Study Sanhedrin folio 90A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
מחלוקת בעוקר הגוף דעבודה זרה, וקיום מקצת וביטול מקצת דעבודה זרה, דרחמנא אמר: ״מן הדרך״ – אפילו מקצת הדרך.
The dispute is with regard to a prophet who prophesies to abolish the essence of the prohibition of idol worship, or a prophet who espouses fulfillment of part of the prohibition and nullification of part of the prohibition of idol worship, asserting that idol worship is permitted in certain circumstances, as God says: “And that prophet…should be put to death; because he has spoken perversion against YHWH…to divert you from the way on which YHWH your God commanded you to walk” (Deuteronomy 13:6). It may be inferred from this verse: If he diverts you even from part of the way. In these cases, R' Shimon holds that he is executed by strangulation, and the Rabbis hold that he is executed by stoning.
אבל עוקר הגוף דשאר מצות, דברי הכל בחנק. וקיום מקצת וביטול מקצת דבשאר מצות, דברי הכל פטור.
But if a prophet abolishes the essence of the rest of the mitzvot, everyone agrees that he is executed by strangulation. And if the prophet espouses fulfillment of part and nullification of part of other mitzvot, everyone agrees that he is exempt from punishment. If a true prophet espouses temporary nullification of a specific mitzva, one must heed his words.
מתיב רב המנונא: ״ללכת״ – זו מצות עשה, ״בה״ – זו מצות לא תעשה. ואי סלקא דעתך בעבודה זרה, עשה בעבודה זרה היכי משכחת לה? תרגמה רב חסדא: ״ונתצתם״.
Rav Hamnuna raises an objection from a baraita that interprets the phrase in the verse “to divert you from the way on which YHWH your God commanded you to walk.” “To walk”; this is a reference to a positive mitzva. “On which”; this is a reference to a prohibition. And if it enters your mind that the verse is stated with regard to idol worship, how can you find a positive mitzva relating to idol worship? The Talmud answers: Rav Ḥisda interpreted that the positive mitzva referred to in the verse is: “And you should smash their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their asherim in fire; and you should hew down the graven images of their gods; and you should destroy their name from that place” (Deuteronomy 12:3). A prophet is liable to receive the death penalty if he abolishes this mitzva.