Sa poignée [c'est-à-dire la poignée à laquelle la lanière est attachée] est une largeur de main [longue], et sa largeur (celle de la lanière de mollet) est une largeur de main et sa pointe (celle de la lanière) atteint son nombril. [Pour cette raison, il doit y avoir un trou dans la poignée par lequel la perle peut allonger ou raccourcir la lanière selon les besoins; car l'un n'est frappé que d'une lanière dont le bout atteint son nombril.] Et il est frappé, un tiers devant et deux tiers derrière, [il est écrit (Deutéronome 25: 2): "Et il le frappera devant lui selon sa méchanceté. " "Devant lui" selon une méchanceté (c.-à-d. Un tiers) et derrière lui, un tiers sur une épaule et un tiers sur l'autre.] Et il le frappe ni debout ni assis, mais penché, cela étant écrit (Ibid.): "Alors le juge le courbera." Et celui qui frappe le fait d'une main [(mais quand il soulève la lanière, il le fait des deux mains)], de toutes ses forces, [il est écrit (Ibid. 3): "un grand coup."]
Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
ידה טפח – the handle that the strap is hanging from, is the length of a hand-breadth.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Introduction
Mishnah thirteen continues to describe the whip and how the lashes are to be administered.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
ורחבה – of the strap of the calf is a hand-breadth.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
The handle is a handbreadth long and a handbreadth wide, its tip reaching to the edge of the [offender’s] abdomen. Our mishnah continues to describe the whip used for lashing. Its handle was one handbreadth by one handbreadth. The tip of the whip, meaning the extra straps, should be long enough to reach the offender’s abdomen when the minister strikes him. The offender will be struck by the tip and not by the body of the whip, made of the cowhide.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
וראשה מגעת על פי כריסו – for that reason, there must be in the handle of the strap a hole, that the sexton who flogs can lengthen or shorten the strap as he wishes, for we do not flog a person other than with a strap whose head reaches the belly which is his navel.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
He administers one-third [of the lashes] in front and two-thirds behind. He lashes him not in a standing or sitting position but stooping, as it says, “And the judge shall cause him to fall [stoop] down” (Deut. 25:2). He who administers the lashes lashes with his one hand and with his whole force. As we learned previously, one-third of the lashes are on his front and two-thirds on his back. The offender, when he is being lashed, is not to stand nor to sit but to lean over. This is learned from the verse which states that the judge should cause him to fall over. The verse is understood not to mean that the judge should cause him to fall all the way down but to stoop down. The person lashing can use only one hand but he should use all of his force.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
שליש מלפניו – as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:2): “and be given lashes in his presence, [by count] as his guilt warrants” – “in his presence (i.e., in his front) as his guilt warrants” – one, and from his back – two. מלפניו – on his heart. מאחריו – one-third on this shoulder and one-third on the other shoulder.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Questions for Further Thought: • Why do you think that two-thirds of the lashes are given on the back and one-third on the front?
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
מכה בידו אחת – but when he lifts the strap, he lifts it with his two hands.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
כבל כחו – as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:3): “to excess, [your brother be degraded before your eyes].”
