## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 206

###### Sifrei Devarim 206:1
[Sifrei Devarim 206:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/206:1)

(דברים כא ג) **וְהָיָה הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה** – הַקְּרוֹבָה שֶׁבַּקְּרוֹבוֹת. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (סוטה ט ב): נִמְצָא מְכֻוָּן בֵּין שְׁתֵּי עֲיָירוֹת – שְׁתֵּיהֶן מְבִיאוֹת שְׁתֵּי עֶגְלוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: עִיר אַחַת מְבִיאָה, וְאֵין שְׁתֵּי עֲיָירוֹת מְבִיאוֹת שְׁתֵּי עֶגְלוֹת, וְאֵין יְרוּשָׁלִַם מְבִיאָה עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 21:3) "And it shall be, the city closest to the slain one": the nearest and not the near ones — whence they ruled: If it were found equi-distant between the two cities, both bring two (distinct heifers [and not one heifer jointly]). These are the words of R. Eliezer. The sages say: One city brings, and two cities do not bring.


###### Sifrei Devarim 206:2
[Sifrei Devarim 206:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/206:2)

**וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִיא** – וְלֹא זִקְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"the elders of *that city* shall take a heifer that has not been worked": and not the elders of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem does not bring an *eglah arufah* (the heifer of the broken neck).


###### Sifrei Devarim 206:3
[Sifrei Devarim 206:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/206:3)

**עֶגְלַת בָּקָר**, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: עֶגְלָה בַּת שְׁנָתָהּ, וּפָרָה בַּת שְׁתַּיִם. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: עֶגְלָה בַּת שְׁתַּיִם, וּפָרָה בַּת שָׁלֹשׁ וּבַת אַרְבַּע. דָּבָר אַחֵר: **עֶגְלַת בָּקָר** – שֶׁיְּהֵא בָּהּ שְׁנֵי דְרָכִים. הָא כֵּיצַד? בַּת שְׁתַּיִם **עֶגְלַת בָּקָר**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"they shall take a *heifer*" ("*eglath bakar*"): R. Eliezer says: "*eglath*" — (up to) one year old; "*parah*" (a cow, the *parah adumah* [viz. Bamidbar 19:12]) — two years old. The sages say: "*eglah*" — (even one that is) two years old; "*parah*" — three or four years old — it being written (in respect to the former) "*eglath bakar*." How is this to be implemented? A two-year old satisfies both, "*eglah*" and "*bakar*."


###### Sifrei Devarim 206:4
[Sifrei Devarim 206:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/206:4)

דָּבָר אַחֵר: רְחִיצָה בַּזְּקֵנִים וְכַפָּרָה בַּכֹּהֲנִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Similarly, (*Ibid*. 5) "Then there shall draw near the Cohanim … (6) and all the elders of that city." How so? The elders for washing; the Cohanim for atonement.


###### Sifrei Devarim 206:5
[Sifrei Devarim 206:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/206:5)

**אֲשֶׁר לֹא עֻבַּד בָּהּ** – כָּל עֲבוֹדָה. מִנַּיִן בְּעוֹל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **אֲשֶׁר לֹא מָשְׁכָה בְּעֹל**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim, *Ibid*. 3) "that has not drawn under the yoke": This tells me only of the yoke. Whence are other labors derived (as disqualifying factors)? From "that has not been worked" (— in any manner). If so, why is "yoke" specifically mentioned? The yoke disqualifies whether or not the animal works; the other labors disqualify only if the animal works.