Talmud Sanhedrin 59a: Death Penalty for Non Jews Studying Torah
The Talmudic passage in question states that “A gentile who engages in Torah study is liable to receive the death penalty.” This is derived from the verse in Deuteronomy 33:4, “Moses commanded us a law [Torah], an inheritance of the congregation of Jacob,” which is interpreted to mean that the Torah is an exclusive inheritance for the Jewish people.
The Talmud then offers two interpretations for why this is prohibited:
- Theft: The word for “inheritance” in the verse, morasha, is read in its literal sense. By studying the Torah, a non-Jew is “stealing” something that belongs exclusively to the Jewish people.
- Adultery: The word morasha is read as me’orasa, meaning “betrothed.” The Torah is seen as being betrothed to the Jewish people. Therefore, a non-Jew who studies it is considered to be committing a form of spiritual adultery, intruding on a sacred and exclusive relationship.
