Sanhedrin 10a

סנהדרין י׳ ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 10a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Splitting testimony, punishing עדים זוממין, and the court size for מלקות

Overview

The amud opens with more rulings from רבא about witnesses. A husband who testifies that a man sinned with his wife is accepted against the man but not against his wife, because we split a testimony. רבא then rules that עדים זוממין are both executed and made to pay when their lie would have hurt two different people, as when they name the girl's father or the ox's owner. רבא also asks, and then answers, whether a man can testify about his own ox: a person counts as his own relative, but not as a relative to his property. The גמרא then turns to the משנה's rule that lashes need three judges, and רב הונא learns it from the plural word ״וּשְׁפָטוּם״. Along the way, עולא shows that the Torah hints that עדים זוממין receive מלקות, since ״לא תענה״ alone cannot bring lashes. Finally, the גמרא gives two sources for רבי ישמעאל's view that lashes need twenty-three judges: אביי's גזירה שוה on the word ״רשע״, and רבא's idea that lashes stand in place of death. רב אחא בריה דרבא begins challenging רבא's idea, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. StatementA husband testifies against the man who sinned with his wife
2. ChallengeWhy is this ruling needed if we already split testimony?
3. ResolutionSplitting works for a wife too, not only for oneself
4. StatementPlotting witnesses about a betrothed girl: when they also pay
5. StatementPlotting witnesses about an ox: when they also pay
6. ChallengeWhy do we need the ox case too?
7. ResolutionThe ox case sets up a question
8. QuestionCan a man testify about his own ox?
9. Responseרבא answers: property does not count as oneself
10. QuestionWhere do we learn that lashes need three judges?
11. Responseרב הונא learns three from ״וּשְׁפָטוּם״
12. ChallengeThen the other plural words should give seven
13. ResolutionThose words are needed for עולא's teaching
14. Challengeעדים זוממין are written openly in the Torah
15. ResolutionThe hint is that עדים זוממין get lashes
16. QuestionWhy would a money case lead to lashes?
17. ResponseThe verse is about lying witnesses who were caught
18. ChallengeWhy not learn lashes from "You shall not testify"?
19. ResolutionNo lashes for a prohibition without an action
20. QuestionWhat is רבי ישמעאל's reason for twenty-three judges?
21. Responseאביי: a גזירה שוה on the word "wicked"
22. Responseרבא: lashes stand in place of death
23. ChallengeIf lashes are like death, why estimate his strength?
24. ResolutionThe verse says lashes must fall on a living person
25. ChallengeA ברייתא about rounding lashes down to eighteen