Deuteronomy 21:1 "If one be found slain in the land"

HaShem wants people to live in peace and happiness.

He wants us to strive to prevent tragedy and avoid misfortune.

If a dead body was found in a field and it is impossible to find the murderer, there is a special procedure to follow.

This Positive Mitzvah is called Eglah Arufah - the slaying of a calf.

The elders of the city closest to the site of the dead body, must bring a female calf to a specific stream and slay it. Then, in the presence of the priests, they must declare their innocence. They say that they know nothing about the incident and ask HaShem to atone for the spilled blood.