[Avodah] insanity

[Eli Turkel]

<<To bring this back to Avodah relevance, I have never heard of a case in
Torah in which a murderer has been set free because they were insane.>>

It is clear that a shoteh is not subject to punishments similar to a
minor. The gemara lists several characteristics of a shoteh eg sleeps
in the cemetery, can't handle money etc. Then there is a discussion
whether one needs all of them or just one.

There is a machloket whether one requires exactly the cases in the
gemara or they are examples of levels of insanity. The general
consensus is that these are examples. R Zilberstein in a recent shiur
gave examples of these translations. Recen Torah tibdits (OU) have a
column from the Puah institute which also translates these into
psychiatric terms.

The famous cases were all the achronim were involved is the get from Clevels

shabbat shallom


-- 
Eli Turkel