Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 91
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(דברים יג יב) וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּן, מְשַׁמְּרִים אוֹתוֹ עַד הָרֶגֶל וּמְמִיתִים אוֹתוֹ בָּרֶגֶל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְכָל הָעָם יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ״, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה.
Pisqa’ 91¹⁷⁶
- “And all Israel shall hear and feel dread” (Dt. 13:12). They imprison him until the next Pilgrimage Festival, and they execute him during [the intermediate days of] the Festival,
words of R. Akiva.
footnotes: ¹⁷⁶ H:140-141; JN1:244.
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: אֵין מְעַנִּים בְּבֵית דִּין! אֵין לִי אֶלָּא זֶה בִּלְבַד,
The court permits no delay [once the death sentence is delivered]. ¹⁷⁷
footnotes: ¹⁷⁷ =M. San.11:4; //T. San.11:7. Despite the presence of this material in nearly all texts of Sifre, F:153, n. 6 regards it as a marginal insertion.
מִנַּיִן לָאוֹמֵר ״אֶעֱבֹד״, ״אֵלֵךְ וְאֶעֱבֹד״, ״נֵלֵךְ וְנַעֲבֹד״, ״אֶזְבַּח״, ״אֵלֵךְ וְאֶזְבַּח״, ״נֵלֵךְ וְנִזְבַּח״, ״אֲקַטֵּר״, ״אֵלֵךְ וַאֲקַטֵּר״, ״נֵלֵךְ וּנְקַטֵּר״, ״אֲנַסֵּךְ״, ״אֵלֵךְ וַאֲנַסֵּךְ״, ״נֵלֵךְ וּנְנַסֵּךְ״, ״אֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה״, ״אֵלֵךְ וְאֶשְׁתַּחֲוֶה״, ״נֵלֵךְ וְנִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה״? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְלֹא יוֹסִפוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הָרָע הַזֶּה, לֹא כְ׳דָבָר׳ וְלֹא כְ׳רָע׳ וְלֹא כְ׳זֶה׳!
- I might infer that [stoning] applies only to this case [in which the tempter summons the name of a god]. On what basis do I know that [the punishment applies as well] to one who says: I will serve this; [or] I will go and serve; [or] let’s go and serve; I will sacrifice to this; [or] I will go and sacrifice; [or] let’s go and sacrifice; I will offer incense to this; [or] I will go and offer incense; [or] let’s go and offer incense; I will pour a libation to this ; [or] I will go and pour; [or]let’s go and pour; I will prostrate myself; [or] I will go and prostrate myself; [or] let’s go and prostrate ourselves. The Teaching states: “And they shall never repeat any evil thing like this” (Dt. 13:12)— neither like the thing, nor like its evil, and nothing like this!
יָכוֹל אַף הַמְגַפֵּף וְהַמְנַשֵּׁק וְהַמַּרְבִּיץ וְהַמַּרְחִיץ וְהַסָּךְ וְהַמַּלְבִּישׁ וְהַמַּנְעִיל וְהַמַּעֲטִיף? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר הַזֶּה; זֶה בִּסְקִילָה וְאֵין כָּל אֵלּוּ בִּסְקִילָה.
Is it possible that [these other acts are also punished by death?]: one who embraces [an image of a god]; or one who kisses it; one who sprinkles upon it; or one who bathes it; one who anoints it with oil; or one who clothes it; one who shoes it; or one who wraps it?
“Like this” (Dt. 13:12)— this one [who utters the god’s name suffers] stoning, **but none of these others [is punished by] stoning.**¹⁷⁸
footnotes: ¹⁷⁸ //M. San.7:6; cf. T. San.10:3.