(א) עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה, בִּלְשׁוֹן הַקֹּדֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים כא) כִּי יִמָּצֵא חָלָל בָּאֲדָמָה וְגוֹ' וְיָצְאוּ זְקֵנֶיךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ, שְׁלשָׁה מִבֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם הָיוּ יוֹצְאִין. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר חֲמִשָּׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר זְקֵנֶיךָ, שְׁנַיִם, וְשֹׁפְטֶיךָ, שְׁנַיִם, וְאֵין בֵּית דִּין שָׁקוּל, מוֹסִיפִין עֲלֵיהֶן עוֹד אֶחָד:
(ב) נִמְצָא טָמוּן בְּגַל, אוֹ תָלוּי בְּאִילָן, אוֹ צָף עַל פְּנֵי הַמַּיִם, לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) בָּאֲדָמָה, וְלֹא טָמוּן בְּגַל. נֹפֵל, וְלֹא תָלוּי בְּאִילָן. בַּשָּׂדֶה, וְלֹא צָף עַל פְּנֵי הַמָּיִם. נִמְצָא סָמוּךְ לַסְּפָר, אוֹ לְעִיר שֶׁרֻבָּהּ נָכְרִים, אוֹ לְעִיר שֶׁאֵין בָּהּ בֵּית דִּין, לֹא הָיוּ עוֹרְפִין. אֵין מוֹדְדִין אֶלָּא מֵעִיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ בֵּית דִּין. נִמְצָא מְכֻוָּן בֵּין שְׁתֵּי עֲיָרוֹת, שְׁתֵּיהֶן מְבִיאוֹת שְׁתֵּי עֲגָלוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וְאֵין יְרוּשָׁלַיִם מְבִיאָה עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה:
(ג) נִמְצָא רֹאשׁוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד וְגוּפוֹ בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר, מוֹלִיכִין הָרֹאשׁ אֵצֶל הַגּוּף, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, הַגּוּף אֵצֶל הָרֹאשׁ:
(ד) מֵאַיִן הָיוּ מוֹדְדִין. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, מִטִּבּוּרוֹ. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מֵחָטְמוֹ. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב אוֹמֵר, מִמְּקוֹם שֶׁנַּעֲשֶׂה חָלָל, מִצַּוָּארוֹ:
(ה) נִפְטְרוּ זִקְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְהָלְכוּ לָהֶן. זִקְנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר מְבִיאִין עֶגְלַת בָּקָר אֲשֶׁר לֹא עֻבַּד בָּהּ אֲשֶׁר לֹא מָשְׁכָה בְּעֹל (שם), וְאֵין הַמּוּם פּוֹסֵל בָּהּ, וּמוֹרִידִין אוֹתָהּ לְנַחַל אֵיתָן. וְאֵיתָן כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ, קָשֶׁה. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ אֵיתָן, כָּשֵׁר. וְעוֹרְפִין אוֹתָהּ בְּקוֹפִיץ מֵאֲחוֹרֶיהָ. וּמְקוֹמָהּ אָסוּר מִלִּזְרֹעַ וּמִלַּעֲבֹד, וּמֻתָּר לִסְרֹק שָׁם פִּשְׁתָּן וּלְנַקֵּר שָׁם אֲבָנִים:
(ו) זִקְנֵי אוֹתָהּ הָעִיר רוֹחֲצִין אֶת יְדֵיהֶן בַּמַּיִם בִּמְקוֹם עֲרִיפָה שֶׁל עֶגְלָה, וְאוֹמְרִים, (שם) יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכֻה אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ. וְכִי עַל דַּעְתֵּנוּ עָלְתָה, שֶׁזִּקְנֵי בֵית דִּין שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים הֵן, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא בָא לְיָדֵינוּ וּפְטַרְנוּהוּ בְלֹא מָזוֹן, וְלֹא רְאִינוּהוּ וְהִנַּחְנוּהוּ בְלֹא לְוָיָה. וְהַכֹּהֲנִים אוֹמְרִים, (שם) כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ ה' וְאַל תִּתֵּן דָּם נָקִי בְּקֶרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. לֹא הָיוּ צְרִיכִים לוֹמַר (שם) וְנִכַּפֵּר לָהֶם הַדָּם, אֶלָּא רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְבַשַּׂרְתָּן, אֵימָתַי שֶׁתַּעֲשׂוּ כָּכָה, הַדָּם מִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם:
(ז) נִמְצָא הַהוֹרֵג עַד שֶׁלֹּא נֶעֶרְפָה הָעֶגְלָה, תֵּצֵא וְתִרְעֶה בָעֵדֶר. מִשֶּׁנֶּעֶרְפָה הָעֶגְלָה, תִּקָּבֵר בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, שֶׁעַל סָפֵק בָּאתָה מִתְּחִלָּתָהּ, כִּפְּרָה סְפֵקָהּ וְהָלְכָה לָהּ. נֶעֶרְפָה הָעֶגְלָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ נִמְצָא הַהוֹרֵג, הֲרֵי זֶה יֵהָרֵג:
(1) In certain cases of unsolved murder, the Torah prescribes a ritual performed with a heifer whose neck is broken. During the course of this ritual, the judges say a confession in the sacred tongue, Hebrew, as it is stated in the verse: “If one be found slain in the land which the Lord your God has given you to possess it, lying in the field, and it is not known who has smitten him; then your Elders and your judges shall come forth” (Deuteronomy 21:1–2). What is the procedure for this ritual? Three members of the High Court [Sanhedrin] that is in Jerusalem would go out to see the corpse. Rabbi Yehuda says: Five would go out, as it is stated: “Your Elders,” in the plural form, indicating at least two; and it is written: “And your judges,” in the plural form, indicating another two judges; and a court may not be comprised of an even number of judges because they need to be able to issue a majority ruling. Consequently, they add to them one more Elder.
(2) If the corpse was found concealed in a pile of stones, or hanging on a tree, or floating on the surface of the water, then the judges would not break the neck of the heifer, as it is stated: “If one be found slain in the land” (Deuteronomy 21:1), and not concealed in a pile of stones; “lying” on the ground and not hanging on a tree; “in the field,” and not floating on the surface of the water. If a corpse was found close to the border of the country, or close to a city in which the majority of its inhabitants are gentiles, or close to a city that is without a rabbinical court of twenty-three judges, then the judges would not break the heifer’s neck. Additionally, the Elders measure the distance from the corpse only to a city that has a rabbinical court with twenty-three judges. If the slain person is found precisely between two cities, the inhabitants of the two of them bring two heifers total; this is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not bring a heifer whose neck is broken, even if Jerusalem is the city closest to the slain victim.
(3) If the head of the corpse was found in one place and his body was found in a different place, they bring the head next to the body; this is the statement of Rabbi Eliezer. Rabbi Akiva says: They bring the body next to the head.
(4) From where on the body would they measure the distance? Rabbi Eliezer says: From his navel. Rabbi Akiva says: From his nose. Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov says: From the place where he became a slain person, which is from the neck.
(5) The mishna continues to describe the ritual. After they would take the measurement, the Elders of Jerusalem took their leave and went away. The Elders of the city that is closest to the corpse bring a heifer from cattle, which has not pulled a yoke. But a blemish does not disqualify it, because, unlike the description of the red heifer, the Torah does not state that it must be without blemish. And they bring it down to a stream that is eitan. Eitan in this context means as the word generally indicates, powerful. The stream must have a forceful flow. The mishna comments: Even if it is not forceful, it is a valid site for the ritual. And they break the neck of the heifer from behind with a cleaver. And with regard to its place, where the heifer was standing when its neck was broken, it is prohibited for that ground to be sown or to be worked, but it is permitted to comb flax there or to cut stones there.
(6) The Elders of that city would then wash their hands in water in the place of the breaking of the neck of the heifer, and they would recite: “Our hands did not spill this blood, nor did our eyes see” (Deuteronomy 21:7). The mishna explains: But did it enter our minds that the Elders of the court are spillers of blood, that they must make such a declaration? Rather, they mean to declare that the victim did not come to us and then we let him take his leave without food, and we did not see him and then leave him alone to depart without accompaniment. They therefore attest that they took care of all his needs and are not responsible for his death even indirectly. And the priests recite: “Forgive, Lord, Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of Your people Israel” (Deuteronomy 21:8). They did not have to recite the conclusion of the verse: “And the blood shall be forgiven for them,” as this is not part of the priests’ statement, but rather the Divine Spirit informs them: When you shall do so, the blood is forgiven for you.
(7) If the killer is found before the heifer’s neck was broken, the heifer shall go out and graze among the herd. It is not considered sacred at all, and it may rejoin the other animals. If the killer is found from the time when the heifer’s neck was broken, even if the rest of the ritual has not yet been performed, it is prohibited to benefit from the animal, despite the killer having been found; it should be buried in its place. This is because the heifer initially came for uncertainty, as the killer was unknown, and it atoned for its uncertainty and left, i.e., it fulfilled its purpose of bringing atonement and is considered a heifer whose neck is broken in all regards. If the heifer’s neck was broken and afterward the killer was found, he is killed. The ritual does not atone for him.