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Sanhedrin 3b

סנהדרין ג׳ ע״ב

Learn Sanhedrin 3b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

The number of judges for money cases: the sources for three, whether a court must be odd-numbered, and רבי's five

Overview

The amud opens with the end of an answer: the משנה lists חצי נזק, and then full נזק, because of how it was already listing other payments. The גמרא then asks where we learn that money cases need three judges. רבי יאשיה counts three mentions of the word אלהים in the פסוקים. רבי יונתן does not count the first mention, so he counts two and adds a third because a בית דין cannot be even-numbered. The גמרא shows that both agree first mentions are not normally counted. רבי יאשיה counts this one only because the תורה chose the word אלהים over 'the judge'. The גמרא then explains that רבי יאשיה, like and even beyond רבי יהודה, allows an even-numbered court. He applies the odd-number rule only to capital cases, but still learns majority rule for money cases through a קל וחומר. Finally, a ברייתא brings רבי's view that money cases need five judges. רבי אבהו knocks out the first explanation for this, and the גמרא gives a new source: 2 + 2 from the פסוקים, plus 1 so the court is not even.

Opening lines

שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּלֵּם בְּרֹאשׁ הוּא,

…is money that is not paid according to its value,

תְּנָא נָמֵי חֲצִי נֶזֶק,

so he also taught half damage,

דְּמָמוֹן שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִשְׁתַּלֵּם בְּרֹאשׁ הוּא.

since that too is money not paid according to its value.

וְאַיְּידֵי דְּקָא בָּעֵי לְמִיתְנֵא חֲצִי נֵזֶק,

And since he needed to teach half damage,

The steps (26)

  1. ResolutionWhy the משנה also lists half damage and full damage
  2. QuestionWhere do we learn the need for three judges?
  3. Responseרבי יאשיה counts three mentions of אלהים
  4. Statementרבי יונתן: the first mention does not count, so add one
  5. QuestionDo they argue about counting first mentions?
  6. RejectionEveryone agrees, but the unusual word אלהים makes it countable
  7. Resolutionרבי יונתן: The תורה just used everyday language
  8. ChallengeDoes רבי יאשיה reject the rule that a court must have an odd number?
  9. Resolutionרבי יאשיה follows רבי יהודה, who allows a court of seventy
  10. ChallengeMaybe רבי יהודה's seventy applies only to the Great סנהדרין
  11. ChallengeBlocking the idea that רבי יהודה treats all courts the same
  12. ProofWhy רבי יהודה requires five judges
  13. Resolutionרבי יאשיה goes further than רבי יהודה
  14. QuestionWhat does רבי יאשיה do with the פסוק of majority rule?
  15. ResponseHe applies it to capital cases
  16. ChallengeDoes the majority-vote משנה go against רבי יאשיה?
  17. Resolutionרבי יאשיה learns majority rule for money cases from capital cases
  18. Statementרבי says money cases need five judges
  19. ChallengeCan't a three-judge court decide by two?
  20. Resolutionרבי means the verdict itself needs three
  21. ConclusionFor רבי, the תורה's three refers to the verdict
  22. Challengeרבי אבהו: then the סנהדרין would need 141 judges
  23. ProofThe תורה's numbers count the judges on the court
  24. ResolutionA new source for רבי: the plural word means two judges
  25. ProofComparing the two mentions of אלהים gives two more judges
  26. ConclusionNo even-numbered court, so one is added to make five