Sanhedrin 51: Punishments Faced by the Bat Kohen Who Transgresses

The rabbis are focused on the multiple questions that arise regarding when a bat kohen, the daughter of a priest, is sentenced to death by burning.  The rabbis compare her punishment with the punishment of others involved in the crime with her.  They debate the reasoning behind her punishment when she is married to someone who is a levi, yisrael, nochri, chalal, mazer or nasin.

In a modern twist, the Gemara asks why she might be punished more severely than her father in certain circumstances. The rabbis quickly explain this in a number of different ways.  As in all Talmudic conversation, the rabbis are able to use different possible examples to explain why a rule might not make sense on first reading.

Rabbi Eliezer suggests that this woman is burned for having intercourse with her father and she is stoned for having intercourse with her father-in-law. But she must be an arusa who is living with her father.  It seems that a bat kohen is punished more severely than other women - and men - in the community.  

The rabbis go on to share many, many crimes and their possible punishments.  Toward the end of our daf, we are introduced to further questions about men and crimes for their punishments.  However, this conversation is short lived.  The rabbis are more concerned with whether men, particularly kohanim, are blemished or unblemished, which limits their obligations.  Quickly the conversation returns to the plight of priest's daughters who transgress halachot.