- Standing upon hearing Hashem’s Name, and tearing קריעה for blasphemy
The Mishnah on Daf 56a taught that when the witness finally expresses the exact curse he heard, with Hashem’s Name, the judges rise and tear their garments. The source that one stands upon hearing Hashem’s Name pronounced is from עלגון, king of Moav, who rose from his seat when Ehud said: "דבר אלקים לי אליך" – I have a message from Hashem for you. If עגלון, a gentile who only knew Hashem’s כינוי – subordinate Name (אלקים), still rose upon hearing it, then a Jew who hears the שם המפורש should certainly rise. The source for tearing one’s garments upon hearing blasphemy is from the three officers of Chizkiyahu, who came to him with torn garments to relate the blasphemy of רבשקה, officer of סנחריב the king of אשור when they laid siege to Yerushalayim. The torn garments are never repaired, which we derive from a gezeirah shavah from Elisha, who tore his garments when Eliyahu was taken, and an extra word ("קרעים") indicates שהן קרועים לעולם – that they are torn forever.
- Tearing קריעה for blasphemy of an idolator, for a כינוי, and nowadays
Shmuel said: השומע אזכרה מפי הנכרי אינו חייב לקרוע – one who hears blasphemy of a Divine Name by an idolator is not obligated to tear his garments. [Although the officers of Chizkiyahu tore their garments upon hearing the blasphemy of רבשקה, he was a Jewish מומר.] Shmuel also said: אין קורעין אלא על שם המיוחד בלבד – We only tear garments over blasphemy of the Specific Name of Hashem, לאפוקי כינוי דלא – as opposed to a subordinate Name, for which we do not tear קריעה. Both of these rulings are disputed by Rebbe Chiya, who said: השומע אזכרה בזמן הזה אינו חייב לקרוע – one who hears blasphemy of a Divine Name nowadays is not obligated to tear his garments, שאם אי אתה אומר כן – because if you do not say so, נתמלא כל הבגד קרעים – all garments would be filled with tears, since blasphemy has become commonplace. This cannot refer to blasphemy from Jews, which certainly has not become so common! Rather, he refers to idolators’ blasphemy, which they do with a כינוי, since they are not familiar with the שם המפורש. This proves that originally, one was obligated to tear קריעה for blasphemy of an idolator, and with a כינוי.
- Categories of avodah zarah: עבודה כדרכה, עבודת פנים, השתחואה, and מקבלו לאלוה
The next Mishnah lists the forms of avodah zarah which incur סקילה: אחד העובד – whether one “serves” (explained below), or shechts or burns an offering, pours a libation, or bows down to it, ואחד המקבלו עליו לאלוה – accepts [an idol] on himself as a deity, והאומר לו אלי אתה – or says to it, “You are my god,” he is liable. If he honors it another way, such as embracing, kissing, or clothing it, he transgresses a לא תעשה, but is not liable to סקילה. Rebbe Yirmiyah explains the first phrase, "העובד", to mean העובד כדרכה – one who serves an idol in its usual way. One receives סקילה for any act which is the normal service for that particular idol, even if it is disgraceful (e.g., throwing stones at מרקוליס). The Gemara derives that any form of עבודת פנים – service normally performed inside the Mikdash is liable to סקילה, even if it is not the normal service for this idol. Therefore, shechting or burning an offering, or pouring libations (as well as זריקה – sprinkling blood, included in the word "מנסך") all incur סקילה. Bowing and accepting it as a deity are included by individual pesukim.