Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
To sponsor an episode please visit: https://itistaught.com/support-this-project/
To get the daily chumash summaries in your email click here https://substack.com/profile/182692001-sarede-rachel-switzer?utm_source=profile-page.
Subscribe on Spotify
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts
Please consider leaving a review on the platform of your choice!
For comments and inquiries, email itistaught@gmail.com
Optional Wars. Eglah Arufah.
Optional Wars
There were certain wars which G-d commanded the Israelites to wage - such as the conquest of the land of Israel as well as the war against Amalek.
Moshe instructs the nation that for any other wars which are not so commanded by G-d to wage, the nation is to first propose peace to the city they were looking to wage war with.
If the city accepts this peace treaty, their people shall give a monetary tribute and become the Israelites servants (even if by force). The Israelites are allowed to keep them alive, even if they are a part of the seven nations which G-d commanded them to exterminate.
However if this city does not accept this proposed peace, the Israelites are allowed to kill the inhabitants even in a torturous manner, such as besieging it and thus causing the inhabitants to die of thirst and diseases. If the Israelites instead let this city be, scripture warns, those inhabitants will eventually wage war against the Israelites.
Moshe tells them that if they do everything that they were so instructed, G-d will deliver this city into their hands and they will kill the adult men of the city with swords.
The women, children, livestock and everything else in the city however, are given to them by G-d and they are to keep these for themselves.
Moshe now reiterates that this behavior is only to be applied to those cities which are far away from them, which are not of the ones which G-d gave to them to inherit. For such inherited cities, all of the inhabitants must be killed. These cities are: The Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Chivvites, Jesubites and Girgashites.
The reason for this total destruction of these nations is so that they do not teach the Israelites to worship their idols. If however any of them repent and want to convert to Judaism, the Israelites are allowed to accept them.
A siege of the type mentioned above may only be initiated three or more days before the Sabbath. The rabbis derived this ruling based on the idea that a siege of "many days" implies three days. Alternatively, the offer of peace must be repeated for two or three days.
They are not to destroy or cut down the fruit trees of such a besieged city, however they are allowed to eat from it. A tree is not a man who is to be besieged by them, scripture stipulates. However if they know that a certain tree is not a food tree, they are allowed to destroy or cut it down.
The Egla Arufah
If a corpse is found lying in the field in the land of Israel and his killer is unknown, the Great Sandheidrin are to measure the distance to the cities in every direction around the corpse to determine which city is closest.
These elders are then to go to the nearest city, and take a calf from there that is less than one year of age and with which work has never been done and has never drawn a yoke. They are then to bring the calf down to a valley that was never tilled nor sown, and break its neck from the back with a hatchet.
This young calf which had not yet "produced fruits" serves as an atonement for the murder of the man, who's murderers prevented him from producing fruits (i.e performing mitzvos).
The Kohanim are then to approach G-d, and those elders of the city who are closest to the corpse are to wash their hands due to this decapitated calf and declare that they are resolved from responsibility regarding this murder as they did not see him leave the city and let him leave without food or escort which would have made him vulnerable to whomever killed him.
They are to then say, "Atone for Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, O Lord, and lay not [the guilt of] innocent blood among your people Israel." and after completing all of this, they are to be atoned.
If the murderer is found after the decapitation of the calf, he must be executed, as this is what is "proper in the eyes of the L-rd".
Shoftim, 7th Aliya