Study Sanhedrin folio 75A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
ואם איתא, לא לימא ליה? הא בצנעה, הא בפרהסיא.
And if it is so that a descendant of Noah is commanded about the sanctification of God’s name, he should not have said to him: “Go in peace.” The Talmud answers: This situation, where Elisha permitted Naaman’s conduct, happened in private. When Naaman bowed down in the house of Rimmon, he did not do so in the presence of 10 Jews. Whereas that question that was raised is whether or not a descendant of Noah must sanctify God’s name in public, in the presence of 10 Jews. Consequently, the question remains without a solution.
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב: מעשה באדם אחד שנתן עיניו באשה אחת, והעלה לבו טינא. ובאו ושאלו לרופאים, ואמרו: אין לו תקנה עד שתבעל. אמרו חכמים: ימות ואל תבעל לו. תעמוד לפניו ערומה: ימות ואל תעמוד לפניו ערומה. תספר עמו מאחורי הגדר: ימות ולא תספר עמו מאחורי הגדר.
§ Apropos the discussion of the obligation to allow oneself to be killed rather than engage in forbidden sex, the Talmud notes that Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: There was an incident involving a certain man who set his eyes upon a certain woman and passion rose in his heart, to the point that he became deathly ill. And they came and asked doctors what was to be done with him. And the doctors said: He will have no cure until she has sex with him. The rabbis said: Let him die, and she may not have sex with him. The doctors said: She should at least stand naked before him. The rabbis said: Let him die, and she may not stand naked before him. The doctors suggested: The woman should at least converse with him behind a fence in a secluded area, so that he should derive a small amount of pleasure from the encounter. The rabbis insisted: Let him die, and she may not converse with him behind a fence.