Sanhedrin 71b

סנהדרין ע״א ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 71b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The בן סורר ומורה's procedure, רבי חנינא's rule about a convert whose status changed after sinning, and why the rebellious son is judged by his end.

Overview

The amud opens by finishing an earlier point: every detail of the בן סורר ומורה verse is read strictly because the whole verse is extra. Next, אביי explains that the boy is warned in front of two witnesses and given מלקות by a court of three. רבי אבהו's chain of word-links shows that 'ויסרו' means lashes. The words 'בננו זה' teach two rules: the first judges must be at the second trial, and blind parents are excluded. A new משנה rules that a boy who ran away and grew up before his sentence goes free, but after his sentence he stays חייב. רבי חנינא then rules that a בן נח who cursed ה׳ and converted is פטור, since both his trial and his death penalty changed. The גמרא tests this rule against the משנה and a ברייתא, using the ideas that both must change and that a lighter penalty is included in a harsher one (קלה בחמורה), for the רבנן and for רבי שמעון. The amud ends with a new משנה: the בן סורר ומורה is judged by where his life is heading, followed by a list of things that are good or bad for רשעים and צדיקים.

Opening lines

The steps (28)

1. ResolutionWhy every detail of the verse is read closely
2. ChallengeWhy does the warning need three people?
3. Resolutionאביי: warned before two, lashed before three
4. QuestionWhere does the Torah say he gets lashes?
5. Responseרבי אבהו's chain of word-links
6. ChallengeIsn't 'זה' already used to exclude blind parents?
7. ResolutionThe extra word teaches both things
8. StatementThe rebellious son who ran away and then grew up
9. StatementA non-Jew who cursed ה׳ and then converted
10. ProofTrying to prove רבי חנינא's rule from the משנה
11. RejectionThe rebellious son case is different
12. ChallengeThe משנה's second half: running away after sentencing
13. ResolutionA sentenced man is already considered dead
14. ChallengeA ברייתא: a בן נח who harmed a Jew and then converted
15. ResolutionBoth the court process and the death penalty must change
16. ChallengeFor אשת איש the death penalty does change
17. ResolutionThe case is a betrothed young woman, so the penalty stays the same
18. ChallengeThe case of the Jew's wife must match the case of the gentile's wife
19. ResolutionA lighter punishment is included in a harsher one
20. ChallengeThis answer fails according to רבי שמעון
21. Resolutionרבי שמעון follows תנא דבי מנשה: every gentile death penalty is חנק
22. ChallengeThat works for the married woman case, but what about the murderer?
23. ResolutionThe lighter penalty is included in the harsher one
24. ProofA possible proof: the betrothed girl who sinned and then grew up
25. Rejectionרבי יוחנן corrected the wording: she gets stoning
26. StatementThe rebellious son is judged by where his life is heading
27. StatementWine and sleep of the wicked versus the righteous
28. StatementScattering, gathering, and calm for the wicked and the righteous