Makkot 17

Chapter 17

א שאין בה שוה פרוטה דא"ר אמי א"ר יוחנן הכהו הכאה שאין בה שוה פרוטה לוקה ולא מקשינן הכאה לקללה:
1 that does not [even] have the value of a perutah. As Rabbi Ami said Rabbi Yohanan said: One who strikes and makes a wound that is not worth a perutah is lashed. And we do not make an analogy from striking to cursing.
ב חוץ מעל ידי גר תושב וכו': אלמא גר תושב עובד כוכבים הוא אימא סיפא גר תושב גולה ע"י גר תושב אמר רב כהנא לא קשיא כאן בגר תושב שהרג גר תושב כאן בגר תושב שהרג ישראל
2 "Everyone gets exiled for killing an Israelite accidentally, and vice versa] except through [killing accidentally] a foreign resident." Therefore, a foreign resident is [considered] an idol worshiper! But read the end [of the Mishnah]! "A foreign resident is exiled on account of [killing accidentally] a foreign resident [which would imply that they aren't like idol worshipers as they actually get exiled]! Rav Kahanah said: This is not a difficulty. Here [where the punishment is exile] is where a foreign resident kills a foreign resident, and here [where he does not get exile] is where a foreign resident kills an Israelite.
ג איכא דרמי קראי אהדדי כתיב (במדבר לה, טו) לבני ישראל ולגר ולתושב בתוכם תהיינה שש הערים וכתיב (במדבר לה, יב) והיו לכם הערים למקלט לכם ולא לגרים אמר רב כהנא ל"ק כאן בגר תושב שהרג ישראל כאן בגר תושב שהרג גר תושב
3 Some say that they contrasted the two verses together. It's written: "For the children of Israel, and for the foreign resident in your midst there shall be six cities" (Numbers 35:15). And it is written: "There shall be for you all cities of refuge" (Numbers 35:12)—for you—not for the resident foreigners! Rav Kahanah said: This is not a difficulty. Here [in the second verse] is where a resident foreigner killed an Israelite, and here [in the second verse] is where a resident foreigner killed a resident foreigner.
ד ורמינהי לפיכך גר ועובד כוכבים שהרגו נהרגין קתני גר דומיא דעובד כוכבים מה עובד כוכבים לא שנא דקטל בר מיניה ולא שנא דקטל דלאו בר מיניה נהרג אף גר לא שנא דקטל בר מיניה ולא שנא קטל דלאו בר מיניה נהרג
4 They raised a contradiction [from a baraita]: Therefore, a resident foreigner and a idol worshiper who killed are put to death. This teaches that a resident foreigner is comparable to an idol worshiper! Just as in the case of an idol worshiper, there is no difference if he killed one of his own kind or if he killed one who was not his own kind—he is put to death; so too [in the case] of a resident foreigner, there is no difference if he killed one of his own kind or if he killed one who was not his own kind, he is put to death!
ה אמר רב חסדא ל"ק כאן שהרגו דרך ירידה כאן שהרגו דרך עלייה דרך ירידה דישראל גלי איהו נמי סגי ליה בגלות דרך עלייה דישראל פטור הוא נהרג
5 Rav Hisda said: This is not a difficulty! Here [where he is exiled] is where he killed in a downward motion, and here [where he is not exiled] is where he killed in an upward motion. [I.e:] If [he killed him] in a downward motion, [in which case] an Israelite would be exiled, then exile should be enough for the [resident foreigner] as well. If [he killed him] in an upward motion, [in which case] an Israelite is exempt, then the resident foreigner is put to death.
ו א"ל רבא ולאו ק"ו הוא ומה דרך ירידה דישראל גלי איהו נמי סגי ליה בגלות דרך עלייה דישראל פטור איהו נהרג
6 Rava said to him: And is it not a kal vahomer (logical inference from a light to serious case)!? [This kal vahomer will show that your argument doesn't work]. Just as [in the case of] a downward motion an Israelite would be exiled, exile should be enough for a resident foreigner too; then [in the case of] an upward motion, an Israelite is an exempt, should [the resident foreigner really] be killed?!
ז אלא אמר רבא באומר מותר א"ל אביי אומר מותר אנוס הוא א"ל שאני אומר אומר מותר קרוב למזיד הוא
7 Rather, Rava said: [This is an instance where the resident foreigner] said that it was permitted. Abaye said to him: Someone who said that it was permitted is [a case of] a freak accident?! He said to him: I say that someone who said that it was permitted is [a case of] gross negligence.
ח ואזדו לטעמייהו דאיתמר כסבור בהמה ונמצא אדם כנעני ונמצא גר תושב רבא אומר חייב אומר מותר קרוב למזיד הוא רב חסדא אומר פטור אומר מותר אנוס הוא
8 And they [Rav Hisda and Rava] go according to their principles, as it was stated [in an Amoraic teaching]: He thought that it was an animal and [after he killed him] it was found to be a person, or if he thought it was a non-Jew and it was found to be a resident foreigner, Rava says: He is liable. One who says it was permitted is [a case of] gross negligence. Rav Hisda says: He is exempt. One who says it was permitted is [a case of] freak accident.
ט איתיביה רבא לרב חסדא (בראשית כ, ג) הנך מת על האשה אשר לקחת מאי לאו בידי אדם
9 Rava raised an objection to Rav Hisda [from the following verse]: "Behold, you should die because of the woman you have taken" (Genesis 20:3) [regarding Avimelekh and taking Sarah as his wife when he thought that she was Abraham's sister]. Does this not mean that he should die at the hands of people?
י לא בידי שמים דיקא נמי דכתיב (בראשית כ, ו) מחטוא לי
10 No, at the hands of heaven! There is also support, as it is written: "[I stopped you] from sinning against Me" (Genesis 20:6).
יא ולטעמיך (בראשית לט, ט) וחטאתי לאלהים לאלהים ולא לאדם אלא דינו מסור לאדם הכא נמי דינו מסור לאדם
11 [Rava:] But according to your reasoning, [regarding the verse about Joseph speaking of adultery says] "I sinned against God,"—against God and not against people! Rather, his judgment has been handed over to people. So too here, his judgment has been handed over to people.
יב איתיביה אביי לרבא (בראשית כ, ד) הגוי גם צדיק תהרוג התם כדקא מהדרי עלויה (בראשית כ, ז) ועתה השב אשת האיש כי נביא הוא
12 Abaya raised an objection to Rava: "Will You slay people even thought innocent? (Genesis 20:4)" [Avimelekh was innocent totally; he should not be punished]. [Rava:] There (God) responded to him, "And now return the man's wife for he is a prophet" (Genesis 20:7)
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