Sanhedrin 106b

סנהדרין ק״ו ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 106b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

בלעם's death, and the brilliance, downfall and punishment of דואג and אחיתופל

Overview

This amud finishes the discussion of בלעם and then turns to דואג and אחיתופל, two great scholars who lost their share in עולם הבא. רב teaches that בלעם suffered all four court deaths. רבי חנינא works out from a פסוק that בלעם died at about 33, and a מין confirms this from בלעם's own notebook. מר בריה דרבינא teaches that we may expound freely only against בלעם. The גמרא then explains the two spellings of דואג's name. A string of רבי יצחק's teachings follows: they describe דואג's vast learning, which stayed only on his lips, and דוד's prayers that he lose everything. רבא teaches that asking many questions is not greatness, because הקב״ה wants the heart. The amud ends with how דואג died, how short the lives of דואג and אחיתופל were, and how דוד called אחיתופל first teacher, then colleague, then student. That last proof continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (35)

1. Statementבלעם received all four court deaths
2. QuestionA heretic asks how old בלעם was
3. Responseרבי חנינא works out בלעם's age from a פסוק
4. ProofThe heretic confirms the age from בלעם's notebook
5. StatementExpound freely only against בלעם
6. Challengeדואג's name is spelled two different ways
7. ResolutionFirst God worried, then He cried 'woe'
8. StatementA memory list for the coming teachings
9. StatementWhy would someone mighty in תורה boast of evil?
10. StatementHow can דואג teach laws he himself breaks?
11. Statementדואג's תורה was only on his lips
12. StatementFirst the righteous feared him, then they laughed
13. Statementדוד asks that דואג die
14. StatementNo עולם הבא for דואג
15. StatementNo teaching in his name and no scholar sons
16. Statementדואג's great learning: counting, weighing, and the floating tower
17. StatementFour hundred questions about the floating tower
18. Rejectionרבא: asking questions is not greatness
19. Statementרב יהודה struggled with one משנה in עוקצין
20. ConclusionGod wants the heart
21. Statementדואג and אחיתופל did not understand learning
22. Challengeמר זוטרא objects from the פסוק about their brilliance
23. ResolutionThey understood but never reached the true הלכה
24. Statementדואג forgot his learning before he died
25. Statementדואג was struck with צרעת
26. ProofHow the verse hints at צרעת
27. StatementA memory aid for the coming statements
28. StatementThree destroying angels met דואג
29. Statementדואג and אחיתופל never met
30. Statementדואג and אחיתופל did not live half their days
31. ProofA ברייתא supports this with a פסוק and their exact ages
32. Statementדוד called אחיתופל teacher, then colleague, then student
33. ProofProof that דוד first called him teacher
34. ProofProof that דוד later called him colleague
35. ProofProof that דוד finally called him student