Sanhedrin 152

הכי קאמר איזהו עני רשע ערום זה המשהא בתו בוגרת ואמר רב כהנא משום ר"ע הוי זהיר מן היועצך לפי דרכו

This is its meaning: Which poor man is subtly wicked? He who delays marrying off his daughter, a bogereth.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Through his poverty he delays her marriage, that he may profit from her labour, The poor man has no other opportunity of cunning wickedness ');">¹</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב המשיא את בתו לזקן והמשיא אשה לבנו קטן והמחזיר אבידה לכותי עליו הכתוב אומר (דברים כט, יח) למען ספות הרוה את הצמאה לא יאבה ה' סלוח לו

R. Kahana also said on R. Akiba's authority: Beware of one who counsels thee for his own benefit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'in his own way'. ');">²</span>

מיתיבי האוהב את אשתו כגופו והמכבדה יותר מגופו והמדריך בניו ובנותיו בדרך ישרה והמשיאן סמוך לפירקן עליו הכתוב אומר (איוב ה, כד) וידעת כי שלום אהלך ופקדת נוך ולא תחטא סמוך לפירקן שאני

Rab Judah said in Rab's name: <font>One who</font> marries his daughter to an old man or takes a wife for his infant son, or <font>returns a lost article to a Cuthean</font>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' v. p. 388, nn. 5-6. ');">³</span>

תנו רבנן האוהב את שכיניו והמקרב את קרוביו והנושא את בת אחותו והמלוה סלע לעני בשעת דוחקו עליו הכתוב אומר (ישעיהו נח, ט) אז תקרא וה' יענה

— concerning him Scripture sayeth, [that he bless himself in his heart saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart] to add drunkedness to thirst: <font>The Lord will not spare him</font>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIX, 18ff. i.e., the associations involved in these practices are displeasing in the eyes of the Lord. [How bitter must have been the persecution of the Jews under Ardeshir (v. Funk, op. cit 1, pp 66 ff.) to have provoked gentle Rab to this harsh utterance.] ');">⁴</span>

תנו רבנן (ויקרא כ, יד) אותו ואתהן אותו ואת אחת מהן דברי רבי ישמעאל רבי עקיבא אומר אותו ואת שתיהן

An objection was raised: He who loves his wife as himself and honours her more than himself,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By providing her with fine ornaments (Rashi). ');">⁵</span>

מאי בינייהו אמר אביי משמעות דורשים איכא בינייהו

and leads his <font>children</font> in the right path, and <font>marries them just before they attain puberty</font> — of him Scripture saith, And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job. V. 24. This proves that it is meritorious to marry off one's children whilst minors. ');">⁶</span>

רבי ישמעאל סבר אותו ואתהן אותו ואת אחת מהן שכן בלשון יוני קורין לאחת הינא ואם חמותו מדרשה אתיא רבי עקיבא סבר אותו ואתהן אותו ואת שתיהן ואם חמותו הכא כתיבא

— If just before puberty, it is different.

רבא אמר חמותו לאחר מיתה איכא בינייהו ר' ישמעאל סבר חמותו לאחר מיתה בשרפה ורבי עקיבא סבר איסורא בעלמא:

Our Rabbis taught: He who loves his neighbour, displays friendly intimacy towards his relatives, and marries his sister's daughter and lends a <i>sela'</i> to the poor man in time of his need — of him Scripture saith, Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. LVIII, 9. ');">⁷</span>

<big><strong>מתני'</strong></big> ואלו הנהרגין הרוצח ואנשי עיר הנדחת

Our Rabbis taught: [And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire,] both he and they [ethe'en].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], Lev. XX, 14. ');">⁸</span>

רוצח שהכה את רעהו באבן או בברזל וכבש עליו לתוך המים או לתוך האור ואינו יכול לעלות משם ומת חייב

[This means], he and one of them. That is R. Ishmael's opinion. R. Akiba said: [It means], he and both of them. Wherein do they differ?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For obviously R. Akiba cannot mean that a man's wife must be burnt because her husband committed incest with his daughter. ');">⁹</span>

דחפו לתוך המים או לתוך האור ויכול לעלות משם ומת פטור שיסה בו את הכלב שיסה בו את הנחש פטור השיך בו את הנחש רבי יהודה מחייב וחכמים פוטרין:

— Abaye said: They differ as to the text from which the law is derived: R. Ishmael maintains that 'he and ethe'en' means 'he and one of them', for in Greek 'one' is hello.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [G], acc. of [G]. ');">¹⁰</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר שמואל מפני מה לא נאמרה יד בברזל שהברזל ממית בכל שהוא

Hence [incest with] his mother-in-law's mother [as a punishable offence] is arrived at [only] by [Biblical] interpretation. But R. Akiba maintained, 'he and ethe'en' means 'he and both of them', hence his mother-in-law's mother is explicitly interdicted in this verse.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since R. Ishmael maintains that only 'one of them' is denoted by [H], it must mean his mother-in-law. Consequently, her mother is not directly referred to, and has to be deduced. But R. Akiba, translating [H] 'both of them' (which cannot possibly include his wife), regards the verse as referring to his mother-in-law and her mother; hence death by fire for the latter is explicitly taught in this verse. ');">¹¹</span>

תניא נמי הכי רבי אומר גלוי וידוע לפני מי שאמר והיה העולם שהברזל ממית בכל שהוא לפיכך לא נתנה תורה בו שיעור והני מילי דברזיה מיברז:

Raba said: They differ about his mother-in-law after [his wife's] death: R. Ishmael holds that [incest with] his mother-in-law after [his wife's] death is punished by burning; whilst R. Akiba's view is that it is merely forbidden.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Ishmael interprets the verse, 'he and one of them' i.e., even if only one of them is alive (viz., his mother-in-law), the penalty for incest is burning, whilst R. Akiba maintains, 'he and both of them' i.e., only during the lifetime of both is incest with his mother-in-law punished by fire. Otherwise, there is no penalty, though it is forbidden. ');">¹²</span>

וכבש עליו לתוך המים: רישא רבותא קמ"ל וסיפא רבותא קמ"ל רישא רבותא קמ"ל אף על גב דלאו איהו דחפו כיון דאין יכול לעלות משם ומת חייב סיפא רבותא קמ"ל אע"ג דדחפו כיון דיכול לעלות משם ומת פטור

<b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. THE FOLLOWING ARE DECAPITATED: A MURDERER, AND THE INHABITANTS OF A SEDUCED CITY. A MURDERER WHO SLEW HIS FELLOW WITH A STONE OR AN IRON, OR KEPT HIM DOWN UNDER WATER OR IN FIRE, SO THAT HE COULD NOT ASCEND THENCE, IS EXECUTED. IF HE PUSHED HIM INTO WATER OR FIRE, BUT SO THAT HE COULD ASCEND, YET HE DIED, HE IS FREE [FROM DEATH]. IF HE SET ON A DOG OR A SNAKE AGAINST HIM [AND THEY KILLED HIM], HE IS FREE FROM DEATH. BUT IF HE CAUSED A SNAKE TO BITE HIM [BY PUTTING HIS JAWS AGAINST HIM] — R. JUDAH RULED THAT HE IS EXECUTED; THE SAGES, THAT HE IS NOT.

כבש מנלן אמר שמואל דאמר קרא (במדבר לה, כא) או באיבה לרבות את המצמצם

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Samuel said: why is 'hand' not mentioned in connection with iron?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In Num. XXXV, 16-18, dealing with murder, iron, stone, and wooden weapons are enumerated: 'hand' is used in connection with the latter two, implying that they must be large enough to afford a hold to the hand, but not in connection with the first. ');">¹³</span>

ההוא גברא דמצמצמא לחיותה דחבריה בשימשא ומתה רבינא מחייב רב אחא בר רב פטר

— Because iron can kill no matter what its size. It has been taught likewise: Rabbi said; It was well known to Him who spake and the world came into being that iron, no matter how small, can kill; therefore the Torah prescribed no size for it. This however, is only if one pierced therewith:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But if used to strike therewith, it must be of a certain minimum size before the murderer is executed. ');">¹⁴</span>

רבינא מחייב קל וחומר ומה רוצח שלא עשה בו שוגג כמזיד ואונס כרצון חייב בו את המצמצם

OR KEPT HIM DOWN UNDER WATER. The first clause teaches the extreme limit of the law, and so does the last. Thus, the first clause teaches the extreme limit of the law, that though he himself did not push him [into the water], yet since he could not ascend, [through being held down], and so died, he is executed. The last clause likewise teaches the extreme limit, that though he actually pushed him into the water, yet since he could have ascended, but died, he is free from death. Whence do we know that [he is liable to death] for keeping him down? — Samuel answered: The Writ sayeth, Or if with enmity he smote him with his hand:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXXV, 21. ');">¹⁵</span> this extends the law to one who keeps his neighbour fast [e.g., in water, thus causing his death]. A certain man confined his neighbour's animal in a place exposed to the sun, so that it died [of sunstroke]. Rabina held him liable: R. Aha b. Rab ruled that he was not. Rabina held him liable by an ad majus argument from a murderer. If a murderer, in whose case unwitting murder is not treated as deliberate, nor an accident as intention, is nevertheless executed for confining [his neighbour in a place where he must die];