(י) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֣ה יִשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּנָּצוּ֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה בֶּ֚ן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְאִ֖ישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִֽי׃ (יא) וַ֠יִּקֹּ֠ב בֶּן־הָֽאִשָּׁ֨ה הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֤ית אֶת־הַשֵּׁם֙ וַיְקַלֵּ֔ל וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה וְשֵׁ֥ם אִמּ֛וֹ שְׁלֹמִ֥ית בַּת־דִּבְרִ֖י לְמַטֵּה־דָֽן׃ (יב) וַיַּנִּיחֻ֖הוּ בַּמִּשְׁמָ֑ר לִפְרֹ֥שׁ לָהֶ֖ם עַל־פִּ֥י יְהֹוָֽה׃ {פ}
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(10) There came out among the Israelites a man whose mother was Israelite and whose father was Egyptian. And a fight broke out in the camp between that half-Israelite and a certain Israelite. (11) The son of the Israelite woman pronounced the Name in blasphemy, and he was brought to Moses—now his mother’s name was Shelomith daughter of Dibri of the tribe of Dan— (12) and he was placed in custody, until the decision of יהוה should be made clear to them.
(1) ויצא בן אשה ישראלית AND THE SON OF THE ISRAELITISH WOMAN WENT OUT — ויצא means, he came out of the judicial court of Moses where he had been pronounced to be in the wrong in the following matter: although his father was an Egyptian he had gone to pitch his tent in the camp of the tribe of Dan to whom his mother belonged (cf. v. 11). They (the men of Dan) said to him, “What have you to do here" (lit., what is your character that gives you the right to come here?). He replied. “I am one of the children of the tribe of Dan”. Thereupon they said to him, “Scripture states: (Numbers 2:2) “Every man [of the children of Israel shall encamp] by his own standard, that bears the signs of their father’s house”! He thereupon went in to the judicial court of Moses to have the matter decided and came forth (יצא) declared to be in the wrong. He then stood up and blasphemed ... (3) בתוך בני ישראל AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL — This teaches us that he had become a proselyte (Sifra, Emor, Section 14 1)....
(5) הישראלי ואיש THE ISRAELITISH MAN — this was his opponent who had prevented him from pitching his tent in the camp of Dan.
(2) בן איש מצרי THE SON OF AN EGYPTIAN MAN — It was the Egyptian whom Moses had killed (cf. Exodus 2:11 where Scripture also uses the expression “איש מצרי”).
(י) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בֶּן־אִשָּׁ֣ה יִשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְהוּא֙ בֶּן־אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י בְּת֖וֹךְ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּנָּצוּ֙ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה בֶּ֚ן הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִ֔ית וְאִ֖ישׁ הַיִּשְׂרְאֵלִֽי׃
(יא) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֗ם וַיִּגְדַּ֤ל מֹשֶׁה֙ וַיֵּצֵ֣א אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו וַיַּ֖רְא בְּסִבְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּרְא֙ אִ֣ישׁ מִצְרִ֔י מַכֶּ֥ה אִישׁ־עִבְרִ֖י מֵאֶחָֽיו׃ (יב) וַיִּ֤פֶן כֹּה֙ וָכֹ֔ה וַיַּ֖רְא כִּ֣י אֵ֣ין אִ֑ישׁ וַיַּךְ֙ אֶת־הַמִּצְרִ֔י וַֽיִּטְמְנֵ֖הוּ בַּחֽוֹל׃ (יג) וַיֵּצֵא֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֔י וְהִנֵּ֛ה שְׁנֵֽי־אֲנָשִׁ֥ים עִבְרִ֖ים נִצִּ֑ים וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לָֽרָשָׁ֔ע לָ֥מָּה תַכֶּ֖ה רֵעֶֽךָ׃
(11) Some time after that, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his kinsfolk and witnessed their labors. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen. (12) He turned this way and that and, seeing no one about, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (13) When he went out the next day, he found two Hebrews fighting; so he said to the offender, “Why do you strike your fellow?”
The Bible doesn’t tell us exactly how people were stoned, but we do have accounts over the centuries that tell us some of the methods used. One account is given to us in the Jewish Mishnah (multiple oral Jewish traditions combined into a single work). In (Sanhedrin, ch. 6, Mishnah 4) it says this on how a person was to be stoned:
#1. The place of stoning was twice a man’s height (with rocks below).
#2. One of the witnesses pushed him by the hips, [so that] he was overturned on his heart (fell face first on the rocks).
#3. He was then turned on his back.
#4. If that caused his death, he had fulfilled [his duty]; but if not, the second witness took a (large) stone and threw it on his chest.
#5. If he died thereby, he had done [his duty]; but if not, he [the criminal] was stoned by all Israel.
Stoning is still practiced in some countries even today (i.e. Iran and Iraq). They use another method today.
#1. Hands are tied behind the back.
#2. The criminal (many are not really criminals…) is wrapped with 3 pieces of shroud from head to toe.
#3. A hole is dug, then the criminal is placed in the hole. A man is buried up to his waist, a woman to just under her breasts.
#4. The sentencing judge is to then throw the first stone (about tangerine size, not too big to kill with one blow, nor as small as a pebble). If a witness is involved, they are to throw first, then the judge. Afterwards, everyone is to throw until the criminal is declared dead.
Other accounts tell us that some criminals were tied to a post, then stoned; tied hands and feet, then stoned; thrown from a high place so they were injured and couldn’t run, then stoned; or just surrounded by a large crowd so they couldn’t escape, then stoned.
In the Bible, God ordered people to be stoned to death for 11 things (that I could find).
#1. Touching Mt Sinai: (Ex 19:12-13)(Heb 12:20-21)
#2. Breaking the Sabbath: (Num 15:32-36)
#3. Child Sacrifice: (Lev 20:2)
#4. Being a medium or wizard: (Lev 20:27)
#5. Cursing God Or Blaspheming: (Lev 24:10-16,23)
#6. Idolatry: (Deut 17:2-5)
#7. Someone Who Entices Another To Commit Idolatry: (Deut 13:6-11)
#8. Rebellion Against Parents: (Deut 21:18-21)
#9. A Woman Who Proclaimed To Be A Virgin At Marriage, But Wasn’t: (Deut 22:13-21)
#10. Sex With A Betrothed Virgin: (Deut 22:23-24)
#11. Adultery: (Lev 20:10)(Implied by Jn 8:3-5)(Both man and woman to be stoned)
(An ox that gored someone to death was also to be stoned: (Ex 21:28,32)
I don't find useful or inspiring the "blame the mother" technique. And all, in this story, are in the wrong - no one is just a victim, and no one is just a perpetrator. The tribe that did not include, and the man who did not refrain his anger. In part, this is why this story is difficult - and also because it brings a difficult subject for us nowadays: the status of those who have two competing identities.
But, I find the end of this particular midrash important: the end of the blasphemer, the fact that the whole story ends in disgrace of God's name and death, brings shame on everyone. The coda of "one law for all" which is mentioned not once, but twice, indicates a need to include all who are part of a community in the community's existence, for good and for bad. That same idea: "one law for all, citizen and stranger alike" is repeated seven times in the Torah. And again, "do not oppress the stranger" is 36 times. Because it is very easy to exclude those who do not fit perfectly in our categories of those we say "us". It is very easy to say "no, people like you, not in my tribe".
I recently heard a professor talking about what is called "identity politics". And she was saying that what people assume is that those who are similar to us make our communities safe. But that is not true. Crimes are perpetrated by people in all communities, to people of those communities, that look like them. Kind people are what makes a community safe - any community. And they may not look like you, or dress like you, or worship like you. It is inclusion that make for community, and it is kindness that makes for a safe community.
May we find a space in our Shabbat to include all those in our community, and may we find kindness to guide us through our interactions in this communities and in all the other communities we belong to.