Today’s daf introduces us to two kinds of problematic prophets: those who say too much and those who say too little. In the former category are prophets who repeat what they hear from other prophets or words that they have not actually heard from God, making them false prophets. These transgressors are sentenced by the court to death by strangulation. It’s not difficult to understand why this is a capital offense: Prophets who tell lies can lead an entire people into grave sin and mortal danger.

In the latter category, which is more subtle, are prophets who hear God’s instructions, but do not share them with the public or who violate other directives God gives them. These prophets are not condemned to die by a human court, but may die at the hands of Heaven. The Gemara gives us two examples of prophets in this latter category: Jonah and Iddo. Jonah is the famous biblical prophet who refuses to comply with God and whose story is read on the afternoon of Yom Kippur. The rabbis identify Iddo, a lesser-known biblical figure, with an unnamed prophet in 1 Kings 13 who breaks his inspired vow not to eat or drink on account of the idolatrous behavior of King Jeroboam and is subsequently devoured by a lion. Both prophets defy divine instructions, and both suffer gravely for that choice — though not at human hands.

Just because the time of their earthly demise is left to Heaven doesn’t mean that prophets who ignore or defy God are untouchable by human courts:

A tanna taught a beraita before Rav Hisda: “One who suppresses his prophecy is flogged.” Rav Hisda said a parable to him: “Is one who eats dates in Arbela flogged? Who forewarns him if he eats dates infested with worms that no one sees?” Abaye said: “His fellow prophets forewarn him.”

A person who fails to deliver their prophecy is not executed by the court but can be flogged for this transgression. This raises another problem: Warning is generally a prerequisite for punishment. If only the specific prophet knows they’ve received a prophecy to be shared, asks Rav Hisda, how could anyone warn him, and how could he be punished? To elaborate on the parable, if someone eats dates in the far-distant city of Arbela, there’s no way for anyone here to know they are infested with worms and lodge a warning. Similarly, if someone receives a prophecy they don’t share, how could the community know about it and hold the prophet responsible?

The answer, says Abaye, is that the prophet’s colleagues have enough knowledge to deliver the warning:

From where do they know that he received a prophecy? Abaye says: “They know, as it is written (Amos 3:7): For the Lord God will do nothing, unless He reveals His counsel to His servants the prophets.” And perhaps the heavenly court reconsidered with regard to the prophecy. If it is so that they reconsidered with regard to the prophecy, the heavenly court would have informed all the prophets.

All prophets, asserts Abaye, are on a shared wavelength, as it were, with Heaven. He cites a verse from Amos to back up his claim: Because Amos says that God reveals counsel to “servants” and “prophets” in the plural, the conclusion is that all recipients of God’s word are aligned and receive divine transmissions simultaneously. This means other prophets will know when their colleague has received a divine communication and be able to deliver a warning. If the prophecy were revoked, the prophet’s colleagues would know that as well, and the prophet in question would be absolved of responsibility to deliver the original message.

In most cases, capital punishments issued by the human courts flow from actions. But if you’re a prophet of God, inaction can be just as transgressive. Prophets are morally obligated to share the gift that’s been given to them. If they don’t, there are both earthly consequences (lashes) and the risk of death at the hands of Heaven.

Read all of Sanhedrin 89 on Sefaria.

This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on March 16, 2025. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.