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Text Excerpt
הוי אומר: כח המדיח. וקל וחומר: ומה חנק, שחמור מסייף – שריפה חמורה ממנו; סייף הקל – לא כל שכן?
You must say that the severity of the transgression of the subverter is greater. Since those who subverted the people of an idolatrous city are executed by stoning, this is evidently a more severe type of capital punishment than decapitation. And it is inferred a fortiori that if it is so that concerning strangulation, which is more severe than decapitation by the sword, nevertheless burning is more severe than it, is it not all the more so obvious that burning is more severe than decapitation by the sword, which is a more lenient type of execution compared to strangulation?
סקילה חמורה מחנק, שכן ניתנה למגדף ולעובד עבודה זרה. ומאי חומרא? כדאמרן.
Stoning is considered more severe than strangulation, as it is meted out to one who blasphemes and to one who worships idols. And for what reason is the severity of these transgressions considered greater? As we said, it is because the transgressors undermine the fundamental tenets of Judaism.
אדרבה: חנק חמור, שכן ניתן למכה אביו ואמו. ומאי חומרא? שכן הוקש כו׳.
The Talmud raises an objection: On the contrary; strangulation is more severe, as it is meted out to one who wounds his father or his mother. And for what reason is the severity of this transgression considered greater? Because the honor of one’s parents is compared to the honor of God.
מדאפקיה רחמנא לארוסה בת ישראל מכלל נשואה בת ישראל מחנק לסקילה, שמע מינה: סקילה חמורה.
The Talmud answers: Since God singles out the case of the betrothed daughter of a non-priest who committed adultery from the category of a married Jewish woman who committed adultery, changing her punishment from execution by strangulation to execution by stoning, conclude from it that stoning is more severe.