Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 7:8

משנה: הַמְגַדֵּף אֵינוֹ חַייָב עַד שֶׁיְּפָרֵשׁ אֶת הַשֵּׁם. אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן קָרְחָה בְּכָל־יוֹם דָּנִין אֶת הָעֵדִים בְּכִינּוּי יַכֶּה יוֹסֵה אֶת יוֹסֵה. נִגְמַר הַדִּין לֹא הָיוּ הוֹרְגִין בְּכִינּוּי אֶלָּא מוֹצִיאִין אֶת כָּל־הָאָדָם לַחוּץ וּמְשַׁייְרִין אֶת הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ אֱמוֹר מַה שֶּׁשָּׁמַעְתָּ בְּפֵרוּשׁ. וְהוּא אוֹמֵר וְהַדַּיָּנִים עוֹמְדִין עַל רַגְלֵיהֶן וְקוֹרְעִין וְלֹא מְאַחִין. וְהַשֵּׁנִי אוֹמֵר אַף אֲנִי כָּמוֹהוּ וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי אוֹמֵר אַף אֲנִי כָּמוֹהוּ׃ MISHNAH: The blasphemer is not liable unless he explicitly use the Name²⁰⁷The Tetragrammaton in its original pronunciation, now lost.. Rebbi Joshua ben Qorḥa said, during the trial one deals with the witnesses by substitute name, may Yose hit²⁰⁸An expression of curse, Deuteronomy.28.22">Deut. 28:22. Yose. At the end of the proceedings one does not sentence him to death by substitute name but one dismisses the public, retains the most prestigious among them²⁰⁹The witnesses. and says to him, tell us explicitly what you heard. He says it while the judges are standing; they tear their garments²¹⁰Since everybody who hears a blasphemy using the Name has to rend his garment, as if a close relative had died. and never mend them²¹¹As for garments rent because of the death of a parent, the tear cannot be mended invisibly.. The second one²⁰⁹The witnesses. says, also I [heard] like him; the third²⁰⁹The witnesses. one says, also I [heard] like him.

הלכה: הַמְגַדֵּף אֵינוֹ חַייָב כול׳. אַזְהָרָה לַמְגַדֵּף מְנַיִין. אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א תְקַלֵּ֑ל. כָּרֵת מְנַיִין. אִ֥ישׁ אִ֛ישׁ כִּֽי־יְקַלֵּ֥ל אֱלֹהָ֖יו וְנָשָׂ֥א חֶטְאֽוֹ. עוֹנֶשׁ מְנַיִין. וְנוֹקֵב שֵׁם־יְי מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת. וּכְרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל. דְּרִבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָמַר. בַּדַּייָנִים הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר. אִם עַל הַדַּייָנִים הוּא מַזְהִיר לֹא כָל־שֶׁכֵּן עַל הַכִּינּוּיִים. אִם עַל הַכִּינּוּיִים הוּא עוֹנֵשׁ כָּרֵת לֹא כָל־שֶׁכֵּן עַל שֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. עַל הַכִּינּוּיִים בְּאַזְהָרָה וְכָרֵת. עַל שֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד בְּמִיתָה. אִית תַּנָּיֵי תַנֵּי. עַל הַכִּינּוּיִים בְּאַזְהָרָה וְעַל שֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד בְּמִיתָה וְכָרֵת. מָאן דָּמַר. עַל הַכִּינּוּיִים בְּאַזְהָרָה וְכָרֵת. אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א תְקַלֵּ֑ל. וְעוֹד אִ֥ישׁ אִ֛ישׁ כִּֽי־יְקַלֵּ֥ל אֱלֹהָ֖יו וְנָשָׂ֥א חֶטְאֽוֹ. בְּכָרֵת. וְעַל שֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד בְּמִיתָה. וְנוֹקֵב שֵׁם־יְי מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת. וּמָאן דָּמַר. עַל הַכִּינּוּיִין בְּאַזְהָרָה. אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א תְקַלֵּ֑ל. וְעַל שֵׁם הַמְיוּחָד בְּמִיתָה וְכָרֵת. וְנוֹקֵב שֵׁם־יְי מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת. וְאִישׁ אִ֛ישׁ כִּֽי־יְקַלֵּ֥ל אֱלֹהָ֖יו וגו׳. HALAKHAH: “The blasphemer is not liable,” etc. ²¹²The parallel in the Sanhedrin.56a">Babli is 56a. From where a warning for the blasphemer? You shall not curse God²¹³Exodus.22.27">Ex. 22:27. Since El means “power”, Elohim as a plural of majesty means “superior power”; in this case “supreme power” in contrast to elohim aḥerim which are not other gods” but “other powers”, such as the rain worshipped by Semites as Baal and by the Greeks as Zeus.. Extirpation from where? Anybody who curses his God shall bear his sin²¹⁴Leviticus.24.15">Lev. 24:15. In Numbers.9.13">Num. 9:13, referring to the Second Passover, it is spelled out that “carrying one’s sin” is equivalent to “being subject to extirpation” [Sifra Emor Pereq19(6), in the name of R. Jehudah.]. Punishment from where? He who curses the Name of the Eternal shall be put to death²¹⁵Leviticus.24.16">Lev. 24:16.. But according to Rebbi Ismael, since Rebbi Ismael said that the verse refers to judges²¹⁶He reads Exodus.22.27">Ex. 22:27 as referring to judges, who are called elohim in Exodus.22.7">Ex. 22:7, Psalms.82.1">Ps. 82:1. Sanhedrin.66a">Babli 66a, Mekhilta dR. IsmaelMišpatim 19 (p. 317). The previous argument is R. Aqiba’s.? If he is warned about judges, then so much more about [divine] substitute names²¹⁷Any reference to the Deity other than the Tetragrammaton, the Unique name. Sanhedrin.56a">Babli 56a, Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai p. 213. The argument seems to contradict the principle that “one may not punish on the basis of a logical argument” (cf. Sanhedrin 7:1:3" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.7.1.3">Halakhah 7:1 Note 9). But since the argument refers only to warning and Heavenly retribution, not to penalties imposed by the court, there is no contradiction.. If he is subject to extirpation for substitute names, so much more for the Unique Name. Some Tannaïm state: for substitute names warning and extirpation, for the Unique Name the death penalty. Some Tannaïm state: for substitute names warning, for the Unique Name the death penalty or extirpation²¹⁸Sifra Emor Pereq 19(5), opinion of the rabbis opposing Rebbi Meïr who equates the Unique Name and its substitute names.. He who says, for substitute names warning and extirpation, you shall not curse God and anybody who curses his God shall bear his sin by extirpation; for the Unique Name the death penalty, he who curses the Name of the Eternal shall be put to death. He who says, for substitute names warning, you shall not curse God, for the Unique Name the death penalty or extirpation, he who curses the Name of the Eternal shall be put to death; anybody who curses his God shall bear his sin²¹⁹The same group of verses can lead to two different conclusions without possibility of deciding between them., etc.

רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק. זֹאת אוֹמֶרֶת שֶׁדָּנִין מִסָּפֵק. הֵיךְ עֲבִידָא. פְּלוֹנִי הָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ. יְהֵא נִידּוֹן עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ עֵדָיו. אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. וְתָֽפְשִׂין בַּר נַשָּׁא בַשּׁוּקָא וּמְבַזִּין לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא כֵינִי. פְּלוֹנִי הָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וַהֲרֵי עֵידָיו שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ. יְהֵא תָפוּשׂ עַד שֶׁיָּבוֹאוּ עֵידָיו. Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac: This²²⁰The Mishnah which states that the trial of the blasphemer proceeds before the court did hear the exact wording of the offensive statement. implies that one proceeds on the basis of a doubt. How is this? “X killed a person.” One proceeds to try him until his witnesses come. Rebbi Yose said to him, does one arrest a person in the market and insult him²²¹The court, acting as inquisitor, cannot arrest a person without a reasonable probability of conviction.? But is it as follows: “X killed a person, and there are witnesses.” Let him be put under arrest until his witnesses come.

וְאָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ. גַּדֵּף. אֶלָּא אוֹתוֹ הַשֵּׁם שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לִפְנֵיכֶם אוֹתוֹ קִילֵּל. וּבוֹ קִילֵּל. וְאֵין הָעֵדִים צְרִיכִין לִקְרוֹעַ שֶׁכְּבָר קָֽרְעוּ בְשָׁעָה שֶׁשָּֽׁמְעוּ. Does one tell him, blaspheme²²²This is a question about the Mishnah. How can the court require the witness to sin by repeating the entire blasphemy?? But that Name which I am saying before you, that one he cursed or by that one he cursed²²³The witness is not asked to blaspheme. The text of the blasphemy except for the Name had been testified to earlier; now it is only necessary to confirm that the Name was used, which alone makes the blasphemy a capital crime.
The text makes it clear that blasphemy is not only cursing God by His Name but also cursing another person using the Name, including any magical practices using the Name.. But the witnesses need not rend their garments since they already rent them when they heard it the first time.

רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. מִיכָּן לַדַּייָנִים שֶׁקִיבְּלוּ עֵדוּת עוֹמְדִין שֶׁדִּינָן דִּין. אַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ שִׁית. אַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ כָּהִיא דְאָמַר רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר רַב יִצְחָק. וְאַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ כָּהִיא דְאָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. וְאַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ. שׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ חַייָב לִקְרוֹעַ. וְאַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ. מִיכָּן לָעֵד שֶׁהֵעִיד עֵדוּתוֹ הַשֵּׁינִי אוֹמֵר. אַף אֲנִי כָמוֹהוּ. וְהַשְּׁלִישִׁי אוֹמֵר. אַף אֲנִי כָּמוֹהוּ. וְאַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ שֶׁהוּא אֶחָד מִן הַקְּרָעִים שֶׁאֵין מִתְאָחִין. וְאַתְּ שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ. מִכֵּיוָן שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹדְעִין מִשָּׁעָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁהוּא שֵׂם הַמְיוּחָד שֶׁהוּא צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹעַ. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, from here²²⁴From the Mishnah. that in case the judges heard testimony while standing, their judgment is valid. You infer six statements from this²²⁴From the Mishnah.. One infers the statement of Rebbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac²²⁰The Mishnah which states that the trial of the blasphemer proceeds before the court did hear the exact wording of the offensive statement., and one infers the statement of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish. Also one infers that he who hears from one who heard has to rend²²⁵Since the judges have to tear their garments, even though they are hearing the blasphemy only indirectly., and one infers that if one witness testified, the second one says, I testify to the same, and the third says, I testify to the same²²⁶This statement seems to apply only to the case of the blasphemer. Witnesses have to be heard one at a time (5:3–4) to determine that they are not perjured. The speaking of the Name is the only case in which witnesses appear together, after having been interrogated separately about all other aspects of the case. However, the Sanhedrin.60a">Babli (60a) reads the statement as implying that by biblical standards a witness may state that his testimony is identical with that of the first witness and that the rules of Sanhedrin 5:3:2-5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.5.3.2-5">5:3–4 are rabbinic only.. Also one infers that this is one of the tears which are not mended²¹¹As for garments rent because of the death of a parent, the tear cannot be mended invisibly., and one infers that even when they know from the start that it is the Unique Name, they have to rend.

רִבִּי חִייָה אָמַר רִבִּי יָסָא מַקְשֵׁי. תַּנִּינָן. הַכָּרוֹז יוֹצֵא לְפָנָיו. אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי בֶּן אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי יוֹצֵא לִיסָּקֵל עַל שֶׁעָבַר עֲבֵירָה פְלוֹנִית. וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו. כָּל מִי שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ לוֹ זְכוּת יָבוֹא וִילַמֵּד. שָׁמַעְנוּ. שׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹעַ. שְׁמָעִינָן. שׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ וְשׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי שׁוֹמֵעַ צָרִיךְ לִקְרוֹעַ. Rebbi Ḥiyya said that Rebbi Yasa asked: We have stated²²⁷Sanhedrin 6:2:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.6.2.1">Mishnah 6:2.: “The herald goes before him: ‘X ben Y is led to be stoned because he committed crime Z; U and V testified against him. Anybody who knows of his innocence shall come and argue.’ ” We inferred that he who hears from one who heard has to rend. Does he who hears from one who heard from one who heard have to rend²²⁸Does everybody who hears the herald have to rend his garment? Since this is not mentioned in the Mishnah, the implied answer to the question is negative.?

מָהוּ לִקְרוֹעַ עַל קִילְלַת הַשֵּׁם. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מִן הָדָא. וַיְהִ֗י כִּשְׁמוֹעַ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ חִזְקִיָּ֔הוּ אֶת דִּבְרֵי רַב שָׁקֵה וַיִּקְרַ֖ע אֶת־בְּגָדָ֑יו. מָהוּ לִקְרוֹעַ עַל קִילְלַת הַגּוֹי. מָאן דְּאָמַר. רַב שָׁקֵה גּוֹי הָיָה. קוֹרְעִין. מָאן דָּמַר. יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה. אֵין קוֹרְעִין. תַּנֵּי רִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. אֶחָד הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ קִלְּלַת הַשֵּׁם מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶחָד הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ מִפִּי הַגּוֹי חַייָב לִקְרוֹעַ. מַה טַעֲמָא. הִנֵּה֙ יְי אֱלֹהֵ֖י כָּל־בָּשָׂ֑ר הֲֽמִמֶּ֔נִּי יִפָּלֵא֖ כָּל־דָּבָֽר׃ Does one have to rend one’s garments for blasphemy?²²⁹Finally one asks why one has to rend his garment when he hears blasphemy since this obligation is not mentioned in the Torah. Let us hear from the following: When king Hezekias heard the words of Rab Šake, he rent his garment²³⁰2K. 19:1. Since the king heard the blasphemy from his ministers, it proves that one has to rend his garment even if he hears it indirectly. Sanhedrin.69a">Babli 69a.. Does one have to rend for a Gentile’s blasphemy? According to him who said that Rab Šake was a Gentile, one rends. According to him who said that Rab Šake was an Israel, one does not rend²³¹On the one hand, it is not likely that a high official of the king of Assyria was not an Assyrian. On the other hand, why should a high Assyrian official be able to speak Hebrew unless he was a Jewish apostate? Mo`ed qaṭan 3:6 (83b l. 32); Sanhedrin.60a">Babli 60a. M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings, The Anchor Bible vol. 11 (1988) p. 230.. Rebbi Hoshaia stated: Both one who heard blasphemy from an Israel or one who heard from the mouth of a Gentile has to rend his garment. What is the reason? Since I am the Eternal, God over all flesh, should anything be extraordinary for me²³²Jeremiah.32.26">Jer. 32:26.?

מָהוּ לִקְרוֹעַ בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה. רִבִּי יוֹסֵה רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר בָּא רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה רִבִּי יִרְמְיָה בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. מִשֶׁרָבוּ הַגּוֹדְפַנִּים פָּֽסְקוּ מִלִּקְרוֹעַ. מָהוּ לִקְרוֹעַ עַל הַכִּינּוּיִין בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ הֲוָה מְהַלֵּךְ בְּאִיסְרָטָא. פָּגַע בֵּיהּ חַד כּוּתַיי וַהֲוָה מְגַדֵּף וְהוּא קָרַע מְגַדֵּף וְהוּא קָרַע. נְחַת לֵיהּ מִן חַמְרָא וִיהַב לֵיהּ מַרְתּוּקָא גַו לִיבֵּיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. בַּר כּוּתַיי. אִית לְאִימָּךְ מָאנִין מְסַפְּקָא לִי. מִילְּתֵיהּ הָדָא אָֽמְרָה שֶׁקּוֹרְעִין עַל הַכִּינּוּיִין וְשֶׁקּוֹרְעִין בַּזְּמַן הַזֶּה. Does one rend his garment nowadays²³³Since the pronunciation of the Name is unknown, an obligation to rend one’s garments would imply that it applies to substitutes of the Name. The paragraph has a parallel in Mo`ed qatan 3:6, 83b l. 38.? Rebbi Yose, Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Abba, Rebbi Ḥisqiah, Rebbi Jeremiah in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: When blasphemers proliferated, they stopped rending²³⁴The same statement in the Sanhedrin.60a">Babli 60a in the name of R. Hiyya (bar Abba). The implication is that the status of substitute names is the same as that of the Name.. Does one rend for substitute names today? Let us hear from the following: Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish was travelling on the highway. He met a Samaritan who was repeatedly blaspheming, and he was rending. He dismounted from the donkey and gave him a blow on his heart saying to him: Samaritan! Does your mother have garments to supply me with? [His word] This implies²³⁵The scribe wrote הדא אמרה “this implies”. The corrector added מילתיה but then forgot to cross out הדא. One should read either “his word” or “this”. that one rends for substitute names²³⁶Disagreeing with R. Joḥanan and the latter’s student R. Hiyya bar Abba. and rends his garments at the present time.