(2010/5770)

In Parashat Re’eih, Moshe teaches Bnei Yisrael how to determine if a city is an Ir HaNidachat.  An Ir HaNidachat is a city in which a majority of its inhabitants have turned away from Hashem to practice idolatry. If the Sanhedrin hears of a town that may have a majority of idol worshipers, it must investigate.  If it can be verified that most of the inhabitants have preformed idolatry, even though they were warned by witnesses not to do so, the Sanhedrin instructs all of Bnei Yisrael to wage a civil war against the city.  Once the city is captured, the Sanhedrin sets up a great number of small courts.  The courts determine which inhabitants were idol worshipers, who had to have been forewarned and observed by two witnesses.  Once the inhabitants have been determined idol worshipers, the Sanhedrin must determine if they are the majority of the city.  If the number of idol worshipers is not the majority, the idolaters are killed, but if idol worshippers constitute the majority, it is an Ir HaNidachat.  The inhabitants of an Ir HaNidachat are killed, their possessions are burned, and their city is destroyed.

Was there ever a case of an Ir HaNidachat in Jewish history?  Some of the Chachamim teach us that there was never a case of an Ir HaNidachat, and there will never be one. If this is true, why does Hashem include the laws of an Ir HaNidachat in the Torah? One answer may be that Hashem wants to be able to give us credit and reward even for learning about situations that are theoretical. 

In addition, a practical lesson may be gleaned from Ir HaNidachat.  The Gemara teaches that if the Ir HaNidachat contained even just one Mezuzah, the city could not be destroyed since it is forbidden to erase Hashem’s name that is included in the Mezuzah.  The Lubavitcher Rebbe supposedly commented that if he heard a town was about to be proclaimed as an Ir HaNidachat, he would awake very early in the morning and nail a Mezuzah in one of the doorposts of the city.  Thus, paradoxically, the rules of Ir HaNidachat teaches us to adopt a caring attitude toward our non-observant brethren.  In the merit of our learning the Halachot of Ir HaNidachat and love of our fellow Jews, may Hashem allow us to continue learning and eventually merit the Third Beit HaMikdash.