action
murder
At a glance
In short
Retzichah is murder and harigah is killing. Rashbam explains that retzichah is killing with no legal warrant, so that the word itself passes a verdict on the killer, while harigah is neutral, lawful or not; Rabbi Pappenheim draws the same line. Bedersi adds that harigah also covers a death brought about at a distance, where retzichah is said only of the one whose own hand did it (Abarbanel disagrees), and that harigah is used of animals and plants as well as people. Rabbi Nathan Adler, citing Tehillim 94:6, holds the two synonymous. Ketilah is the Aramaic word the Targumim use for both, the ordinary Aramaic for kill; what exactly it means, in Aramaic and in the four Hebrew pesukim that have it, is disputed. Lo tirtzach means "do not murder," not "do not kill," and the choice of root, Bedersi explains, confines the prohibition of extra-judicial killing to people.
Distinctions
Retzichah (רציחה)
Root ר-צ-ח. The one exception to the rule is Bamidbar 35:27, 35:30, where the go'el hadam who kills the accidental killer is described with retzichah though the killing is permitted; Rav Hirsch (to Shemos 20:13) addresses it.
- Bedersi draws the practical conclusion from the word's restriction to people: the Aseres HaDibros says lo tirtzach rather than a form of harigah so that the prohibition governs killing people and not animals or plants (contrast Vayikra 20:15, 20:16; Bamidbar 22:29; Yeshayahu 22:13, 27:1 for animals; Tehillim 78:47 for plants).
- Rabbi Pappenheim reaches it from the other side: only human beings form societies with laws.
- Rav Hirsch, working his system of etymological links between roots with phonetically similar letters, connects ר-צ-ח to ר-ש-ע, wickedness, which leads him to class murder as the ultimate act of evil and the most heinous of crimes; and to ר-צ-ה, "will," and the Aramaic ר-ש-ה, "permission," so that murder is an illegitimate expression of a man's free will, though otherwise he has permission to want whatever he chooses.
- Rabbi Yaakov Berger suggests reading ר-צ-ח as a metathesized form of ח-ר-ץ, "cutting," the murderer cutting off another's life.
Harigah (הריגה)
Root ה-ר-ג.
- Rabbi Pappenheim traces it to the biliteral ר-ג, subduing something completely by closing or choking it off, since the killer subdues his victim in the most absolute way there is; from the same root he takes regimah, stoning, and arigah, weaving.
- Rav Hirsch (to Shemos 35:25) hints at the same harigah/arigah link, and (to Bereishis 30:27) connects ה-ר-ג with ע-ר-ג, "desiring/yearning".
- Ohr Chadash (to Bamidbar 14:10): the base of the root harag is ר-ג, and reversed it is the root arag.
- Rabbi Aharon Marcus takes the ר-ג family further, to regev (a clump of dirt), regel (foot), rogez (anger) and regesh (feeling), all of them bound up, in one way or another, with subduing, conquering or trampling.
Ketilah (קטילה)
The standard Targumic rendering of both Hebrew words, seven times in the Aramaic of Daniel (2:13-14, 3:22, 5:19, 5:30, 7:11), and the ordinary verb for killing in Talmudic Aramaic; grammarians use ק-ט-ל as the Aramaic paradigm root the way they use פ-ע-ל in Hebrew. It appears four times in the Hebrew of Tanach (Iyov 13:15, 24:14; Tehillim 139:19; Ovadiah 1:9). In a number of sugyos the Aramaic verb means "cut" rather than "kill" (Shabbos 98a; Eruvin 28b; Moed Katan 12b; Yevamos 121b; Bava Kamma 96a; Sanhedrin 33a, 74b; Shevuos 46a; Bechoros 8b); perhaps, Rabbi Klein suggests, that is its literal sense, cutting the soul away from the body, which is another way of characterizing death, so that ketilah names an aspect of killing without being quite synonymous with harigah and retzichah.
The Mishnah in several places (Shabbos 6:1; Sotah 1:6; Avodah Zarah 1:8; Meilah 5:1; Keilim 11:8) mentions a piece of jewelry called a katla, which Rashi (Shabbos 57b; Sotah 7b) explains is a very tight necklace, a choker. Perhaps, Rabbi Klein suggests, the name relates to ketilah in the sense of killing, since a woman wearing such an adornment might feel as though she were being killed.
Mitah (מיתה) and the rabbinic terms
Sometimes the verb for killing is a cognate of mitah, "death," the killer causing death to visit his victim; that verbiage is a general term for death of every sort, whether by natural causes, by murder, or by being killed otherwise. Rabbinic parlance also has netillas neshamah, "taking the soul," and shefichas damim, "spilling blood."
Where the authorities disagree
Whether retzichah and harigah differ at all.
- Rabbi Nathan Adler cites the two standing side by side in Tehillim 94:6 as evidence that they are synonymous.
- Rashbam, Rabbi Shlomo Pappenheim and Rabbi Avraham Bedersi (Chosam Tochnis) hold they are not: the rotzeach of Bamidbar 35:16-18 and Devarim 19:4-6 is the murderer, whether b'mezid or b'shogeg, and Eliyahu's rebuke to Achav is haratzachta v'gam yarashta (Melachim I 21:19). Harigah, by contrast, sits on both sides of the line: the woman put to death by beis din for bestiality is killed with harigah (Vayikra 20:16), because that execution is legally justified, and so is Kayin's killing of Hevel (Bereishis 4:8), which was the first homicide and a murder.
Whether retzichah reaches indirect killing.
- Bedersi: retzichah is only for the one who did the deed himself, while harigah covers causing a death at a remove, which is why Shaul is said to have killed (harag) the kohanim of Nov (Shmuel I 22:21) and why Nosson tells David oso haragta b'cherev bnei Ammon (Shmuel II 12:9).
- Abarbanel (to Shemos 20:13) disagrees, citing Shoftim 20:4.
What separates them, if not legality. Rabbi Shlomo Aharon Wertheimer, citing Rabbi Shlomo Galblum's concordance Sefer HaMilim: retzichah is the death blow delivered, while harigah is the act of killing as such.
Whom retzichah covers. Sefer Yeraim (§175) holds retzichah applies only to killing a Jew; Rabbi Yaakov Berger (Milon Leshon Mikra) asks whether that was meant about the word or about the halachah, and leaves it open.
What ketilah means.
- Menachem Ibn Saruk (Machberes Menachem) identifies the Hebrew ק-ט-ל with the Aramaic and defines both as killing, so that for him the Hebrew ketilah is a synonym of harigah; Rashi likewise renders ketilah, in both languages, as harigah (Ovadiah 1:9; Daniel 2:13; Pesachim 111a; Gittin 59a; Bava Kamma 23b; Chullin 11b; Niddah 20b).
- Rabbi Nathan Adler holds it need not mean killing at all but striking, since the Gemara speaks of full ketilah against partial ketilah (Bava Kamma 65a; Bava Metzia 95a; Chullin 35b; Niddah 55b), and there is no partial killing.
- Rabbi Pappenheim splits the languages: in Aramaic it equals harigah and retzichah, but the Hebrew ketilah is striking a man into a helpless state on the verge of death, so that though he may technically still be alive he has effectively been killed; he takes the root as a portmanteau of the biliterals ק-ט, "cutting/submitting," and ט-ל, "throwing/lowering." Rabbi Klein adds that there may be some support for this in Sefer HaChochmah (ascribed to Rabbi Elazar Rokeach of Worms), which has ketilah as killing in a prolonged and tortuous way rather than at one stroke.
Hence two accounts of Onkelos's lo tiktol nefesh: Wertheimer, that ketilah alone would have implied animals; Rabbi Adler, only striking.
Also discussed in
Radak on these roots
Sefer HaShorashim
ה-ר-ג
To kill and slay; the nouns הֲרֵגָה and הֶרֶג are killing and slaughter.
Slaying
כִּי הָרַג שָׁאוּל (Shmuel I 22:21), for Shaul killed; יַֽהֲרֹג בַּבָּרָד גַּפְנָם (Tehillim 78:47), He killed their vines with hail; הִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו (Bamidbar 25:5), let each man kill his men; הָרֹג בָּקָר וְשָׁחֹט צֹאן (Yeshayahu 22:13), slaying cattle and slaughtering sheep; וְיוֹאָב וַֽאֲבִישַׁי אָחִיו הָֽרְגוּ לְאַבְנֵר (Shmuel II 3:30), Yoav and Avishai his brother killed Avner. The slain are הֲרֻגֵי מָוֶת (Yirmiyahu 18:21), slain of death, and בַּֽהֲרוּגִים הָאֵלֶּה (Yechezkel 37:9), these slain ones.
A time to kill
עֵת לַֽהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא (Koheles 3:3), a time to kill and a time to heal. Although healing is not the opposite of killing, the pasuk says healing because the reviving of the dead is not a time that runs by the way of the world as the other times do, even though it comes by way of a miracle and is destined to be. Some explain לַֽהֲרוֹג as like לִמְחוֹץ, to smite.
The nouns
גֵּיא הַֽהֲרֵגָה (Yirmiyahu 7:32), the valley of the killing, and לְיוֹם הֲרֵגָֽה (Yirmiyahu 12:3), for a day of slaughter. Without the feminine hei: בְּיוֹם הֶרֶג רָב (Yeshayahu 30:25), on a day of great slaughter, pointed with segols, and מַכַּת־חֶרֶב וְהֶרֶג וְאַבְדָן (Esther 9:5), a blow of the sword and killing and destruction.
Killed, and being killed
אִם־ כְּהֶרֶג הֲרֻגָיו הֹרָֽג (Yeshayahu 27:7), was he slain as his slain were slain, and כִּֽי־עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָל־הַיּוֹם (Tehillim 44:23), for Your sake we are killed all the day. Another passive form is בַּחֶרֶב תֵּֽהָרַגְנָה (Yechezkel 26:6), they shall be killed by the sword, and בֵּהָרֵג הֶרֶג בְּתוֹכֵךְ (Yechezkel 26:15), when slaughter is done in your midst, which stands in the measure of בֵּֽעָטֵף עוֹלֵל וְיוֹנֵק (Eichah 2:11), when infant and suckling faint, though by rule the two would be בְּהֵהָרֵג and בְּהֵעָטֵף.
כִּי הָרַג שָׁאוּל אֵת כֹּֽהֲנֵי י"י (שמואל א' כב, כא), יַֽהֲרֹג בַּבָּרָד גַּפְנָם (תהלים עח, מז), הִרְגוּ אִישׁ אֲנָשָׁיו (במדבר כה, ה), לָכֵן כָּל־הֹרֵג קַיִן (בראשית ד, טו), הָרֹג בָּקָר וְשָׁחֹט צֹאן (ישעיה כב, יג) וְיוֹאָב וַֽאֲבִישַׁי אָחִיו הָֽרְגוּ לְאַבְנֵר (שמואל ב' ג, ל), וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם יִֽהְיוּ הֲרֻגֵי מָוֶת (ירמיה יח, כא), וּפְחִי בַּֽהֲרוּגִים הָאֵלֶּה (יחזקאל לז, ט), הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג (במדבר יא, טו), עֵת לַֽהֲרוֹג וְעֵת לִרְפּוֹא (קהלת ג, ג). ואף על פי שאין לרפא תמורת להרג אמר לרפא כי אין להחיות המתים עת נהוג כמנהג העולם כשאר העתים אף על פי שהוא בדרך נס ועתיד להיות. ויש מפרשים לַֽהֲרוֹג כמו לִמְחוֹץ. והשם גֵּיא הַֽהֲרֵגָה (ירמיה ז, לב), לְיוֹם הֲרֵגָֽה (ירמיה יב, ג). ובלא ה"א הנקבה בְּיוֹם הֶרֶג רָב (ישעיה ל, כה), בשש נקדות, מַכַּת־חֶרֶב וְהֶרֶג וְאַבְדָן (אסתר ט, ה). ושלא נזכר פעלו [הָפְעַל] אִם־כְּהֶרֶג הֲרֻגָיו הֹרָֽג (ישעיה כז, ז), כִּֽי־עָלֶיךָ הֹרַגְנוּ כָל־הַיּוֹם (תהלים מד, כג). והנפעל וּבְנוֹתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה בַּחֶרֶב תֵּֽהָרַגְנָה (יחזקאל כו, ו), בֵּהָרֵג הֶרֶג בְּתוֹכֵךְ (יחזקאל כו, טו), בפלס בֵּֽעָטֵף עוֹלֵל וְיוֹנֵק (איכה ב, יא), ומשפטם בְּהֵהָרֵג, בְּהֵעָטֵף.
ק-ט-ל
Killing, the sense of the verb and of its noun alike.
The whole entry
אִם־תִּקְטֹל אֱלוֹהַּ רָשָׁע (Tehillim 139:19), if You would slay the wicked, O Eloka, and הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי (Iyov 13:15), though He slay me. The noun is in מֵהַר עֵשָׂו מִקָּֽטֶל (Ovadiah 1:9), from the mount of Esav, by killing, whose kamatz stands because of the pause. Their sense is killing.
אִם־תִּקְטֹל אֱלוֹהַּ רָשָׁע (תהלים קלט, יט), הֵן יִקְטְלֵנִי לֹא [לוֹ] אֲיַחֵל (איוב יג, טו). והשם מֵהַר עֵשָׂו מִקָּֽטֶל (עבדיה א, ט). קמץ מפני ההפסק ענינם ההרג.
ר-צ-ח
To murder, and to be murdered, with רֶצַח, murder. Over תְּרָצְּחוּ Ben Naftali and Ben Asher differ: you are all murderers, or may you all be murdered.
Murder
וְרָצַח גֹּאֵל הַדָּם אֶת־ הָרֹצֵחַ (Bamidbar 35:27), the redeemer of the blood kills the murderer; וּרְצָחוֹ נֶפֶשׁ (Devarim 22:26), and he murders him, a life; הֲרָצַחְתָּ וְגַם־יָֽרָשְׁתָּ (Melachim I 21:19), have you murdered and also taken possession; לֹא תִרְצַח (Shemos 20:13), you shall not murder; הֲגָנֹב רָצֹחַ (Yirmiyahu 7:9), stealing, murdering.
The noun
לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּה בְּרֶצַח (Yechezkel 21:27), to open the mouth with murder, and בְּרֶצַח בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַי (Tehillim 42:11), with murder in my bones, both pointed with a segol.
Murdered, and murderers
הָאִשָּׁה הַנִּרְצָחָה (Shoftim 20:4), the murdered woman, and בְּתוֹךְ רְחֹבוֹת אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ (Mishlei 22:13), I shall be murdered in the midst of the streets. The heavy form gives דֶּרֶךְ יְרַצְּחוּ שֶׁכְמָה (Hoshea 6:9), they murder on the way to Shechem; בֶּן־ הַֽמְרַצֵּחַ הַזֶּה (Melachim II 6:32), this son of the murderer; וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִֽים (Yeshayahu 1:21), and now murderers.
Ben Asher and Ben Naftali
The two of them divided over תְּרָצְּחוּ כֻלְּכֶם (Tehillim 62:4). Ben Naftali reads it with a patach under the resh, so that עַד־אָנָה תְּהֽוֹתְתוּ עַל־אִישׁ, how long will you set upon a man, means that you devise ruin against men, and you are all murderers. Ben Asher reads it with a kamatz under the resh, תְּרָצְּחוּ, which makes the word a passive of the heavy form, and then the pasuk is put as a prayer: may you all be murdered, and be always כְּקִיר נָטוּי, a leaning wall, a pushed fence that is close to falling, so that you stand in fear continually.
וְרָצַח גֹּאֵל הַדָּם אֶת־הָרֹצֵחַ (במדבר לה, כז), וּרְצָחוֹ נֶפֶשׁ (דברים כב, כו), הֲרָצַחְתָּ וְגַם־יָֽרָשְׁתָּ (מלכים א' כא, יט), לֹא תִרְצַח (שמות כ, יד), הֲגָנֹב רָצֹחַ (ירמיה ז, ט). והשם לִפְתֹּחַ פֶּה בְּרֶצַח (יחזקאל כא, כז), בְּרֶצַח בְּֽעַצְמוֹתַי (תהלים מב, יא), בסגול. והנפעל הָאִשָּׁה הַנִּרְצָחָה (שופטים כ, ד), בְּתוֹךְ רְחֹבוֹת אֵֽרָצֵֽחַ (משלי כב, יג). והכבד [פִּעֵל] דֶּרֶךְ יְרַצְּחוּ שֶׁכְמָה (הושע ו, ט), בֶּן־הַֽמְרַצֵּחַ הַזֶּה (מלכים ב' ו, לב), וְעַתָּה מְרַצְּחִֽים (ישעיה א, כא). תְּרָצְּחוּ כֻלְּכֶם (תהלים סב, ד), נחלקו במלה הזאת בן אשר ובן נפתלי, כי בן נפתלי קורא אותה בפתחות הרי"ש ופירוש הפסוק עַד־אָנָה תְּהֽוֹתְתוּ עַל־אִישׁ (שם) כלומר שתחשבו הוות על בני איש תרצחו כולכם כלומר שכולכם מרצחים. ובן אשר קורא המלה בקמצות הרי"ש תְּרָצְּחוּ ותהיה המלה מבנין שלא נזכר פעלו מהדגוש ויהיה פירושו על דרך תפלה כלומר עַד־אָנָה תְּהֽוֹתְתוּ עַל־אִישׁ תְּרָצְּחוּ יהי רצון שתרצחו כולכם ותהיו כְּקִיר נָטוּי גדר הדחויה שהם קרובים לנפול כן תהיו תמיד בפחד.
Radak, Sefer HaShorashim, Berlin 1847. Public domain, digitised by Sefaria from the National Library of Israel.
Sources
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Yisro: Murder He Wrote," What's in a Word?, Ohr Somayach, 11 February 2023.
Rabbi Reuven Chaim Klein, "Murder He Wrote," What's in a Word? Synonyms in the Hebrew Language (book manuscript).
Cited in the essay: Shemos 20:13; Devarim 5:17 and 19:4-6; Bereishis 4:8, 30:27; Shemos 35:25; Vayikra 20:15, 20:16; Bamidbar 22:29, 35:16-18, 35:27, 35:30; Shoftim 20:4; Shmuel I 22:21; Shmuel II 12:9; Melachim I 21:19; Yeshayahu 22:13, 27:1; Ovadiah 1:9; Tehillim 78:47, 94:6, 139:19; Iyov 13:15, 24:14; Daniel 2:13-14, 3:22, 5:19, 5:30, 7:11; Mishnah Shabbos 6:1, Sotah 1:6, Avodah Zarah 1:8, Meilah 5:1, Keilim 11:8; Shabbos 57b, 98a; Eruvin 28b; Pesachim 111a; Moed Katan 12b; Yevamos 121b; Sotah 7b; Gittin 59a; Bava Kamma 23b, 65a, 96a; Bava Metzia 95a; Sanhedrin 33a, 74b; Shevuos 46a; Chullin 11b, 35b; Bechoros 8b; Niddah 20b, 55b; Chosam Tochnis; Sefer HaMilim; Sefer Yeraim §175; Sefer HaChochmah; Machberes Menachem; Ohr Chadash to Bamidbar 14:10.