Sanhedrin 18a

סנהדרין י״ח ע״א

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Topic

The size of a סנהדרין קטנה and the judges in the desert, the end of פרק דיני ממונות, and the opening משנה and גמרא on the laws of the כהן גדול and the king

Overview

The amud opens by finishing a calculation: a city needs 277 people to have its own סנהדרין קטנה. A ברייתא in the name of רבי says 278. The גמרא answers that the numbers depend on whether the סנהדרין גדולה has 70 judges (רבי יהודה) or 71 (רבנן). A ברייתא then counts the judges appointed in the desert and reaches 78,600. After the הדרן closing פרק דיני ממונות, a new פרק opens with a משנה about the כהן גדול. It covers court, testimony, חליצה, יבום, funerals and mourning. It then contrasts him with the king, who takes no part in any of these and whose widow may not remarry, though רבי יהודה disagrees on some points. The גמרא asks why the משנה needs to say that a כהן גדול judges and is judged. It gives two answers: the line is there to stand beside the king's rule, or it teaches that the כהן גדול is like an ordinary person before the law. Examining that ברייתא, the גמרא explains why a כהן גדול who kills by accident must still go into exile, and it begins quoting a משנה that continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

The steps (24)

1. ConclusionThe final number: 277 people
2. ChallengeA ברייתא that says 278
3. ResolutionIt depends on 70 or 71 judges
4. StatementCounting the ministers in the desert
5. ConclusionTotal judges: 78,600
6. ConclusionHadran: Closing דיני ממונות
7. StatementThe כהן גדול in court, testimony, חליצה and יבום
8. StatementHow the כהן גדול accompanies a relative's funeral
9. Statementרבי יהודה: he does not leave the מקדש at all
10. StatementHow the כהן גדול comforts other mourners
11. StatementHow people comfort the כהן גדול when he is mourning
12. StatementThe king does not judge, testify, or take part in חליצה and יבום
13. Statementרבי יהודה says a king may choose to do חליצה or יבום
14. StatementNobody may marry the king's widow
15. Statementרבי יהודה says another king may marry a king's widow
16. ChallengeIsn't it obvious that a כהן גדול judges?
17. ResolutionThe real point is that others judge him
18. ChallengeBeing judged is obvious too, by ריש לקיש's teaching
19. ResolutionIt was said only to match the king's rule
20. ResolutionSecond answer: the כהן גדול is treated like an ordinary person
21. ChallengeWhy say he is killed if he killed on purpose?
22. ResolutionThe point is the 'by accident' clause
23. ChallengeIsn't the exile rule obvious too?
24. ResolutionWe might have thought a כהן גדול is not exiled