Pisqa’ 210³⁷⁰

1. “And they shall respond, saying:” (Dt. 21:7)— **in the Holy Tongue.*³⁷¹ Mech.ISH, bakhodesh, par.2, s.v., koh bileshon haqodesh..*

footnotes: ³⁷⁰ H:223;JN2:108. ³⁷¹ //Sifre Nu, 39, s.v., bileshon haqodesh;

“Our hands have not spilled this blood” (Dt. 21:7)— now, who could imagine that elders of the court might be murderers?

Never did he approach us, **that we sent him off [without provisions],**³⁷² And never did we see him, That we left him [to travel unaccompanied]!

footnotes: ³⁷² The clauses. “without provisions” and ‘to travel unaccompanied” appear to be scribal interpolations based upon the text of M. Sot.9:6.

**“Grant absolution to Your people, Israel!” (Dt. 21:8).**³⁷³

footnotes: ³⁷³ //M. Sotah 9:6.

“Whom You have redeemed, HASHEM” (Dt. 21:8)— this teaches that the formula of absolution even absolves the blood-guilt of those [unwitting killers] who left Egypt [but died before the rite was **taught to Moses].**³⁷⁴

footnotes: ³⁷⁴ Cf. T. Sotah 9:2.

2. “Grant absolution to Your people” (Dt. 21:8)— this refers to the living.

“Whom You have redeemed” (Dt. 21:8)— referring to the dead. This explains that even the dead need absolution. We turn out to learn that The blood-spiller’s sin even affects those who left Egypt!

“Whom you have redeemed” (Dt. 21:8)— for this reason did You redeem us, so that there not be among us anyone guilty of spilling innocent blood! Another word: For this reason did You redeem us, so that when we sin, You can absolve us!

Whenever you perform this rite, the blood of the calf will grant you absolution! ³⁷⁵

footnotes: ³⁷⁵ //M. Sotah 9:6. See F:244, n.4.

“And may you expunge the innocent blood From your midst” (Dt. 21:9)— that is, expunge the evil-doers from Israel!³⁷⁶ (“expunge”) appears widely scattered throughout Sifre. See Pisqa’ot 151.1, 155.1, 187.3, 220, 240, 241

footnotes: ³⁷⁶ A similar formula based upon the root, bo`er