Torah Temimah

MATTERS OF DISTINCTION IN OUR DAYS

דברים פרק יז, ח: כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט בֵּין-דָּם לְדָּם בֵּין-דִּין לְדִּין וּבֵין נֶגַע לָנֶּגַע

T.T. the reason that the Torah listed these three subjects, since these items seek to include all the basic teachings in the world:

• בין דם לדם teaching of permitted and not permitted
• בין דין לדין teaching the laws of behavior between a person and one’s neighbor
• בין נגע לנגע teaching the concepts of tahara and tumah

BLESSING ON THE TORAH LEARNING

דברים פרק יז, יט: וְקָרָא בוֹ כָּל-יְמֵי חַיָּיו ספרי לרבות הלילות

In Menachos, the Gemara learns the concept from the verse in Yehoshua והגית בו יומם ולילה

Tosfos learns from these two places, that a person does not make a new blessing every time that one sits down to learn Torah. Rather, similar to one who is constantly in a Sukkah, one makes one blessing in the morning for the entire day and night. One does not lose one’s connection to the concept of learning since always obligated, and thus, only needs the one blessing for the entire day.

EGLAH ARUFAH

דברים פרק כא, ט: וְאַתָּה תְּבַעֵר הַדָּם הַנָּקִי מִקִּרְבֶּךָ כִּי-תַעֲשֶׂה הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה'

ירושלמי מסכת סוטה דף מג/א פרק ט הלכה ו: נערפה העגלה ואח"כ נמצא ההורג יהרג מה כתיב "ונכפר להם הדם" ושתק אלא אפילו כן ואחר כך אמר "ואתה תבער הדם הנקי מקרבך"

One might say that once the blood of the Eglah has brought atonement, then, no further mitzvah exists. Therefore, the verse alludes to the concept that if the murderer is found, he would still be put to death.

T.T. The Rambam explains the purpose of the ceremony with the Eglah is to publicize the unsolved death, which might lead to the revealing of the murderer. Similar to the words of the Targum Yonasan ben Uziel, that the noise of the valley (echo) would not stop until it reaches all places, like the worm that goes into all the crack and crevices that are hidden from a person.