Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, the Torah teaches us the halachos of waging war, both for a milchemes reshus (an optional war) and a milchemes mitzvah (an obligatory war). We are commanded to first offer peace to our enemies, and the Torah details the different outcomes depending on whether they accept these terms or choose to fight. We also learn the strict prohibition of Bal Tashchis, specifically not to destroy fruit-bearing trees during a siege, as the Torah beautifully asks, "Is the tree of the field a man that it should enter the siege before you?"
The aliyah then transitions to the solemn and powerful parsha of Egla Arufa. When a slain person is found lying in the field and we do not know who the murderer is, the Torah demands a public process of measurement and atonement. The elders of the closest city must take responsibility, performing a unique ritual with a heifer in a rugged valley to clear the community of bloodguilt.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
כִּיWhenתִקְרַבyou approachאֶלtoעִירa cityלְהִלָּחֵםto wage warעָלֶיהָagainst itוְקָרָאתָthen you shall callאֵלֶיהָto itלְשָׁלוֹם׃for peace
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
וְהָיָהand it shall beאִםifשָׁלוֹםpeaceתַּעַנְךָit answers youוּפָתְחָהand it opensלָךְto youוְהָיָהthen it shall beכָּלallהָעָםthe peopleהַנִּמְצָאwho are foundבָהּin itיִהְיוּthey shall beלְךָto youלָמַסfor tributeוַעֲבָדוּךָ׃and they shall serve you
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וְאִםAnd ifלֹאnotתַשְׁלִיםit makes peaceעִמָּךְwith youוְעָשְׂתָהand it makesעִמְּךָwith youמִלְחָמָהwarוְצַרְתָּthen you shall besiegeעָלֶיהָּ׃· it
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וּנְתָנָהּand He will deliver itיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godבְּיָדֶךָinto your handוְהִכִּיתָand you shall smiteאֶת—כָּלall ofזְכוּרָהּits malesלְפִיby the edge ofחָרֶב׃the sword
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
רַקOnlyהַנָּשִׁיםthe womenוְהַטַּףand the childrenוְהַבְּהֵמָהand the animalsוְכֹלand allאֲשֶׁרthatיִהְיֶהwill beבָעִירin the cityכָּלallשְׁלָלָהּits spoilתָּבֹזyou shall plunderלָךְfor yourselfוְאָכַלְתָּand you shall eatאֶת—שְׁלַלthe spoil ofאֹיְבֶיךָyour enemiesאֲשֶׁרwhichנָתַןhas givenיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלָךְ׃to you
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
כֵּןSoתַּעֲשֶׂהyou shall doלְכָלto allהֶעָרִיםthe citiesהָרְחֹקֹתthat are farמִמְּךָfrom youמְאֹדveryאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹאare notמֵעָרֵיof the cities ofהַגּוֹיִםthe nationsהָאֵלֶּהtheseהֵנָּה׃here
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
רַקOnlyמֵעָרֵיfrom the cities ofהָעַמִּיםthe nationsהָאֵלֶּהtheseאֲשֶׁרwhichיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godנֹתֵןis givingלְךָto youנַחֲלָהas an inheritanceלֹאyou shall notתְחַיֶּהlet remain aliveכָּלanyנְשָׁמָה׃soul
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
כִּיRatherהַחֲרֵםdestroyingתַּחֲרִימֵםyou shall destroy themהַחִתִּיthe Chittiוְהָאֱמֹרִיand the Emoriהַכְּנַעֲנִיthe Kenaaniוְהַפְּרִזִּיand the Perizziהַחִוִּיthe Chivviוְהַיְבוּסִיand the Yevusiכַּאֲשֶׁרjust asצִוְּךָcommanded youיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָ׃your God
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
לְמַעַןso thatאֲשֶׁר·לֹאnotיְלַמְּדוּthey will teachאֶתְכֶםyouלַעֲשׂוֹתto doכְּכֹלlike allתּוֹעֲבֹתָםtheir abominationsאֲשֶׁרwhichעָשׂוּthey didלֵאלֹהֵיהֶםfor their godsוַחֲטָאתֶםand you sinלַיהוָהto Hashemאֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃your God
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
כִּיWhenתָצוּרyou besiegeאֶל·עִירa cityיָמִיםdaysרַבִּיםmanyלְהִלָּחֵםto wage warעָלֶיהָagainst itלְתָפְשָׂהּto capture itלֹאdo notתַשְׁחִיתdestroyאֶת—עֵצָהּits treesלִנְדֹּחַby wieldingעָלָיוagainst themגַּרְזֶןan axכִּיforמִמֶּנּוּfrom themתֹאכֵלyou may eatוְאֹתוֹand themלֹאyou shall notתִכְרֹתcut downכִּיfor isהָאָדָםmanעֵץa tree ofהַשָּׂדֶהthe fieldלָבֹאto withdrawמִפָּנֶיךָbefore youבַּמָּצוֹר׃into the siege
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
רַקOnlyעֵץa treeאֲשֶׁרwhichתֵּדַעyou knowכִּיthatלֹאnotעֵץa tree ofמַאֲכָלfoodהוּאit isאֹתוֹitתַשְׁחִיתyou may destroyוְכָרָתָּand you shall cutוּבָנִיתָand you shall buildמָצוֹרsiegeworksעַלagainstהָעִירthe cityאֲשֶׁרwhichהִואitעֹשָׂהmakesעִמְּךָwith youמִלְחָמָהwarעַדuntilרִדְתָּהּ׃its downfall
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
כִּיWhenיִמָּצֵאthere is foundחָלָלa slain personבָּאֲדָמָהin the landאֲשֶׁרthatיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godנֹתֵןis givingלְךָto youלְרִשְׁתָּהּto possess itנֹפֵלlyingבַּשָּׂדֶהin the fieldלֹאnotנוֹדַעit is knownמִיwhoהִכָּהוּ׃smote him
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
וְיָצְאוּand they shall go outזְקֵנֶיךָyour eldersוְשֹׁפְטֶיךָand your judgesוּמָדְדוּand they shall measureאֶלtoהֶעָרִיםthe citiesאֲשֶׁרthatסְבִיבֹתare aroundהֶחָלָל׃the corpse
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וְהָיָהand it shall beהָעִירthe cityהַקְּרֹבָהthat is closestאֶלtoהֶחָלָלthe corpseוְלָקְחוּand they shall takeזִקְנֵיthe elders ofהָעִירthe cityהַהִואthat oneעֶגְלַתa heifer ofבָּקָרthe herdאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹאhas notעֻבַּדbeen workedבָּהּwith itאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹאhas notמָשְׁכָהpulledבְּעֹל׃in a yoke
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
וְהוֹרִדוּand they shall bring downזִקְנֵיthe elders ofהָעִירthe cityהַהִואthatאֶת—הָעֶגְלָהthe heiferאֶלtoנַחַלa valleyאֵיתָןharshאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹאnotיֵעָבֵדhas been tilledבּוֹin itוְלֹאand notיִזָּרֵעַsownוְעָרְפוּand they shall break the neck ofשָׁםthereאֶת—הָעֶגְלָהthe heiferבַּנָּחַל׃in the valley
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
וְנִגְּשׁוּAnd shall approachהַכֹּהֲנִיםthe Kohanimבְּנֵיthe sons ofלֵוִיLeviכִּיforבָםthemבָּחַרhas chosenיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלְשָׁרְתוֹto minister to Himוּלְבָרֵךְand to blessבְּשֵׁםin the Name ofיְהוָהHashemוְעַלand according toפִּיהֶםtheir wordיִהְיֶהshall beכָּלeveryרִיבdisputeוְכָלand everyנָגַע׃plague
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
וְכֹלAnd allזִקְנֵיthe elders ofהָעִירthe cityהַהִואthatהַקְּרֹבִיםwho are closestאֶלtoהֶחָלָלthe corpseיִרְחֲצוּshall washאֶת—יְדֵיהֶםtheir handsעַלoverהָעֶגְלָהthe heiferהָעֲרוּפָהwhose neck was brokenבַנָּחַל׃in the valley
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
וְעָנוּAnd they shall speakוְאָמְרוּand they shall sayיָדֵינוּOur handsלֹאdid notשפכהshedשָׁפְכוּshedאֶת—הַדָּםthe bloodהַזֶּהthisוְעֵינֵינוּand our eyesלֹאdid notרָאוּ׃see
פָּסוּק יט
Pasuk 19
כַּפֵּרAtoneלְעַמְּךָfor Your peopleיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelאֲשֶׁרwhomפָּדִיתָYou redeemedיְהוָהHashemוְאַלand do notתִּתֵּןplaceדָּםbloodנָקִיinnocentבְּקֶרֶבin the midst ofעַמְּךָYour peopleיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelוְנִכַּפֵּרand it shall be atonedלָהֶםfor themהַדָּם׃the blood
פָּסוּק כ
Pasuk 20
וְאַתָּהand youתְּבַעֵרshall removeהַדָּםthe bloodהַנָּקִיof the innocentמִקִּרְבֶּךָfrom your midstכִּיforתַעֲשֶׂהyou shall doהַיָּשָׁרwhat is rightבְּעֵינֵיin the eyes ofיְהוָה׃Hashem
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
The aliyah begins with the laws of warfare, instructing Bnei Yisrael to offer peace terms before attacking a city. If the enemy accepts, they become tributary servants; if they refuse, a siege is laid, and upon victory, the males are put to the sword while the women, children, and spoil are taken. This applies to distant cities, whereas the seven Canaanite nations within the land must be completely wiped out to prevent them from corrupting Bnei Yisrael with their idolatrous practices. During a siege, the Torah forbids cutting down fruit trees for siegeworks, permitting only non-food-producing trees to be destroyed. Finally, the parsha of Egla Arufa is introduced: when an unidentified corpse is found in the field, the Sanhedrin's judges measure to find the nearest city. The elders of that city must bring a young heifer to a harsh, uncultivated valley, break its neck, wash their hands over it, and declare before the Kohanim that they did not neglect the traveler, thereby securing atonement for the bloodguilt of Klal Yisrael.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
The Torah is teaching us a tremendous yesod in how we look at our surroundings. When a person is found slain in the field, the elders of the closest city must go through the entire process of the eglah arufah, washing their hands and declaring, "Our hands did not shed this blood." The Gemara is immediately bothered: would we ever think that the chashuve gedolim and judges of the Sanhedrin are murderers? Why do they need to make such a declaration? Rashi explains the real kasha here: the elders are declaring that they did not let this traveler pass through their town without food, and they did not let him leave without an escort to protect him.
Look at what the Torah is demanding from us. If a person slipped through the cracks, if someone was in our neighborhood and we failed to notice that he was hungry, lonely, or lacking protection, we bear a level of responsibility for what happens to him. The Torah does not allow us to say, "I didn't do anything wrong, I just minded my own business." In Yiddishkeit, minding your own business when another Yid is in need is itself a failure in our avodah.
This is not just about physical danger; it is about the spiritual and emotional well-being of every person we encounter. When a guest comes to shul and sits alone, when a neighbor is going through a hard time, or when a coworker seems down, we cannot just walk past them. We have to ask ourselves: did we provide them with the warmth, the "food," and the "escort" of a welcoming smile and a kind word?
Today, make it your avodah to look out for someone who might otherwise go unnoticed. When you see someone standing alone in shul, at a simcha, or in your neighborhood, go out of your way to greet them, make them feel seen, and ensure they have what they need.