## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 221

###### Sifrei Devarim 221:1
[Sifrei Devarim 221:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:1)

(דברים כא כב) **וְכִי יִהְיֶה בְאִישׁ חֵטְא מִשְׁפַּט מָוֶת וְהוּמָת**, הָאִישׁ נִתְלֶה, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִתְלֵית. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: אַף הָאִשָּׁה נִתְלֵית.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 21:22) "And if there be in a man a sin whose judgment is death, then he shall be put to death, and you shall hang *him* on a tree.": A *man* is hanged (i.e., suspended after death) and not a woman. R. Eliezer says: A woman, too, is hanged.


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:2
[Sifrei Devarim 221:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:2)

אָמַר לָהֶם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר: וַהֲלֹא שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטָח תָּלָה נָשִׁים בְּאַשְׁקְלוֹן! אָמְרוּ לוֹ: שְׁמוֹנִים נָשִׁים תָּלָה, וְאֵין דָּנִים שְׁנַיִם בְּיוֹם אֶחָד! אֶלָּא שֶׁהַשָּׁעָה צְרִיכָה, לְלַמֵּד בָּהּ אֶת אֲחֵרִים.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
R. Eliezer said to them: Didn't Shimon b. Shetach hang women in Ashkelon? They answered; He hanged eighty women and (even though) two are not to be judged on one day, but "the times required it." (Here, too, [vis-à-vis hanging] the times required it.) [A man is stoned naked, but a woman is not stoned naked. R. Yehudah says: Both a man and a woman (are stoned naked.) But a man is hanged with his face towards the people and his back towards the tree; and a woman, with her face towards the tree and her back towards the people. A man is covered one section (his genitals) in front, and a woman, two sections — one in front and one behind, because she is all *ervah* (illicit nakedness).]


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:3
[Sifrei Devarim 221:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:3)

**וְתָלִיתָ אוֹתוֹ**, יָכוֹל יְהוּ כָל הַנִּסְקָלִים נִתְלִים? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כא כג): ״כִּי קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים תָּלוּי״ – אַחַר שֶׁרִבָּה הַכָּתוּב מִיעֵט! הֲרֵי אָנוּ לְמֵדִים אוֹתוֹ מִן הַמְגַדֵּף: מָה מְגַדֵּף מְיֻחָד, שֶׁפָּשַׁט יָדוֹ בָּעִקָּר, וַהֲרֵי הוּא נִתְלֶה – כָּךְ כָּל הַפּוֹשֵׁט יָדוֹ בָּעִקָּר הֲרֵי הוּא נִתְלֶה! רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: מָה מְגַדֵּף מְיֻחָד, שֶׁהוּא נִסְקָל וַהֲרֵי הוּא נִתְלֶה – כָּךְ כָּל הַנִּסְקָלִים נִתְלִים. יָכוֹל יְהוּ תּוֹלִים אוֹתוֹ חַי כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהַמַּלְכוּת עוֹשָׂה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **וְהוּמָת וְתָלִיתָ אֹתוֹ עַל עֵץ**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and you shall hang him": I might think that all who are stoned are hanged (i.e., suspended thereafter); it is, therefore, written (*Ibid*. 21:23) "for (the penalty for) the cursing of G-d is hanging" (after stoning). After Scripture *in*cluded (all capital offenses) and then *ex*cluded (i.e., limited it to the cursing of G-d [*megadef*]), we derive it (the exclusion) from *megadef*, viz.: Just as *megadef* is distinct in that it constitutes rebellion against G-d, and it is subject to hanging, so, *all* who rebel against G-d are hanged. R. Eliezer says: Just as *megadef* is distinct in that he is stoned, so, all who are stoned are hanged (afterwards). I might think that he is to be hanged while alive; it is, therefore, written "then he shall be put to death" (and, only afterwards, "and you shall hang him.").


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:4
[Sifrei Devarim 221:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:4)

**אֹתוֹ** – וְלֹא אֶת כֵּלָיו; **אֹתוֹ** – וְלֹא אֶת עֵדָיו; **אֹתוֹ** – וְלֹא אֶת זוֹמְמָיו; **אֹתוֹ** – וְלֹא שְׁנַיִם בְּיוֹם אֶחָד!

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and you shall hang *him*": "*him*," without his garments (i.e., naked). "*him*," and not scheming witnesses against him (viz. Devarim 19:19). "*him*": We are hereby taught that two are not judged (for such an offense) on one day.


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:5
[Sifrei Devarim 221:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:5)

**עַל עֵץ**, יָכוֹל בְּעֵץ הַתָּלוּשׁ. אוֹ בְּעֵץ הַמְחֻבָּר? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (דברים כא כג): ״כִּי קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ״ – בְּעֵץ שֶׁנִּקְבָּר עִמּוֹ, אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה: בְּעֵץ הַתָּלוּשׁ וְלֹא בְּעֵץ הַמְחֻבָּר.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and you shall hang him on *eitz*" [("*eitz*" can mean either wood or tree)]: "*eitz*" that is not rooted (i.e., wood), and not "*eitz*" that is rooted (i.e., a tree). — But perhaps it means "*eitz*" that is rooted! — It is, therefore, (to negate this) written (*Ibid*. 23) "but you shall bury it" — what lacks only *burial*, to exclude *that* (a rooted *eitz*), which lacks *cutting* and burial.


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:6
[Sifrei Devarim 221:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:6)

מִנַּיִן לַמֵּלִין אֶת מֵתוֹ שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ**. הֱלִינוֹ לִכְבוֹדוֹ, לְהָבִיא לוֹ אָרוֹן וְתַכְרִיכִים, יָכוֹל יְהֵא עוֹבֵר עָלָיו? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: **עַל הָעֵץ** – מָה עֵץ מְיֻחָד, שֶׁהוּא נִוּוּל לוֹ – אַף כָּל שֶׁהוּא נִוּוּל לוֹ. יָצָא הַמֵּלִין לִכְבוֹדוֹ, שֶׁאֵין נִוּוּל לוֹ.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
Whence is it derived that if one allows his dead one (i.e., one that he must bury) to remain overnight, he transgresses a negative commandment? From (*Ibid*.) "You shall not leave his body overnight on *eitz*." If he left it overnight for his honor, i.e., to bring a casket or shrouds, I might think he transgresses; it is, therefore, written "on the *eitz*" — Just as the *eitz* is demeaning to him, so, *all* that is demeaning to him (is forbidden, to exclude the above).


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:7
[Sifrei Devarim 221:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:7)

**לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ** – מִצְוַת לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. **כִּי קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ** – מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. כֵּיצַד עוֹשִׂים לוֹ? מַמְתִּינִים לוֹ עַד חֲשֵׁכָה, וְתוֹלִים לוֹ – וּמַתִּירִים אוֹתוֹ, וְאִם לָן – עוֹבְרִים עָלָיו בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: **לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ**.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"You shall not leave his body overnight on the *eitz*" — a negative commandment. "but bury shall you bury it" — a positive commandment. What is to be done? We wait until it gets dark; then he is suspended from the *eitz* and then he is taken down. If not, he is in transgression of "You shall not leave his body overnight on the *eitz*."


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:8
[Sifrei Devarim 221:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:8)

**כִּי קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים תָּלוּי**, כְּלוֹמַר: מִפְּנֵי מָה זֶה תָּלוּי? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקִּלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם, וְנִמְצָא שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם מִתְחַלֵּל.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"for the cursing of G-d is suspended": That is, why is he being suspended? Because he cursed the L-rd and desecrated the Name.


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:9
[Sifrei Devarim 221:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:9)

הָאִישׁ נִסְקָל עָרוֹם, וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה נִסְקֶלֶת עֲרוּמָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אֶחָד הָאִישׁ וְאֶחָד הָאִשָּׁה, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָאִישׁ – תּוֹלִים אוֹתוֹ וּפָנָיו כְּלַפֵּי הָעָם וַאֲחוֹרָיו כְּלַפֵּי הָעֵץ, וְהָאִשָּׁה – פָּנֶיהָ כְּלַפֵּי הָעֵץ וַאֲחוֹרֶיהָ כְּלַפֵּי הָעָם. הָאִישׁ – סֶרֶט אֶחָד מִלְּפָנָיו, וְהָאִשָּׁה – שְׁנֵי סְרָטִים: אֶחָד מִלְּפָנֶיהָ וְאֶחָד מֵאַחֲרֶיהָ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ עֶרְוָה.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
A man is stoned naked, but a woman is not stoned naked. R. Yehudah says: Both a man and a woman (are stoned naked.) But a man is hanged with his face towards the people and his back towards the tree; and a woman, with her face towards the tree and her back towards the people. A man is covered one section (his genitals) in front, and a woman, two sections — one in front and one behind, because she is all *ervah* (illicit nakedness).


###### Sifrei Devarim 221:10
[Sifrei Devarim 221:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/221:10)

**וְלֹא תְטַמֵּא אֶת אַדְמָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ נוֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה** – לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"and you shall not make unclean your earth, which the L-rd your G-d gives you as an inheritance": *Beth-din* is being exhorted hereby.