Tanach
Shemot 21:20-21 שמות כ״א:כ׳-כ״א
Reading: Hebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlyHebrew · Simple EnglishHebrew · Faithful translationHebrew onlySimple English onlyFaithful translation onlySide by sideRashi
וְכִֽי־יַכֶּה אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ אוֹ אֶת־אֲמָתוֹ בַּשֵּׁבֶט וּמֵת תַּחַת יָדוֹ נָקֹם יִנָּקֵֽם׃
If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and [the slave] dies under his hand, [the death] must be avenged.
If a man strikes his male or female slave with a rod, and [the slave] dies under his hand, [the death] must be avenged.
Rashi
בשבט. כשיש בו כדי להמית הכתוב מדבר, או אינו אפילו אין בו כדי להמית, תלמוד לומר בישראל, וְאִם בְּאֶבֶן יָד אֲשֶׁר יָמוּת בָּה (במדבר לה, יז) (או בכלי עץ יד אשר ימות בו. גירסת רא"ם) הכהו, והלא דברים קל וחומר, מה ישראל חמור אין חייב עליו אלא אם כן הכהו בדבר שיש בו כדי להמית, ועל אבר שהוא כדי למות בהכאה זו, עבד הקל לא כל שכן:
With a rod. When it (the rod) is capable of causing death — the Torah is speaking. Or perhaps it refers even to [a rod] which is incapable of causing death? Therefore the Torah says concerning a Yisraelite [victim]: “And if with a stone in his hand, whereby he would die, did he strike him.” Now in this matter does it not follow a fortiori. Just as [when the victim is] a Yisraelite [whose murder is] more stringent, and he (the murderer) is not liable [to be put to death] unless he struck him with something that is capable of causing death, and upon a limb which is capable of causing death with this sort of a blow, then regarding [a victim who is] a slave, whose killing is more lenient, it follows even more so.
נקם ינקם. מיתת סייף (סנהדרין נב: — מכילתא פ"ז), וכן הוא אומר חֶרֶב נֹקֶמֶת נְקַם בְּרִית (ויקרא כו, כה):
[The death] must be avenged. Through death by the sword, for the Torah similarly states: “a sword that avenges the vengeance of the covenant.”
אַךְ אִם־יוֹם אוֹ יוֹמַיִם יַעֲמֹד לֹא יֻקַּם כִּי כַסְפּוֹ הֽוּא׃ {ס}
However if he [the slave] survives for a day or two, [his death] is not avenged, for he [the slave] is his [master’s] property.
However if he [the slave] survives for a day or two, [his death] is not avenged, for he [the slave] is his [master’s] property.
Rashi
אך אם יום או יומים יעמוד לא יוקם. אם על יום אחד הוא פטור על יומים לא כל שכן, אלא יום שהוא כיומים, ואיזה, זה מעת לעת (מכילתא פ"ז):
However, if he survives for a day or two his death is not avenged. If one day[’s survival] frees [the master from the death penalty,] then is not two days’ survival even more self-evident? But [the answer is that יוֹמַיִם is said to teach that] “one day” should be as two days. And how is this? A full day of twenty-four hours.
לא יוקם כי כספו הוא. הא אחר שהכהו, אף על פי ששהה מעת לעת קודם שמת, חייב:
[The death] is not avenged for he is his property. But if another person would strike him, then even were he to linger for 24 hours before dying, he (the one who struck the slave) would be liable.
וכי יכה איש את עבדו או את אמתו. בעבד כנעני הכתוב מדבר, או אינו אלא בעברי, תלמוד לומר כי כספו הוא, מה כספו קנוי לו עולמית, אף עבד הקנוי לו עולמית, והרי היה בכלל מכה איש ומת, אלא בא הכתוב והוציאו מן הכלל, להיות נדון בדין יום או יומים, שאם לא מת תחת ידו ושהה מעת לעת פטור:
If a man strikes his male or female slave. This verse speaks of a gentile slave. Or perhaps it speaks of a Hebrew [slave]? Therefore the Torah states: “For he is his master’s property.” Just as his property is his forever so too the slave [discussed here] is the one that is his forever. But he was included in [the general rules]: “Whoever strikes a man who dies [shall be put to death]!” But [the answer is:] that this verse comes and singles him out of the general rule, to indicate that he (the struck slave) is to be judged by the rule of “a day or two,” that if he did not die beneath his hand but lingered for a period of twenty-four hours, [then the master is] free [from the death penalty].