Sanhedrin 43b

סנהדרין מ״ג ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 43b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Confession before execution, the story of עכן, and when the nation became responsible for individuals' sins

Overview

This amud opens with two teachings of רבי יהושע בן לוי. Whoever conquers his יצר הרע and confesses honors הקב"ה in two worlds. A humble, broken spirit counts as every קרבן, and such a person's תפילה is not rejected. Then a new משנה teaches that about ten אמות from the place of סקילה, the condemned man is told to confess, because confession earns a share in עולם הבא, as we see with עכן. Someone who cannot confess says, 'May my death be an atonement for all my sins.' רבי יהודה and the חכמים argue about whether a man framed by lying witnesses may leave out that one sin. The גמרא then expands on the story of עכן: why יהושע said 'please', how the lots found עכן, and how many times עכן had taken from חרם. This leads to a question: why was the nation not punished earlier? The answer is that the nation was not punished for hidden sins until it crossed the ירדן. רבי יהודה and רבי נחמיה argue over how the dots in the פסוק 'הנסתרות לה׳ אלהינו' teach this. A new question begins at the end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (19)

1. StatementConquering your inclination and confessing honors ה׳ in two worlds
2. StatementA humble spirit is worth all the offerings
3. StatementThe condemned man is told to confess, as עכן did
4. ProofProof that עכן's confession atoned for him
5. StatementA simple formula for someone who cannot confess
6. Statementרבי יהודה: an innocent man may leave out the sin he did not commit
7. RejectionThe חכמים reject רבי יהודה's exception
8. StatementThe word 'נא' means please
9. StatementThe lots fall on עכן, and he challenges them
10. Responseיהושע begs עכן not to discredit the lots
11. Statementיהושע wins עכן over, and he confesses
12. Statementעכן misused three sets of dedicated spoils
13. StatementA second view: עכן sinned five times
14. QuestionWhy was the nation not punished earlier for עכן's sins?
15. ResponseNo punishment for hidden sins until crossing the ירדן
16. Statementרבי יהודה learns the same idea from dots in the פסוק
17. Challengeרבי נחמיה: the nation is never punished for hidden sins
18. Statementרבי נחמיה: the dots refer to sins done in the open
19. QuestionOpening a new question