The stubborn and rebellious son

(18) If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son, who does not heed his father or mother and does not obey them even after they discipline him,

(19) his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him out to the elders of his town to the public square.

(20) They shall say to the elders of his town, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious: he does not heed us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.”

(21) Thereupon the men of his town shall stone him to death. Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst: all Israel will hear and be afraid.

AND THEY DISCIPLINE HIM — reprimand him in the presence of three people, [and if he still remains unrepentant] they give him lashes.

The stubborn and rebellious son is not liable until he steals and eats a tartemar of meat and drinks half a log of wine, for it says “a glutton and a drunkard.”

The stubborn and rebellious son is put to death on account of his [inevitable] end: In the end he will squander his fathers fortune and when he runs out [of money] he will stand at the junction and rob people [making himself liable to the death penalty.]

Says the Torah, “Let him die innocent of such crimes, and let him not die guilty of them”. (Sanhedrin 71a)

(1) A stubborn and rebellious son - when does he become a stubborn and rebellious son? From when he grows two hairs until the beard grows full. [This refers to] the lower beard, not the upper beard, but the Sages spoke in clean language.

As it says, (Deuteronomy 21:18) "If a man have a son": "a son," and not a daughter; "a son," and not "a man". A minor is exempt, for he is not in the category of [those obligated in] the commandments.

(2) From when is he liable [to be stoned]? When he eats a tartemar of meat and drinks half a log of Italian wine. Rabbi Yosi says, a maneh of meat and a log of wine.

[If] he ate [it] at a mitzvah gathering; in [celebration of] the intercalation of the month; as ma'aser sheni in Jerusalem; [if] he ate nevelot [an improperly slaughtered animal] or terefot [a mortally wounded animal] or creepy crawlies; or tevel [untithed produce] or ma'aser rishon [the first tithe] from which terumah [the priestly portion] has not been taken; or ma'aser sheni or hekdesh that has not been redeemed; [if] he ate something [in fulfilment of] a commandment or something [in violation of] a sin;

[or if] ate food other than meat; [or] drank anything other than wine, he is not a stubborn and rebellious son, unless he eats meat and drinks wine.

(3) If he stole from his father and ate on his father's property; [if he stole] from others and ate in others' domain; [if he stole] from others and ate in his father's domain, he does not become a wayward and rebellious son, unless he steals from his father and eats in others' domain. Rabbi Yosi bar Yehudah says, unless he steals from his father and his mother.

(4) If his father wants [to bring the son to court] and his mother does not. [or if] his father does not want and his mother does want, he does not become a stubborn and rebellious son, unless they both want.

Rabbi Yehudah says, if the mother were not appropriate for the father, he does not become a wayward and rebellious son.

If one of [the parents] had a hand cut off, or was lame, mute, blind, or deaf-mute, he does not become a wayward and rebellious son.

As it says, (Deuteronomy 21:19) "Then shall his father and his mother hold him," not one whose hands have been cut off.

"And bring him out," and not a lame person. (Deuteronomy 21:20)

"And they shall say," and not mute people.

"This our son," and not blind people. "

He does not listen to our voice," and not deaf-mute people.

They reprimand him in front of three and lash him. If he repeats his misdeeds, he is judged by a court of twenty-three. And he is not stoned unless the original three [judges] are present, as it says (Deuteronomy 21:20), "This our son," he who was lashed before you.

If he flees before the verdict has been reached and then his lower beard grows full, he is exempt. But if once the verdict was reached he fled, and then his lower beard grew full, he is [still] liable.

(5) The wayward and rebellious son is judged on the basis of his end. He should die innocent and not liable, because the death of the wicked is beneficial to them and beneficial to the world; but for the righteous, it is bad for them and bad for the world.

Wine and sleep: for the wicked they benefit them and the world; but for the righteous, they are bad for them and bad for the world. [...]

(1) A stubborn and rebellious son - when does he become a stubborn and rebellious son? From when he grows two hairs until the beard grows full. [This refers to] the lower beard, not the upper beard, but the Sages spoke in clean language.

As it says, (Deuteronomy 21:18) "If a man have a son": "a son," and not a daughter; "a son," and not "a man". A minor is exempt, for he is not in the category of [those obligated in] the commandments.

(2) From when is he liable [to be stoned]? When he eats a tartemar of meat and drinks half a log of Italian wine. Rabbi Yosi says, a maneh of meat and a log of wine.

[If] he ate [it] at a mitzvah gathering; in [celebration of] the intercalation of the month; as ma'aser sheni in Jerusalem; [if] he ate nevelot [an improperly slaughtered animal] or terefot [a mortally wounded animal] or creepy crawlies; or tevel [untithed produce] or ma'aser rishon [the first tithe] from which terumah [the priestly portion] has not been taken; or ma'aser sheni or hekdesh that has not been redeemed; [if] he ate something [in fulfilment of] a commandment or something [in violation of] a sin;

[or if] ate food other than meat; [or] drank anything other than wine, he is not a stubborn and rebellious son, unless he eats meat and drinks wine.

(3) If he stole from his father and ate on his father's property; [if he stole] from others and ate in others' domain; [if he stole] from others and ate in his father's domain, he does not become a wayward and rebellious son, unless he steals from his father and eats in others' domain. Rabbi Yosi bar Yehudah says, unless he steals from his father and his mother.

(4) If his father wants [to bring the son to court] and his mother does not. [or if] his father does not want and his mother does want, he does not become a stubborn and rebellious son, unless they both want.

Rabbi Yehudah says, if the mother were not appropriate for the father, he does not become a wayward and rebellious son.

If one of [the parents] had a hand cut off, or was lame, mute, blind, or deaf-mute, he does not become a wayward and rebellious son.

As it says, (Deuteronomy 21:19) "Then shall his father and his mother hold him," not one whose hands have been cut off.

"And bring him out," and not a lame person. (Deuteronomy 21:20)

"And they shall say," and not mute people.

"This our son," and not blind people. "

He does not listen to our voice," and not deaf-mute people.

They reprimand him in front of three and lash him. If he repeats his misdeeds, he is judged by a court of twenty-three. And he is not stoned unless the original three [judges] are present, as it says (Deuteronomy 21:20), "This our son," he who was lashed before you.

If he flees before the verdict has been reached and then his lower beard grows full, he is exempt. But if once the verdict was reached he fled, and then his lower beard grew full, he is [still] liable.

(5) The wayward and rebellious son is judged on the basis of his end. He should die innocent and not liable, because the death of the wicked is beneficial to them and beneficial to the world; but for the righteous, it is bad for them and bad for the world.

Wine and sleep: for the wicked they benefit them and the world; but for the righteous, they are bad for them and bad for the world. [...]