Sanhedrin 63a

סנהדרין ס״ג ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 63a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 63a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Liability for different kinds of עבודה זרה: one חטאת or many, a קרבן for speech alone, and which acts get lashes

Overview

The amud opens with רבי אמי, who says that someone who sacrificed, burned incense, and poured a libation to an idol in one lapse of awareness brings only one חטאת. אביי explains this from ״לא תעבדם״, but the גמרא shows that אביי himself holds the acts are divided, based on the three mentions of השתחואה. The גמרא then reworks אביי's reading of those three verses. Next, רב rules that saying ״אֵלִי אַתָּה״ to an idol obligates a person who did it by mistake to bring a קרבן. The גמרא explains that this follows רבי עקיבא, and the עגל פסוק links speech to real worship. That פסוק leads to an אגדה about the plural ״הֶעֱלוּךָ״, where אחרים and רבי שמעון בן יוחאי disagree. Finally, the גמרא asks which lesser acts toward an idol get lashes. רב דימי's report of רבי אלעזר falls because those acts come from a לאו שבכללות, so the גמרא adopts רבין's version and explains it through רבי יהודה. The amud ends as a ברייתא about leftover קרבן פסח meat begins, and it continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. StatementSeveral acts of idol worship in one lapse bring only one offering
2. Statementאביי explains רבי אמי's source
3. Challengeאביי elsewhere says each act of worship is counted separately
4. Resolutionאביי was only explaining רבי אמי's view
5. Statementאביי's teaching on the three bowing verses, quoted in full
6. ChallengeBowing in the normal way is already known from another verse
7. ResolutionA new reading of how the three verses divide
8. StatementQuoting the משנה: accepting an idol as a god
9. StatementSaying "You are my god" alone makes one liable
10. QuestionWhat kind of liability does רב mean?
11. Responseרב means a קרבן
12. ChallengeThe רבנן require a real action for a קרבן
13. Resolutionרב follows רבי עקיבא
14. ChallengeAccording to רבי עקיבא it is obvious, like a מגדף
15. Resolutionרב's ruling is not obvious, because the verse links speech to worship
16. StatementThe extra ו in ״הֶעֱלוּךָ״ saved the Jewish people
17. ProofA group of תנאים said the same thing as רבי יוחנן
18. RejectionJoining God's name with an idol is already deadly
19. StatementThe plural means they wanted many gods
20. StatementLashes for the lesser acts of idol service
21. QuestionWhy no lashes for vowing in its name
22. ResponseBecause they involve no action
23. ChallengeThe other acts are a general prohibition
24. ProofSource showing a general prohibition
25. ProofAnother teaching: no eating meat while the blood is still in the bowl
26. Proofרבי דוסא: no mourners' meal for those executed by the court
27. Proofרבי עקיבא: judges who sentence someone to death fast that whole day
28. Proofרבי יוחנן: the warning for the בן סורר ומורה
29. ProofNo lashes for anything learned from a general prohibition
30. Resolutionרבין's different version of רבי אלעזר
31. ChallengeBut vowing and swearing involve no action
32. Resolutionרבי אלעזר follows רבי יהודה
33. ProofA ברייתא on leftover קרבן פסח meat begins the proof about רבי יהודה