Der Große Sanhedrin bestand aus einundsiebzig Richtern und der kleinere Sanhedrin aus dreiundzwanzig. Woher kommt, dass der Große Sanhedrin aus einundsiebzig bestand? Aus (Numeri 11:16): "Versammelt mir siebzig Männer der Ältesten Israels" und Mose über sie, nämlich. (Ebd. 17): "Und sie werden mit dir tragen"—zusammen mit dir], einundsiebzig machend. R. Yehudah sagt: Siebzig. [Er erklärt "mit dir" als "ähnlich wie du" und nicht, dass er mit ihnen im Gericht sitzen muss. Die Halacha stimmt nicht mit R. Yehudah überein.] Und woher wird abgeleitet, dass die kleinere aus dreiundzwanzig bestand? Aus (Ebd. 35: 24-25): "Und die Gemeinde wird richten ... und die Gemeinde wird retten." Die Gemeinde urteilt [dh zehn regieren schuldig], und die Gemeinde rettet [dh zehn regiert unschuldig] und macht zwanzig. [dh wir leiten daraus ab, dass es zwanzig geben muss. Wenn sie gespalten sind, regieren zehn schuldig und zehn unschuldig.] Und woher wird abgeleitet, dass eine "Gemeinde" zehn ist? Aus (Ebd. 14:27): "Wie lange dauert diese böse Gemeinde?" (Von den Spionen), wobei Yehoshua und Calev (von den Zwölf) ausgeschlossen werden. Und woher stammen die drei zusätzlichen? Aus (2. Mose 23: 2): "Sei nicht hinter vielen her", verstehe ich, dass ich für immer bei ihnen sein sollte. Warum muss mir dann gesagt werden (ebenda): "Nach vielen zum Neigen"? (Zu lehren :) Nicht als deine Neigung zum Guten (Freispruch) ist deine Neigung zum Schlechten (Überzeugung). Ihre Neigung zum Guten ist bei (einer Mehrheit von) einem; Ihre Neigung zu Krankheit erfordert (eine Mehrheit von) zwei (über die mindestens zehn hinaus). Und da wir keinen Split Beth-Din haben können, fügen wir einen weiteren hinzu und machen dreiundzwanzig. [Der Vers wird so verstanden: "Sei nicht hinter vielen wegen Krankheit her", um mit einer Mehrheit von einem über diejenigen zu verurteilen, die für Freispruch entscheiden; aber "nach vielen zu neigen"—mit zwei, auch für Kranke, wenn es zwei mehr für die Verurteilung als für den Freispruch gibt. Daher sind notgedrungen dreiundzwanzig erforderlich. Denn es kann nicht weniger als zehn Freispruchsentscheidungen geben—nämlich: "Und die Gemeinde wird retten", so dass die Überzeugung nicht mit weniger als zwölf erreicht werden kann. ("und da wir keinen Split Beth-Din haben können" :) Beth-Din kann nicht gerade nummeriert werden; denn wenn (es wäre und) sie gespalten wären (in ihrer Entscheidung), hätten wir halb gegen halb, so dass "Ihre Neigung zum Guten ist mit einem" nicht erhalten könnte. Deshalb wird ein zusätzlicher Richter hinzugefügt, der dreiundzwanzig macht.] Und wie viele muss es in einer Stadt geben, damit sie sich für einen Sanhedrin (von dreiundzwanzig) qualifiziert? Einhundertzwanzig. [Die Gemara erklärt: Dreiundzwanzig, der kleine Sanhedrin; drei Reihen von jeweils dreiundzwanzig sitzen vor ihnen, von denen aus sie den Richtern hinzugefügt werden können, wenn dies notwendig wird (siehe 4: 4); zehn "Faulenzer" (dh zehn, die von allen Arbeiten untätig sind und ständig im Haus des Studiums sitzen; zwei Schriftgelehrte, die die Worte derer aufzeichnen, die für den Freispruch regieren, und diejenigen, die für die Überzeugung regieren; zwei Chazanim, Sextons von Beth-Din , Streifen zu verabreichen, wo vorgeschrieben, und die Prozessparteien zu rufen, zwei Prozessparteien, zwei Zeugen, zwei, die sie als Zomemin deklarieren ("Schema"), zwei, die Zomemin deklarieren, Zomemin, zwei (Wohltätigkeits-) Sammler und ein dritter, um die Wohltätigkeitsorganisation zu verteilen ( Wohltätigkeit wird von zwei gesammelt und von drei verteilt), ein Blutbrief, ein Schreiber und ein Lehrer für kleine Kinder— macht einhundertzwanzig.] R. Nechemiah sagt: Zweihundertdreißig, entsprechend "Offizieren von zehn" [dh dreiundzwanzig zehn —so dass jeder Richter ein zehnköpfiger Offizier ist, weniger als der, der nicht als "Autorität" angesehen wird. Die Halacha stimmt nicht mit R. Nechemiah überein.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ומשה על גביהן הרי שבעים ואחד – for the Biblical verse states (Numbers 11:17): “they shall bear [the burden of the people] with you, [and you shall not bear it alone],” and they will be with you.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Introduction
After having learned in the first five mishnayoth of the chapter how many judges were needed for each type of case, the sixth mishnah gives Biblical proof texts for these numbers.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
רבי יהודה אומר: שבעים – Who expounds on the word אתך/with you, that are similar to you, and not that you will sit with them in judgement. But the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Yehuda.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
This mishnah basically contains exegetical (midrashic) proofs for the greater Sanhedrin of seventy one and the little Sanhedrin of twenty three.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
עדה שופטת – ten who make liable/guilty
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
The greater Sanhedrin was made up of seventy one and the little Sanhedrin of twenty three. From where do we learn that the greater Sanhedrin should be made up of seventy one? As it says, “Gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel” (Num. 11:16), and when Moses is added to them there is seventy one. Rabbi Judah says: “Seventy.” The greater Sanhedrin was composed of seventy one judges to correspond to the seventy elders plus Moses mentioned in Numbers 11:16. According to Rabbi Judah, the seventy elders included Moses, and therefore the greater Sanhedrin was only to be composed of seventy one.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
עדה מצלת – ten who acquit, and learn from this that there needs to be twenty for if they divided it, there would be ten making liable and ten acquitting.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
From where do we learn that the little Sanhedrin should be made up of twenty three? As it says, “The assembly shall judge”, “The assembly shall deliver” (Num. 35:24-25), an assembly that judges and an assembly that delivers, thus we have twenty. And from where do we know that an assembly has ten? (1) As it says, “How long shall I bear this evil congregation?” (Num. 14:27) [which refers to the twelve spies] but Joshua and Caleb were not included. And from where do we learn that we should bring three others [to the twenty]? By inference from what it says, “You shall not follow after the many to do evil” (Ex. 23:2), I conclude that I must be with them to do well. Then why does it say, “[To follow] after the many to change judgment” (Ex. 23:2). [It means that] your verdict of condemnation should not be like your verdict of acquittal, for your verdict of acquittal is reached by the decision of a majority of one, but your verdict of condemnation must be reached by the decision of a majority of two. The court must not be divisible equally, therefore they add to them one more; thus they are twenty three. The exegesis used to derive the number 23 for the little Sanhedrin is much more complicated. Firstly, from the verses in Numbers 35:24-25, which refer to an assembly that judges and an assembly that delivers the condemned from being punished, the Rabbis derive that capital cases require the potential to have both a full “assembly” that judges (convicts) and a full assembly that delivers (acquits). Although this is certainly not the simple meaning of this verse, this is the way it is understood in our mishnah. An assembly is taken to mean a group of ten, as proven from the use of the word in Num. 14:27. If two “assemblies” are required than we need at least twenty on a court to adjudicate capital cases. In order to exegetically prove that we need another three, the mishnah turns to Exodus 23:2 and a potential redundancy between the two halves of the verse. The first half states that one should not follow a majority of people in order to do evil, and therefore we could learn that one should follow the majority to do good. However, this is understood to also be the explanation of the second half of the verse, which states that one should follow the majority, clearly to do good. In order to solve this supposed redundancy the mishnah says that the majority needed to convict is not the same as the majority needed to acquit. In order to acquit we only need a majority of one and in order to convict we need a majority of two. The verse is therefore explained in the following manner: when it says “, “You shall not follow after the many to do evil”, it means do not follow a majority of one to convict. When it says “[To follow] after the many to change judgment”, it means you should follow a majority of two to acquit. We have now arrived at the number twenty-two, since if an assembly (10) convicts we will need another assembly of 12 to acquit. In order not to have a court that is even and therefore might not arrive at any decision, they add one more judge.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
הטייתך לרעה על פי שנים – This is how the verse (Exodus 23:2) should be read: “You shall neither side with the mighty/multitude to do wrong” – to make guilty via a [majority of] one , so that there would be more than those who acquit; “but to pervert it in favor of the mighty” – with two, even for evil, so that there would be two more declaring guilty than those who acquit. Therefore, perforce, we require twenty-three [judges], for less than ten [judges] who acquit =, we don’t have to say, for it it is written (Numbers 35:25): “And the assembly shall protect (the manslayer from the blood avenger),” and further, we do not find that “guilt” is less than twelve.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
And how many should there be in a city that it may be fit to have a Sanhedrin? A hundred and twenty. Rabbi Nehemiah says: “Two hundred and thirty, so that [the Sanhedrin of twenty three] should correspond with them that are chiefs of [at least] groups of ten. In order for a city to be worthy or large enough to merit a little Sanhedrin, which according to mishnah five had to be appointed by the greater Sanhedrin, it had to have 120 permanent inhabitants. According to Rabbi Nehemiah, it had to have 230 inhabitants, ten for each judge. According to Rabbi Nehemiah this is so each judge can act as a chief of at least ten people, which is the smallest judicial appointment according to Ex. 18:21.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ואין בית דין שקול – We don’t make pairs in Jewish courts, for it they would split tdown the middle, it would be half and half – and we would not find giving a verdict according to the majority of votes by a majority of one for good; hence, we add to them one other [judge] so that there would be twenty-three.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Questions for Further Thought: • Why is a greater majority required for conviction than acquittal?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
מאה ועשרים – The Gemara explains that twenty-three judges is a Small Sanhedrin. And three rows of twenty-three apiece sit before them, for if there was a need increase [the number of] judges, they would add from them, and there would be ten idle individuals [available]. These ten individuals are idle from all work and always sit in the House of Study. And two scribes [are available] who write the words of those who acquit and those who find guilty. And two men who announce the order of proceedings, sextons of the Jewish court who flog the guilty and invite the opponents in court, the two opponents [themselves], and two witnesses and two conspiring witnesses and two witnesses who find the previous witnesses to be conspiring, and two treasurers/managers [of the charity], and a third to distribute the tzedakah/charity, since charity is collected by two and distributed by a third, and an artisan doctor [whose task it is] to draw blood, and a scribe, and a teacher of children which [all together] equals one-hundred and twenty.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
מאתים ושלשים כדי שרי עשרות – since that is twenty three groups of ten, whereby each judge would be the prince of ten, for less than the princes of ten, we would not find rulership. But the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Nehemiah.
