Reply To: Can the severity of a sin be learned from the severity of the punishment?

You mean maybe to ask what would I say if the sources were not there?
Well I’d have the same reaction as they did.
How can it possibly be so that this is less severe than that??”

Yes! Ok we are ??? you are getting it. Sometimes things are so obvious that even in the absence of a source we know it to be true.

Not sure where you got that conclusion from.
I’d be saying that the fact that he is pattur is indicative of the lessening of severity and I’d ask why.
Just like they do.
I wouldn’t conclude by saying, it must be that it’s more severe anyway. Which is what you are saying.
As I said, the ראשונים can say that. I and you can’t.
You can ask anything you want