Sanhedrin 44a

סנהדרין מ״ד ע״א

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Topic

The sin and punishment of עכן, יהושע's bold words to ה׳, and יהושע's meeting with the captain of ה׳'s army

Overview

This amud continues the story of עכן, who took from the חרם at יריחו. First the גמרא explains that the nation was punished because his sin was not hidden: his wife and children knew. It then draws lessons from the פסוקים in יהושע 7. A Jew who sins is still called ישראל. The five times 'גם' appears show that עכן broke all five חומשי תורה. Other teachings show that he hid his מילה and sinned with a נערה המאורסה, and רבינא says the link to that case teaches that his punishment was סקילה. רב הונא explains that עכן's children were brought along only to watch and learn, not to be killed. The גמרא then discusses how יהושע spoke boldly to ה׳ after the loss at העי, and how ה׳ answered him. The amud ends by explaining why יהושע could bow to a stranger at night: the stranger used ה׳'s name, and שדים do not say ה׳'s name for nothing.

Opening lines

The steps (37)

1. QuestionWhy was the nation punished for עכן's sin?
2. ResponseHis wife and children knew
3. StatementEven when sinning, a Jew is still called ישראל
4. ProofThe myrtle among other plants
5. Statementעכן violated all five חומשי תורה
6. Statementעכן tried to hide his ברית מילה
7. ChallengeIsn't the teaching about מילה obvious?
8. ResolutionA מצוה on his own body is a different level
9. Statementעכן was with a נערה המאורסה
10. ProofThe shared word 'נבלה' links the two פסוקים
11. ChallengeIsn't this teaching obvious too?
12. ResolutionWe might think he did not go that far
13. Statementרבינא: the link teaches his punishment, סקילה
14. ChallengeWhy were עכן's children punished?
15. Resolutionכל ישראל was there too, so the family was only there to learn a lesson
16. QuestionWas עכן punished with both burning and stoning?
17. ResponseBurning was for the things, stoning was for the living
18. StatementWhat was the 'mantle of שנער'?
19. Statementיהושע throws the stolen items before ה׳ and complains
20. Proofרבי יהודה: exactly thirty-six men died
21. Rejectionרבי נחמיה: it was one man, יאיר בן מנשה
22. StatementThe poor man pleads and the rich man answers harshly: משה and יהושע
23. QuestionWhere do we see that יהושע spoke harshly? A first suggestion
24. Challengeפינחס did the same thing, so throwing things down cannot be the proof
25. ResolutionA second suggestion: 'Why did You bring this nation over the ירדן?'
26. Challengeמשה said something similar, so this cannot be the proof
27. ResolutionThe real proof: 'If only we had stayed on the other side of the ירדן'
28. Statementה׳ tells יהושע: your failing is worse than theirs
29. Statementרב teaches that יהושע left nothing undone
30. ChallengeThen why does ה׳ say 'Get up'?
31. ResolutionYou caused them to sin
32. ProofProof from ה׳'s command at עי
33. Statementיהושע bows to the captain of ה׳'s army
34. ChallengeGreeting a stranger at night is forbidden
35. ResolutionThe stranger mentioned ה׳
36. ChallengeMaybe the שד was lying
37. Resolutionשדים do not say ה׳'s name for nothing