(R. Avahu citing R. Yosi ben Chaninah): Rabanan learn from people of Ir ha'Nidachas. They were in the category of idolaters, who get Skilah. The Torah gave them a lighter Misah - [it should have sufficed to lower their Misah to] Sereifah;

If it were not enough to lower their Misah to Sereifah, [if you will say that Hereg is lower than Chenek, why] would the Torah give them the lightest Misah?! [It would suffice to lower them one more level, to] Chenek!

R. Shimon expounds, a false prophet [who says "let us serve other gods'' - Devarim 13:2] was in the category of idolaters, who get Skilah. Is it not enough to not give him Skilah (rather, a lighter Misah - if you will say that Chenek is lower than Hereg,) you want to say that the Torah gave him the lightest Misah, i.e. Chenek?!

(R. Shmuel bar Susratai citing R. Avahu): Just the contrary! Rabanan expound that a false prophet was in the category of idolaters, who get Skilah. The Torah gave him a lighter Misah - [it should have sufficed to lower it to] Sereifah. It was not enough to lower it to Sereifah, it lowered it [even more,] to Chenek. [Surely,] this is the lightest of all Misos (for the Torah wants to be as lenient as possible)!

NOTE: GILYON EFRAYIM says that Rabanan refute R. Shimon according to his opinion that a false prophet who entices to serve idolatry gets Chenek. They themselves hold that he is stoned. If so, perhaps it should say "the Torah could have lowered it to Hereg''!

R. Shimon expounds from people of Ir ha'Nidachas. They were in the category of idolaters, who get Skilah. The Torah gave them a lighter Misah, Hereg. [Surely,] this is the lightest of all Misos (the Torah wants to be as lenient as possible)!

(Mishnah): The Mitzvah of Sereifah - they insert him in manure up to his knees. We put a hard garment inside a soft garment, and wrap them around his neck. The witnesses pull in both directions, until he opens his mouth. One lights a Pesilah (this is explained below) and throws it into his mouth. This burns his innards.

R. Yehudah says, perhaps they will strangle him, and Mitzvas Sereifah will not be fulfilled!

Rather, we use tongs to force his mouth open, light the Pesilah and throw it in into his mouth. It descends to his innards.

R. Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok says, a case occurred in which a Bas Kohen was Mezanah. They surrounded her with bundles of twigs and burned her.

Chachamim: It is because the Beis Din at that time was not learned.

(Gemara) Question: We should put a hard garment by itself [around his neck]!

Answer: [We do not] lest he die [through this], for so we find that at the time that Chizkiyah [ha'Melech] blocked the upper source of the Gichon river (so there would not be water for Sancheriv's army), he used soft Kelim to seal it (for the water is strong and hard. Also here, the soft protects from the hard.)

(R. Krispa citing R. Yochanan): The Mishnah discusses a Pesilah of Ba'atz.

Question: What is a Pesilah of Ba'atz? (PNEI MOSHE - we know that Ba'atz is tin, but presumably, it is not pure tin, for it is hard to melt. The melting point of pure tin is 232 degrees (Celsius) (PF).)

(Rabanan of Kisarin): It is lead mixed with tin. (The melting point of a mixture of 63% tin and 37% lead is only 183 degrees. All the more so they did not want to use pure lead, for its melting point is 327 degrees - PF.)

(R. Yosi bei Bun): This is like the opinion that [the Mishnah says only that] he lights the Pesilah and throws it into his mouth. However, according to the opinion that it says [also that] it descends to his innards and burns his innards, our Mishnah discusses a Pesilah of kerosene. (KORBAN HA'EDAH)

(Beraisa): Forty years before Churban Beis ha'Mikdash, capital cases ceased from Yisrael. In the days of R. Shimon ben Yochai, monetary cases ceased from Yisrael.

R. Shimon ben Yochai: Blessed is Hash-m (who removed monetary cases), for we do not know how to judge them properly! (KORBAN HA'EDAH)

(R. Eliezer b'R. Tzadok): I was a child riding on my father's shoulder, and I saw a Bas Kohen who had been Mezanah, and they surrounded her with bundles of twigs and burned her.

Chachamim: You were a child, and a child cannot testify [even after he matures].

NOTE: There is an implied question. Our Mishnah connotes that they accepted his testimony, but answered that the Beis Din was not learned!

Answer: When he saw this matter [on his father's shoulder] he was not less than 10 years old. When he was going with Rebbi (brought right after this, Rebbi) was not less than 30 years old, for it is improper for a great person to go with someone less than 30 years. (NO'AM YERUSHALAYIM, CHOMAS YERUSHALAYIM citing TOSFOS RISHONIM - the Yerushalmi is astounded that he lived so long. He was at least 10 when Beis Din still executed, 40 years before the Churban, and he was still alive when Rebbi was at least 30. Rebbi was born 52 years after the Churban (Sefer Yuchsin), so R. Eliezer b'R. Tzadok lived to be at least 132.)

Rebbi: When I was coming with R. Eliezer bei R. Tzadok from Beis Shiryon, we ate figs and grapes Arai outside the Sukah.

(Mishnah): Mitzvas Hereg - they chop off his head him like the kingdom does (from a standing position).

R. Yehudah: That is disgraceful! Rather, he rests his head on a block, and he cuts it with a chopping knife.

Chachamim: That is the most disgraceful death!

(Gemara): R. Yehudah agrees that this is disgraceful, but [we cannot kill like the kingdom, for] it says "uv'Chukoseihem Lo Selechu''!

(R. Yochanan - Beraisa): "Yirtzach ha'Rotze'ach'' - [a murderer is killed] with what he killed;

Suggestion: If he killed with a sword, he will be killed with a sword. If he killed with a staff, he will be killed with a staff!

Rejection: It says here Nekimah, and it says below "v'Heveisi Aleichem Cherev Nokemes Nekam Bris.'' Just like Nekimah said there is the sword, also Nekimah said here is the sword.

Suggestion: Perhaps he can kill him [anywhere he wants, e.g.] between the shoulders! (KORBAN HA'EDAH)

Rejection: It says here "u'Vi'arta ha'Ra mi'Kirbecha'', and it says below "v'Atah Teva'er ha'Dam ha'Naki mi'Kirbecha'' - we learn from "Hav'arah-Hav'arah'' [from Eglah Arufah, which is learned from] "Arifah-Arifah'';

Just like Hav'arah said there faces the back of the neck, also Hav'arah here faces the back of the neck;

Just like Arifah said below [regarding Chatas ha'Of] is cutting off the head, also [in Eglah Arufah] it is cutting off the head.

(Mishnah): The Mitzvah of choking - we insert him in manure up to his knees, we put a hard garment inside a soft garment, and wrap them around his neck. This [witness] pulls towards himself, and this pulls towards himself, until he dies.

(Gemara): We do not find [an explicit] source for Chenek. You learn from here that any Stam Misah mentioned in the Torah, you cannot be stringent about it, rather, you are lenient. R. Yoshiyah says so;

R. Yonason: It is not because it is [most] light, rather, because it was said Stam. Any Misah said Stam, you cannot be stringent [to give Sereifah or Skilah], rather, you are lenient. (He holds like R. Shimon, that Hereg is most lenient.)

Implied question: (Why do you say that there is no explicit source for Chenek?) It says "v'Salisa Oso [Al ha'Etz]'' - this is Chenek!

Answer: The way of Chenek is, this one pulls towards himself, and this one pulls towards himself. (There is no source for this. We explained the question and answer like ZAHAV HA'ARETZ, HAGAHOS R. DINAR.)

Question (Rav Kahana, to Rav): There (regarding Sereifah), you say that this one pulls Heilach (this way) that this one pulls Heilach, and here you say that this one pulls to him, and this one pulls to him! (KORBAN HA'EDAH; in our text, also regarding Sereifah it says "to him''.)

Answer (Rav): There, this one is in front of him, and this one is in back of him. However, here, this one is on this side, and this one is on this side.