Sanhedrin 74a

סנהדרין ע״ד ע״א

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Topic

The limits of killing a רודף, broken vessels during a chase, and when a person must die rather than sin.

Overview

The amud opens by answering a problem. A man who violates his sister pays a fine, yet someone chasing a נערה is a רודף who may be killed, and a person liable to die does not also pay. רב פפא says the fine case is a seduced girl. אביי says she could have been saved by injuring a limb, following רבי יונתן בן שאול. The גמרא proves רבי יונתן בן שאול's rule from the פסוק about men fighting who hit a pregnant woman, and backs the proof with רבא's rules about a רודף, a נרדף and a rescuer who break vessels. It then returns to the משנה: רבי שמעון בן יוחי and his son allow killing someone to stop עבודה זרה or חילול שבת. Next comes the famous vote in לוד: for any sin a person should sin rather than die, except עבודה זרה, גילוי עריות and שפיכות דמים. The גמרא gives the sources for these three, including רבה's logic: who says your blood is redder? Finally, רבי יוחנן adds that in a time of persecution, or in public, one must die even for a minor מצוה. The definition of a minor מצוה begins at the end of the amud and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (34)

1. Resolutionרב פפא: the fine case is a seduced girl
2. Resolutionאביי: she could have been saved by injuring a limb
3. ProofThe ברייתא of רבי יונתן בן שאול
4. QuestionWhat is רבי יונתן בן שאול's reason?
5. ResponseThe verse of men fighting, as explained by רבי אלעזר
6. ProofHow the fine fits if a רודף may not be killed when injury works
7. ProofWithout this rule, the Torah's fine could never happen
8. RejectionPerhaps the death and the payment are owed to different people
9. Proofרבא: a רודף who breaks anyone's vessels is exempt
10. Statementרבא: when the victim breaks vessels while running away
11. StatementThe rescuer who breaks vessels is exempt
12. StatementWhy the rescuer is exempt: so people will still rescue
13. StatementBack to the משנה: chasing an animal
14. Statementרבי שמעון בן יוחי: kill to stop עבודה זרה
15. ChallengeCan we punish based on logic alone?
16. ResolutionHe holds that we do punish from logic
17. Statementרבי אלעזר: kill to stop חילול שבת
18. ResolutionHow רבי אלעזר learns it: his father plus a גזירה שוה
19. StatementThe vote in לוד: which sins require giving up one's life
20. ChallengeChallenge: רבי ישמעאל says one may worship idols to save his life
21. ChallengeThe ברייתא continues: in public one must die
22. ResolutionAnswer: the חכמים followed רבי אליעזר
23. Questionרבי אליעזר asks: why both 'soul' and 'might'?
24. ResponseBoth phrases are needed for different kinds of people
25. ResolutionThe source for forbidden relations and murder is רבי's ברייתא
26. QuestionWhy does the פסוק mention a murderer?
27. ResponseFirst direction: a murderer may be stopped by killing him
28. ResponseSecond direction: the girl must die rather than sin
29. QuestionHow do we know the rule for murder itself?
30. ResponseIt is simple logic
31. Proofרבה's ruling: who says your blood is redder?
32. StatementIn a time of persecution, one must die even for a minor מצוה
33. StatementEven without persecution, one must die for a minor מצוה in public
34. QuestionWhat counts as a minor מצוה?