Makkot

THEY AGAIN ESTIMATED HIM AS NOT CAPABLE OF ENDURING FORTY, HE IS EXEMPTED [FROM THE REST].1 IF THEY ESTIMATED HIM FIT TO RECEIVE EIGHTEEN, AND AFTER HE RECEIVED THE SAME THEY AGAIN ESTIMATED HIM AS FIT FOR RECEIVING FORTY [SAVE ONE], HE IS EXEMPTED [FROM THE REST].1 GEMARA. [AND HOW MANY LASHES ARE GIVEN? FORTY SAVE ONE.] What is the reason for this [particular number]? — If it were written, ‘forty in number,’ I should have said it means [actually] forty in number; but as [the order of] the wording is ‘by number forty’2 [it means] a number coming up to the forty.3 Raba observed: How dull-witted are those other people4 who stand up [in deference] to the Scroll of the Torah but do not stand up [in deference] to a great personage, because, while in the Torah Scroll forty lashes are prescribed, the Rabbis come and [by interpretation] reduce them by one. R. JUDAH SAYS: FORTY [LASHES] IN FULL. AND WHERE IS THE ADDITIONAL LASH APPLIED? BETWEEN THE SHOULDERS. Said R. Isaac: What is R. Judah's reason?5 — It is written, And one shall say, what are these6 wounds between thine hands?7 Then he shall answer, I was beaten in the house of my friends.8 And the Rabbis [what say they to this]? — That [say they] is written in reference to the [punishment of] school children. WHEN THEY ESTIMATE THE NUMBER OF LASHES [HE CAN STAND] IT MUST BE A NUMBER DIVISIBLE BY THREE [IF . . . AFTER RECEIVING SOME THEY AGAIN ESTIMATED HIM . . . HE IS EXEMPT]. That is, exempt only after he had received some, but if he has not yet received any [of the first sentence] he is not [granted that consideration]. But this is contradicted by the following: If they estimated him fit for forty, and then again estimated him9 unfit for receiving forty, he is exempt; if they estimated him fit for receiving eighteen, and then again estimated him10 fit for receiving forty, he is exempt [from the rest]! — Said R. Shesheth: This is not difficult [to explain]. Here [in the Mishnah], they estimated his fitness for the same day,11 while there [in the Baraitha cited], they estimated his fitness for the next, or some other day. 12 MISHNAH. IF HE COMMITTED A TRANSGRESSION WHICH OFFENDED AGAINST TWO PROHIBITIONS13 AND THEY MADE ONE ESTIMATE [FOR BOTH],14 HE TAKES HIS SCOURGING AND IS QUIT; IF NOT,14 HE IS FLOGGED [FOR ONE TRANSGRESSION], IS ALLOWED TO RECOVER AND THEN IS FLOGGED AGAIN. GEMARA. But is it not taught: One infliction [of lashes] is not adjudged for two prohibitions? — Said R. Shesheth: This is not difficult [to explain]; in one case it is where they assigned him forty-one lashes,15 while [this Mishnah bears on a case] where they assigned him forty-two16 lashes. MISHNAH. HOW DO THEY SCOURGE HIM? HIS TWO HANDS ARE TIED TO A POST17 ON EITHER SIDE OF IT. THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SYNAGOGUE18 LAYS HOLD OF HIS GARMENTS, IF THEY ARE TORN THEY ARE TORN: IF THEY ARE RIPPED OPEN, THEY ARE RIPPED OPEN19 UNTIL HE EXPOSES THE OFFENDER'S CHEST. A STONE IS PLACED BEHIND THE OFFENDER ON WHICH THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SYNAGOGUE STANDS OVER HIM, [HOLDING] IN HIS HAND A STRAP OF CALF-HIDE, MADE OF ONE THONG, ONE FOLDED INTO TWO, AND [THE] TWO INTO FOUR,20 AND [OTHER]21 TWO THONGS RUNNING [AS IT WERE] UP AND DOWN;22 THE HAFT IS A HANDBREADTH [IN LENGTH]23 AND THE [THONG'S] WIDTH A HANDBREADTH: ITS TIP REACHING TO THE EDGE OF THE ABDOMEN.24 HE ADMINISTERS ONE-THIRD [OF THE LASHES] IN FRONT25 AND TWO-THIRDS BEHIND.26 HE LASHES HIM NOT IN A STANDING OR SITTING POSTURE BUT STOOPING, AS IT IS SAID, AND THE JUDGE SHALL CAUSE HIM TO FALL [STOOP] DOWN AND HAVE HIM BEATEN.27 HE WHO ADMINISTERS THE LASHES SMITES WITH HIS ONE HAND AND WITH HIS WHOLE FORCE, WHILE THE ONE WHO RECITES, SAYS: IF THOU WILT NOT OBSERVE TO DO . . . THEN THE LORD THY GOD SHALL MAKE THY STROKES PRONOUNCED,28 AND THE STROKES OF THY SEED [etc.]29 AND HE GOES BACK AGAIN TO THE BEGINNING OF THE TEXT [IF NECESSARY]30 AND CONCLUDES WITH: BUT HE, BEING FULL OF COMPASSION, FORGIVETH INIQUITY AND DESTROYETH NOT; YEA, MANY A TIME DOTH HE TURN HIS ANGER AWAY AND DOTH NOT STIR UP ALL HIS WRATH,31 AND AGAIN RETURNS TO THE TEXT:32 OBSERVE THEREFORE, THE WORDS OF THIS COVENANT AND DO THEM, THAT YE MAY MAKE ALL THAT YE DO TO PROSPER.33 IF THE OFFENDER DIES UNDER HIS HAND [STROKE] HE IS EXEMPT [FROM PENALTY].34 IF HE GAVE HIM ONE MORE LASH AND THE OFFENDER DIED, HE GOES INTO BANISHMENT. IF THE OFFENDER BEFOULED HIMSELF EITHER WITH FAECES OR URINE, HE IS DISCHARGED.35 R. JUDAH SAYS: FAECES IN THE CASE OF A MAN AND URINE IN THE CASE OF A WOMAN. his misdeed. But if he has not yet received any strokes, and he cannot for some reason take them that day, the lashing can be deferred and even reimposed for another day. numerical value of the letters being *t* = 1; *k* = 30; *v* = 5 + 4 letters — *vktv* = total 40; v. A. Chaikin h"ar hbhuhm on Mak. 22b. [V. however next note.] additional lash is inflicted, v. Ritba.] and what the Court had once determined cannot be changed on further consideration. This seems an entire contradiction of the ruling in the Mishnah. there is practically no decision, the second abrogating the first: and, the second, too, may be wrong, as the man's condition could hardly have changed so quickly. His punishment must be deferred for a clearer estimation. If, however, he has already suffered part of his punishment, he has had his humiliation already, and is quit. punishment accordingly, without any reflection on their former adjudication as to his fitness. forbidden in Deut. XXII, 9-10, and Lev. XIX, 19. offence at any one time: as the remaining (two lashes) are not divisible by three, they cannot be administered but he is allowed to recover and is subjected to a new series of lashes. occurs in the Tel-el-Amarna Letters, Ziri-Basana, or the Field of Bashan, was then under the government of one Khazan, or ‘prefect’. Sayce, Patriarchal Palestine (1895), p. 95. Epiphanius reports that in Cilicia there were in the Jewish Community three Azanites. S. Krauss, JQR (1905) XVII (O.S.). p. 373 and p. 380, note 2. [Krauss, Sanh-Mak. p. 372, translates: ‘Guardian of the Synagogue’: pointing out that scourging was generally inflicted in the Synagogue.] intrusion from the Baraitha cited in the Gemara. V. marginal note on Talmud text. Cf. van hfrs on Tur. O. H. 607, note 4. explanation of R. Ishmael's point of view, from this text. Maimonides. The order adopted here is conjectural, and aims at retaining the additions, rationally arranged. [MS.M. and other texts omit the verses that follow, thus showing that they are intrusions into our text. Cur. edd. read on: And ye shall observe the words of this covenant etc. (Deut. XXIX, 9), and he concludes with, But he being full of compassion forgave their iniquity etc. (Ps. LXXVIII, 38) and he returns again to the beginning of the passage.] voluntarily submitting oneself to penitential chastisement. V. Tur. O.H. 607 (end) and Sh. ‘Ar. ibid. 6.