Derasha on Bamidbar 35:16 · TT unit 1

Parashas Masei · Passuk 35:16 · TT note 1

The Complete Passuk

וְאִם־בִּכְלִ֨י בַרְזֶ֧ל ׀ הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת רֹצֵ֣חַֽ ה֑וּא מ֥וֹת יוּמַ֖ת הָרֹצֵֽחַ׃

Chabad.org — English translation + Rashi

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin 76b (TT note on “בִּכְלִי בַרְזֶל”).

E-Daf — Sanhedrin 76b · Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text — Sanhedrin 76b
תַּנְיָא, רַבִּי אוֹמֵר: גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁהַבַּרְזֶל מֵמִית בְּכׇל שֶׁהוּא, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא נָתְנָה בּוֹ תּוֹרָה שִׁעוּר.

English: It was taught: Rabbi says, it is revealed and known before Him who spoke and the world came into being that iron kills with any amount; therefore the Torah did not assign a measure to it.

Type of Learning

Halakhic measure — iron weapons have no minimum size for liability.

What Is Learned

Any iron implement, however small, that causes death renders the killer a murderer liable to death; the Torah gave no minimum measure for iron.