Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 273
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(דברים כד ז) כִּי יִמָּצֵא, בְּעֵדִים.
(Devarim 24:7) "If there be found": by witnesses;
אִישׁ, פְּרָט לְקָטָן.
"a man": and not a minor;
גּוֹנֵב נֶפֶשׁ מֵאֶחָיו, וְלֹא מֵאֲחֵרִים.
"who steals a soul of his brothers": and not of gentiles;
מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְהָבִיא הַגּוֹנֵב אֶת בְּנוֹ וּמוֹכְרוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן בְּרוֹקָה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: הַגּוֹנֵב אֶת בְּנוֹ וּמוֹכְרוֹ פָּטוּר.
"of the children of Israel": to exclude one who is half-slave-half-free.
וְהִתְעַמֶּר בּוֹ, מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיַּכְנִיסֶנּוּ לִרְשׁוּתוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: עַד שֶׁיַּכְנִיסֶנּוּ לִרְשׁוּתוֹ וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִתְעַמֶּר בּוֹ וּמְכָרוֹ.
"and he exploits him": He is not liable until he brings him into his domain. R. Yehudah says: (He is not liable) until he brings him into his domain and uses him, as it is written (Ibid.) "and he exploits him and sells him."
וּמֵת הַגַּנָּב, בִּסְתַם מִיתָה הָאֲמוּרָה בַתּוֹרָה בְּחֶנֶק.
"then he shall die": by the unqualified "execution" of the Torah — strangulation.
הַהוּא, וְלֹא הַגּוֹנֵב אֶת הָעֶבֶד.
("that [kidnapper]": to exclude one who steals one who is half-slave-half-free.)
הַהוּא, וְלֹא הַגּוֹנֵב מִי שֶׁחֶצְיוֹ עֶבֶד וְחֶצְיוֹ בֶּן חוֹרִים.
"the thief": to include as liable one who steals his son and sells him. These are the words of R. Yochanan b. Beroka. And the sages say: One who steals his son and sells him is not liable.
וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע מִקִּרְבֶּךָ, בַּעֵר עוֹשֵׂי הָרָעוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל!
"and you shall remove the evil from your midst": Remove the doers of evil from Israel.