Sanhedrin 82a

סנהדרין פ״ב ע״א

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Topic

Punishment and decrees for one who has relations with a non-Jewish woman, the limits of קנאין פוגעין בו, and the story of זמרי and פנחס

Overview

The גמרא asks what happens to a man who had relations with a non-Jewish woman if the קנאין did not strike him. רב had forgotten his tradition, but a dream given to רב כהנא brings a פסוק in מלאכי that reminds him. The next פסוק answers the question: ה׳ cuts off his line, so a תלמיד חכם will have no scholarly descendants and a כהן will have no son who serves. רבי חייא בר אבויה adds that such a man is like one who marries into עבודה זרה, and he tells the story of יהויקים's skull, which was thrown out and later burned. רב דימי and רבין report a decree of the חשמונאים that makes this man liable on several counts. They argue whether a non-Jewish woman counts as an אשת איש or a זונה. The גמרא then limits the zealot's right: בית דין gives no permission to one who asks, a zealot may act only during the act, and the sinner may defend himself. Finally the גמרא tells the story of זמרי and כזבי, why פנחס acted, and how he carried the spear, and the story continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (26)

1. QuestionWhat if the zealots did not strike him?
2. Statementרב forgets, and רב כהנא has a dream
3. Statementרב remembers: idol worship and forbidden male relations
4. ProofThe prostitute, and one with a non-Jewish woman
5. ResponseThe answer: his line is cut off
6. StatementLike marrying into idol worship
7. StatementWords written on the skull of King יהויקים
8. ProofThe skull keeps coming back up out of the ground
9. StatementHe honors the skull, but his wife burns it
10. ConclusionThis is what 'This and yet another' meant
11. StatementThe Hasmonean court's decree, as reported by רב דימי
12. Statementרבין's version: a זונה, not a married woman
13. ResolutionWhy רב דימי still counts a married woman
14. Statementרב חסדא: We do not instruct one who asks
15. Proofרבי יוחנן says the same thing
16. StatementThe zealot may act only during the act
17. Statementשבט שמעון pushes זמרי to act
18. Statementזמרי approaches כזבי
19. Statementזמרי challenges משה in public
20. Statementמשה forgets the הלכה and פנחס steps forward
21. QuestionWhat did פנחס see?
22. Responseרב: He remembered the הלכה
23. Responseשמואל: When God's name is shamed, don't wait for the teacher
24. Responseרבי אליעזר: He saw an angel destroying the people
25. StatementNo weapons in the בית המדרש
26. Statementפנחס hides the spear's blade