1)

What are the connotations of "Lo Salin"?

1.

Ramban (citing Sanhedrin, 46a): Besides a La'av against leaving the Meis hanging on the tree overnight, it is also a La'av against leaving a Meis unburied overnight 1 - unless it is for his honor. 2


1

See Torah Temimah, note 160.

2

Ramban: Over and above the Asei of "Kavor Tikberenu". See Ramban, DH 've'Lo Setamei es Admascha'. See also Torah Temimah, citing Sanhedrin, 47a and note 161.

2)

Bearing in mind the La'av of "Lo Salin" ? implying until nightfall - how could Ritzpah bas Ayah (in Shmuel 2. 21:10), leave the corpses of Shaul's descendents hanging for the duration of the summer?

1.

Rashi (in Shmu'el 2, 21:10) and Yerushalmi Kidushin, 4:1: Because Kidush Hashem is greater than (overrides) Chilul Hashem. Consequently, it was permitted, since they were hanged in order to appease the Giv'onim, lowly Geirim who lost their jobs due to Shaul killing of the Kohanim of Nov, and their death created a Kidush Hashem. 1


1

See Torah Temimah, note 162, and Ramban DH 've'al Derech ha'Peshst', who elaborates,

3)

Why does the Torah use the double Lashon "Ki Kavor Tikberenu?

1.

Sanhedrin, 46a: With reference to answer #3, "Ki Kavor" teaches us that the gallows requires only burying - and not cutting-down and burying ? to preclude gallows that are attached to the ground.

2.

Sanhedrin, 46b: It hints at the Mitzvah to bury one's dead.

3.

Yerushalmi Nazir, 7:1 #1: It s an Asei to bury one's dead.

4.

Yerushalmi Nazir, 7:1 #2: To teach us that the sword with which a murderer is killed, the stone which killed the one who was Chayav Sekilah, the wood on which the current Meis is hanged, and the cloth with which one who is Chayav Chenek is strangled must also be buried. 1

5.

Yerushalmi Nazir, 7:1 #3: With reference to burying a Meis Mitzvah 2 "Tikberenu" - implies all of him. Consequently, if part of him is left unburied, one has not fulfilled the Mitzvah. And we learn from here that it is not considered a Meis Mitzvah unless there is the head and most of the body.


1

In a separate grave. See Torah Temimah, note 166.

2

See Torah Temimah, note 167.

4)

What is the meaning of "Kil'las Elokim"?

1.

Rashi: It means 'the degradation of Hashem'. 1

2.

Rosh: It means 'because he cursed Hashem he was hanged (and it would be a Chilul Hashem to leave him hanging - Sanhedrin, 46a).

3.

Targum Onkelos: It means 'because he sinnned he was hanged.

4.

Targum Yonasan: It means 'because it is a disgrace before Hashem to hang a man whose sins brought it about'.

5.

Sanhedrin, 45b: It means that he is only hanged because he cursed Hashem or because he worshipped Avodah Zarah - to prelude other Chayvei Sekilah, who are not hanged.


1

Rashi: As in Melachim 1, 2:8, and in Shmuel 1, 3:13 (Ramban).

5)

What are the implications of "Ki Kil'las Elokim Taluy"?

1.

Rashi #1, Ramban #1 and Targum Yonasan: It is a reason as to why one is obligated to take down the body before nightfall - because it is degrading for Hakadosh-Baruch-Hu, 1 in whose image man is formed, and Yirael are His children, 2 for it to be seen hanging in public.

2.

Rashi #2 (in Pasuk 21): It teaches us that whoever is stoned 3 is hanged, since someone who curses Hashem is stoned.

3.

Ramban #3: Refer to 21:23:2:2 - and it is a Chilul Hashem to leave the corpse hanging, to encourage people to continue their discussion.

4.

Ramban #4: Refer to 21:23:2:3. Because there is no death that is more disgusting and degrading than hanging, and it is not therefore befitting to render the land Tamei and to allow the accursed one of G-d to contaminate the holy land that is permanently blessed by Hashem.

5.

Ramban #5 (citing the Ibn Ezra): The Pasuk means that Hashem sends a curse in the vicinity of the hanging corpse, in the form of contaminating the air that surrounds it, which renders it Tamei and harms those who enter it. 4

6.

Rashbam #1: It is common for a relative or others who see the person hanging to curse the judges who sentenced him to death; sometimes it is for a seemingly a minor offence - such as gathering wood on Shabbos (because people may think that the judges did not try hard enough to acquit him - Da'as Zekenim). 5 And it is to prevent this that the Torah forbids leaving the body hanging overnight. 6

7.

Rashbam #2: In order not to render Tamei the land - by virtue of people touching the exposed body or being under the same roof as it.

8.

Seforno: "Kil'las Elokim Taluy" means that the fact that the Meis is left hanging and not being buried is degrading for his Neshamah, which is called 'Tzelem Elokim'. 7

9.

Da'as Zekenim, Hadar Zekenim #1 and Rosh: People who see him hanging say that he was stoned and hung because he cursed Hashem 8 and stretched his hand against the king, and that is a denigration of Hashem.

10.

Hadar Zekenim #2 (citing Targum Onkelos): He treated Hashem's Mitzvos lightly and received his [punishment], and that will suffice. 9


1

Targum Yonasan: And it is only because of the person's sins that he must be left hanging until nightfall.

2

Rashi (citing Sanhedrin, 46a): It can be compared to two identical twins, one of whom became king, the other, a robber, who was caught and hanged. Now whoever saw him hanging thought that it was the king who was hanging; so the king ordered them to take the body down. See Ramban's objection to this explanation.

3

Ramban: This is an individual opinion, and is not Halachh.

4

Ramban: And the same applies to a Meis that lies in a house unburied, which explains why a house that contains a Meis renders Tamei whoever enters it.

5

Da'as Zekenim: A Beis-Din that kills once in seventy years is called bloodthirsty (Makos 7a).

6

Rashbam: And it is for the same reason that the Torah issued the La'av "Elohim Lo Sekalel".

7

Seforno: See Shmuel 1, 28:13. In fact, anything that is devoid of physicality is called 'Elohim'. See Seforno.

8

Refer to 21:22:1.5:2 and see Torah Temimah, note 169.

9

But our text of Targum Onkelos does not seem to say this.

6)

What are the connotations of "ve'Lo Setamei es Admascha"?

1.

Ramban: Besides being a reason for not leaving the Meis hanging overnight (refer to 21:23:3:4), it is also an additional Lo Sa'Asei. 1

2.

Seforno and Targum Yonasan: 'Do not allow the spirit of Tum'ah to rest in the land by leaving the corpse unburried'. 2

3.

Rashbam: Refer to 21:23:4:2.

4.

Yerushalmi Nazir, 7:1: Someone who buries a Meis Mitzvah that one finds on the street in a field that has been plowed, when there is a fallow field in the vicinity, or in a seeded field when. there is a plowed field in the vicinity, transgreses "ve'Lo Setamei es ha'Aretz." 3

5.

Oznayim la'Torah: The Torah is speaking with reference to spiritually contaminating the land, not to rendering it Tamei in the regular sense - since land is not subject to Tum'ah.


1

See Ramban DH "ve'Lo Setamei es Admascha".

2

See Na'ar Yonasan.

3

See Torah Temimah, note 170.

Sefer: Perek: Pasuk:

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