Monday, April 19, 2010

Sanhedrin 66 – Cursing One's Parents, Having Relations with a Betrothed Maiden

One who curses his father or his mother is not liable unless he curses them with the Name of God. If he cursed them with a subordinate Name of God – Rabbi Meir holds him liable, but the Sages exempt him.

One who cohabits with a young maiden is not liable to be stoned  unless she is young (naarah), virgin, betrothed, and still in her father's house. A naarah is a girl of twelve years old who has sprouted two pubic hairs; she remains a naarah until she is twelve and a half. Virgin – but if she had intimate relations, their punishment is standard - strangulation. Betrothed – the first stage of marriage (kiddushin) has been performed, but there was no hupah, so she is yet not allowed to live with her husband. If two men cohabited with her (anally), the first one is liable to stoning, and the second one – to strangulation.

Art: Lord Frederick Leighton - A Girl

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