Devarim 21: A Tale of Two Cities

YINR 929: Tanach Yomi · Apr 29, 2026 · 3m

Chapter 21 details the unique case of the Eglah Arufah, the calf with a broken neck. When a dead body is found between two cities, the leaders of both cities must measure to determine which city is closest. The elders of that city must then bring a young calf that has never been worked down to a valley and perform a ritual of atonement:

“If a slain person is found lying in the open, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who struck him down… then your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distances to the towns around the slain person.”…