Questions tagged [maseches-sanhedrin]
The fourth tractate in the Order of Nezikin, focusing primarily on questions of jurisdiction, criminal law and punishments
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Can someone explain this verse from Sanhedrin 54b?
I am a little confused as to understanding this gemarah.
לא עשו בו קטן כגדול אמר רב לא עשו ביאת פחות מבן תשע שנים כבן תשע שנים ושמואל אמר לא עשו ביאת פחות מבן שלש שנים כבן שלש שנים
The Gemara asks: ...
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Why did only Pinchas (know how to) respond?
The Torah relates the story of Pinchas, who, after seeing Zimri committing an act of immorality, in front of the leaders of B'nei Yisrael, took initiative and took action. The Torah says:
And, behold,...
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Pinchas and the continuing atonement
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 82b interprets the posuk in Bamidbar 25:13 to mean that the atonement Pinchas facilitated, is worthy of continuing to atone forever
The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: ...
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Moshiach will come unexpectedly
The Gemara teaches us that three things come בהיסח הדעת - unexpectedly. One of these three is Moshiach.
This is as in that practice of Rabbi Zeira, who, when he would find
Sages who were engaging in ...
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Why kill a Ben sorrer umoreh for stealing according to the Gemara?
In Masechet Sanhedrin daf 72a, the Gemara discusses that the Ben sorrer umoreh is judged on his Sofo, that eventually he’ll steal from his father and then come to steal from others, and because of ...
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Is there a Midrash around Rashi's claim of Terah's forefathers being from Canaan?
Rashi's commentary on Tractate Sanhedrin 44b implies that Terah and his forefathers originated from Canaan.
He references the mention of 'your Amorite father' - presumably citing Ezek 16:3 - 'Thus ...
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Why is the last chapter in Sanhedrin called חלק?
It is known that each chapter in shas has a name comprising of the first few words in the masechet (for example יְצִיאוֹת הַשַּׁבָּת, הַמְקַנֵּא etc). My question is regarding the last chapter (...
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Refuting Sanhedrin Maimonides etc on 57a
Following on from my question here:
Clarification on quotation sources around Sanhedrin 57a
All citations (that I can find through Jewish resources linked in the original question) that claim to ...
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Clarification on quotation sources around Sanhedrin 57a
Much like in the case of these questions, I've run into some troublesome reading in Talmudic and other Jewish literature:
Missionary gave me these Talmudic quotes; Does it prove that Goyim are viewed ...
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Can a golem become human?
If a righteous sage creates a golem, like Rava did in Tractate Sanhedrin, can it become human, and since it is created by a Jew, can it become Jewish?
Secondly, I don't know if they could or could not,...
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"Torah scholars decrease" - what does the Gemara teaches us?
There is a principle that the redemption only comes after a series of severe troubles (see: אוצרות הרב יצחק אברבנאל, p. 124)
יש לדעת כי הגאולה הרוממה באה רק אחרי רצף של צרות קשות
One of these ...
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Righteous men in the Ir ha-nidachat
Rambam, in Hilchot Avodah Zarah 4:6, dealing with the subverted city, covers several scenarios:
If a minority of the city consists of idol-worshippers, they’re stoned and that’s it.
If a majority of ...
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Why didn't the Sages also subdue the inclination for murder?
The Talmud, on Sanhedrin 64a recounts how the Sages subdued and imprisoned the evil inclination for idolatry and then subdued and injured the evil inclination for sexual immorality. Those are two of ...
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What was the Halacha before the ruling of "יהרג ואל יעבר"?
The Sages counted the votes and concluded: If a person is told: Transgress this prohibition and you will not be killed, he may transgress, except for idol worship, forbidden sexual relations, and ...
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Question on the connection of the braitot in Sanhedrin 32b
In Bavli Sanhedrin 32b it says:
"The Sages taught: The verse states: “Justice, justice, shall you follow.” This teaches that one should follow the best, most prestigious, court of the generation....
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Why will the Galilee be destroyed? - Sanhedrin 97a
The Gemara teaches us that in the generation when Moshiach comes, the Galilee will be destroyed (Sanhedrin 97a):
During the generation that the son of David comes, the hall of the assembly of the ...
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Spared from the pains of the birthpangs of Moshiach
I am looking for some explanations given by modern commentators on the following question:
The question is: why does studying Torah protects a person against the pains of the birthpangs of Moshiach? ...
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Sefer אפיקי מים on Sanhedrin 97a
There's a sefer called אפיקי מים where it comments on Sanhedrin 97a, on the following:
ת"ר שבוע שבן דוד בא בו שנה ראשונה מתקיים מקרא זה (עמוס ד, ז) והמטרתי על עיר אחת ועל עיר אחת לא אמטיר שניה ...
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How to understand the Ruzhiner's understanding on Noach's righteousness
So a family member sent me a very nice idea on Parshas Noach from the Ruzhiner Rebbe. The text reads as follows:
Noach was a righteous man, he was perfect in his generation (Bereishis 6:9) - there ...
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How can we reconcile the Gemara saying that Daniel was NOT a Navi, with all the Obvious (Very Intense) Prophecies of Daniel written in Sefer Daniel?
In Perek Hachelek in Sandhedrin the Gemara says that Chanania, Mishael and Azariah were Neviem, but their friend Daniel (Seemingly the Most Important and Impressive Figure- due to his Prophecies and ...
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Hillel was a student of Ezra?
Sanhedrin 11a says:
אמרו עליו הי חסיד הי עניו תלמידו של עזרא
How could Hillel have been a disciple of Ezra? Didn't Ezra die several generations before Hillel was even born?
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Why did the Jewish sages understand "Daniel 7:13" as the coming of the Messiah, and not the Messiah's ascension to "God" in heaven?
The term "The Ancient of Days" appears three times in the Book of Daniel and is used in the sense of God being eternal.
"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of ...
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שכבת זרע and the purification of the world
In Sanhedrin 108b:3, it says:
אמר רב חסדא ברותחין קלקלו בעבירה וברותחין נידונו
Rav Ḥisda says: With hot semen they sinned, and with hot semen they were punished.
In Torah Ohr 8c-d, the Alter Rebbe ...
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Rabbi Moshe Feinstein member of Sanhedrin
On page 198 of "Reb Moshe" published by Artscroll, it is told of Reb Moshe that he "needed a cardiac pacemaker inserted in his chest....Reb Moshe said, 'I know that I am not worthy to ...
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Hadasim: Righteous or not?
The Midrash (Vayikra Rabba 30:12) says Hadasim refer to Jews who have good deeds but lack Torah:
וַעֲנַף עֵץ עָבֹת, אֵלּוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, מָה הֲדַס יֵשׁ בּוֹ רֵיחַ וְאֵין בּוֹ טַעַם, כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל ...
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Are Jews responsible only for one another or for the whole world?
The Talmud teaches that
All Jews are responsible for one another -- כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה . [Sanhedrin 27b].
It also teaches that
Anyone who can protest [the sinful conduct] of the members of his ...
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Non Jew and Torah Study
"Rabbi Meir would say: ‘From where is it derived that even a non-Jew who engages in Torah study is considered like a High Priest? It is derived from that which is stated: “[You shall therefore ...
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Migdal Bavel during the times of the Gemara?
In the Gemara Sanhedrin 109a, it states
R. Yonatan said: A third of the tower was burnt, a third sunk, and a third is still standing. Rav said: The atmosphere of the tower causes forgetfulness.
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Mashiach in physical form? [duplicate]
I have just watched a "Stump the Rabbi" video about whether mashiach is actually a physical person. Rabbi Shloma Majeski states that mashiach can even be someone that has passed away, and especially ...
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Benefitting from desecrated tombstones
We learn in Sanhedrin 48a:
ת"ש נפש שבנאו לשם חי מותר בהנאה הוסיף בו דימוס אחד לשם מת אסור בהנאה הכא במאי עסקינן דרמא ביה מת
Come and hear! A tomb built for a man still alive, may be used. If, ...
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How did the altar indicate that the sons of Shaul were to be killed?
In Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 6:7 (also found in bYevamot 79a with an alternate girsa) King David uses the altar to indicate which of Shaul's son's should be given over to the Gibeonim.
אמר להן הריני ...
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Why would the Jewish sages, in Talmud Sanhedrin 98b, link the name of the Messiah to Isaiah 53:4?
Why would the Jewish sages (who don't believe that the messiah will suffer and die), in Talmud Sanhedrin 98b, link the name of the Messiah to Isaiah 53:4, where the context talked about someone that ...
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A rebellious elder is executed on the festival? How does that work?
The mishna in Sanhedrin 11:4 says that the rebellious elder is not executed by his local court but is instead taken to Yerushalayim and executed on the next festival in front of all the people.
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Why does the mishna assume blind parents can't identify their son?
Sanhedrin 8:4 lists a bunch of things that can prevent parents from declaring their son a ben sorer umoreh, a stubborn and rebellious son. These include lame parents (because they cannot bring him ...
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How many sin-offerings are due for one who (unintentionally) sleeps with his mother while she's married to his father?
Sanhedrin 7:4 lists several types of transgressor who are stoned, and then talks about some unintentional sexual transgressions:
הַבָּא עַל הָאֵם, חַיָּב עָלֶיהָ מִשּׁוּם אֵם וּמִשּׁוּם אֵשֶׁת אָב. ...
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How do we know that one must give up his life for any immoral relationship?
Sanhedrin 74a teaches that one must give up his life rather than be intimate with a forbidden relationship. It derives this from Devarim 22:26, in the context of a man who raped a young woman:
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Why is וחי בהם taught in the context of one of its exceptions?
Yoma 85b expounds from Vayikra 18:5 that one should violate mitzvos if the other option is death. Sanhedrin 74a gives three major exceptions to this rule: idolatry, immorality, and murder.
Now, let's ...
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Why do the sages care if the condemned continues to deny his guilt to the end?
The mishna in Sanhedrin 6:2 explains how, when the condemned is being led out to be executed, they urge him to confess so he can have a portion in the world to come. This mishna ends:
רַבִּי ...
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Why does a "hung jury" have to go through the motions of persuading someone to change his vote, instead of just acquitting?
In a capital case, a verdict to condemn must be by a majority of at least two. If the sanhedrin votes 12-11 to condemn they add a pair of judges and vote again, and keep doing this until they reach ...
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Why is the talmud concerned about judges being swayed by each other only for capital cases?
Sanhedrin 4:2 teaches that in a monetary case or one involving (im)purity, judges give their opinions starting with the most senior, while in a capital case they begin with the most junior. In the g'...
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Why isn't there a specific number given for the amount of horses and gold/silver that a king is allowed to own?
The Rambam in Hilchos Melachim 3:2 writes how a king can't have more than 18 wives:
לֹא יַרְבֶּה לוֹ נָשִׁים. מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ שֶׁהוּא לוֹקֵחַ עַד שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה נָשִׁים בֵּין ...
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Understanding the reasoning for "be killed rather than kill"
Sanhedrin 74a teaches us the source for how we know a person should be killed rather than kill:
סברא הוא [...] מי יימר דדמא דידך סומק טפי דילמא דמא דהוא גברא סומק טפי
It's based on logical reasoning (...
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Legally speaking, do we really have so few friends?
Sanhedrin chapter 3 talks about categories of people who are disqualified from being judges or witnesses in a case. They include some people who are never trustworthy, various relatives of the ...
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When can the brother of a man who died childless do neither yibbum nor chalitzah?
I was under the impression that if a man dies childless and has a brother, then the brother must do either yibbum (marrying his wife) or chalitzah (rejecting the marriage) -- his choice, but he has to ...
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Application of the baraita about "Don't profane daughter for Zenut" Leviticus 19:29 reported in Sanhredin 76a?
I'm an Italian Noahide.
The topic in question manifests my purely intellectual interest, concerning the Jews and not the Gentiles.
We read in Talmud Bavli-Sanhredrin 76a (English translation from “...
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It says that ‘Adam was created alone to teach you...’ alone as opposed to what?
Adam was created alone to teach you that whoever takes a human life is considered to have destroyed an entire world. And whoever saves a human life is considered as if he preserved an entire world (...
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Why does a small sanhedrin have 23 judges rather than 21?
Sanhedrin 1:6 explains the size of the small sanhedrin, but I'm having trouble following the reasoning. It says (my notes in brackets):
From where do we learn that the little Sanhedrin should be ...
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Can a Judge Issue a Ruling After his Death?
In a recent decision (No. 18-272, Yovino v. Rizo, decided February 25, 2019 Per Curiam, properly cited as 586 U. S. ___ (2019)), the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) dealt with the matter of a ...
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Why must a convicted Jew be executed immediately? [closed]
Here are some speculations why I would think Judaism would never execute [rightfully] convicted Jews right away:
We don't like killing people (even those who deserve it) and try everything within our ...
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How many Jews were in Egypt before the Exodus?
In Sanhedrin 111a, we read:
It is taught in a baraita with regard to the few that are destined to be redeemed: Rav Simai says that it is stated: “And I will take you to Me as a people” (Exodus 6:7),...
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