Talking Talmud

Last mishnah of the chapter: After the witnesses have testified, and the court has issued its verdict (a death sentence), and the defendant runs away... and he comes back, but is not judged again. Rather, witnesses testify to the previous judgement. Plus, the concern about a court being a "bloody court" for sentencing however many to death - and the concern that no death sentences (so th...

A new mishnah - a long one, including discussion of verses that provide the key details about witness testimony (not conspiring witnesses, though). For example, how many witnesses may offer testimony to establish the case. Plus, the significance of warning, especially in capital cases. Also, another mishnah: where different groups of witnesses see the same event from different angles. Plus, what h...

3 mishnayot! 1 - Conspiring witnesses who plot to impose monetary penalties on their victim. The witnesses can divide the payment that they are then required to pay, but each gets the full total of lashes (with a linguistic connection on the verses of the Torah - according to Abaye, vs. Rava's claim of imposing lashs on another). 2 - Conspiring witnesses are only deemed such when other witness...

If a barrel of well water falls into the Mediterranean and a person comes to immerse where that water fell into the sea, that dunking is not effective - on the assumption that the water doesn't blend/disperse quickly. With some attention to other mixtures - such as wine in the Mediterranean, and more. Also, a new mishnah - back to the conspiring witnesses, and the monetary cases where the witn...

How to assess the damage that the conspiring witnesses would have caused if they hadn't been determined to be conspiring: especially with monetary cases, such as the value of a ketubah, for example. But if he were to have died, he'd only have lost the value of the ketubah, without having to pay it out. So the risk of her having been widowed becomes part of the equation - including whether someone...

An introduction to the tractate Makkot, and to chapter 1: lashes as punishment for middle-level transgressions. Also, conspiring witnesses who cannot be given the judgment they sought to enact against the person they testified again, so that lashes take that place. So the Gemara explains that the mishnah's expectation for the result of the testimony is upended - though in some cases, the witne...

More on the idolatrous city - specifically, how to handle the sacred scrolls that cannot be burned (namely, bury them). How little prevents an ir ha-nidachat from being judged as such? Also, recognizing that the place of the destroyed city cannot be rebuilt as a city, can it be converted to gardens or orchards? A clear machloket! Plus, a detour into the question of Jericho, and also Achav. Also, w...

More on the city of idolaters... Including how to determine how at least half of the city was involved, and the process by which each was put to death in an expeditious way. Also, what does it mean to destroy everything in a city when some of those things are not supposed to be destroyed ever?! Namely, consecrated property, and more. Of course, there's a machloket.

A story of an old man in Egypt who recounted what his ancestors had done to the Israelite ancestors, which leads to a presentation of Moshe's questioning God, who is then presented as a tad frustrated about that attitude - in contrast to the more accepting approach of the patriarchs. Also, a new, and final, mishnah! With the details of a city of idolaters - an "ir ha-nidachat." Inclu...

The sin of Korach (who didn't have a portion in the World to Come)... including a focus (and blame) on the wife of Korach and the wife of On (who names Korach and his followers as holy people, and then entices them). Plus, a discussion of the power of the Leviim and Kohanim, and the famous dispute over techelet on a garment. These interpretations are midrashim that build out the biblical text. Als...

[Who's Who: Nachum Ish Gamzu] (He turned dirt into gold, after all!). The generation of the Tower of Bavel - and what they did so wrong that they lost their portion in the World to Come. Namely, what did they do in building that tower?! War? Idolatry? And the people of Sodom, and their terrible behavior that lost them their portion in the World to Come - specifically, how they became so inhosp...

A new mishnah - it's very long - listing the groups of people who have no share in the World to Come. Such as, the generation of the flood (those who were not saved in Noah's ark). Likewise, the spies of the Book of Numbers. And many others. Where the biblical texts about each of these groups intimate that they are punished in the next world, and/or losing the World to Come. Plus, an inves...

A long discussion of the sins of King David... and yes, it's a long list. Largely, and perhaps unsurprisingly, related to issues of lust. (In contrast to other interpretations by the sages that he did not sin at all - in the same events). Also, Yehoshua ben Perahiah and his student Jesus - and their sojourn in Egypt (and travels back), when King Yannai was killing sages.

More on Balaam, and how was truly just so wicked, at least in the rabbinic literature. How bad was he in the Torah? Plus, he was a true prophet, regardless of the fact that he was wicked. The Gemara than describes just how wicked Balaam was, according to his ideas to entrap Jews and turn them from worship of God -- into the defecation worship of the Baal-Peor. Plus, how young Balaam was at his dea...

Why are the people of the Jerusalem perpetually backsliding (in their observance)? Jeremiah asks the question and the people provide a convincing answer - in that both those who repent and those who continue to do wrong (and those who are righteous) all end up in the same place. With interplay of biblical verses from different books. Plus, the concern that God has severed the ties with the Childre...

An investigation and interpretation of verses from Eikhah/ Lamentations playing off the word "eikhah," as well as the alphabet, given the acrostics in the megillah of Eikhah. Plus, the example of two Jewish slaves who describe a camel and the circumstances under which it walks ahead (beyond their view): blind in one eye, two wineskins with oil and wine respectively, etc. -- and then are...

Resh Lakish bounces off the wicked kings of Yehudah to talk about wickedness in general. With playing on the spelling of words as implying the way bad things happen in the world, with the letter "ayin." Plus, more on Menashe -- among several of the other wicked kings who didn't make it onto the list of those who don't have a portion in the World to Come. With a list of how many midrashic interpret...

An approach to the Golden Calf that blames God for giving the Israelites gold and silver upon their departure from Egypt -- because they suddenly had the means for the wrong-doing, instead of when they were poor. This raises questions, of course, about wealth and leisure, and its desirability. Also, Rabbi Abbahu would lecture on the topic of 3 wicked kings -- even after he gave it up for a time, h...

More on those who have no portion in the World to Come -- starting with those who whisper incantations over a wound. The problem seems to be magicking up God's healing powers, which is a marked sign of disrespect. But some surprising measures of incantations are indeed permitted - even on Shabbat. Also, when Rabbi Eliezer ben Hyracanus became ill - and the students went to visit him. Does this acc...

One of the sages presents an interpretation, describing the beauty of a vision of a plentiful river surrounded by delightful growing things that emerges from the Holy of Holies. Others congratulate him on his teaching -- and one of those congratulations is criticized as coming from bystander who wasn't in a position to judge, and therefore was disrespectful. Except that - in contrast with a tr...

Different opinions from the sages on the length of the "messianic era": 40 years? 70 years? 3 generations? Or Rabbi Hillel's shocking statement that the messiah has already come and gone, as per fulfilling the prophesies in the era of Hezekiah, king of Judah. Also, the distinction between the messianic era and the World to Come, with prophecy being primarily about the former. But the key question...

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi - on the messiah, and when he will come, with regard to the people awaiting his arrival. Including Eliyahu (Elijah), of course. Also, the birthpangs of the messiah - how many sages want the messiah to come, but only after they themselves die, so they don't have to suffer through it. But won't the messianic era be worth it? And won't their Torah study and acts of kindness pr...

Is there truth in the world? Rava thought not, until he encountered one truth-telling sage and heard his story of truth-tellers, and how that sage's own lie was his downfall. Also, a story about Eliyahu, in the exploration of the messianic time to come -- including a good deal of calculation and supposition regarding when it will happen. Plus, the discovery of a scroll written in Hebrew that h...

From Sennacherib to Nebuchadnezzar - and why the latter was able to conquer Jerusalem (that is, what good deed did he do that he got his way of breaking through Jerusalem's divine protection?). Also, how Nebuchadnezzar's captain of the guard, Nevuzaradan, led the charge, and succeeded where Sennacherib did not, apparently with God's approval. He was indeed a bloody man of war, until -...

Compare this part of the daf to the stories in Shmuel Bet (Second Samuel) -- the son of Goliath is armed to go take vengeance on David. Ishbivenov is this same son of the giant, and his name is connected to his identity - because his revenge is on account of Nov. God makes it clear to David that he must pay the price of his wrong-doing, and gives him a choice of cutting off his descendants or suff...