The Egla Arufa: What Communal Care Entails

PART A: The Tanakh Sources

(א) כִּי־יִמָּצֵ֣א חָלָ֗ל בָּאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ ה' אֱלֹקֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֤ן לְךָ֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ נֹפֵ֖ל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע מִ֥י הִכָּֽהוּ׃ (ב) וְיָצְא֥וּ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יךָ וּמָדְדוּ֙ אֶל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֥ת הֶחָלָֽל׃ (ג) וְהָיָ֣ה הָעִ֔יר הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל וְלָֽקְח֡וּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֜וא עֶגְלַ֣ת בָּקָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־עֻבַּד֙ בָּ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מָשְׁכָ֖ה בְּעֹֽל׃ (ד) וְהוֹרִ֡דוּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֤וא אֶת־הָֽעֶגְלָה֙ אֶל־נַ֣חַל אֵיתָ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יֵעָבֵ֥ד בּ֖וֹ וְלֹ֣א יִזָּרֵ֑עַ וְעָֽרְפוּ־שָׁ֥ם אֶת־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה בַּנָּֽחַל׃ (ה) וְנִגְּשׁ֣וּ הַכֹּהֲנִים֮ בְּנֵ֣י לֵוִי֒ כִּ֣י בָ֗ם בָּחַ֞ר ה' אֱלֹקֶ֙יךָ֙ לְשָׁ֣רְת֔וֹ וּלְבָרֵ֖ךְ בְּשֵׁ֣ם ה' וְעַל־פִּיהֶ֥ם יִהְיֶ֖ה כׇּל־רִ֥יב וְכׇל־נָֽגַע׃ (ו) וְכֹ֗ל זִקְנֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔וא הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל יִרְחֲצוּ֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה בַנָּֽחַל׃ (ז) וְעָנ֖וּ וְאָמְר֑וּ יָדֵ֗ינוּ לֹ֤א (שפכה) [שָֽׁפְכוּ֙] אֶת־הַדָּ֣ם הַזֶּ֔ה וְעֵינֵ֖ינוּ לֹ֥א רָאֽוּ׃ (ח) כַּפֵּר֩ לְעַמְּךָ֨ יִשְׂרָאֵ֤ל אֲשֶׁר־פָּדִ֙יתָ֙ ה' וְאַל־תִּתֵּן֙ דָּ֣ם נָקִ֔י בְּקֶ֖רֶב עַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְנִכַּפֵּ֥ר לָהֶ֖ם הַדָּֽם׃ (ט) וְאַתָּ֗ה תְּבַעֵ֛ר הַדָּ֥ם הַנָּקִ֖י מִקִּרְבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־תַעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַיָּשָׁ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֥י ה'׃ {ס}

Deuteronomy 21:1-9

(1) If, in the land that your God ה' is assigning you to possess, someone slain is found lying in the open, the identity of the slayer not being known, (2) your elders and magistrates shall go out and measure the distances from the corpse to the nearby towns. (3) The elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall then take a heifer which has never been worked, which has never pulled in a yoke; (4) and the elders of that town shall bring the heifer down to an everflowing wadi, which is not tilled or sown. There, in the wadi, they shall break the heifer’s neck. (5) The priests, sons of Levi, shall come forward; for your God ה' has chosen them for divine service and to pronounce blessing in the name of ה', and every lawsuit and case of assault is subject to their ruling. (6) Then all the elders of the town nearest to the corpse shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the wadi. (7) And they shall make this declaration: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done. (8) Absolve, ה', Your people Israel whom You redeemed, and do not let guilt for the blood of the innocent remain among Your people Israel.” And they will be absolved of bloodguilt. (9) Thus you will remove from your midst guilt for the blood of the innocent, for you will be doing what is right in the sight of ה'.

Why is the עגלה one that has never been worked?
Why a נחל איתן?
Why break the עגלה's neck?
What do you make of the interplay between the Elders and the Kohanim participating? And why in different ways?
If if it unclear who the murderer is, what do you think the significance of saying "we did not spill this blood" is?

PART B: Mishnah, Gemara, Midrash

משנה סוטה ט׳:ה׳-ו׳

(ה) נִפְטְרוּ זִקְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶן. זִקְנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר מְבִיאִין עֶגְלַת בָּקָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא עֻבַּד בָּהּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא מָשְׁכָה בְּעֹל (שם), וְאֵין הַמּוּם פּוֹסֵל בָּהּ, וּמוֹרִידִין אוֹתָהּ לְנַחַל אֵיתָן. וְאֵיתָן כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, קָשֶׁה. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֵיתָן, כָּשֵׁר. וְעוֹרְפִין אוֹתָהּ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאֲחוֹרֶיהָ. וּמְקוֹמָהּ אָסוּר מִלִּזְרֹעַ וּמִלַּעֲבֹד, וּמֻתָּר לִסְרֹק שָׁם פִּשְׁתָּן וּלְנַקֵּר שָׁם אֲבָנִים:

(ו) זִקְנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר רוֹחֲצִין אֶת יְדֵיהֶן בַּמַּיִם בִּמְקוֹם עֲרִיפָה שֶׁל עֶגְלָה, וְאוֹמְרִים, (שם) יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכֻה אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ. וְכִי עַל דַּעְתֵּנוּ עָלְתָה, שֶׁזִּקְנֵי בֵית דִּין שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים הֵן, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא בָא לְיָדֵינוּ וּפְטַרְנוּהוּ בְלֹא מָזוֹן, וְלֹא רְאִינוּהוּ וְהִנַּחְנוּהוּ בְלֹא לְוָיָה. וְהַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמְרִים, (שם) כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ ה' וְאַל תִּתֵּן דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לוֹמַר (שם) וְנִכַּפֵּר לָהֶם הַדָּם, אֶלָּא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְבַשַּׂרְתָּן, אֵימָתַי שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ כָּכָה, הַדָּם מִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם:

Mishnah Sotah 9:5-6

(5) The mishna continues to describe the ritual. After they would take the measurement, the Elders of Jerusalem took their leave and went away. The Elders of the city that is closest to the corpse bring a heifer from cattle, which has not pulled a yoke. But a blemish does not disqualify it, because, unlike the description of the red heifer, the Torah does not state that it must be without blemish. And they bring it down to a stream that is eitan. Eitan in this context means as the word generally indicates, powerful. The stream must have a forceful flow. The mishna comments: Even if it is not forceful, it is a valid site for the ritual. And they break the neck of the heifer from behind with a cleaver. And with regard to its place, where the heifer was standing when its neck was broken, it is prohibited for that ground to be sown or to be worked, but it is permitted to comb flax there or to cut stones there.

(6) The Elders of that city would then wash their hands in water in the place of the breaking of the neck of the heifer, and they would recite: “Our hands did not spill this blood, nor did our eyes see” (Deuteronomy 21:7). The mishna explains: But did it enter our minds that the Elders of the court are spillers of blood, that they must make such a declaration? Rather, they mean to declare that the victim did not come to us and then we let him take his leave without food, and we did not see him and then leave him alone to depart without accompaniment. They therefore attest that they took care of all his needs and are not responsible for his death even indirectly. And the priests recite: “Forgive, Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of Your people Israel” (Deuteronomy 21:8). They did not have to recite the conclusion of the verse: “And the blood shall be forgiven for them,” as this is not part of the priests’ statement, but rather the Divine Spirit informs them: When you shall do so, the blood is forgiven for you.

Why do you think that the ground near the נחל איתן cannot be worked?
What assumptions are there in how it is expected for elders to act towards the marginalized in communities according to this Mishnah?

סוטה מ״ו א:כ״ב

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בֶּן שָׁאוּל מִפְּנֵי מָה אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה הָבֵיא עֶגְלָה בְּנַחַל אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יָבֹא דָּבָר שֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה פֵּירוֹת וְיֵעָרֵף בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁאֵין עוֹשֶׂה פֵּירוֹת וִיכַפֵּר עַל מִי שֶׁלֹּא הִנִּיחוּ[הוּ] לַעֲשׂוֹת פֵּירוֹת מַאי פֵּירוֹת אִילֵימָא פְּרִיָּה וּרְבִיָּה אֶלָּא מֵעַתָּה אַזָּקֵן וְאַסָּרִיס הָכִי נָמֵי דְּלָא עָרְפִינַן אֶלָּא מִצְוֹת

Sotah 46a:22

Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Shaul says: For what reason did the Torah say to bring a heifer whose neck is broken to a stream? The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Let something that did not produce fruit, i.e., a heifer that has not given birth, come and have its neck be broken at a stream that flows forcefully, which is a place that does not produce fruit, and atone for the murder of one who was not given an opportunity to produce fruit. The Gemara asks: What is this fruit that he was not given an opportunity to produce? If we say it refers to being fruitful and multiplying, i.e., that the killer prevented him from having more children, but if that is so, in the case of an elderly person or a eunuch, so too will you say that we do not break the heifer’s neck because they could not have had any more children even had they lived? Rather, the fruit are mitzvot, as the killer deprived the victim of the opportunity to perform additional mitzvot.

What does it mean according to the discussion in the Gemara, to produced fruit?
What do you think is communal responsibility towards making sure 'fruit is produced'?

סוטה מ״ו ב:י״ט

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי מֵאִיר כָּל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְלַוֶּה וּמִתְלַוֶּה כְּאִילּוּ שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים שֶׁאִילְמָלֵי לִיוּוּהוּ אַנְשֵׁי יְרִיחוֹ לֶאֱלִישָׁע לֹא גֵּירָה דּוּבִּים לַתִּינוֹקוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיַּעַל מִשָּׁם בֵּית אֵל וְהוּא עֹלֶה בַדֶּרֶךְ וּנְעָרִים קְטַנִּים יָצְאוּ מִן הָעִיר וַיִּתְקַלְּסוּ בוֹ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ עֲלֵה קֵרֵחַ עֲלֵה קֵרֵחַ

Sotah 46b:19

The Gemara continues to discuss the importance of accompaniment. Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Meir: Whoever does not accompany another or will not allow himself to be accompanied is like a spiller of blood and is held responsible for any deaths that occur as a result of his inaction. The proof for this is that had the inhabitants of Jericho accompanied Elisha, he would not have incited the bears to attack the children, as it is stated: “And he went up from there to Bethel, and as he was going up by the way, there came forth young lads out of the city and mocked him, and said to him: Go up, baldhead; go up, baldhead” (II Kings 2:23). Had the residents of Jericho accompanied him, they would have sent away those youths and prevented what occurred next.

Why do you think accompanying people is a way that prevents bloodshed?
Take a look at II Kings 2:23-24, which is about Elisha. With this context, what do you make of this statement of Rabbi Yochanan in the name of Rabbi Meir?

If Extra Time: Egla Arufa and Communal Responsibility in the Yosef Story

בראשית רבה צ״ד:ג׳

וַיַּעֲלוּ מִמִּצְרָיִם, וַיַּגִּדוּ לוֹ לֵאמֹר עוֹד יוֹסֵף חַי וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ (בראשית מה, כה כו), תָּנֵי רַבִּי חִיָּא מַה טִּיבוֹ שֶׁל בַּדָּאי הַזֶּה, אֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים שֶׁל אֱמֶת אֵין מַאֲמִינִים אוֹתוֹ. (בראשית מה, כז): וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת, אוֹתָן עֲגָלוֹת שֶׁשָּׁלַח פַּרְעֹה לָשֵׂאת אוֹתוֹ, הָיְתָה עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים חֲקוּקָה עֲלֵיהֶם עָמַד יְהוּדָה וּשְׂרָפָן, לָמוּד הוּא הַשֵּׁבֶט לִהְיוֹת שׂוֹרֵף עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בַּר שָׁאוּל אָמַר לָהֶם אִם יַאֲמִין לָכֶם הֲרֵי מוּטָב, וְאִם לָאו אַתֶּם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁפָּרַשְׁתִּי מִמְּךָ לֹא בְּפָרָשַׁת עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה הָיִיתִי עוֹסֵק, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיַּרְא אֶת הָעֲגָלוֹת וַתְּחִי רוּחַ. (בראשית מה, כח): וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל רַב, רַב כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף בְּנִי, שֶׁכַּמָּה צָרוֹת הִגִּיעוּהוּ וַעֲדַיִן הוּא עוֹמֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ הַרְבֵּה מִמֶּנִּי שֶׁחָטָאתִי שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי (ישעיה מ, כז): נִסְתְּרָה דַּרְכִּי מֵה', וּבָטוּחַ אֲנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לִי בְּמָה רַב טוּבְךָ (תהלים לא, כ).

Bereshit Rabbah 94:3

...

Why do you think this is the text that Yaakov and Yosef learned together?

PART C: How Should These Values of Egla Arufa Manifest in Our Communities?

מורה נבוכים, חלק ג' מ׳:ו׳

ואמנם 'עגלה ערופה' תועלתה מבוארת - כי המביא אותה היא ה'עיר הקרובה אל החלל' ועל הרוב ההורג הוא ממנה וזקני העיר ההיא מעידים עליהם האלוה שהם לא התרשלו בתיקון הדרכים ובשמירתם ולתייר כל שואל דרך (כמו שבא הפרוש בדברי רז"ל) - ולא נהרג זה מפני ששכחנו התיקונים הכוללים ואנחנו לא נדע מי הרגו. ואי אפשר על הרוב עם החקירה ויציאת הזקנים והעומדים ולקיחת העגלה שלא ירבו דברי בני אדם שואולי בפרסום הענין יודע ההורג ויאמר מי שידעו או שמע ענינו או הורוהו על זה אמתלאות פלוני הוא ההורג כי אחר שיאמר אדם ואפילו 'אשה' או 'שפחה' פלוני הרגו - לא 'תערף העגלה'. וכבר נודע שמי שידע ההורג וישתוק ממנו והם העידו האלוה על עצמם שלא ידעוהו יהיה בזה עזות גדולה ואשם גדול; אם כן אפילו אשה אם תדעהו - תאמר. ואחר שיודע - הגיעה התועלת שאם לא יהרגוהו 'בין דין' המלך יהרגהו שיש לו להרוג באמתלאות ובדדמי; ואם לא יהרגהו המלך 'גואל הדם' יהרגהו ויערים עד שיתנכל אליו להרגו. הנה כבר התבאר שתועלת 'עגלה ערופה' היא - לפרסם ההורג. וחיזק זה הענין בהיותו המקום אשר 'תערף בו העגלה' 'לא יעבד בו ולא יזרע לעולם' שבעל הארץ ההיא יעשה כל תחבולה ויחקור עד שיודע ההורג כדי שלא 'תערף העגלה' ולא תאסר ארצו עליו 'לעולם':

Guide for the Perplexed, Part 3 40:6

The beneficial character of the law concerning "the breaking of the neck of a heifer" (Deut. 12:1-8) is evident. For it is the city that is nearest to the slain person that brings the heifer, and in most cases the murderer comes from that place. The elders of the place call upon God as their witness, according to the interpretation of our Sages, that they have always kept the roads in good condition, have protected them, and have directed every one that asked his way; that the person has not been killed because they were careless in these general provisions, and they do not know who has slain him. As a rule the investigation, the procession of the elders, the measuring, and the taking of the heifer, make people talk about it, and by making the event public, the murderer may be found out, and he who knows of him, or has heard of him, or has discovered him by any due, will now name the person that is the murderer, and as soon as a man, or even a woman or handmaid, rises up and names a certain person as having committed the murder, the heifer is not killed. It is well known that it is considered great wickedness and guilt on the part of a person who knows the murderer, and is silent about him whilst the elders call upon God as witness that they know nothing about the murderer. Even a woman will, therefore, communicate whatever knowledge she has of him. When the murderer is discovered, the benefit of the law is apparent. If the court of justice cannot sentence him to death, the king may find him guilty, who has the power to sentence to death on circumstantial evidence; and if the king does not put him to death, the avenger of blood may scheme and plan his death, and at last kill him. We have thus shown the use of the law concerning the breaking of the neck of the heifer in discovering the murderer. Force is added to the law by the rule that the place in which the neck of the heifer is broken should never be cultivated or sown. The owner of the land will therefore use all means in his power to search and to find the murderer, in order that the heifer be not killed and his land be not made useless to him.

According to the Rambam, what is the function of this ritual?
Do you agree with Rambam?

“To build community requires vigilant awareness of the work we must continually do to undermine all the socialization that leads us to behave in ways that perpetuate domination.”

― bell hooks, Teaching Community: A Pedagogy of Hope

What do you think "vigilant awareness" looks like?

Do you see a connection between this tweet and how to care for community?

What do you think about R' Benny Lau's use of the Eglah Arufa in this context?

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