Sanhedrin 60a

סנהדרין ס׳ ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 60a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 60a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

מצוות בני נח (כישוף and כלאים), then the משנה's laws of the מגדף: which Name counts, standing and tearing, and how the witnesses testify

Overview

The גמרא finishes showing that a בן נח is also forbidden in כישוף, and brings רבי אלעזר, who adds כלאים to the מצוות בני נח. שמואל learns this from the words 'אֶת חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ', meaning laws already given before. For a בן נח, the rule covers only animal breeding and tree grafting, and it applies everywhere. The word order of that פסוק explains why the rest of the Torah was not already given to them. Then the גמרא returns to the משנה of the מגדף: רב אחא בר יעקב teaches, in two versions, that the four-letter Name is the one that counts. The גמרא finds sources for the judges standing (from עגלון), tearing their clothes (from חזקיהו's officials), and never fully sewing the tear (from אלישע). It discusses who must tear, and it contrasts שמואל's limits (no tearing for a גוי or a כינוי) with רבי חייא's view. Finally, ריש לקיש proves that 'אף אני כמוהו' is valid testimony by Torah law, and the גמרא explains that the משנה follows רבי עקיבא on a third witness.

Opening lines

The steps (35)

1. StatementWitchcraft is placed next to the animal prohibition
2. Statementרבי אלעזר adds mixed species
3. QuestionWhat is the source?
4. Responseשמואל: 'My statutes' means laws already given
5. ResponseWhich kind of mixing, and where
6. ChallengeChallenge: then the whole Torah would apply to them
7. ResolutionWord order shows which statutes were given earlier
8. StatementA blasphemer is liable only for cursing the four-letter Name
9. ChallengeIsn't this obvious from the משנה?
10. ResolutionThe משנה's wording might have been just an example
11. StatementA second version: the four-letter Name also counts
12. ChallengeIsn't this obvious from the משנה?
13. ResolutionWe might have thought a greater Name is needed
14. StatementBack to the משנה: when the judgment is finished
15. QuestionWhere do we learn that the judges stand?
16. Responseעגלון stood up when אהוד mentioned God
17. ProofIf a gentile king stood, surely a Jew must stand
18. QuestionWhere do we learn that the judges tear their clothes?
19. ResponseThe officials came to חזקיהו with torn clothes after hearing רבשקה
20. QuestionWhere do we learn that the tear is never sewn back?
21. Responseרבי אבהו links the tearing for רבשקה to אלישע's tearing
22. ProofThe extra word "pieces" teaches the tear stays forever
23. StatementBoth the direct hearer and the second-hand hearer must tear
24. StatementThe witnesses do not tear again in court
25. ChallengeWhy don't the witnesses tear again when they hear it in court?
26. ResolutionProof from King חזקיהו: only he tore, not the messengers
27. StatementNo tearing for blasphemy heard from a gentile
28. Resolutionרבשקה was a Jew who left the faith
29. StatementTearing only for the unique Name of God
30. Statementרבי חייא: nowadays no tearing, which disagrees with שמואל on both points
31. QuestionWhose curses was רבי חייא talking about?
32. ConclusionOriginally one did tear even for these curses
33. Statementריש לקיש: 'I too, like him' is valid testimony
34. ProofProof: we would never execute on invalid testimony
35. StatementThe anonymous משנה follows רבי עקיבא about a third witness