Kommentar zu Dewarim 21:23

כי קללת אלהים תלוי FOR HE THAT IS HANGED IS A קללת אלהים — i.e., a degradation of the Divine King, for man is made in His image and the Israelites are His children. A parable! It may be compared to the case of two twin brothers who very closely resembled each other: one became king and the other was arrested for robbery and was hanged. Whoever saw him on the gallows thought that the king was hanged (Sanhedrin 46b). — Wherever the term קללה occurs in Scripture it has the meaning of bonding in light esteem and despising, as e.g., (1 Kings 2:8) “[Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim] who cursed me with a severe curse (קללני קללה נמרצת)” (cf. II Samuel 16:5—8).

כי קללת אלוהים תלוי, every disembodied creature is known as elohim; this includes the soul of human beings known as צלם אלוהים, “image of G’d.” [as He is without body, so this essence of a human being is without a body, does not need a body. Ed.] (Genesis 1,27) This is how we can understand the woman, known as בעלת אוב in Samuel I 28,13 whom King Sha-ul approached and asked to raise the prophet Samuel for him producing a disembodied image. Seeing that the disgrace done to a person after he has died is also an insult to this disembodied essence of him, the Torah describes it as קללת אלוהים, equivalent to cursing the dead person’s eternal essence. קללת אלהים, leaving the dead corpse hanging without burial is an insult to that very eternal essence of a human being called אלהים.

כי קללת אלוקים תלוי, when passers by view the corpse of a person who has been hanged they are in the habit of cursing the judge who decreed this penalty, or the relatives of the victim curse the judges accusing them of handing down a harsh verdict for a “minor” offence, such as the collecting of kindling on the Sabbath. (Numbers 15,33) If the Torah considered it asr necessary to warn the people against cursing their judges, (אלוהים לא תקלל, Exodus 22,27) it did so because it is familiar with people’s psyches, more so than people themselves. Therefore, to counteract such violation of the law not to curse judges, לא תלין נבלתו, “his corpse is not to spend the night unburied,” but כי קבור תקברנו...ולא תטמא את אדמתך, “you must proceed forthwith to bury him, for as long as he stays unburied people may contract severe ritual impurity through contact with that body, or through being under the same roof as the corpse.”

כי קללת אלוקים תלוי. ”for a hanging person is a curse of G’d.” Some sages learn from this verse that all people who were executed by stoning are to have their bodies hung publicly during the balance of the day of their execution. The expression קללת אלוקים does not refer to the act of hanging and displaying the body of the sinner in question, but it refers only to the person who was executed for blaspheming. In practice, this hanging is applied only to the body of the blasphemer who, more than anyone else, had cheapened the whole concept of a human being, whom G’d had created in His image, and he had the unforgivable nerve to curse his Creator. His body, by his own admission then, is not worth treating with the dignity accorded to other dead bodies. Nachmanides writes that when viewing the text at its face value, the meaning is that whenever a person commits a sin deserving of the death penalty by public hanging, his corpse will not be hung from a tree as there is no greater curse that can be applied to a human being than to publicly hang him. It is therefore not appropriate that such a stain on human dignity, akin to ritual contamination, should ever be seen in the Holy Land. Our sages interpret the words קללת אלוקים as referring to the person executed, saying that the message is that although this person deserves the debasement of being hung, but that seeing that this would reflect negatively on his Creator, the Torah spared him this indignity. They also say that we learn from the words קללת אלוקים that anyone hanging a dead corpse thereby inflicting an indignity on that body, is guilty of transgressing a negative commandment (compare Sanhedrin 15)

It is an affront to the king, etc. Rashi’s intends to explain the word כי, “for.” What reason is this for what is [said] above? He explains, “It is an affront, etc.” This [answer] is according to what our Rabbis (i.e. R. Eliezer, Sanhedrin ibid.) expound, “All those who are stoned are also hung.” However, according to the sages who say that the ones who are stoned are not hung except for the blasphemer and the idolater, who is also similar to the blasphemer, you have to say that when it is written כי קללת אלהים, it means “(For) the one who curses Hashem (is hung),” and קללת is an expression of cursing. [If so, why does Rashi not explain the verse according to the sages whose opinion is accepted as halacha?] The reason is that] by explaining the verse according to the Midrash [that says that each parsha is connected to the one adjacent to it] brings it closer to the plain meaning [of the verses], and the juxtaposition of the sections indicates that all those who are stoned are also hung, Rashi therefore explains [like R. Eliezer] that קללת is an expression of “affront.” (See Re”m who discusses this at length). Another answer [that the word קללת means both “affront” and also “curse,”] is that otherwise you might ask, from where does Rashi know that all those who are stoned are also hung if he [later] explains that קללת is an expression of an affront [and not an expression of “curse.” How then does he know that the verse is talking about someone who incurred stoning for cursing?]. [The answer is] that one must to say that [קללת] implies both [curse and an affront], because if it means only to “bless” the Name, it should have said, “(For he who) blesses Hashem,” [which is] a “clean” expression. Therefore [this indicates that] קללת is an expression denoting an affront. And, if it was an expression denoting only an affront, it should have said explicitly an expression denoting an affront. Therefore [we must say that] it is also coming [to be understood] as blessing Hashem. (I found [this interpretation])

AND THOU DEFILE NOT THY LAND. In the opinion of our Rabbis this is not merely a reason, meaning [that a corpse may not be left hanging] “in order that you defile not your Land,” for, if so, it would be permissible [to leave the dead overnight] outside the Land. Instead, this is a second negative commandment. Now, whoever leaves overnight the corpse of a criminal hanging, or of any dead body in the Land transgresses two negative commandments [his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, and thou defile not the Land] and a positive commandment [but thou shalt surely bury him the same day]. Outside the Land [whenever someone allows any corpse to remain overnight] he violates the positive commandment [mentioned] and the negative commandment [his body shall not remain all night] which is derived from the law of the hanging corpse, as I have explained. It is by reason of this negative commandment that Joshua buried the Canaanite kings¹²¹Joshua 10:27. during the day of their execution, although, in their hanging, there would not have been the curse which our Rabbis mentioned with regards to the blasphemer and idol-worshipper. Rather, it was on account of the uncleanness of the Land [which their hanging would have caused] or because he was apprehensive of the desecration of G-d on the basis of the parable of the two brothers, as I have mentioned.

V. 23. לא תלין וגו׳ כי קבר תקברנו וגו׳. Wir haben schon zum vorigen Verse bemerkt, dass dieses Verbot und Gebot an sich allgemein gelten, כל המלין את מתו עובר בלאו (daselbst), hier sind sie nur bei Gelegenheit einer mit תליה verbundenen Hinrichtung niedergelegt, um zu sagen, dass auch hier dieselben in Geltung bleiben sollen.

כי קללת אלוהים תלוי, “for an impaled body is an affront to G–d;” a body that has not been buried is as if one had cursed G–d, as anyone seeing that corpse will realise that the body while alive had cursed the Lord by his activities and tarnished the concept of man having been created in G–d’s image.

.לא תלין נבלתו על עץ , “you must not allow his corpse to remain hanging from a tree or gallows,” but bury him on the same day. The reason for this is so that people will not confuse this corpse with the one of a blasphemer whose body is to be displayed by hanging, and people might believe that the corpse they are looking at is that of a blasphemer. It would be considered as an insult to a mortal king if too much publicity would be given to someone who had mutinied against him even if he had already been punished for his crime. Similarly, it would be an insult to the immortal King, our Creator, if too much publicity were to be given to someone who had been audacious enough to insult the Creator through blasphemy. An alternate interpretation for the line: כי קללת אלוקים תלוי, people seeing the corpse of someone who had been executed for violating G-d’s commands would reason that the guilty party had already paid the price for what he had done; why subject him to indignities by displaying his body?A third interpretation for the above line: this line is addressed to the judges; people seeing the face of the corpse hanging, and knowing the judges who decreed the corpse’s execution might curse them for having executed him for a minor crime, or for not looking for a technicality to avoid having to convict that person of a capital crime.

ולא תטמא, do not allow the spirit of impurity, death, to linger overnight in a location where a body remains unburied.

ולא תטמא את אדמתך, “so that you do not contaminate your land.” Nachmanides writes that this cannot be the only consideration for having to bring the corpse of the judicially executed sinner to burial before nightfall, as if it were, it would be permissible to let such a corpse remain unburied overnight in the Diaspora. The true interpretation is that it is forbidden to leave a corpse unburied [or untended Ed.] overnight, whereas when this happens in the Holy Land one transgresses an additional commandment by doing so.

And the Israelites are His children. Rashi means, and especially Israel who are also His children, therefore, “Do not leave his corpse overnight on the tree.” Because “This is compared to two brothers, etc.”

כי קבר וגו׳ der Pfahl, an welchem die תליה vollzogen war, wurde auch begraben.

כי קבור תקברנו ביום ההוא, “but you must inter him the day of his execution,” instead of becoming ritually contaminated under the same roof as the sinner.

כי קללת אלקי׳ תלוי (siehe Wajikra S. 442). Die תליה hat nicht den Zweck der Abschreckung, sondern ist eine für מגדף (und so auch für ע׳ ע׳׳ז) die vorangegangene סקילה ergänzende מצוה. Diese מצוה ist mit geschehener תליה vollzogen und ist daher die Leiche sofort herabzunehmen und zu Grabe zu bringen.

ולא תטמא וגו׳. Wir haben wiederholt erkannt, wie der durch eine Menschenleiche vergegenwärtigte Wahngedanke der Unfreiheit des Menschen die Grundquelle aller טומאה ist. אדמתך, "dein Menschenboden", der dir zur Verwirklichung des sittlich reinen, freien, gottebenbildlichen Menschenwirkens gegebene Boden, hat keinen Raum für die dem Zwange physischer Notwendigkeit anheimgefallene Leibeshülle eines aus ihr geschiedenen Menschen, sie ist von der Oberfläche des "Menschenbodens" weg, der Erde zu übergeben, der sie angehört und der sie entstammte, כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב (Bereschit 3, 19), וישב העפר על הארץ כשהיה והרוח תשוב אל האלקים אשר נתנה (Pred. 12, 7), deine "Adama" bleibe rein dem lebendigen und im Leben freien, reinen "Adam", ולא תטמא את אדמתך אשר ד׳ אלקיך נתן לך נחלה. —

Es wird aber die Pflicht des Begräbnisses einer Leiche zugleich als eine Pflicht gegen den heimgegangenen Menschenbruder begriffen, dessen Persönlichkeit in der zurückgelassenen Leibeshülle uns gegenwärtig sein und vor entwürdigendem Anblick geschützt werden soll, wie sich diese Pflicht ja auch in dem היתר טומאה לקרובים für die כהנים ausspricht (Wajikra 21, 2 u. 3), und auch die Halacha lehrt, dass, obgleich כל המלין את מתו עובר בלאו, dennoch הלינהו לכבודו להביא לו ארון ותכריכין אינו עובר עליו, Verschiebung des Begräbnisses zu Ehren des Toten, das Erforderliche zur Bestattung herbeizuschaffen, nicht gesetzwidrig ist (Sanhedrin 46 a u. b). Wird ja die Bestattung einer unversorgt liegenden Leiche, מת מצוה, als eine so hohe Liebespflicht begriffen, dass vor ihr die sonst höchsten positiven Pflichten und auch die טומאה-Verbote eines כה׳׳ג und Nasir, selbst wo sie kumulativ auftreten, zurückzustehen haben, z. B. הרי שהיה בה׳׳ג ונזיר והלך לשחוט את פסחו ולמול את בנו מטמא למת מצוה wenn er gleich dadurch an Erfüllung der פסח ומילה-Pflicht gehindert wird (Berachot 18 b תוספו׳ daselbst; — siehe Wajikra 21, 11 und Bamidbar 6, 7). Ja, eine unbestattete Leiche wäre als בזיונא דכלהו חיי, als eine Entwürdigung aller Lebenden zu begreifen, deren leibliche Würde durch den Anblick der Verwesung litte (siehe im übrigen לחם משנה zu הל ׳אבל יב׳ א׳).

(וצ׳׳ע׳׳ע דמאי קמבעי ליה בסנהדרין אי קבורה משום בזיונא או משום כפרה הא בברכות י׳׳ט ב׳ סברת הש׳׳ם בפשיטות דמת מצוה איכא משום כבוד הבריות וגם כמו שכתבתי בפנים הא דמותר להלין לכבודו מוכיח דקבורה משום בזיונא, וצ׳׳ע. ולולי דמסתפינא הייתי אומר דהאבעי׳ הוא דוקא אי קבורת קרקע משום בזיונא או משום כפרה.דהא רק ע׳׳י קרקע הויא כפרה ע׳׳ש וצ׳׳ע)

Kap. 22 beginnt mit einer Gesetzesgruppe (Verse 1 — 5), in welcher für das nunmehr beginnende eigentliche bürgerliche Verkehrs- und Berufsleben drei Fundamentalgrundsätze zum Ausspruch kommen, unter deren Einfluss allein sich das soziale Volksleben seiner Bestimmung gemäß gestalten kann. Diese drei Grundsätze sind: Brüderliche Solidarität aller für den Schutz des Eigentums eines jeden (Verse 1 — 3), brüderliche Solidarität aller für die Förderung der Unternehmungen eines jeden (V. 4), Aufrechthaltung der natürlichen Sonderung der Geschlechter nach der einem jeden eigentümlichen Berufs- und Lebensweise (V. 5). Wie gewöhnlich, kommen diese Grundsätze an einzelnen konkreten Problemen und Beispielen zur Erkenntnis, von denen namentlich das erste zugleich nach verschiedenen Seiten hin für die Gesetzeskunde lehrreich ist.

Dieses erste Problem השבת אבדה dürfte zu der vorangehenden Verpflichtung der Bestattung einer Menschenleiche in natürlichem Zusammenhange stehen. Eine Leiche ist nichts als eine אבדה, als die abgefallene, zurückgelassene Hülle eines Brudermenschen. Derselbe Pflichtgedanke, der in der Leiche die Menschenpersönlichkeit, der sie angehörte, gegenwärtig sein lässt und sie der Fürsorge aller Brudermenschen überantwortet, lässt auch in jedem verlorenen Gute die Persönlichkeit des Eigners erblicken und überantwortet es der brüderlichen Fürsorge eines jeden Menschengenossen.