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Sanhedrin 50b

סנהדרין נ׳ ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 50b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Ranking the four death penalties, and the law of a בת כהן who sins

Overview

This amud finishes ranking the four court death penalties: סקילה, שריפה, חנק and סייף. The גמרא shows that סקילה is harsher than חנק, because the Torah moved a betrothed girl from the married woman's חנק to סקילה. It then shows that סקילה and חנק are each harsher than סייף. In both cases the proof is that the מדיח who leads a city astray is worse than the people he misleads, who get סייף. Next comes רבי יוחנן's favorite ברייתא, where the רבנן and רבי שמעון argue over a betrothed בת כהן who sinned. The argument turns on whether סקילה or שריפה is harsher, which also matters for someone who earned two court deaths. רבי שמעון proves that שריפה is harsher, because one פסוק moves a בת כהן out of both the married group and the betrothed group. Finally, a ברייתא reads the פסוק of בת כהן word by word. It teaches that only sins of זנות count, only while she is tied to a husband, with any man, and at any age. The explanation of the words 'בת כהן' continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר: כֹּחַ הַמַּדִּיחַ.

You must say: the severity of the subverter [is greater].

וְקַל וָחוֹמֶר:

And [it follows] a fortiori:

וּמָה חֶנֶק, שֶׁחָמוּר מִסַּיִיף –

if strangulation, which is more severe than the sword —

שְׂרֵיפָה חֲמוּרָה מִמֶּנּוּ;

burning is more severe than it;

The steps (36)

  1. ConclusionThe subverter's sin is worse
  2. ProofA קל וחומר: burning is harsher than the sword
  3. StatementClaim: stoning is harsher than strangulation
  4. ChallengePushback: maybe strangulation is harsher
  5. ResolutionProof from the betrothed girl: stoning is harsher
  6. StatementStoning is harsher than the sword
  7. ChallengeMaybe the sword is harsher, because of the city led astray
  8. ResolutionThe one who leads astray sinned worse
  9. ProofA קל וחומר: stoning beats the sword
  10. StatementStrangulation is harsher than the sword
  11. ChallengeAgain: maybe the sword is harsher
  12. ResolutionThe one who leads astray sinned worse than those he misled
  13. ProofA ברייתא shows רבי שמעון gives the מדיח חנק
  14. Statementרבי יוחנן's favorite ברייתא about a betrothed girl
  15. QuestionWhat is this ברייתא teaching?
  16. ResponseWho counts as the בת כהן who is burned
  17. ResponseThe reason: which death is harsher
  18. ConclusionPractical result: two death penalties
  19. QuestionWhat is רבי שמעון's source?
  20. ResponseA ברייתא: two general rules
  21. ChallengeOnly a בת כהן, not a בת ישראל?
  22. ResolutionRead it as: also with a בת כהן
  23. ResponseThe Torah pulls the בת כהן out of both groups
  24. ConclusionBoth exceptions make the punishment harsher
  25. ResponseThe false witnesses against a בת כהן are punished like those against any woman
  26. StatementDoes 'תחל' include a בת כהן who broke שבת?
  27. ResponseThe word 'לזנות' limits it to sins of זנות
  28. QuestionDoes it include an unmarried בת כהן?
  29. ResponseA גזרה שוה on 'אביה' shows she must be tied to a husband
  30. ChallengeMaybe 'אביה' means the sin must be with her father
  31. Resolution'היא מחללת' shows that any man is included
  32. QuestionSo what does the word 'her father' teach?
  33. Response'Her father' links to the betrothed woman: only a woman tied to a husband
  34. ChallengeDoes the comparison also limit it to a young betrothed girl?
  35. Resolution'And the daughter of a כהן' includes every case
  36. StatementQuoting 'daughter of a כהן' for the next teaching