Sanhedrin 105a

סנהדרין ק״ה ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 105a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

תשובה arguments between Israel and the נביאים, and בלעם, the first of the four commoners who lose עולם הבא

Overview

This amud opens by finishing a reading of a פסוק in תהלים as hints to דוד's enemies, and הקדוש ברוך הוא promises to make דוד and them friends. Next, רב and שמואל each explain the 'winning answer' Israel gave the נביא when told to do תשובה. הקדוש ברוך הוא replies that He never divorced or sold Israel, and ריש לקיש adds that נבוכדנצר is called 'My servant' so that Israel still belongs to God. רב נחמן welcomes God's anger in a פסוק from יחזקאל if it brings redemption, and רבה בר בר חנה shows Israel blaming the יצר הרע. The גמרא then returns to the משנה's four commoners and explains the names of בלעם and his father, who is also called כושן רשעתים and לבן. From the משנה it infers that other gentiles can reach עולם הבא, following רבי יהושע against רבי אליעזר. It ends with stories about בלעם: the alliance of מואב and מדין, the power of חוצפה, his physical defects, and a dispute about his immoral behavior that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (36)

1. StatementMoab and Edom: גחזי and דואג
2. StatementThe angels ask about דוד, and God promises to make them friends
3. Statementרב: Israel's 'winning answer' is that the prophets died too
4. ResolutionThe prophet replies: your fathers admitted their sins
5. Statementשמואל: the claim of a sold slave and a divorced wife
6. ResolutionGod answers: no divorce, no sale
7. Questionריש לקיש asks: why is נבוכדנצר called 'My servant'?
8. ResponseA servant's property belongs to his master
9. StatementGod swears He will rule over Israel and not let them go
10. Statementרב נחמן: let God be angry at us, as long as He redeems us
11. StatementIsrael blames the יצר הרע and says God must fix it
12. StatementBack to the משנה: the four commoners
13. StatementWhat the names בלעם and בן בעור hint at
14. StatementA ברייתא: בעור, כושן רשעתים, and לבן are one person
15. StatementWhy he was called בעור and כושן רשעתים
16. QuestionSo what was his real name?
17. ResponseHis real name was לבן הארמי
18. ChallengeTwo different wordings for בלעם's father
19. ResolutionHis father was like his son in prophecy
20. StatementInference from the משנה: other gentiles can reach עולם הבא
21. QuestionWhose view is the משנה?
22. ResponseIt follows רבי יהושע
23. Statementרבי אליעזר: the פסוק includes all gentiles
24. Challengeרבי יהושע: the פסוק does not say 'like all the nations'
25. Conclusionרבי יהושע's reading: the wicked are those who forget God
26. Statementבלעם gave a sign about his own fate
27. StatementOld enemies join together, like two dogs against a wolf
28. StatementA folk saying: the weasel and the cat feast together
29. QuestionWhere did the princes of מדין go?
30. Responseמדין left: no father hates his son
31. Statementחוצפה works even toward Heaven
32. Statementחוצפה is kingship without a crown
33. Statementבלעם limped on one leg and was blind in one eye
34. Statementבלעם used his body for sorcery
35. StatementTwo opinions about what בלעם did
36. ProofThe source for each opinion