Sanhedrin 65a

סנהדרין ס״ה ע״א

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Topic

בעל אוב and ידעוני: why the משנה in כריתות lists only the בעל אוב, and what counts as an action for a קרבן

Overview

The משנה defines two kinds of sorcerers, the בעל אוב and the ידעוני. It rules that both get סקילה, and that a person who consults them breaks a לאו. The גמרא asks why the משנה in כריתות lists only the בעל אוב. רבי יוחנן answers that both share one לאו. ריש לקיש answers that the ידעוני does no action. The גמרא tests each answer and explains why each אמורא did not accept the other's. This leads to a discussion of how small a movement can count as an action: twisting the lips, striking the arms, or bowing, according to רבי עקיבא and according to the רבנן. To explain why the רבנן do not exempt the בעל אוב, עולא, רבא and אביי argue about which case the משנה means. Their discussion ends with a בעל אוב who burns incense to gather demons. A side ברייתא about חובר חבר follows. Finally, רבא explains that the מגדף is different because his sin is in the heart.

Opening lines

The steps (31)

1. StatementThe משנה defines the two sorcerers and their punishment
2. QuestionWhy does the משנה in כריתות leave out the ידעוני?
3. Responseרבי יוחנן: both sorcerers share one prohibition
4. Responseריש לקיש: the ידעוני does no action
5. QuestionWhy does the list name בעל אוב in particular?
6. ResponseThe פסוק mentions בעל אוב first
7. QuestionWhy didn't ריש לקיש accept רבי יוחנן's answer?
8. Responseרב פפא: they have separate death penalties
9. Rejectionרבי יוחנן: only a separate לאו counts
10. QuestionWhy didn't רבי יוחנן accept ריש לקיש's answer?
11. ResponseThe כריתות משנה follows רבי עקיבא
12. Rejectionריש לקיש: רבי עקיבא still needs a small action
13. ChallengeChallenge: what action does a blasphemer do?
14. ResolutionTwisting the lips counts as an action
15. ChallengeChallenge: what action does a necromancer do?
16. ResolutionStriking the arms counts as an action
17. ChallengeWould striking the arms count even for the רבנן?
18. Statementריש לקיש: the ברייתא that counts bowing follows רבי עקיבא
19. Statementרבי יוחנן: bending the body counts as an action even for the רבנן
20. ChallengeIf bowing is not an action, how can striking the arms be one?
21. Resolutionריש לקיש's view on the בעל אוב was only according to רבי עקיבא
22. ChallengeThen the רבנן should have excluded both the מגדף and the בעל אוב
23. Resolutionעולא: The בעל אוב in the משנה burns incense to a demon
24. Challengeרבא: Burning incense to a demon is just idol worship
25. Resolutionרבא: He burns incense to gather the demons
26. Challengeאביי: Gathering demons makes him a חובר חבר
27. Resolutionרבא: Yes, but the תורה gives this חובר סקילה
28. StatementA ברייתא: חובר חבר covers gathering any creatures, big or small
29. Statementאביי: gathering a hornet and scorpion is forbidden even for protection
30. ChallengeWhy is bowing an action but moving the lips is not?
31. Resolutionרבא: a מגדף is different because his sin is in the heart