Our Hands Did Not Shed the Blood
In a figurative sense: we did not kill. By extension: we have no connection to what happened; we are not guilty. An expression of disavowing all responsibility for what happened.
("And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Forgive Your people Israel, whom You have redeemed" — Deuteronomy 21:7 (the elders of the city in connection with the "heifer whose neck is broken"), and also: "Ah, my daughters! My daughters, in the depths of the pit... / our hands did not shed the blood / and pluck the tender blossom" — Shaul Tchernichovsky / Baruch of Megenza)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכוּ אֶת הַדָּם
Definition (Hebrew)
בִּמְלִיצָה: לֹא אֲנַחְנוּ הָרַגְנוּ. בְּהַשְׁאָלָה: אֵין לָנוּ קֶשֶׁר לְמָה שֶׁאֵירַע. אֵינֶנּוּ אֲשֵׁמִים. הַבָּעַת הִתְנַעֲרוּת מִכָּל אַחְרָיוּת לְמָה שֶׁאֵרַע.
("וְעָנוּ וְאָמְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לֹא שָׁפְכוּ אֶת הַדָּם הַזֶּה וְעֵינֵינוּ לֹא רָאוּ. כַּפֵּר לְעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ"- דְּבָרִים כא ז (זִקְנֵי הָעִיר בְּעִנְיַן " עֶגְלָה עֲרוּפָה"), וְכֵן:"הָהּ, בְּנוֹתַי! בְּנוֹתַי בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בּוֹר.../ לֹא יְדֵי שָׁפְכוּ אֶת הַדָּם/ וְקָטְפוּ אֶת הֵצִיץ הָרַךְ"- שָׁאוּל טְשֶׁרְנִיחוֹבְסְקִי/ בָּרוּךְ מִמֶּגֶּנְצָה)