Sanhedrin

GEMARA. Our Rabbis taught: One part of a man was covered, [viz.,] in front and two parts of a woman, [viz.,] in front and behind, because she is wholly shameful [when naked]: this is R. Judah's opinion. The Sages said: A man is stoned naked, but not a woman, What is the Rabbis' reason? — Scripture states, And they shall stone otho [him]. Why state 'otho'?  Shall we say, 'otho' but not 'othah,' [her]? but it is written, Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman!  What then is the significance of 'otho'. — That only he  [is stoned] without his garments, but she  is stoned in her clothes. R. Judah  said: 'Otho' implies without clothes, and there is no Raba said: Is there only an inconsistency between R. Judah's two statements and not between those of the Rabbis?  — But, said Raba, R. Judah's two statements are not contradictory, even as we have solved the difficulty. And the Rabbis' views are also not opposed: Scripture says, That all women may be warned and not to do after your lewdness:  but here, no greater warning is possible than this [sc. the execution].  And should you say, Let us wreak both  upon her, behold R. Nahman said in Rabbah b. Abbahu's name: Scripture says Love thy neighbour as thyself:  choose an easy death for him. Shall we say that R. Nahman's statement is the subject of a conflict between Tannaim?  — No: all agree with R. Nahman, but they MISHNAH. THE PLACE OF STONING WAS TWICE A MAN'S HEIGHT.  ONE OF THE WITNESSES PUSHED HIM BY THE HIPS, [SO THAT] HE WAS OVERTURNED ON HIS HEART. HE WAS THEN TURNED ON HIS BACK.20  IF THAT CAUSED HIS DEATH, HE HAD FULFILLED [HIS DUTY];  BUT IF NOT, THE SECOND WITNESS  TOOK THE STONE23  AND THREW  IT ON HIS CHEST. IF HE DIED THEREBY, HE  HAD DONE [HIS DUTY]; BUT IF NOT, HE [THE CRIMINAL] WAS STONED BY ALL ISRAEL,26  FOR IT IS WRITTEN: THE HAND OF THE WITNESSES SHALL BE FIRST UPON HIM TO PUT HIM TO DEATH, AND AFTERWARDS THE HAND OF ALL THE PEOPLE. GEMARA. A Tanna taught: And with his own height,  there were three [men's heights] in all. Yet do we really require so much height?  For the following contradicts it: 'Just as a pit to be reckoned as causing death must be ten handbreadths [deep],  so must all other [excavations] be sufficient to cause death, viz., ten handbreadths'?  — R. Nahman said in Rabbah b. Abbahu's name: Scripture states, Love thy neighbour as thyself;  i.e., choose an easy  death for him. But if so, it [sc. the place of stoning] should be still higher! — [That, however, is not so] to prevent disfiguration. ONE OF THE WITNESSES PUSHED HIM: Our Rabbis taught: Whence do we know that it [the execution]  was accomplished by hurling down?  — Scripture states, And he shall be cast down.  And whence the necessity of stoning? — Scripture states, He shall be stoned.  And whence do we know that both stoning and hurling down [were employed]?  — From the verse, he shall surely be stoned or thrown down.  And whence do we know that if he died through being hurled down, it is enough? — Scripture states, or cast down.  Whence do we know the same procedure is to be followed for [all subsequent] generations?