Commentary for Numbers 35:23
א֣וֹ בְכָל־אֶ֜בֶן אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֥וּת בָּהּ֙ בְּלֹ֣א רְא֔וֹת וַיַּפֵּ֥ל עָלָ֖יו וַיָּמֹ֑ת וְהוּא֙ לֹא־אוֹיֵ֣ב ל֔וֹ וְלֹ֥א מְבַקֵּ֖שׁ רָעָתֽוֹ׃
or with any stone, whereby a man may die, seeing him not, and cast it upon him, so that he died, and he was not his enemy, neither sought his harm;
Rashi on Numbers
או בכל אבן אשר ימות בה OR WITH ANY STONE WHEREBY ONE MAY DIE, he smote him.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rabbeinu Bahya
ויפל עליו, “he caused it to fall upon him.” This verse caused our sages (Makkot 7) to determine that if someone kills unintentionally by dropping something while lowering it he must go to the city of refuge, but if it occurred while lifting the object he does not go.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Siftei Chakhamim
He struck him. Without the additional phrase, “He struck him,” we would understand “without seeing” is associated with “which can kill” as if to say that he did not see his death. However this is not so, rather it means to say that he did not see when he struck him. Furthermore, without the additional wording the phrase, “Or even with a stone” would obviously be missing [a verb], since it should have said, “Or even struck with a stone.” For if it referred back to [the verb] “threw” (v. 22), the verse should have said או כל אבן ["or even a stone"].
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy