Sanhedrin 88a

סנהדרין פ״ח ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 88a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Sanhedrin 88a: The disputes behind the משנה's categories for a זקן ממרא, and when he is executed (tradition against reasoning: רב כהנא and רבי אלעזר)

Overview

The גמרא goes through the words of the משנה about a זקן ממרא, an elder who rules against the בית דין הגדול. For each word it shows a real מחלוקת he could rule on. It finishes the נגעים example: רבי יונתן בן אבטולמוס learns from a גזירה שוה that a garment fully covered by a נגע is טהור. 'דברי' means ערכין, חרמים and הקדשות, each tied to a known dispute. 'ריבות' means סוטה, עגלה ערופה and טהרת מצורע, and 'בשעריך' means לקט, שכחה and פיאה, and each of these is also tied to a known dispute. Then the גמרא turns to the three courts. רב כהנא says the זקן is killed only when he relies on his own reasoning against the court's tradition, and he proves it from עקביא בן מהללאל. רבי אלעזר says that even a זקן with a tradition is killed, to keep disputes from spreading. He explains that עקביא was spared because he never gave a practical ruling. A proof from the משנה's wording is pushed aside, and a new proof from רבי יאשיה's three teachings begins and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (27)

1. QuestionWhere do we learn that a garment fully covered by a נגע is pure?
2. ResponseLearning garments from people through matching words
3. StatementWhat the word 'דברי' in the משנה refers to
4. StatementThe ערכין dispute: valuing a baby under one month
5. StatementThe חרמים dispute: where unspecified חרמים go
6. StatementThe Sages say an unspecified חרם goes to the כהן
7. ChallengeThen what does 'most holy to ה׳' teach?
8. ResolutionIt teaches that חרם can apply to any קרבן
9. StatementThe הקדשות case: how many people are needed to redeem הקדש
10. StatementWhat 'ריבות' means: three cases
11. StatementThe סוטה case: רבי אליעזר's view
12. StatementThe סוטה case: רבי יהושע's view
13. StatementThe dispute about measuring for the heifer
14. StatementThe dispute about a leper missing a body part
15. StatementExplaining 'in your gates': gleanings and forgotten sheaves
16. Statementבית שמאי give three to the poor
17. StatementWhich dispute about פיאה the משנה means
18. Statementרבי ישמעאל: פיאה even from the dough
19. StatementBoth sides quote tradition: not killed
20. StatementReasoning against reasoning, or tradition against reasoning: not killed
21. StatementThe only case he is killed: his reasoning against their tradition
22. ProofProof from עקביא בן מהללאל
23. Statementרבי אלעזר: Even a זקן With a Tradition Is Killed
24. ResolutionWhy עקביא בן מהללאל Was Not Killed
25. ProofTrying to Prove רבי אלעזר From the משנה's Words
26. RejectionNo, the משנה Means the זקן Uses Reasoning
27. Proofרבי יאשיה's Three Teachings From זעירא