(Devarim 21:3) "And it shall be, the city closest to the slain one": the nearest and not the near ones — whence they ruled: If it were found equi-distant between the two cities, both bring two (distinct heifers [and not one heifer jointly]). These are the words of R. Eliezer. The sages say: One city brings, and two cities do not bring.
"the elders of that city shall take a heifer that has not been worked": and not the elders of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem does not bring an eglah arufah (the heifer of the broken neck).
"they shall take a heifer" ("eglath bakar"): R. Eliezer says: "eglath" — (up to) one year old; "parah" (a cow, the parah adumah [viz. Bamidbar 19:12]) — two years old. The sages say: "eglah" — (even one that is) two years old; "parah" — three or four years old — it being written (in respect to the former) "eglath bakar." How is this to be implemented? A two-year old satisfies both, "eglah" and "bakar."
Similarly, (Ibid. 5) "Then there shall draw near the Cohanim … (6) and all the elders of that city." How so? The elders for washing; the Cohanim for atonement.
(Devarim, Ibid. 3) "that has not drawn under the yoke": This tells me only of the yoke. Whence are other labors derived (as disqualifying factors)? From "that has not been worked" (— in any manner). If so, why is "yoke" specifically mentioned? The yoke disqualifies whether or not the animal works; the other labors disqualify only if the animal works.
(דברים כא ג) וְהָיָה הָעִיר הַקְּרֹבָה – הַקְּרוֹבָה שֶׁבַּקְּרוֹבוֹת. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (סוטה ט ב): נִמְצָא מְכֻוָּן בֵּין שְׁתֵּי עֲיָירוֹת – שְׁתֵּיהֶן מְבִיאוֹת שְׁתֵּי עֶגְלוֹת, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: עִיר אַחַת מְבִיאָה, וְאֵין שְׁתֵּי עֲיָירוֹת מְבִיאוֹת שְׁתֵּי עֶגְלוֹת, וְאֵין יְרוּשָׁלִַם מְבִיאָה עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה.
(Devarim 21:3) "And it shall be, the city closest to the slain one": the nearest and not the near ones — whence they ruled: If it were found equi-distant between the two cities, both bring two (distinct heifers [and not one heifer jointly]). These are the words of R. Eliezer. The sages say: One city brings, and two cities do not bring.
וְלָקְחוּ זִקְנֵי הָעִיר הַהִיא – וְלֹא זִקְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם.
"the elders of that city shall take a heifer that has not been worked": and not the elders of Jerusalem. And Jerusalem does not bring an eglah arufah (the heifer of the broken neck).
עֶגְלַת בָּקָר, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר: עֶגְלָה בַּת שְׁנָתָהּ, וּפָרָה בַּת שְׁתַּיִם. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: עֶגְלָה בַּת שְׁתַּיִם, וּפָרָה בַּת שָׁלֹשׁ וּבַת אַרְבַּע. דָּבָר אַחֵר: עֶגְלַת בָּקָר – שֶׁיְּהֵא בָּהּ שְׁנֵי דְרָכִים. הָא כֵּיצַד? בַּת שְׁתַּיִם עֶגְלַת בָּקָר.
"they shall take a heifer" ("eglath bakar"): R. Eliezer says: "eglath" — (up to) one year old; "parah" (a cow, the parah adumah [viz. Bamidbar 19:12]) — two years old. The sages say: "eglah" — (even one that is) two years old; "parah" — three or four years old — it being written (in respect to the former) "eglath bakar." How is this to be implemented? A two-year old satisfies both, "eglah" and "bakar."
דָּבָר אַחֵר: רְחִיצָה בַּזְּקֵנִים וְכַפָּרָה בַּכֹּהֲנִים.
Similarly, (Ibid. 5) "Then there shall draw near the Cohanim … (6) and all the elders of that city." How so? The elders for washing; the Cohanim for atonement.
אֲשֶׁר לֹא עֻבַּד בָּהּ – כָּל עֲבוֹדָה. מִנַּיִן בְּעוֹל? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: אֲשֶׁר לֹא מָשְׁכָה בְּעֹל.
(Devarim, Ibid. 3) "that has not drawn under the yoke": This tells me only of the yoke. Whence are other labors derived (as disqualifying factors)? From "that has not been worked" (— in any manner). If so, why is "yoke" specifically mentioned? The yoke disqualifies whether or not the animal works; the other labors disqualify only if the animal works.