Sanhedrin 15a

סנהדרין ט״ו ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 15a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Number of judges for appraisals of הקדש and for capital cases involving animals

Overview

This amud works through the משנה's rules about how many judges are needed for appraisals and for capital cases. First, the גמרא gives three explanations of 'ערכין המטלטלין בשלשה.' The first two each need a small change to the משנה's wording. In רבי אבהו's explanation, the כהן collects a pledged ערך from a person's belongings: three appraisers for movable items and ten for land, because a mistake can happen whether property goes into הקדש or comes out. The גמרא then asks why the חכמים need the word 'כהן,' and asks how שמואל gets nine Israelites and one כהן from the ten mentions of 'כהן.' Both questions end with קשיא. A person is appraised like land when he says 'דמי עלי,' because he is valued like a slave, and a slave is compared to land. רבי אבין asks whether hair that is ready to be cut counts as cut or attached. The גמרא shows this is a dispute between תנאים, and then shows it does not have to match the dispute about grapes on the vine. Finally, the גמרא finds a source showing that an animal that lay with a man is judged by twenty-three. It then begins to examine the source for the stoned ox, and that discussion continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (30)

1. StatementPledging the valuation of a utensil means paying its value
2. QuestionWhy does he pay the utensil's value?
3. ResponseHe knows utensils have no ערך, so he meant their value
4. ChallengeThe משנה's wording does not fit this explanation
5. ResolutionRead the משנה as 'ערכין של מטלטלין'
6. StatementSecond explanation: paying a ערך with movable items
7. ChallengeThe wording does not fit this explanation either
8. ResolutionRead the משנה as 'מטלטלין של ערכין'
9. StatementThird explanation: the כהן collects movable items or land
10. ChallengeWhy three when property goes into הקדש?
11. ResolutionA mistake can happen either way
12. ChallengeWhy do the חכמים need the word 'כהן'?
13. ConclusionThe question on the חכמים stays unanswered
14. QuestionWhere do we learn nine and a priest for land?
15. Responseשמואל: ten times 'priest' in the section
16. ChallengeWhy not five priests and five Israelites?
17. ConclusionThe challenge to שמואל stays unanswered
18. ChallengeCan a person become holy?
19. ResolutionThe case is 'my value is on me'
20. ProofA ברייתא: valued like a slave, and a slave is like land
21. QuestionHow many appraisers for hair ready to be cut?
22. ResponseA ברייתא shows the question is a dispute between תנאים
23. ProofSuggesting this dispute matches the dispute about laden vines
24. Statementרבי יוסי בר חנינא: the vines case is about grapes ready to be picked
25. RejectionGrapes get worse on the vine, but hair keeps getting better
26. StatementThe משנה makes no distinction between male and female
27. QuestionThe female case has a verse, but where is the male case?
28. ResponseA verse not needed for its plain case teaches the male case
29. StatementThe stoned ox is judged by twenty-three
30. Challengeאביי asks how we know the verse means this