Mitzvah —
189
Not to benefit from a beast condemned to be stoned
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וְכִֽי־יִגַּ֨ח שׁ֥וֹר אֶת־אִ֛ישׁ א֥וֹ אֶת־אִשָּׁ֖ה וָמֵ֑ת סָק֨וֹל יִסָּקֵ֜ל הַשּׁ֗וֹר וְלֹ֤א יֵאָכֵל֙ אֶת־בְּשָׂר֔וֹ וּבַ֥עַל הַשּׁ֖וֹר נָקִֽי׃ - פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים
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Exodus 21:28 - "And if a bull gores a man or a woman and [that one] dies, the bull shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, and the owner of the bull is clear."
This Mitzvah's Summary
מִצְוָה עֲשֵׂה - Positive Commandment
מִצְוָה לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה - Negative Commandment
Kashrut – כַּשְׁרוּת
Forbidden to eat or benefit from an animal condemned to be stoned.
This mitzvah prohibits deriving any benefit from an animal sentenced to death by stoning, such as an ox that kills a person. The Torah specifies that not only may its meat not be eaten, but no use may be made of the animal in any form. This underscores the principle that property involved in a crime resulting in the loss of life becomes defiled and unusable, highlighting the gravity of bloodshed in the eyes of the Torah.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Hilchot Ma’achalot Asurot 4:22): Rules that any benefit—consumption, labor, or otherwise—from such an animal is prohibited.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 451): The root is to instill awe regarding the sanctity of human life and to deter negligence in guarding dangerous animals.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 15b): Discusses the laws of an ox that kills, emphasizing that its body is considered abhorrent and may not be used.
Commentaries
(Source: Chabad.org)
