When is this the case? In a discretionary war; but in a war commanded [by the Torah] all must go forth —- even a groom from his chamber and a bride from her bridal chamber. R’ Yehudah said: When is this the case? In a war commanded [by the Torah]; but in a war of duty all go forth, even the groom from his chamber and the bride from her bridal chamber.

The [passage regarding the] decapitated calf [must be recited] in the Holy Tongue, as it is said (Deut. 21:1): If a corpse should be found, in the land ...  Your elders and your judges shall go out (ibid. 21:2) —- three [members] of the High Court in Jerusalem would go out. R’ Yehudah says: Five; as it is said, your elders —- two, and your judges —- [another] two, and [since] a court cannot be even, they add one more.

If it was found buried in a heap, or hanging from a tree, or floating upon the water, they would not decapitate [a calf]; as it is said: in the land (ibid. 21:1) —- [implying that it was] not buried in a heap; fallen —- but not hanging from a tree; in the field —- but not floating upon the water.  If it was found near the border, or near a city of which the majority are non-Jews, or near a city in which there is no court of law, they would not decapitate [a calf]. They do not measure except from a city in which there is a court of law.  If it was found equidistant from two cities, the two bring two calves; [these are] the words of R’ Eliezer.  Jerusalem is exempt from the rite of the decapitated calf.

If its head was found in one place and its body in another place, we bring the head to the body; [these are] the words of R’ Eliezer. R’ Akiva says: The body [is brought] to the head.

From where would they measure? R’ Elizer says: From his navel. R’ Akiva says: From his nose. R’ Elizer ben Yaakov says: From the place that he became a corpse —- his neck.

The elders from Jerusalem took their leave and went on their way. [Then] the elders of that city bring a female calf which has never been worked and which has never drawn with a yoke; [however,] a blemish does not disqualify it (Deut. 21:3).  They bring it down to an eisan valley (ibid. 21:4) —- eisan in its literal meaning —- rock hard. [However,] even if it is not rock hard, it is acceptable. They then decapitate it with a cleaver from behind. Its site is forbidden to be sown or worked; [but] it is permitted to comb flax and to chisel stones there.

The elders of that city wash their hands with water at the site of the calf’s decapitation and say: Our hands have not spilled this blood, and our eyes have not seen (Deut. 21:7). Now did it ever enter our minds that the elders of the court are spillers of blood? Rather, [their statement means]: He did not come before us [only] to be sent away without food, nor did we see him and leave him without escort.  Then the Kohanim say: Forgive Your people Israel whom You, HASHEM, have de-livered and do not place [responsibility for spilling] innocent blood among Your people Israel (Deut. 21:8).  They did not have to say: And the blood shall be atoned for them (ibid.); rather [it is] the Divine Spirit informing them —- [that] whenever they perform this [rite], the blood will be atoned for them.

If the [identity of the] murderer is discovered before the calf has been decapitated, it should go out and pasture with the flock. [If] after the calf has been decapitated, it must be buried at its site, for it originally came [to atone] for an uncertain situation —- it has atoned for its uncertainty and its purpose has been fulfilled.  If the calf was decapitated and subse-quently the murderer was discovered, he should be executed.

[If] one witness says, “I saw the murderer,” and one witness says, “You did not see [him]”; [or if] a woman says, “I saw [the murderer],” and [another] woman says, “You did not see [him]”; they decapitate [a calf].  [If] one witness says, “I saw [the murderer],” and two say, “You did not see,” they decapitate [a calf].  If two say, “We saw [the murderer],” and one says to them, “You did not see,” they do not decapitate [a calf].

When the [number of] murderers increased, the eglah arufah rite was stopped —- from the time of Eliezer ben Dinai, and Techinah, who was called ben Perishah, but whom they then switched to calling “the son of the murderer,” When the adul-terers increased, the bitter waters were discontinued —- and it was Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai who discontinued them —- for it is stated (Hoshea 4:14): I shall not punish your daughters when they commit harlotry, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, for they themselves, etc.  When Yose ben Yoezer the leader of Tzreidah and Yose ben Yochanan the leader of Jerusalem died, the clusters ceased, as is stated (Micah 7:1): There is no cluster to eat, nor first-fruit which my soul desires.

Yochanan Kohen Gadol set aside the avowal of the tithes. He also abolished the awakeners and the strikers. Until his days the hammer would pound in Jerusalem. And in his days no man had to inquire regarding demai.

From the time the Sanhedrin was abolished, song was abolished from the banquet halls, as it is stated (Isaiah 24:9): With song they will not drink wine, etc.

When the early prophets died, the Urim V’Tumim ceased. When the Temple was destroyed, there disappeared the sha-mir-worm and Tzufim honey; and there ceased to be any faithful men, as it is stated (Psalms 12:2): Save, HASHEM, for the devout one is no more, etc. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says in the name of R’ Yehoshua: From the day that the Temple was destroyed, there is no day without its curse, the dew has not fallen in blessing, and flavor has been removed from the fruits. R’ Yose says: The richness has also been lost from the fruits.

R’ Shimon ben Elazar says: [The cessation of] taharah caused the loss of flavor and aroma; [the cessation of] the tithes caused the loss of the richness of the grain. And the Sages say: Promiscuity and sorcery brought an end to all.