Sanhedrin 89b

סנהדרין פ״ט ע״ב

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

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Topic

Prophets and their punishments, אגדות about the עקידה, and how a נביא שהדיח and מדיחי עיר הנדחת are put to death

Overview

This amud finishes the list of people who die at the hands of Heaven. The friend of מיכה ignored a prophet, and עדו הנביא broke his own prophecy; both were killed by a lion. A ברייתא says one who holds back his prophecy gets lashes. אביי explains that his fellow prophets know the prophecy and can warn him, and the גמרא defends this using the case of יונה. Next the גמרא asks how a listener knows to obey a prophet. The answer is that the prophet gives a sign, unless he is already known as a true prophet, as with אברהם at הר המוריה and אליהו at הר הכרמל. This leads into stories about the עקידה: why ה׳ tested אברהם, why He said 'please', and how אברהם turned away the שטן on the road. Finally, a ברייתא brings a מחלוקת between the חכמים and רבי שמעון about whether a נביא שהדיח and the מדיחי עיר הנדחת get סקילה or חנק, along with the sources each side uses. A new teaching of רב חסדא begins at the end and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (47)

1. StatementThe friend of מיכה ignored a prophet and was punished
2. Statementעדו הנביא broke his own prophecy
3. StatementA ברייתא: one who holds back his prophecy gets lashes
4. Challengeרב חסדא asks: who could warn him?
5. Resolutionאביי: his fellow prophets warn him
6. QuestionHow do the other prophets know?
7. Responseה׳ reveals His plans to the prophets
8. ChallengeMaybe Heaven changed its mind?
9. ResolutionIf it were canceled, all prophets would be told
10. ChallengeWhat about יונה, who was not told the prophecy was canceled?
11. Resolutionיונה's prophecy was never canceled; it had two meanings
12. QuestionHow does someone know he will be punished for ignoring a prophet?
13. ResponseThe prophet gave him a sign
14. ChallengeBut מיכה gave no sign, and the man was still punished
15. ResolutionAn established prophet is different
16. ProofProof from אברהם and אליהו
17. ConclusionConclusion: an established prophet is different
18. QuestionAfter what events did God test אברהם?
19. ResponseAfter the words of the שטן
20. StatementThe שטן complains about אברהם's feast
21. Statementה׳ answers, and the test begins
22. StatementThe word נא means 'please'
23. StatementA משל of a king and his warrior
24. StatementApplying the משל to אברהם
25. StatementYour son, your only one, whom you love, יצחק
26. QuestionWhy the long buildup?
27. ResponseSo אברהם would not be overwhelmed
28. StatementThe שטן meets אברהם on the road
29. Responseאברהם answers: I will walk with my integrity
30. StatementThe שטן calls אברהם's fear of ה׳ foolishness
31. Responseאברהם answers that no innocent person is lost
32. StatementThe שטן claims he heard from heaven that יצחק will not be sacrificed
33. ResponseA liar is not believed even when he tells the truth
34. Statementרבי לוי: the test came after ישמעאל boasted to יצחק
35. Responseיצחק answers that he would give his whole self, and the test follows
36. StatementHow a נביא who leads people astray, and those who lead a city astray, are put to death
37. QuestionWhat is the source of the חכמים for stoning a נביא שהדיח?
38. ResponseA גזירה שוה from מסית: 'leading astray' and 'leading astray'
39. Responseרבי שמעון's reason: an unspecified death means strangulation
40. QuestionWhat is the חכמים' source that city inciters are stoned?
41. ResponseThe חכמים learn from the word הדחה, from a מסית or a נביא
42. Statementרבי שמעון learns only from the prophet
43. ChallengeWhy not learn from the regular instigator?
44. ResolutionLeading many is compared to leading many
45. ChallengeOn the contrary, compare an ordinary person to an ordinary person
46. ResolutionA prophet who leads people astray becomes an ordinary person
47. StatementIntroducing a new statement from רב חסדא