Sanhedrin 89a

סנהדרין פ״ט ע״א

Learn Sanhedrin 89a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Sanhedrin 89a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

The execution of the זקן ממרא, public announcements of executions, and the punishments and examples of false prophets

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a discussion about a זקן ממרא who rules that one should add to ציצית or תפילין. Using רבי זירא's rule about an outer compartment that does not see the air, the גמרא shows that an extra compartment always ruins the תפילין. A new משנה then teaches where and when the זקן ממרא is executed. רבי עקיבא says he is executed at the בית דין הגדול in ירושלים during the רגל. רבי יהודה says the פסוק requires only that people 'hear,' so he is executed right away and letters announce it. A ברייתא lists four sinners whose execution must be announced, and explains why the פסוק about עדים זוממין says 'those who remain.' The next משנה teaches that a false prophet and one who prophesies in the name of an idol are executed by the court, while three other prophecy sins are punished בידי שמים. It also lists more cases of חנק, including the exception for the plotting witnesses against a בת כהן. The גמרא brings the פסוקים behind each group and gives examples: צדקיה בן כנענה, who should have noticed that all the prophets used identical wording; חנניה בן עזור, who announced his own קל וחומר as prophecy; the prophets of the בעל; and יונה. The example for one who ignores a prophet's words continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (35)

1. ResolutionAdding to ציצית ruins the מצוה from the start
2. ChallengeShouldn't תפילין work the same way?
3. Resolutionרבי זירא: an outer compartment that does not see the air is invalid
4. Statementמשנה: רבי עקיבא — the זקן ממרא is executed in ירושלים during the רגל
5. Statementמשנה: רבי יהודה — execute him right away and send out notices
6. StatementThe ברייתא restates רבי עקיבא's view
7. Challengeרבי יהודה challenges רבי עקיבא from the wording of the verse
8. StatementExecute him right away and send out written notices
9. StatementFour sinners whose execution must be publicly announced
10. QuestionWhy the verse for plotting witnesses says 'those who remain'
11. ResponseNot everyone is fit to be a witness
12. StatementThe false prophet is executed by a human court
13. StatementThree prophecy sins punished by Heaven
14. StatementA prophet who speaks in the name of an idol
15. StatementSinning with a married woman after נישואין
16. StatementThe exception for plotting witnesses against a כהן's daughter
17. StatementThree die by the court, three die by Heaven
18. QuestionAsking for the source
19. ResponseOne verse teaches the three sins punished by בית דין
20. ResponseOne verse read three ways teaches the sins punished בידי שמים
21. Statementצדקיה בן כנענה as an example
22. ChallengeWhy was צדקיה blamed if a spirit fooled him?
23. StatementWhat 'go out' means
24. StatementWhose spirit it was
25. Resolutionצדקיה should have noticed: real prophets never use identical wording
26. StatementExample of one message in two styles, applied to אחאב's prophets
27. ChallengeMaybe צדקיה did not know this rule
28. Resolutionיהושפט said the rule out loud right there
29. StatementNext case of the משנה: חנניה and ירמיה's prophecy about עילם
30. Statementחנניה builds his own קל וחומר and announces it as prophecy
31. Challengeרב פפא asks: this was not said to any other prophet either
32. ResolutionA message that can be learned by קל וחומר counts as already said
33. StatementExample for prophesying in the name of idol worship
34. StatementExample for holding back a prophecy
35. StatementStarting the example for ignoring a prophet's words