3. The burden in the words of the scribes is greater than the burden in the words of the law. He who said, “There are no phylacteries, so as to transgress the words of the law?” “He is free.” He who said, “There are five frontlets, so as to add to the words of the scribes?” “He is guilty.”
4. “The judges do not put such an offender to death in the tribunal of his city, nor in the tribunal of Jabneh,(435) but they bring him up to the supreme court in Jerusalem, and they guard him till a holiday; and they put him to death on a holiday, as is said, ‘And all the people shall hear and fear, and do no more presumptuously.’ ”(436) The words of R. Akiba. R. Judah said, “they do not cause him anguish in delaying his judgment, but they execute him off-hand.” And they write and send messengers to all places, “Such a man, the son of such a man, is condemned to death by the tribunal.”
5. A false prophet, who prophesied what he did not hear, and what was not told to him, is put to death by the hands of man. But he who suppressed his prophecy, and he who added to the words of a prophet, and a prophet who transgressed his own words, is put to death by the visitation of heaven, as is said, “I will require it of him.”(437)
6. And he who prophesied in the name of idolatry and said, “so the idol said,” even though its decision was exactly to pronounce unclean the unclean, and to pronounce cleansed the clean, is to be strangled. And so also the false witnesses against a priest’s daughter. Because all false witnesses are condemned to the same death which they had intended (for the accused), except false witnesses against the daughter of a priest, and they are to be strangled.
Dealings with Idolaters—Idolatrous Feasts—Things Not to be Sold to Idolaters—Labor with Idolaters—The Letting Out of Houses and Fields—Precautions—Things Forbidden and Things Allowed—Idols and Fragments of Idols—Hills and Groves—Houses Joined to an Idol Temple—Idolatrous Trees—Image of Mercury—Annulling Idolatry—Pagan Argument for Idolatry—Answer—Treading—Pressing—Baking—Wine of Libation—Culinary Utensils.
1. Three days before the feasts of the idolaters it is forbidden to deal with them, to lend articles to them, or to take a loan of articles from them; to make a loan of money to them, or to borrow money from them; to repay them, or to take payment from them. Rabbi Judah said, “it is allowed to take payment from them, since it is unsatisfactory to the idolater.” The (Sages) answered him, “though it is unpleasant to him now, he rejoices afterward.”