרְפוּ-שָׁם אֶת-הָעֶגְלָה בַּנָּחַל

. .

and they shall bring it down to a rugged valley that has neither been tilled nor sown, and shall break its neck there.

Devarim 21:5

וְנִגְּשׁוּ הַכֹּהֲנִים בְּנֵי לֵוִי--כִּי בָם בָּחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשָׁרְתוֹ וּלְבָרֵךְ בְּשֵׁם יְהוָה וְעַל-פִּיהֶם יִהְיֶה כָּל-רִיב וְכָל-נָגַע

. . .

Then some of the imāms, the sons of Levi, shall come forward — for God your Lord has chosen them to serve Him and to bestow blessing in His name, and by their word shall every dispute and every affliction be decided.

Devarim 21:6

וְכֹל זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִוא הַקְּרֹבִים אֶל-הֶחָלָל--יִרְחֲצוּ אֶת-יְדֵיהֶם עַל-הָעֶגְלָה הָעֲרוּפָה בַנָּחַל

.

And when all the elders of that town nearest to the slain man have washed their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,

Devarim 21:7

וְעָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לֹא שפכה (שָׁפְכוּ) אֶת-הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ

. .

they shall begin and say: 'Our hands did not shed this blood, and our eyes did not see that.'

Devarim 21:8

כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר-פָּדִיתָ יְהוָה וְאַל-תִּתֵּן דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִכַּפֵּר לָהֶם הַדָּם

. . . .

And they shall respond to them and say: 'O God, forgive Your people, the house of Israel, whom You redeemed; and do not place upon them the punishment of negligence in the blood of one innocent of guilt' — and so they shall be forgiven for what they were negligent in concerning that blood.

Devarim 21:9

וְאַתָּה תְּבַעֵר הַדָּם הַנָּקִי--מִקִּרְבֶּךָ כִּי-תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה

. .

And you — banish the killer of the innocent from your midst, for you are doing what is right before God.

Devarim 21:10

כִּי-תֵצֵא לַמִּלְחָמָה עַל-אֹיְבֶיךָ וּנְתָנוֹ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּיָדֶךָ--וְשָׁבִיתָ שִׁבְיוֹ

. .

And when you go out to war against your enemies, and God your Lord delivers them into your hand, and you take captives —

Devarim 21:11

וְרָאִיתָ בַּשִּׁבְיָה אֵשֶׁת יְפַת-תֹּאַר וְחָשַׁקְתָּ בָהּ וְלָקַחְתָּ לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה

. . .

and you see among the captives a woman fair of appearance, and your heart is captivated by her, and you take her for yourself as a wife —

Devarim 21:12

וַהֲבֵאתָהּ אֶל-תּוֹךְ בֵּיתֶךָ וְגִלְּחָה אֶת-רֹאשָׁהּ וְעָשְׂתָה אֶת-צִפָּרְנֶיהָ

. .

it shall be by your bringing her into your home, and she shall shave her head and let her nails grow,

Devarim 21:13

וְהֵסִירָה אֶת-שִׂמְלַת שִׁבְיָהּ מֵעָלֶיהָ וְיָשְׁבָה בְּבֵיתֶךָ וּבָכְתָה אֶת-אָבִיהָ וְאֶת-אִמָּהּ יֶרַח יָמִים וְאַחַר כֵּן תָּבוֹא אֵלֶיהָ וּבְעַלְתָּהּ וְהָיְתָה לְךָ לְאִשָּׁה

. . . . .

and she shall remove her captive's garments from upon her, and shall remain thus in your home and weep for the departure of her father and her mother a full month; and after that you shall go in to her and be wed to her, and she shall be your wife.

Devarim 21:14

וְהָיָה אִם-לֹא חָפַצְתָּ בָּהּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ לְנַפְשָׁהּ וּמָכֹר לֹא-תִמְכְּרֶנָּה בַּכָּסֶף לֹא-תִתְעַמֵּר בָּהּ תַּחַת אֲשֶׁר עִנִּיתָהּ

. . . .

And if you do not desire her after that, then release her free for herself; you shall not sell her for a price — you shall not enslave her — after you have been intimate with her.

Devarim 21:15

כִּי-תִהְיֶיןָ לְאִישׁ שְׁתֵּי נָשִׁים הָאַחַת אֲהוּבָה וְהָאַחַת שְׂנוּאָה וְיָלְדוּ-לוֹ בָנִים הָאֲהוּבָה וְהַשְּׂנוּאָה וְהָיָה הַבֵּן הַבְּכֹר לַשְּׂנִיאָה

. . . .

And if a man has two wives, one beloved and the other disfavored, and both have borne him sons — the beloved and the disfavored — and the firstborn son belongs to the disfavored of them,

Devarim 21:16

וְהָיָה בְּיוֹם הַנְחִילוֹ אֶת-בָּנָיו אֵת אֲשֶׁר-יִהְיֶה לוֹ--לֹא יוּכַל לְבַכֵּר אֶת-בֶּן-הָאֲהוּבָה עַל-פְּנֵי בֶן-הַשְּׂנוּאָה הַבְּכֹר

. . . .

then on the day he bequeaths to his sons what belongs to him, it is not permitted for him to give preference to the son of the beloved over the son of the disfavored who is the firstborn.

Devarim 21:17

כִּי אֶת-הַבְּכֹר בֶּן-הַשְּׂנוּאָה יַכִּיר לָתֶת לוֹ פִּי שְׁנַיִם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר-יִמָּצֵא לוֹ כִּי-הוּא רֵאשִׁית אֹנוֹ לוֹ מִשְׁפַּט הַבְּכֹרָה

. . . .

Rather, he is obligated to make known to the people the firstborn — the son of the disfavored — so that two shares be given to him from all that belongs to him, since he is the first of his begetting; the right of the firstborn belongs to him.

Devarim 21:18

כִּי-יִהְיֶה לְאִישׁ בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה--אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁמֵעַ בְּקוֹל אָבִיו וּבְקוֹל אִמּוֹ וְיִסְּרוּ אֹתוֹ וְלֹא יִשְׁמַע אֲלֵיהֶם

. . . .

And if a man has a son who is wayward and defiant, who does not accept the command of his father and his mother, and they discipline him, yet he does not accept it from them —

Devarim 21:19

וְתָפְשׂוּ בוֹ אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ וְהוֹצִיאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל-זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ וְאֶל-שַׁעַר מְקֹמוֹ

. .

then his father and his mother shall seize him and bring him out to the elders of his town and to the gate of the judge of his place,

Devarim 21:20

וְאָמְרוּ אֶל-זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ בְּנֵנוּ זֶה סוֹרֵר וּמֹרֶה--אֵינֶנּוּ שֹׁמֵעַ בְּקֹלֵנוּ זוֹלֵל וְסֹבֵא

. . .

and they shall say to them: 'This son of ours is wayward and defiant; he does not accept our command, and he is excessive and immoderate in what is forbidden.'

Devarim 21:21

וּרְגָמֻהוּ כָּל-אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ בָאֲבָנִים וָמֵת וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ וְכָל-יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ

. .

And all the people of his town shall stone him with stones until he dies; and banish the people of wickedness from your midst — and the rest of Israel shall hear and be afraid.

Devarim 21:22

וְכִי-יִהְיֶה בְאִישׁ חֵטְא מִשְׁפַּט-מָוֶת--וְהוּמָת וְתָלִיתָ אֹתוֹ עַל-עֵץ

. .

And when there is found against a person a sin whose judgment is death, and he is put to death — then hang him upon a wooden post.

Devarim 21:23

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

. . . .

But do not leave his body on it overnight; rather, bury him in burial on that same day, for he was hanged because he fabricated falsehood against God; and do not defile thereby your land which God your Lord is giving you as an inheritance.