TALMUD, JEWS, GENTILES & DEATH PENALTY

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: אָמְרִי בֵּי רַב, עַל שָׁלֹשׁ מִצְוֹת בֶּן נֹחַ נֶהֱרָג (גֶּשֶׁר סִימָן) – עַל גִּילּוּי עֲרָיוֹת, וְעַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, וְעַל בִּרְכַּת הַשֵּׁם.

Rav Yosef says: They say in the study hall that a descendant of Noah is executed for transgressing three mitzvot, which are represented by the letters gimmel, shin, reish in a mnemonic device: For forbidden sexual relations, for bloodshed, and for blessing, i.e., cursing, the name of God.

מַתְקֵיף לַהּ רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: בִּשְׁלָמָא שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, דִּכְתִיב ״שֹׁפֵךְ דַּם הָאָדָם וְגוֹ׳״, אֶלָּא הָנָךְ מְנָא לְהוּ?

Rav Sheshet objects to this statement: Granted, a descendant of Noah is executed for bloodshed, as it is written: “One who sheds the blood of man, by man his blood shall be shed” (Genesis 9:6). But with regard to those other prohibitions, from where do the Sages derive that a descendant of Noah who transgresses them is executed?

אִי גָּמַר מִשְּׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים, אֲפִילּוּ כּוּלְּהוּ נָמֵי. אִי מִשּׁוּם דְּאִיתְרַבַּאי מֵ״אִישׁ אִישׁ״, עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה נָמֵי אִיתְרַבַּי מֵ״אִישׁ אִישׁ״.

If they derive it from the punishment for bloodshed by means of an analogy, then descendants of Noah should be executed even if they transgressed any of the other Noahide mitzvot. If they are executed because they are included in the term “anyone” and similarly, the term “no one” stated with regard to these two prohibitions, as it is stated with regard to cursing the name of God: “Anyone who curses his God shall bear his sin” (Leviticus 24:15), and it is stated with regard to forbidden sexual relations: “No one shall approach any that is near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness” (Leviticus 18:6), then gentiles should be executed for idol worship too, as they are included in the term “anyone” stated in that context (see Leviticus 20:2).

אֶלָּא אָמַר רַב שֵׁשֶׁת: אָמְרִי בֵּי רַב, עַל אַרְבַּע מִצְוֹת בֶּן נֹחַ נֶהֱרָג.

Rather, Rav Sheshet says that Rav Yosef’s version should be rejected, and that this is what they say in the study hall: A descendant of Noah is executed for transgressing four mitzvot; the three that were listed, and idol worship.

וְעַל עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בֶּן נֹחַ נֶהֱרָג? וְהָתַנְיָא: בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דְּבָרִים שֶׁבֵּית דִּין שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל מְמִיתִין עֲלֵיהֶן – בֶּן נֹחַ מוּזְהָר עֲלֵיהֶן. אַזְהָרָה – אִין, מִיתָה – לָא! אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: אַזְהָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן – זוֹ הִיא מִיתָתָן.

The Gemara asks: And is a descendant of Noah executed for idol worship? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: With regard to idol worship, matters for which a Jewish court executes the transgressor are prohibited to a descendant of Noah. The Gemara infers: Yes, there is a prohibition for a descendant of Noah, but there is no death penalty. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak says: Their prohibition is their death penalty. Since the only punishment mentioned in the Torah for transgressing a Noahide mitzva is execution, any descendant of Noah who transgresses is liable to be executed.

רַב הוּנָא וְרַב יְהוּדָה וְכוּלְּהוּ תַּלְמִידֵי דְּרַב אָמְרִי: עַל שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת בֶּן נֹחַ נֶהֱרָג. גַּלִּי רַחֲמָנָא בַּחֲדָא, וְהוּא הַדִּין לְכוּלְּהוּ.

Rav Huna, Rav Yehuda, and all of the other students of Rav say: A descendant of Noah is executed for transgressing any of the seven Noahide mitzvot; the Merciful One revealed this punishment with regard to one mitzva, the prohibition of bloodshed, and the same is true with regard to all of them.

וְעַל הַגָּזֵל בֶּן נֹחַ נֶהֱרָג? וְהָתַנְיָא: עַל הַגָּזֵל, גָּנַב וְגָזַל, וְכֵן יְפַת תּוֹאַר, וְכֵן כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן – גּוֹי בְּגוֹי וְגוֹי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אָסוּר, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגוֹי מוּתָּר. וְאִם אִיתָא, נִיתְנֵי ״חַיָּיב״!

The Gemara asks: But is a descendant of Noah executed for robbery? But isn’t it taught in a baraita: With regard to the following types of robbery: One who steals or robs, and likewise one who engages in intercourse with a married beautiful woman who was taken as a prisoner of war, and likewise all actions similar to these, if they are done by a gentile to another gentile, or by a gentile to a Jew, the action is prohibited; but if a Jew does so to a gentile, it is permitted? The Gemara explains the question: And if it is so that a gentile is liable to be executed for robbery, and it is not merely prohibited to him, let the baraita teach that he is liable to be executed.

מִשּׁוּם דְּקָבָעֵי לְמִיתְנֵי סֵיפָא: ״יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגוֹי מוּתָּר״, תְּנָא רֵישָׁא: ״אָסוּר״.

The Gemara answers: Because the tanna wanted to teach in the latter clause that if a Jew does so to a gentile, it is permitted, he taught in the former clause that if a gentile does one of these, it is prohibited. If the baraita were to state that if a gentile does so, he is liable, it would have to state that if a Jew does so to a gentile, he is exempt, because this is the opposite of liable. That would indicate that it is actually prohibited for a Jew to do so to a gentile, and that he is merely exempt from liability, which is not the case. Therefore, the word prohibited is used with regard to a gentile. Therefore, this does not prove that a gentile is exempt from capital punishment.

וְהָא כֹּל הֵיכָא דְּאִית לֵיהּ חִיּוּבָא מִיתְנָא קָתָנֵי, דְּקָתָנֵי רֵישָׁא: עַל שְׁפִיכוּת דָּמִים – גּוֹי בְּגוֹי וְגוֹי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּיב, יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגוֹי פָּטוּר.

The Gemara challenges: But wherever there is liability for capital punishment, this tanna teaches it; as it is taught in the first clause: With regard to bloodshed, if a gentile murders another gentile, or a gentile murders a Jew, he is liable. If a Jew murders a gentile, he is exempt. Evidently, the term liable is used in the baraita.

הָתָם, הֵיכִי לִיתְנֵי? לִיתְנֵי ״אָסוּר״ וּ״מוּתָּר״? וְהָתַנְיָא: גּוֹי, וְרוֹעֵי בְּהֵמָה דַּקָּה – לֹא מַעֲלִין וְלֹא מוֹרִידִין.

The Gemara answers: There, in that case, how should the tanna teach it? Should he teach it using the terms prohibited and permitted, indicating that a Jew may kill a gentile ab initio? But isn’t it taught in a baraita that with regard to a gentile, and likewise with regard to Jewish shepherds of small livestock, who were typically robbers, one may not raise them out of a pit into which they fell, and one may not lower them into a pit? In other words, one may not rescue them from danger, but neither may one kill them ab initio. With regard to robbery, the term permitted is relevant, as it is permitted for a Jew to rob a gentile…

אֶלָּא, אָמַר רַב אַחָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב אִיקָא: לֹא נִצְרְכָה אֶלָּא לְכוֹבֵשׁ שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר. גּוֹי בְּגוֹי וְגוֹי בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל – אָסוּר; יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּגוֹי – מוּתָּר.

Rather, Rav Aḥa, son of Rav Ika, says that there is a different explanation: It is necessary only to teach the halakha of one who withholds the wages of a hired laborer; for a gentile to do so to another gentile and for a gentile to do so to a Jew is prohibited, but for a Jew to do so to a gentile is permitted. This case is less obvious than other types of robbery, as instead of taking an item from the victim, the robber withholds money that is due to the victim.