Sanhedrin 70 - February 25, 27 Shvat

This week's learning is sponsored by Minna and Cliff Felig in honor of their newborn twin grandchildren Naveh and Lia. "Naveh is an oasis, safe space, in the desert. Lia means God is with me. We wish for them a safe space to protect them and that God will be with them at all times." Today's daf is sponsored by Art Gould in loving memory of Art's father Joseph, Yosef ben Shlomo Shabtai v'Rachel on his 24rd yahrzeit. "My father was an ordinary man of extraordinary dignity, decency and dedication. He loved to watch my brother and I play on the tennis courts directly opposite our living room window. One day he came out and shocked us both with a huge, booming, topspin forehand. We didn't know he played! I wish we had had more time together."  Today's daf is sponsored by Harriet Hartman in loving memory of her parents, Binyamin ben Ze'ev v'Hinda Yosepha and Fruma bat Nachum Natan v'Ester, whose yahrzeits are 4 days apart, 23 and 27 Shvat. "They would have supported and admired my learning." Why is a daughter not able to be judged as a rebellious child? To be convicted as a rebellious son, he must eat a certain amount of meat and drink a certain amount of wine. However, there are also specific conditions regarding the type of meat/wine, the nature of the meal, the company present, and other factors. If he is eating as part of a seudat mitzva (ritual meal) or consuming forbidden food, he is not liable. The dangers of wine are discussed through the lens of various stories and texts in the Tanach, including those about Adam, Noah, and the rebuke of King Solomon by his mother in Proverbs Chapter 31. However, wine also has beneficial qualities, as it can help soothe the pain of those who are suffering. There is a debate between Rav and Shmuel about what Ham, Noah's son, did to him after Noah became drunk. One says he castrated him, while the other maintains that he sodomized him, with each sage providing textual support for their position. Some hold that the tree of knowledge was a grapevine, emphasizing the negative aspects of wine. Others claim it was either a wheat plant or a fig tree. King Solomon's mother rebuked him and bound him to a pillar to be flogged for pursuing earthly pleasures that led him to sin, much like a rebellious son. Details regarding the cases in the Mishna where a rebellious son is not liable are discussed, explained, and compared to other sources that appear to contradict some of the situations mentioned in the Mishna. These contradictions are ultimately resolved.