## 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.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**Pisqa’ 206**³⁵⁶
1. “After the city *closest* to the murder victim has been determined” (Dt. 21:3).
This refers to the nearest among the near.
On this basis they taught:
**If the murder victim is found**
**exactly between two cities,**
**each of them brings two calves**
**[one for itself and one for its neighbor].**
**But sages say:**
**One city brings one calf,**
**and two cities do not bring two calves**.³⁵⁷
**But residents of Jerusalem are**
**under no obligation to bring a Beheaded-calf for the rite**
**[because Jerusalem falls within no tribal inheritance].**³⁵⁸

footnotes:
³⁵⁶ H:221; JN2:101-102.
³⁵⁷ =T, Neg.1:13
³⁵⁸ =M. Sotah 9:2.


###### 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.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
2. “Then, the elders *of that city* shall purchase” (Dt. 21:3)—
but *not* the elders of Jerusalem.
“A calf of the herd” (Dt. 21:3).
**R. Eliezer says:**


###### 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**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**A calf qualifies [for the rite] in its *first* year,**
**While a heifer qualifies [for the rite of the Red Heifer**³⁵⁹**] in its *second*.**
**But sages say:**
**A calf qualifies in its second year,**
**While a heifer qualifies in its third or fourth**.³⁶⁰.
Another word:
“A calf of the herd” (Dt. 21:3)—
one that has two distinguishing traits.
And what might these be?
It must be two years old,
And it must be a calf³⁶¹ “heifer.” of the herd.

footnotes:
³⁵⁹ See Nu. 19:1ff.
³⁶⁰ =M. Par.1:1; cf. T, Par.1:1, Sifre Nu, 123, s.v., r ‘eli`ezer ‘omer
³⁶¹ So F:242. Pardo emends to parah,


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

דָּבָר אַחֵר: רְחִיצָה בַּזְּקֵנִים וְכַפָּרָה בַּכֹּהֲנִים.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
Another word:
**Rinsing the hands is the task of elders (Dt. 21:6),**
**while the absolution is the task of Priests (Dt. 21:5-7)**³⁶²

footnotes:
³⁶² These two paragraphs are identified by F:242, n.3 as extraneous to Sifre’s “core”. Cf. M.Sotah 9:6.


###### 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**.

**Trans. by Marty Jaffee, 2015:**
**“Which had never been *worked*” (Dt. 21:3)—**
**Can this mean *any* work at all?**
**How do I know that**
**this refers to bearing a yoke?**
**The Teaching states:**
**“Which has *never* carried a yoke”**³⁶³ (Dt. 21:3)

footnotes:
³⁶³ Cf. T.Par.3:4.