Reply To: Goel Hadam: Avenging a Murder

After posting the above, I found this Rambam and pshat from “Torah Down Under” weekly d’var Torah:

The Goel hadam today

The Rambam says that the din of a goel hadam does not only apply if a someone killed accidentally, it also applies if the murderer killed deliberately.

The Rambam says in Hilchos Rotzeach (1:1):

???? ?’) ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ????. ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? ????? ????? ??? ????…

???? ?’) ???? ??? ???? ???

[????? ?? ?????] ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ?????. ??? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ???. ?? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ????? ?????.

[in the aseres hadibros]

The rambam says in Hilchos Rotzeach (perek alef, halacha 5):

???? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ???????? ?????. ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ???? ???? ?????.

The Rambam says (hilchos rotzeach 6);

???? ?’) ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ????? ????? ???? ????? ???? ??? ?????. ?? ???? ?? ????? ??? ????. ????? ????? ???? ???? ?????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ??? ??????? ???? ????. ????? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????.

???? ?’) ??? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ????? ???. ??? ?? ??????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ??? ????? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????…

Similarly nowadays, although there is no psak din, the goel hadam is still allowed to kill the rotzeach.

The chiyuv misoh for retzichah

The act of vengeance of the goel hadam in the case of shogeg is his own personal vendetta, but he needs beis din to allow him to take this payment from the rotzeach as in any other interpersonal dispute.