Commentary for Sanhedrin 7:10

הַמֵּסִית, זֶה הֶדְיוֹט. הַמֵּסִית אֶת הַהֶדְיוֹט, אָמַר לוֹ יֵשׁ יִרְאָה בְמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי, כָּךְ אוֹכֶלֶת, כָּךְ שׁוֹתָה, כָּךְ מֵטִיבָה, כָּךְ מְרֵעָה. כָּל חַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה אֵין מַכְמִינִין עֲלֵיהֶם, חוּץ מִזּוֹ. אָמַר לִשְׁנַיִם וְהֵן עֵדָיו, מְבִיאִין אוֹתוֹ לְבֵית דִּין וְסוֹקְלִין אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר לְאֶחָד, הוּא אוֹמֵר יֶשׁ לִי חֲבֵרִים רוֹצִים בְּכָךְ. אִם הָיָה עָרוּם וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְדַבֵּר בִּפְנֵיהֶם, מַכְמִינִין לוֹ עֵדִים אֲחוֹרֵי הַגָּדֵר, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ אֱמֹר מַה שֶּׁאָמַרְתָּ לִּי בְיִחוּד, וְהַלָּה אוֹמֵר לוֹ, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר לוֹ הֵיאַךְ נַנִּיחַ אֶת אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם וְנֵלֵךְ וְנַעֲבֹד עֵצִים וַאֲבָנִים. אִם חוֹזֵר בּוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה מוּטָב. וְאִם אָמַר כָּךְ הִיא חוֹבָתֵנוּ וְכָךְ יָפֶה לָנוּ, הָעוֹמְדִין מֵאֲחוֹרֵי הַגָּדֵר מְבִיאִין אוֹתוֹ לְבֵית דִּין וְסוֹקְלִין אוֹתוֹ. הָאוֹמֵר אֶעֱבֹד, אֵלֵךְ וְאֶעֱבֹד, נֵלֵךְ וְנַעֲבֹד. אֲזַבֵּחַ, אֵלֵךְ וַאֲזַבֵּחַ, נֵלֵךְ וּנְזַבֵּחַ. אַקְטִיר, אֵלֵךְ וְאַקְטִיר, נֵלֵךְ וְנַקְטִיר. אֲנַסֵּךְ, אֵלֵךְ וַאֲנַסֵּךְ, נֵלֵךְ וּנְנַסֵּךְ. אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה, אֵלֵךְ וְאֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה, נֵלֵךְ וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה. הַמַּדִּיחַ, זֶה הָאוֹמֵר, נֵלֵךְ וְנַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה:

Mesith (one who turns another astray (to idolatry): This is a hedyot (a plain person) who turns a hedyot astray. [Only a hedyot who turns one astray; for a prophet who does so is liable to death by strangulation. And not necessarily one who turns a hedyot astray. For we find no distinction between one who turns a hedyot astray and one who turns a prophet astray. The exclusion, rather, applies to a populace, as with those who turn a city of Israel astray, whose death is by strangulation.] (As when) one says to another: "There is a god in such and such place. Thus does it eat; thus does it drink. Thus does it confer favor (upon those who serve it). Thus does it punish (those who do not serve it)." "Snares" are not set for all of those liable to execution by Torah law except this. If he said ("Let us serve another god") to two men, and they are his witnesses, they bring him to beth-din and stone him. If he said it to one, he (the latter) says: "I have some friends who would like this." If he were clever and could not speak before them [i.e., if he told the one he would turn astray that he could not speak before them (because of his fear of beth-din)], witnesses are placed in concealment for him behind the fence, and he (the one he would turn astray) says to him: "Tell me what you told me in private" [i.e., "There is no one with us and you can now tell me what you told me before."], the other tells him, and he responds: "How can we forsake our G d in heaven and go and serve wood and stones?" If he desists, good; but if he says: "This is our duty, and it thus becomes us," those standing behind the fence bring him to beth-din and stone him. If he says [one of the following, he is a mesith (a "seducer" to idolatry) and liable (to stoning)]: "I shall serve," I shall go and serve," "Let us go and serve," "I shall slaughter," "I shall go and slaughter," "Let us go and slaughter," "I shall offer incense," "I shall go and offer incense," "Let us go and offer incense," "I shall pour a libation," "I shall go and pour a libation," "Let us go and pour a libation," "I shall bow down," "I shall go and bow down," Let us go and bow down." Madiach (one who turns [many] astray): This is one who says: "Let us go and serve idolatry" [i.e., he is not liable until he says it in the plural.]

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