Kommentar zu Dewarim 17:5

והוצאת את האיש ההוא אל שעריך וגו׳ THEN THOU SHALT BRING FORTH THAT MAN [OR THAT WOMAN WHO HAVE DONE THAT EVIL THING] UNTO THY GATES — He who renders אל שעריך in the Targum by לתרע בית דינך, unto the gate of thy court, is in error, for thus we have learned (Sifrei Devarim 148:2; Ketubot 45b): אל שעריך — this means the gate (the city) in which he has worshipped the idol. Or, perhaps this is not so, but it means the gate where he is being judged (the judges sat “at the gate of the city”; cf., e.g., Ruth 4:1 ff.)?! The term שעריך, however, is used below (i.e. here, which is the latter part of this section) and is used above (v. 2), and this suggests an analogy. What is the meaning of שעריך that is mentioned above? Evidently the gate (the city) wherein he served the idol! So, too, does שעריך mentioned below (in our verse) denote the gate in which he served the idol. The correct rendering in the Targum is therefore לקרויך “thou shalt bring him forth unto thy cities” (cf. Rashi on Deuteronomy 16:18).

את האיש ההוא או את האשה ההיא, no mention is made in this connection of the idolatry being the result of seduction, the victim being foolish and knowing what he or she did, so that there is no need to convict him or her in the location where he or she committed the offence to teach the people who were aware of the sinner’s opinions that the truth is the opposite of what the sinner thought.

“Your gates” is said below. I.e. שעריך, “your gates” written here [in this verse].

V. 5. והוצאת וגו׳ (siehe zu Wajikra 24, 14). Die Richtstätte soll außerhalb der Stadt und, wie wir glauben, gleichwohl in solcher Nähe zur Stadt sich befinden, dass die Örtlichkeit als "vor den Toren der Stadt", als zum Stadtgebiet gehörig erscheint. Wir glauben so den Ausdruck הוצאה אל שעריך zu verstehen. Lautet so ja auch die Halacha: העובד ע׳׳ז סוקלין אותו על שער שעבד בו. Es dürfte damit an den Tag gelegt werden, dass die Stadtgenossen des Verbrechers sein Verbrechen perhorreszieren, so dass er sich damit aus ihrer Gemeinschaft ausgeschlossen. Daher denn ferner der Satz, dass wenn die Bewohner der Stadt zum größten Teile Nichtjuden wären, die Hinrichtung על פתה בית דין außerhalb des Gerichtshofes zu geschehen sei (Ketubot 45 b). — שעריך: ebenso wie שעריך (V. 2) die Tore der Stadt, in welcher das Verbrechen geschehen, שער שעבד בו, nicht der Stadt des Gerichts שער שנידון בו (daselbst).

אל שעריך, “to your gates;” according to the plain meaning of the text “the gates” is the place where the court sits in judgment. The location has been chosen as it is so central and public that any accused cannot avoid passing it for any length of time, at which time the judges will arrest the accused for a hearing. We find an illustration of this in the Book of Ruth, (Ruth 4,1) when the potential redeemer of Ruth is accosted by Boaz in such a square.

אל שעריך, to the public place where the idolatrous act was performed. By convicting and executing the idolater the public would have to admit that the deity worshipped by the convicted sinner was either unable or unwilling to save his life.

And “your gates” is said above, etc. Because it is written (v. 2), “If there is found among you, in one of your cities (שעריך).” Just as there it is the city in which he worshipped, so too [over here, it means to take him] to the city in which he worshipped.

את האיש או את האשה. Durch diese Wiederholung wird die hier bestimmte Prozedur auf den Fall beschränkt, dass das Verbrechen nur durch einzelne verübt worden. Nur dann ist einer der kleineren Gerichtshöfe von dreiundzwanzig, ב׳׳ד של כ׳׳ג, kompetent, und das Strafurteil hat auf סקילה zu lauten, während eine der ע׳׳ז verfallene städtische Gesamtheit, עיר נדחת, nur durch den höchsten Gerichtshof von einundsiebzig zu richten ist und der Hinrichtung durchs Schwert verfällt. אין עושין עיר הנדחת אלא על פי ב׳׳ד של שבעים ואחד אמר קרא והוצאת את האיש ההוא או את האשה ההיא איש ואשה אתה מוציא לשעריך ואי אתה מוציא כל העיר כולה לשעריך (Sanhedrin 16 b; — siehe zu Kap. 13, 13 f. — וצ׳׳ע דהא האי אל שעריך הוא שער שעבד בו ולא שער שנידון בו כדלעיל).

וסקלתם באבנים, “you shall stone them with stones;” males or females as the case may be; we find a similar formula when the penalty is death by burning (swallowing molten lead) (Leviticus 20,14)

Targum [Onkelos] renders לקרוך. Meaning, “to your city.” [Rashi mentions this so that] you should not explain [that it means] לתרעך, “to your gates,” as the Targum translates, “On the doorposts of your house, and on your gateposts (ובשעריך) (above 6:9).”

וסקלתם באבנים (siehe zu Wajikra 20, 2).