and till the
withdrawers be men. If the withdrawers be women, or children, or the
minority be withdrawn, or the withdrawers be outside it, they are to be
treated singly, and they need two witnesses, and a warning to each one of
them. It is more grievous for individuals than for the multitude, because
individuals must be stoned, though for that reason their money is safe for
their heirs; but the multitude are cut off with the sword, and for that
reason their money is lost.

5. "Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city,"(428) etc. A
caravan of asses or camels passing from place to place are delivered, as
is said, "Destroying it utterly and all that is therein," etc. From thence
they said, "the property of the righteous in it is lost, out of the city
it is safe. But that of the wicked, whether inside or outside, is lost."

6. "And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street
thereof."(429) If it have no street, they must make a street for it. If
there be a street outside of it, they bring it inside. "And shalt burn
with fire the city and all the spoil thereof," its spoil but not the spoil
of heaven. From thence they say, the holy things therein are to be
redeemed, and the heave-offerings suffered to decay. The second tithes and
holy writings are to be concealed. "Every whit for the Lord thy God." Said
R. Simon, "The Holy One, Blessed be He, said, If you execute judgment on
the withdrawn city, I count it for you as though you brought a
burnt-offering wholly before me." "And it shall be a heap forever; it
shall not be built again." "Thou shalt not make of it even gardens or
parks." The words of R. Jose, the Galilean. R. Akiba said, "it shall not
be builded again. It must not be built as it was before, but it may be
made (into) gardens and parks." "And there shall cleave naught of the
cursed thing to thine hand."(430) Whilst the wicked are in the world,
wrath is in the world. When the wicked are destroyed from the world, wrath
retires from the world.

Chapter XI

1. These are to be strangled--he who beats his father or his mother, and he
who steals a soul from Israel, and an "elder" who is rebellious against
the judges, and a false prophet, and he who prophesies in the name of
idolatry, and false witnesses proved to be perjured against a priest's
daughter and her paramour. He who beats father or mother is not guilty
till he make a bruise in them. It is more grievous to curse them th