Sanhedrin 56b

סנהדרין נ״ו ע״ב

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Topic

The seven מצוות of בני נח: additions, their source in the פסוק to אדם, and whether דינין is included

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a ברייתא in which several תנאים add מצוות for בני נח beyond the basic seven: blood from a living animal, castration, כישוף and some kinds of כלאים. The גמרא then asks where the Noahide מצוות come from. רבי יוחנן reads them, word by word, out of the פסוק in which ה׳ commanded אדם in גן עדן. רבי יצחק's version swaps two of the hints, and two אמוראים give different sources for linking 'ויצו' to עבודה זרה. That leads to a practical question: is a גוי liable just for making an idol? רבא challenges this, and רב פפא answers him. Next the גמרא asks how דינין can be a מצוה of בני נח if a ברייתא says it was added for ישראל at מרה. Three answers fail before רבא says that ברייתא follows תנא דבי מנשה, whose list has no דינין. The amud ends with a dispute about what אדם was commanded, and with the start of an explanation of where תנא דבי מנשה finds each of his seven מצוות.

Opening lines

The steps (35)

1. Statementרבי חנניה בן גמלא adds blood from a living animal
2. Statementרבי חידקא adds castration
3. Statementרבי שמעון adds sorcery
4. Statementרבי יוסי includes every kind of sorcery
5. ProofThe proof: the Canaanites were punished for these practices
6. Statementרבי אלעזר adds mixed species, but only some kinds
7. QuestionWhere do the Noahide מצוות come from?
8. Responseרבי יוחנן: the command to אדם in גן עדן
9. Proof'And He commanded' points to the obligation to set up courts
10. Proof'ה׳', 'God' and 'the man' point to blasphemy, idol worship and murder
11. Proof'Saying', 'every tree' and 'you may eat' point to forbidden relations, stealing and a limb from a living animal
12. Statementרבי יצחק's version swaps two of the hints
13. QuestionWhere does 'ויצו' mean idol worship?
14. ResponseTwo verses linking 'commanding' to idol worship
15. QuestionWhat difference do the two verses make?
16. ResponseMaking an idol versus worshipping it
17. Challengeרבא challenges liability for just making an idol
18. Resolutionרב פפא says the limit excludes hugging and kissing an idol
19. QuestionWhat kind of hugging and kissing is meant?
20. ResponseThe exclusion is hugging and kissing that is not the idol's normal worship
21. ChallengeWere בני נח really commanded about courts?
22. ProofThe ברייתא's sources that these מצוות were given at מרה
23. ResolutionFirst answer: מרה added the detailed rules of court procedure
24. ChallengeDetails are not an added מצוה
25. ResolutionSecond answer: מרה added the laws of fines
26. ChallengeThe wording still does not fit
27. ResolutionThird answer: courts in every province and city
28. ChallengeBut בני נח also had to set up courts everywhere
29. Resolutionרבא: The מרה ברייתא follows תנא דבי מנשה
30. ProofThe School of Menashe's List of Seven מצוות
31. StatementWhat Was אדם Commanded?
32. QuestionWhose View Matches רב's Teaching on 'אלהים'?
33. ResponseIt Follows the 'Some Say' Opinion
34. ChallengeWhere does the תנא דבי מנשה get his list from?
35. ResolutionEach of his מצוות is written on its own