Die Männer einer Stadt, die (wegen Götzendienstes) verurteilt wurden, haben keinen Anteil an der kommenden Welt, nämlich. (5. Mose 13:14): "Es sind Männer der Bosheit (belial) aus deiner Mitte ausgegangen, und sie haben die Bewohner ihrer Stadt in die Irre geführt." [("Männer von Belial" :) Männer, die sich bei der Auferstehung nicht erheben (einam olim). Und diejenigen, die sich verirren, sind wie diejenigen, die sich verirren (in dieser Hinsicht). Und sie werden nicht getötet (durch das Schwert), es sei denn, die Anstifter (zum Götzendienst) stammen aus derselben Stadt [es steht geschrieben: "und sie haben die Bewohner ihrer Stadt in die Irre geführt" und nicht die Bewohner einer anderen Stadt] und vom selben Stamm, [es wird geschrieben: "aus deiner Mitte"—aus der Mitte des Stammes selbst] und (sie werden nicht durch das Schwert getötet), es sei denn, die Mehrheit [der Stadt] wird angestiftet, [es wird geschrieben: "die Bewohner ihrer Stadt", was die "Behausung" der Stadt, dh die Mehrheit.], und es sei denn, Männer stacheln sie an. Wenn sie von Frauen oder Minderjährigen angestiftet wurden oder wenn nur eine Minderheit angestiftet wurde oder wenn die Anstifter außerhalb davon waren [dh aus einer anderen Stadt], sind sie als Individuen [die dem Götzendienst gedient haben. Sie werden durch Steinigung hingerichtet und ihr Eigentum "entkommt".] Und sie [die Männer einer verurteilten Stadt] benötigen zwei Zeugen und eine Warnung für jeden. [Sie würden die Gerichte vervielfachen, und wer auch immer mit Zeugen und Warnungen dem Götzendienst gedient hat, wurde getrennt, bis festgestellt wurde, ob sie (die getrennten) die Mehrheit waren. Wenn sie es waren, wurden sie zum großen Beth-Din gebracht, wo ihr Urteil geschlossen wurde und sie vom Schwert hingerichtet wurden und ihr Eigentum zerstört wurde. Und wenn sich herausstellte, dass sie nicht die Mehrheit der Stadt ausmachen, wurden sie durch Steinigung hingerichtet und ihr Eigentum "entkommen".] Dies ist eine Stringenz von Individuen (hingerichtet wegen Götzendienstes) über eine Bevölkerung—dass Individuen (werden) durch Steinigung hingerichtet, aus welchem Grund ihr Eigentum entweicht; und die Bevölkerung (werden vom Schwert hingerichtet), weshalb ihr Eigentum zerstört wird.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
יצאו אנשים בני בליעל – children that do not rise up at the [time of the] Resurrection of the Dead. And those who are led astray are like those who lead astray.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Introduction
Our mishnah discusses the punishment of a city seduced into idol worship (see Deuteronomy 13:13-19), which was mentioned briefly in chapter nine, mishnah one. There we learned that the inhabitants are to be executed by decapitation. The remainder of chapter ten will discuss various details of this law. We should note that these laws were certainly not practiced in the time of the Mishnah and Talmud, and according to one opinion in the Talmud there never was such a thing as a city that was judged as having been seduced into idol worship.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
עד שיהיו מדיחים מאותה העיר – as it is written (Deuteronomy 13:14): “…and subverted the inhabitants of their town…,” but not the inhabitants of another town.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
The inhabitants of a city seduced into worshipping idols have no portion in the world to come, as it says, “Certain men, wicked persons, have gone out from among you and seduced the inhabitants of their town” (Deuteronomy 13:14). The first section is the bridge which connects this mishnah and the remainder of the chapter with the beginning half of the chapter, which dealt with those who have a portion in the world to come. The inhabitants of a city seduced into worshipping idols lose their place in the world to come. This is learned from the words in the quoted verse, “have gone out from among you”, which is understood by the author of the mishnah to mean that they have left the whole of Israel (clal Yisrael) to whom is promised a portion in the world to come.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ומאותו השבט – as it is written (Deuteronomy 13:14): “[that some scoundrels] from among you…” from the midst of that tribe itself.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
They are not executed unless the seducers are of that city and that tribe, and until the majority of the city are seduced, and the seducers are men. If women or minors seduced it, or if a minority of the city were seduced, or if the seducers were from outside the city, they are treated as individuals, and therefore two witnesses and a formal warning are necessary for each [offender]. From the words, “the inhabitants of their town” the mishnah learns that those who seduce the others into worshipping idols must be from the same town as those being seduced. From the words “from among you” the mishnah learns that they must be from the same tribe of Israel. The mishnah also states that the majority of the city must be seduced in order for it to be deemed a seduced city whose inhabitants are to be decapitated. It is unclear from which part of the verse the mishnah learns this law. Since the verse specifically states “men” the mishnah concludes that the seducers must be men. If any of these criteria are not met, i.e. the seducers are women or minors, or a minority of the city is seduced or the seducers are from another city, those who have worshipped idols are judged and sentenced individually. This means that witnesses are required to testify against each one of them and each one must be warned that if s/he worships idols s/he will be executed.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ועד שיודח רובה – of the city, as it is written (Deuteronomy 13:14): “of their town” – which implies the settlement of that city, which means the majority.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
In this [the penalty of] individuals is severer than [that of] the multitudes, for individuals are stoned, therefore their property is saved; but the multitudes are decapitated; hence their possessions are destroyed. Finally, the mishnah compares the punishment of an individual who worships idols with those of a city seduced into worshipping idols. Each one receives both a stringency and a leniency. Individuals are executed by stoning (see chapter 7, mishnah six), a more stringent form of the death penalty, therefore their property is not destroyed and their descendents may receive their inheritance. Those of a seduced city are executed by decapitation, which is a less stringent form of the death penalty, therefore their property is destroyed and their descendents do not inherit.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
הרי אלו כיחידים – as individuals who served idolatry and are judged with stoning and their property is spared.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
וצריכים – the men of the Apostate City.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
שני עדים והתראה לכל אחד ואחד – for they had increased the number of courts, and every person who was found to have worshipped idolatry with witnesses and warning, we separate them until they see if they are a majority of the city, we would bring them to the Great Jewish Court and complete their judgment there and kill them with the sword and their property would be lost. But if they did not find the majority of [the residents of] the city, we would judge them with stoning and their property would be spared.
