A daf of mishnayot – 3! Beginning with violations of the law that incur the death sentence with the execution of stoning. Beginning with Shabbat — with just the exception of either exceeding the boundary of Shabbat OR igniting a fire — different opinion as to which — where the violation is a Torah prohibition, but the punishment is lashes. Next: One who curses his father or mother is only liable for stoning if one has cursed in the name of God (with debate whether it needs to be the full name of God). The 3rd mishnah is about the particulars of the violation of the betrothed girl who has an affair – she’ll be stoned if she has the status of a na’arah (specifically defined) and has also accepted kiddushin, which took place about a year before the nisuin, final marriage ceremony. They don’t have conjugal rights yet in this status, but she would need a divorce to marry someone else instead. The discussion continues to the finer points of how she might end up with an “affair,” and how anal penetration would not change her status as a virgin, but the legal ramifications of this act that is still considered copulation and a violation mean a death sentence. All of these severity (to the death sentences) seems to protect this vulnerable party.
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