Stoning of an adulterers

If it were done today there would soon be a shortage of stones with long lines forming.

Wut is this I don’t even

Moderator, I think Adams deserves a serious answer, and as he said, he isn’t so learned.

Adams, there are four different modes of capital punishment prescribed in Torah for various serious offenses. However, they can only be carried out when we have a functioning Sanhedrin sitting in Eretz Yisroel. We haven’t had such a Sanhedrin for 2000 years, and we also don’t have the possibility in our time of the full Smicha (ordination) that the rabbis who would have sat on the Sanhedrin would have. So, no capital punishment at all for any reason because no qualified Jewish court.

texting on Shabbos is d’rabbonon.

I am also not learned, so please be patient with me too.

(1)..a basic concept.. There’s no “concept” here. Torah says in one instance of adultery to stone the transgressors. A law, din, like any other 613 one of them,

(2)..Is it Halachik.. Yes, when two witnesses come before sanhedrin of 23 and testify, and a host of other criteria are met, then beis din must act. In the case where stoning is required, they are directed to execute it. Not all cases of adultery warrant stoning, though.

(3)..why is this not inplace today?..Because we do not have sanhedrin today.

(4) ..at what point was it halted?.. I think at the destruction of the Bais HaMikdash (actually I think a bit before).

Not all cases of adultery warrant stoning, though.

Not all cases of murder warrant execution, either.

Adams,

It is important to understand the basic concept of the Torah obligaiting us to administer capitsl punishment for people who violate certain egregous sins. The Torah prescribes a very unlikely scenario that must occur, before we actually put someone to death. The two witnesses must warn the person, within seconds of the sin being committedthat if they go through with the sin they will be killed by Bais Din (the Jewish court). The person must respond to the witnesses that he is going to do it anyway. Obvoiusly, this is a highly unlikely scenario. Rav Chaim Voloziner explains that the reason people would respond affirmatively to the death warning is because they crave proper atonement for their uncontrollable sin.

Maharal explains that the punishments of the Torah are not meant to be a practical deterrent to sin. That is the task of Bais Din in each generation.

Rather, the Torah mandates a death penalty in order to represenet the totality of what human activity should entail, which includes punishing those liable for punishment. However, it is not intended as being a prctical deterrent.

Iced: Read sources, it’s not mentionable here, in our hallowed YW CR.

ZK: Where are the sources on this issue?

B: If a murderer kills someone with witnesses but no warning, beis din lets him go scot free (assuming the victim has no family to avenge his death, as they are entitled)? If beis din has remedies for a killer, then beis din can also deal with an adulterer who didn’t get the proper warning.

I seem to recall learning that due to loshon hora eidim are not allowed to come to Beis Din with evidence if their testimony is insufficient to convict. For example, if one witness saw a crime when two is required. Perhaps this is also true if there was no warning beforehand?

ZeesKite: That would apply to two witnesses, but no warning. But only one witness wouldn’t be allowed to tell beis din, correct?

What is the concept I am referring to where a witness isn’t allowed to bring it to beis din if there’s only one (or the eidus is in some way deficient)?

Charles: What on earth is that supposed to mean? If Hashem commanded us to execute an adulterer, it is our obligation to do so. We cannot let him go even if we would wish to.

Let’s all look at this from its broader perspective. Hashem has two basic modes of coducting the world: 1) When His presence is obvious, such as in the days of the Bais haMkdash, when there were daily miracles. 2) When his presence isn’t obvious.

Corresponding to that, He engineered two modes of society 1) when people find Him on their own 2) when society holds each other to a basic level of commitment.

Only the second society can be on the level that merits His revelation. The first, however, affords the indiidual the oportunity for making it on his own.

We have only seen the first type of society, so we cannot judge what the second looks like.

Zeeskeit, you have selective memory.

You seem to remember all the fire brimstone, but not the Gemara that a court that executes once in 70 years is considered “bloody”.

There is an argument whether there ever was an actual “condemned city”. The Torah is promising us that in the rare (if ever) case of an Ir Hanedachas (condemned city), that the acts of execution will not undermine our natural sense of mercy.