parshaמפרשי הפרשה

רמב"ן — מכה אביו / וגונב איש / ומקלל אביו

Three death-penalty cases sit together: makeh aviv, gonev ish, mekalel aviv. Makeh and mekalel both concern parents — why interpose gonev ish between them? And why is the mekalel's death (skila) harsher than the makeh's (chenek)?

ומכה אביו ואמו מות יומת - כבר למדו חכמים שמיתתו בחנק, ולכך סמך לו 'וגונב איש ומכרו', שגם הוא באותה מיתה, והפריש ממנו 'ומקלל אביו ואמו', מפני שהוא בסקילה... והחמיר במיתת המקלל יותר ממיתת המכה, מפני שחטא הקללה מצוי יותר, שהכסיל כאשר יכעוס והתקצף וקלל במלכו ובאביו ואמו תמיד כל היום, והעבירה כפי מציאותה תמיד צריכה ייסור גדול. או מפני שיש בקללה חטא גדול יותר שהיא בהזכרת ה', והנה צריך להענישו על חטאו באביו ואמו ועל אשר נשא שם ה' אלהיו לפשע וחטא.

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רמב"ן

רמב"ן על שמות כ״א:ט״ו

Ramban on Exodus 21:15

Mishpatim

Q — Three death-penalty cases sit together: makeh aviv, gonev ish, mekalel aviv. Makeh and mekalel both concern parents — why interpose gonev ish between them? And why is the mekalel's death (skila) harsher than the makeh's (chenek)?

A — Ramban: gonev ish sits between specifically to separate makeh from mekalel and signal that their deaths differ. Makeh (and gonev) draw the default 'מות יומת' = chenek; mekalel draws skila from the gezera shava on 'דמיו בו' (parallel to 'דמיהם בם' in 20:27). Two reasons skila is harsher than chenek: (1) Frequency-based deterrence (Rambam's principle in Moreh Nevuchim 3:41): 'שהכסיל כאשר יכעוס... קלל במלכו ובאביו ואמו תמיד כל היום' — cursing is more common than striking, so 'העבירה כפי מציאותה תמיד צריכה ייסור גדול.' (2) Cursing requires invoking Hashem's name (to be liable), so the mekalel commits two aveirot — against parents and 'נשא שם ה' אלהיו לפשע וחטא.'

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