Mishnayos Sanhedrin Perek 11 Mishnah 2
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סנהדרין פרק י"א משנה ב׳
A rebellious elder according to the court, who does not observe the ruling of the court, is executed by strangulation, as it is stated: “If there shall be a matter too hard for you in judgment…and you shall arise and ascend unto the place that the Lord your God shall choose…and you shall do according to the matter that they shall declare unto you…and the man that shall do so intentionally, not to listen…and that man shall die” (Deuteronomy 17:8–12). There were three courts there in Jerusalem. One convenes at the entrance to the Temple Mount, and one convenes at the entrance to the Temple courtyard, and one convenes in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. An elder who issues a ruling contrary to the ruling of his colleagues and his colleagues come to that court that is at the entrance to the Temple Mount, and the elder says: This is what I interpreted and that is what my colleagues interpreted; this is what I taught and that is what my colleagues taught. If the members of the court heard a clear halakhic ruling in that case, the court says it to them. And if not, they come to those judges who are convened at the entrance to the Temple courtyard, which is a more significant tribunal. And the elder says: This is what I interpreted and that is what my colleagues interpreted; this is what I taught and that is what my colleagues taught. If the members of the court heard a clear halakhic ruling in that case, the court says it to them. And if not, these judges and those judges come to the High Court, the Sanhedrin of seventy-one judges that is in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, from which Torah emerges to the entire Jewish people, as it is stated: “And you shall do according to the matter that they shall declare unto you from that place that the Lord shall choose and you shall observe to perform according to all that they shall teach you” (Deuteronomy 17:10). They are the ultimate arbiters who establish the halakha that is binding. If they ruled contrary to the ruling of the elder and the elder then returned to his city, and nevertheless, he taught in the manner that he was teaching previously, he is exempt from punishment. But if he instructed others to act on the basis of his ruling that stands contrary to the ruling of the Sanhedrin, he is liable to be executed, as it is stated: “And the man that shall do so intentionally not to listen” (Deuteronomy 17:12), meaning that one is not liable unless he instructs others to act. A student who is not yet an elder, i.e., he has not been ordained, who instructs others to act contrary to the ruling of the Sanhedrin, is exempt, as a ruling given prior to ordination is not a valid ruling. It follows that his stringency is his leniency. The stringency imposed upon the student that he is not sanctioned to issue rulings results in the leniency that if he instructs others to act on the basis of his ruling that is contrary to the ruling of the Sanhedrin, he is exempt.
זָקֵן מַמְרֵא עַל פִּי בֵית דִּין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם יז) כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ'. שְׁלֹשָׁה בָתֵּי דִינִין הָיוּ שָׁם, אֶחָד יוֹשֵׁב עַל פֶּתַח הַר הַבַּיִת, וְאֶחָד יוֹשֵׁב עַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה, וְאֶחָד יוֹשֵׁב בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית. בָּאִים לָזֶה שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הַר הַבַּיִת, וְאוֹמֵר, כָּךְ דָּרַשְׁתִּי וְכָךְ דָּרְשׁוּ חֲבֵרָי, כָּךְ לִמַּדְתִּי וְכָךְ לִמְּדוּ חֲבֵרָי. אִם שָׁמְעוּ, אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם. וְאִם לָאו, בָּאִין לָהֶם לְאוֹתָן שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה, וְאוֹמֵר, כָּךְ דָּרַשְׁתִּי וְכָךְ דָּרְשׁוּ חֲבֵרָי, כָּךְ לִמַּדְתִּי וְכָךְ לִמְּדוּ חֲבֵרָי. אִם שָׁמְעוּ, אוֹמְרִים לָהֶם. וְאִם לָאו, אֵלּוּ וָאֵלּוּ בָּאִים לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית, שֶׁמִּמֶּנּוּ יוֹצֵאת תּוֹרָה לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה'. חָזַר לְעִירוֹ וְשָׁנָה וְלִמֵּד כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהָיָה לָמֵד, פָּטוּר. וְאִם הוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת, חַיָּב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה בְזָדוֹן, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיּוֹרֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת. תַּלְמִיד שֶׁהוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת, פָּטוּר, נִמְצָא חֻמְרוֹ קֻלּוֹ:
Bartenura
שלשה בתי דינין היו שם. בירושלים דמשתעי בה קרא וקמת ועלית:
אחד יושב על פתח הר הבית. הוא שער מזרחי שלפנים מן החיל, לפני עזרת נשים:
ואחד יושב. למעלה הימנו, כשעברו עזרת נשים ובאים לפתח עזרת ישראל:
ואחד יושב בלשכת הגזית. שהיא בנויה בתוך העזרה חציה בקודש וחציה בחול:
באים לזה שעל פתח הר הבית. זקן זה שהורה בעירו ונחלקו ב״ד שבעירו עליו והזקיקן הכתוב לעלות לירושלים, באים הוא וב״ד שבעירו לזה ב״ד שעל פתח הר הבית, שהרי בו פוגעים תחלה:
תלמיד שהורה לעשות. תלמיד שלא הגיע להוראה ונחלק על ב״ד שבעירו ובאו לב״ד הגדול ושאלו וחזר לעירו והורה כבתחלה, פטור, שאין להם לסמוך על הוראתו, והתורה לא חייבה אלא מופלא ומומחה לב״ד, כדילפינן מכי יפלא ממך, במופלא שבב״ד הכתוב מדבר:
נמצא חומרו קולו. חומר העבירה שעבר והורה אע״פ שלא הגיע להוראה מוסף על ההמראה שהמרה על פי בית דין, היא נעשית לו קולא לפוטרו מן המיתה, שאם היה זקן שהגיע להוראה והמרה על פי בית דין היה חייב מיתה:
שלשה בתי דינין היו שם – In Jerusalem that Scripture is talking about (Deuteronomy 17:8): “you shall promptly repair [to the place that the LORD your God will have chosen…]”.
אחד יושב על פתח הר הבית – it is the eastern gate that is inside from the חיל /the place within the fortification of the Temple, in front of the women’s court.
ואחד יושב – above him, when they have passed the women’s court and come to the door of the Israelite court.
ואחד בלשכת הגזית – which is built in the midst of the court, half of it in sanctified [area] and half of it in non-sacred [area].
באים לזה שעל פתח הר הבית – this elder who taught in his city, and the Jewish court that was in his city disputed with him and the Written [Torah] requires him to go up to Jerusalem. They come – he and the Jewish court that is in his city to this Jewish court at the entrance of the Temple Mount, for they first make contact with him.
תלמיד שהורה לעשות – a student who had not arrived at being an authorized teacher, and disputed with the Jewish court that was in his city and they came to the Great Jewish court and asked and he returned to his city and he taught as at first, he is exempt, as they don’t have to rely upon his teaching, and the Torah did not make liable other than someone who is distinguished and expert to the Jewish court, as we derive it (Deuteronomy 17:8): “If a case is too baffling for you…” with the distinguished one of the Jewish court, Scripture speaks.
נמצא חומרו קולו – the stringency of the transgression that he committed and he taught, even though he had not yet arrived at being an authorized teacher, is added to the contempt of court (i.e., rebelliousness) that he disregarded the authority of the Supreme Court, and it became for him a leniency to exempt him from death, for if he had been an elder who had arrived at being an authorized teacher, and disregarded the authority of the Supreme Court, he would be liable to death.