Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 220
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(דברים כא כא) וּרְגָמֻהוּ כָּל אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ, וְכִי כָּל אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ רוֹגְמִים אוֹתוֹ? אֶלָּא בְּמַעֲמַד כָּל אַנְשֵׁי עִירוֹ.
Pisqa’ 220⁴⁵
- “Then all the populace of his city shall pummel⁴⁶; root: r-g-m. Dt. 22:22, in similar context uses the root: s-q-l, with identical meaning. him” (Dt. 21:21)— Now, can the entire populace of his city actually pummel him? Rather, [they appoint] a deputation.
footnotes: ⁴⁵ H:231; JN2:126. ⁴⁶ Heb: regemuhu
בָאֲבָנִים, יָכוֹל בַּאֲבָנִים מְרֻבּוֹת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כ ב): ״בָּאֶבֶן״. יָכוֹל בְּאֶבֶן אַחַת? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: בָאֲבָנִים, אֱמֹר מֵעַתָּה: לֹא מֵת בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה – יָמוּת בַּשְּׁנִיָּה.
**“With stones” (Dt. 21:21)—** Is it possible to say that many stones are used?
“With stone” (Lv. 20:2). Is it possible to say, then, that only one stone is used?
“With stones” (Dt. 21:21)! From this you may conclude that if he doesn’t die from the first stone, **let him die from the second!**⁴⁷Sifra, qedoshim, par. 10:4 . Cf. Pisqa’ 149.1, 240.1, 242.1 for parallels within Sifre.
footnotes: ⁴⁷ // Sifre Nu., 114; //
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי: וְכִי מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָכַל זֶה תַּרְטִימַר בָּשָׂר וְשָׁתָה חֲצִי לוֹג יַיִן הוּא נִסְקָל? אֶלָּא הִגִּיעָה תּוֹרָה לְסוֹף עִנְיָנוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, וְאָמְרָה יָמוּת זַכַּי וְאַל יָמוּת חַיָּב. שֶׁמִּיתָתָם שֶׁל רְשָׁעִים – הֲנָיָה לָהֶם וַהֲנָיָה לָעוֹלָם, וְשֶׁל צַדִּיקִים – רַע לָהֶם וְרַע לָעוֹלָם. יַיִן וְשֵׁנָה לָרְשָׁעִים – הֲנָיָה לָהֶם וַהֲנָיָה לָעוֹלָם, וְלַצַּדִּיקִים – רַע לָהֶם וְרַע לָעוֹלָם. שֶׁקֶט לָרְשָׁעִים – רַע לָהֶם וְרַע לָעוֹלָם, וְלַצַּדִּיקִים – הֲנָיָה לָהֶם וַהֲנָאָה לָעוֹלָם.
- Said R. Yose: Does this guy get a stoning for eating a single serving⁴⁸. Roughly three ounces. of meat and drinking a half measure⁴⁹Roughly .32 liters, of wine? Not at all! The Torah has plumbed the depths of this guy’s character, and taught: Better he should die innocently now rather than later as a sinner! ⁵⁰ 218.2. For the death of the Wicked is as beneficial to them as it is to the world [since their death forestalls further sins]. But the death of the Righteous is as bad for them as it is for the world, [since they may no longer acquire merit through righteous deeds, nor does the world benefit from their righteous deeds]! Wine and a good nap bring the Wicked pleasure, as they bring the world pleasure. But to the Righteous, these are as bad for them as they are for the world! Peace of mind, to the Wicked, is as bad for them as it is for the world. But to the Righteous, it is as beneficial to them as it is for the world!
footnotes: ⁴⁸ Heb./Lat.: tartimor ⁴⁹ Heb: log . ⁵⁰ =M. San.8:5. Cf. Pisqa’
וּבִעַרְתָּ הָרָע – בַּעֵר עוֹשֵׂי הָרָעוֹת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל!
“And you shall expunge the evil from your midst” (Dt. 21:21)— **That is, expunge the evil-doers from Israel!**⁵¹ 151, 155, 187, etc.
footnotes: ⁵¹ // M. San.8:5. The concluding exegesis of Dt. 21:21 is not found in the mishnaic parallel, but appears numerous times in Sifre, e.g., Pisqa’ot