[Avodah] torah death penalties (horrific)

[Brent Kaufman]

>>at simple reading, the torah death techniques seem very severe (barbaric,
horrific), overly painful, etc

I am particularly troubled by the torture that is involved in Misa
d'Rabbanon (Rabbinic Capital Punishment) in which a person is overfed
barley and then locked in a small tight space in which they are doubled
over and made to overdrink water until they burst. That is by any name
torture. I was told that the Rabbanim were looking for a manner in which
the death would come as a grama so that they would be less guilty; but that
seems ridiculous to cause a person maximum pain so that you can take a
hands off approach. It bothers me so much over the years that whenever I
sing "darcheha darchei no'am, v'kol nesivoseha shalom." I think to myself:
except for this one.

>>i know its a gezeras hakasuv,

Granted the basic manners of death are gezeros hakasuv, i.e. sereifa has to
be some manner of burning to death, but I was under the impression that the
rabbanim were allowed to decide the way burning was carried out, such as
having molten lead poured down the throat so as to be the least painful.

Also, as for being drunk, it seems very unlikely and just word service to
the cause. The Gemara says that the guilty should be given a cup of wine
beforehand. A cup of wine will do nothing to lessen the pain. A person
would be fully aware of their pain, whether being thrown off a low ledge
(which would do nothing but maybe break the legs causing more pain) or
burning ones insides.

Chaimbaruch Kaufman
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