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Sanhedrin (סנהדרין)
The tractate Sanhedrin deals with the Jewish judicial system, courts of justice, legal procedures, and capital punishment according to Jewish law.
Nezikin11 chapters
Composizione delle corti (tre, ventitré, settantuno) (Mishnah 1:1–6)
V.
Hebrew
Orthodox reading
1:1
דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. גְּזֵלוֹת וַחֲבָלוֹת, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. נֶזֶק וַחֲצִי נֶזֶק, תַּשְׁלוּמֵי כֶפֶל וְתַשְׁלוּמֵי אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. הָאוֹנֵס וְהַמְפַתֶּה וְהַמּוֹצִיא שֵׁם רַע, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, מוֹצִיא שֵׁם רַע, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁיֶּשׁ בּוֹ דִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת:
Civil-monetary casesⓘ are judged by three. Robberies and bodily injuries, by three. Full damages and half-damages, restitution of doubleⓘ and restitution of fourfold and fivefold, by three. The violator, the seducer, and the defamer, by three — the words of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages state: the defamer is judged by twenty-three, because there are in it capital casesⓘ.
1:2
מַכּוֹת, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אָמְרוּ, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. עִבּוּר הַחֹדֶשׁ, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. עִבּוּר הַשָּׁנָה, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מַתְחִילִין, וּבַחֲמִשָּׁה נוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין, וְגוֹמְרִין בְּשִׁבְעָה. וְאִם גָּמְרוּ בִשְׁלֹשָׁה, מְעֻבֶּרֶת:
Floggingⓘ: with three (judges). In the name of Rabbi Ishmael they state: with twenty-three. The intercalation of the month: with three. The intercalation of the year (embolismic year)ⓘ: with three — the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel II states: with three one begins, with five one deliberates, and one concludes with seven. And if they concluded with three, (the year) is intercalated.
1:3
סְמִיכַת זְקֵנִים וַעֲרִיפַת עֶגְלָה, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, בַּחֲמִשָּׁה. הַחֲלִיצָה וְהַמֵּאוּנִין, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. נֶטַע רְבָעִי וּמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי שֶׁאֵין דָּמָיו יְדוּעִין, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. הַהֶקְדֵּשׁוֹת, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. הָעֲרָכִין הַמִּטַּלְטְלִין, בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֶחָד מֵהֶן כֹּהֵן. וְהַקַּרְקָעוֹת, תִּשְׁעָה וְכֹהֵן. וְאָדָם, כַּיּוֹצֵא בָהֶן:
The laying of hands by the eldersⓘ and the beheading of the heiferⓘ (are performed) before three (judges): the word of Rabbi Shimon. And Rabbi Yehudah states: five.
The chalitzahⓘ and the repudiation of the minor (are performed) before three (judges).
The fruit of the fourth year and the second tithe whose value is unknown (are assessed) before three (judges).
Consecrated propertyⓘ (is assessed) before three (judges).
The valuationsⓘ of movable goods (are deliberated) before three (judges); Rabbi Yehudah states: one of them must be a priest.
And immovable property (is deliberated before) nine and a priest. And (the valuation of) a person, as these.
1:4
דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. הָרוֹבֵעַ וְהַנִּרְבָּע, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר (ויקרא כ) וְהָרַגְתָּ אֶת הָאִשָּׁה וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה, וְאוֹמֵר (שם) וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה תַּהֲרֹגוּ. שׁוֹר הַנִּסְקָל, בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא) הַשּׁוֹר יִסָּקֵל וְגַם בְּעָלָיו יוּמָת, כְּמִיתַת בְּעָלִים כָּךְ מִיתַת הַשּׁוֹר. הַזְּאֵב וְהָאֲרִי, הַדֹּב וְהַנָּמֵר וְהַבַּרְדְּלָס וְהַנָּחָשׁ, מִיתָתָן בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַקּוֹדֵם לְהָרְגָן, זָכָה. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, מִיתָתָן בְּעֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה:
Capital casesⓘ [are judged] by twenty-three [judges]. One who has intercourse with an animal, and the animal (with which intercourse was had), [are judged] by twenty-three, as it is said (Leviticus 20): "You shall kill the woman and the animal," and it is written (ibid.): "and the animal you shall kill." The ox to be stoned [is judged] by twenty-three, as it is said (Exodus 21): "The ox shall be stoned and also its owner shall be put to death" — as the death of the owner, so the putting to death of the ox. The wolf and the lion, the bear and the leopard, the bardelasⓘ and the serpent — their putting to death [is decided] by twenty-three [judges]. Rabbi Eliezer states: whoever kills them first has acquired merit. Rabbi Akiva states: their putting to death [is decided] by twenty-three [judges].
1:5
אֵין דָּנִין לֹא אֶת הַשֵּׁבֶט וְלֹא אֶת נְבִיא הַשֶּׁקֶר וְלֹא אֶת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, אֶלָּא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. וְאֵין מוֹצִיאִין לְמִלְחֶמֶת הָרְשׁוּת, אֶלָּא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. אֵין מוֹסִיפִין עַל הָעִיר וְעַל הָעֲזָרוֹת, אֶלָּא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. אֵין עוֹשִׂין סַנְהֶדְרִיּוֹת לַשְּׁבָטִים, אֶלָּא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. אֵין עוֹשִׂין עִיר הַנִּדַּחַת, אֶלָּא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. וְאֵין עוֹשִׂין עִיר הַנִּדַּחַת בַּסְּפָר, וְלֹא שְׁלֹשָׁה, אֲבָל עוֹשִׂין אַחַת אוֹ שְׁתָּיִם:
One is not judged — neither the tribe, nor the false prophet, nor the high priest — except by decision of the Sanhedrin of seventy-one.
One does not undertake a voluntary warⓘ, except by decision of the Sanhedrin of seventy-one.
One does not expand the city (of Jerusalem) nor the Temple courtsⓘ, except by decision of the Sanhedrin of seventy-one.
One does not establish tribal Sanhedrins, except by decision of the Sanhedrin of seventy-one.
One does not declare a subverted cityⓘ, except by decision of the Sanhedrin of seventy-one.
And one does not declare a subverted city on the frontier, nor does one declare three; but one or two may be declared.
1:6
סַנְהֶדְרִי גְדוֹלָה הָיְתָה שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד, וּקְטַנָּה שֶׁל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. וּמִנַּיִן לַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁהִיא שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יא) אֶסְפָה לִּי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּמֹשֶׁה עַל גַּבֵּיהֶן, הֲרֵי שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, שִׁבְעִים. וּמִנַּיִן לַקְּטַנָּה שֶׁהִיא שֶׁל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם לה) וְשָׁפְטוּ הָעֵדָה וְגוֹ' וְהִצִּילוּ הָעֵדָה, עֵדָה שׁוֹפֶטֶת וְעֵדָה מַצֶּלֶת, הֲרֵי כָאן עֶשְׂרִים. וּמִנַּיִן לָעֵדָה שֶׁהִיא עֲשָׂרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם יד) עַד מָתַי לָעֵדָה הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת, יָצְאוּ יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְכָלֵב. וּמִנַּיִן לְהָבִיא עוֹד שְׁלֹשָׁה, מִמַּשְׁמַע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג) לֹא תִהְיֶה אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְרָעֹת, שׁוֹמֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁאֶהְיֶה עִמָּהֶם לְטוֹבָה, אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר (שם) אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֹּת, לֹא כְהַטָּיָתְךָ לְטוֹבָה הַטָּיָתְךָ לְרָעָה. הַטָּיָתְךָ לְטוֹבָה עַל פִּי אֶחָד, הַטָּיָתְךָ לְרָעָה עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם, וְאֵין בֵּית דִּין שָׁקוּל, מוֹסִיפִין עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹד אֶחָד, הֲרֵי כָאן עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. וְכַמָּה יְהֵא בְעִיר וּתְהֵא רְאוּיָה לְסַנְהֶדְרִין, מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים. רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר, מָאתַיִם וּשְׁלשִׁים, כְּנֶגֶד שָׂרֵי עֲשָׂרוֹת:
The Great Sanhedrin consisted of seventy-one, and the small one of twenty-three. From where (is it derived) that the great one consists of seventy-one? As it is said (Nm 11:16): "Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel" — and Moses (was) above them: behold seventy-one. Rabbi Yehudah states: seventy.
From where (is it derived) that the small one consists of twenty-three? As it is said (Nm 35:24–25): "The assembly shall judge... and the assembly shall save" — one assemblyⓘ judges and one assembly saves: behold twenty. From where (is it derived) that an assembly consists of ten? As it is said (Nm 14:27): "How long, this wicked assembly" — Joshua and Caleb had departed from it. From where (is it derived) to add three more? From the implication of what is said (Ex 23:2): "Do not follow the majority for evil" — from this I infer that one (must) follow it for good; if so, why is it said (ibid.): "Following the majority to incline the judgment"? Because your inclination toward acquittal is not like your inclination toward conviction: the inclination toward acquittal (operates) by one; the inclination toward conviction by two. And since the court cannot be evenly divided, one more is added to them: behold twenty-three.
And how many (inhabitants) must a city have in order to be fit to have a Sanhedrin? One hundred and twenty. Rabbi Nehemiah states: two hundred and thirty, corresponding to the leaders of the tensⓘ.