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Sanhedrin 5:5 - 6:1

The Mishnah Yomi for Thursday, January 2, 2025 is Sanhedrin 5:5 - 6:1

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Mishnah 1

Mishnayos Sanhedrin Perek 5 Mishnah 5

סנהדרין פרק ה׳ משנה ה׳

5
And if the court found it fit to acquit him during the deliberations, as all or a majority of the judges agreed to acquit him, they excuse him. But if a majority does not find it fit to acquit him, they delay his verdict to the following day, and they then assign pairs of judges to discuss the matter with each other. They would minimize their food intake and they would not drink wine all day. And they would deliberate all night, and the following day they would arise early and come to court and then vote again and tally the votes of the judges. One who yesterday was of the opinion to acquit the defendant says: I said to acquit, and I acquit in my place, i.e., I stand by my statement to acquit. And one who yesterday was of the opinion to deem him liable says: I said to deem him liable, and I deem him liable in my place. One who yesterday taught a reason to deem him liable may then teach a reason to acquit, but one who yesterday taught a reason to acquit may not then teach a reason to deem him liable. If they erred in the matter, as one of the judges forgot what he had said the previous day, two judges’ scribes, who recorded the statements of the judges, remind him. If the court then found it fit to acquit him unanimously, they excuse him, and if not all of the judges determine to acquit, they stand to count the vote. If twelve judges vote to acquit him and eleven judges deem him liable, he is acquitted. The mishna continues: In a case where twelve judges deem him liable and eleven judges acquit; or even if eleven judges acquit and eleven deem him liable and one judge says: I do not know; or even if twenty-two judges acquit or deem him liable and one judge says: I do not know, the judge who said he does not know is disregarded, and the judges add additional judges to the court until they reach a definitive ruling. And how many judges do they add? They add pairs of two judges each time they do not reach a ruling until there are seventy-one judges, but no more than that. At that point, if thirty-six judges acquit and thirty-five judges deem him liable, he is acquitted. If thirty-six judges deem him liable and thirty-five judges acquit, they continue to deliberate the matter, these judges against those judges, until one of those who deems him liable sees the validity of the statements of those who acquit and changes his position, as the court does not condemn a defendant to death by a majority of one judge.
אִם מָצְאוּ לוֹ זְכוּת, פְּטָרוּהוּ. וְאִם לָאו, מַעֲבִירִין דִּינוֹ לְמָחָר. הָיוּ מִזְדַּוְּגִין זוּגוֹת זוּגוֹת, וּמְמַעֲטִין בְּמַאֲכָל, וְלֹא הָיוּ שׁוֹתִין יַיִן כָּל הַיּוֹם, וְנוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין כָּל הַלַּיְלָה, וְלַמָּחֳרָת מַשְׁכִּימִין וּבָאִין לְבֵית דִּין. הַמְזַכֶּה אוֹמֵר אֲנִי מְזַכֶּה וּמְזַכֶּה אֲנִי בִמְקוֹמִי, וְהַמְחַיֵּב אוֹמֵר אֲנִי מְחַיֵּב וּמְחַיֵּב אֲנִי בִמְקוֹמִי. הַמְלַמֵּד חוֹבָה מְלַמֵּד זְכוּת, אֲבָל הַמְלַמֵּד זְכוּת אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַחֲזֹר וּלְלַמֵּד חוֹבָה. טָעוּ בְדָּבָר, שְׁנֵי סוֹפְרֵי הַדַּיָּנִין מַזְכִּירִין אוֹתָן. אִם מָצְאוּ לוֹ זְכוּת, פְּטָרוּהוּ. וְאִם לָאו, עוֹמְדִים לְמִנְיָן. שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מְזַכִּין וְאַחַד עָשָׂר מְחַיְּבִין, זַכַּאי. שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר מְחַיְּבִין וְאַחַד עָשָׂר מְזַכִּין, וַאֲפִלּוּ אַחַד עָשָׂר מְזַכִּין וְאַחַד עָשָׂר מְחַיְּבִין וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ, וַאֲפִלּוּ עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁנַיִם מְזַכִּין אוֹ מְחַיְּבִין וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ, יוֹסִיפוּ הַדַּיָּנִין. עַד כַּמָּה מוֹסִיפִין, שְׁנַיִם שְׁנַיִם עַד שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד. שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה מְזַכִּין וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה מְחַיְּבִין, זַכַּאי. שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשִׁשָּׁה מְחַיְּבִין וּשְׁלֹשִׁים וַחֲמִשָּׁה מְזַכִּין, דָּנִין אֵלּוּ כְּנֶגֶד אֵלּוּ עַד שֶׁיִּרְאֶה אֶחָד מִן הַמְחַיְּבִין דִּבְרֵי הַמְזַכִּין:
ה׳

מעבירין אותו למחר – postpone the judgement until the morrow because of the reserving of the verdict for the next morning.

שנים עשר מחייבין ואחד עשר מזכין – but being inclined for evil is lacking, therefore, they add judges.

ואפילו שנים ועשרים חזכין או מחייבין ואחד אומר איני יודע יוסי פיו הדיינים – and this one that said, “I don’t know,” is like he doesn’t exist, and we do not judge capital cases either for acquittal or for guilt with less than twenty-three [judges].

שנים שנים – if these two that they added were divided [in their opinions], this one towards here and other towards there, and still there is no being inclined – neither to the good by a majority of one or to evil by a majority of two, one needs to add another two [judges] and similarly until seventy-one.

עד שיראה אחד מן המחייבים דברי המזכין – for there would be an inclination/leaning towards the good by a majority of one, and the same law applies if one those who would acquit would see the words of those who declare guilty. And at the time of the conclusion of legal proceedings, we establish that even one who taught for acquittal may [change his opinion] to teach for guilt. And this particular one who did not teach or until one of those [advocating] for acquittal the would see the words of those [advocating] for guilt, for he who taught for acquittal would retract.

מעבירין אותו למחר. מעבירין את הדין עד למחר, משום הלנת הדין:

שנים עשר מחייבין ואחד עשר מזכין. והטייתך לרעה על פי אחד ליתא, הלכך יוסיפו דיינים:

ואפילו שנים ועשרים מזכין או מחייבין ואחד אומר איני יודע יוסיפו דיינים. דהאי דאמר איני יודע כמאן דליתא דמי, ואין דנין דיני נפשות לא לזכות ולא לחובה בפחות משלשה ועשרים.

שנים שנים. אם נתחלקו השנים שהוסיפו זה לכאן וזה לכאן, דאכתי ליכא הטיה לא לטובה על פי אחד ולא לרעה על פי שנים, צריך להוסיף עוד שנים. וכן עד שבעים ואחד:

עד שיראה אחד מן המחייבים דברי המזכין. דאיכא הטיה לטובה על פי אחד. והוא הדין אם יראה אחד מן המזכים דברי המחייבים. דבשעת גמר דין קיימא לן דאף המלמד זכות יכול ללמד חובה. והאי דלא תני או עד שיראה אחד מן המזכין דברי המחייבין, דתנא אזכות קמהדר:

Mishnah 2

Mishnayos Sanhedrin Perek 6 Mishnah 1

סנהדרין פרק ו׳ משנה א׳

1
When the trial has ended in a guilty verdict and the condemned man has been sentenced to be stoned, he is taken out to be stoned. The place of stoning was outside the court and a little beyond it, as it is stated with regard to a blasphemer: “Take out him who has cursed to outside the camp, and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him” (Leviticus 24:14). One man stands at the entrance to the court, with cloths [vehasudarin] in his hand, and another man sits on a horse at a distance from him but where he can still see him. If one of the judges says: I can teach a reason to acquit him, the other, i.e., the man with the cloths, waves the cloths as a signal to the man on the horse, and the horse races off after the court agents who are leading the condemned man to his execution, and he stops them, and they wait until the court determines whether or not the argument has substance. And even if he, the condemned man himself, says: I can teach a reason to acquit myself, he is returned to the courthouse, even four or five times, provided that there is substance to his words. If, after the condemned man is returned to the courthouse, the judges find a reason to acquit him, they acquit him and release him immediately. But if they do not find a reason to acquit him, he goes out to be stoned. And a crier goes out before him and publicly proclaims: So-and-so, son of so-and-so, is going out to be stoned because he committed such and such a transgression. And so-and-so and so-and-so are his witnesses. Anyone who knows of a reason to acquit him should come forward and teach it on his behalf.
נִגְמַר הַדִּין, מוֹצִיאִין אוֹתוֹ לְסָקְלוֹ. בֵּית הַסְּקִילָה הָיָה חוּץ לְבֵית דִּין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כד) הוֹצֵא אֶת הַמְקַלֵּל. אֶחָד עוֹמֵד עַל פֶּתַח בֵּית דִּין וְהַסּוּדָרִין בְּיָדוֹ, וְאָדָם אֶחָד רוֹכֵב הַסּוּס רָחוֹק מִמֶּנּוּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּהֵא רוֹאֵהוּ. אוֹמֵר אֶחָד יֶשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת, הַלָּה מֵנִיף בַּסּוּדָרִין וְהַסּוּס רָץ וּמַעֲמִידוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא אוֹמֵר יֶשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמִי זְכוּת, מַחֲזִירִין אוֹתוֹ אֲפִלּוּ אַרְבָּעָה וַחֲמִשָּׁה פְעָמִים, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַמָּשׁ בִּדְבָרָיו. מָצְאוּ לוֹ זְכוּת, פְּטָרוּהוּ, וְאִם לָאו, יוֹצֵא לִסָּקֵל. וְכָרוֹז יוֹצֵא לְפָנָיו, אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי בֶּן פְּלוֹנִי יוֹצֵא לִסָּקֵל עַל שֶׁעָבַר עֲבֵרָה פְלוֹנִית, וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו, כָּל מִי שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ לוֹ זְכוּת יָבֹא וִילַמֵּד עָלָיו:
א׳

נגמר הדין. חוץ לבית בין – far from the Jewish court, perhaps all the while that they bring him to the House of Stoning, they will find him for acquittal and he will be freed.

והסודרין בידו – to wave, and it is a sign to return him.

ובלבד שיהא ממש בדבריו – but if there is no substance in his words, the first and second time alone they return him, perhaps as a result out of fright he declared that he had nothing to say (i.e., he was intimidated), and perhaps his mind became clearer and he would remember his pleas; more than this, we don’t return him, and we transmit to him two Sages who would investigate if there is substance to this words, and then they would return him four or five times.

ופלוני ופלוני עדיו – that he transgressed such-a-sin on a certain day at a particular time and in a certain place; perhaps there are those who would refute them as false witnesses.

נגמר הדין. חוץ לבית דין. רחוק מבית דין שמא בעוד שמוליכין אותו לבית הסקילה, ימצאו לו זכות ויפטר:

והסודרין בידו. להניף. והוא סימן להחזירו:

ובלבד שיהא ממש בדבריו. ואם אין ממש בדבריו, פעם ראשונה ושניה בלבד מחזירין אותו, דלמא מחמת בעתותא נסתתמו טענותיו ואולי תתישב דעתו עליו ויזכור טענותיו, יותר על כך אין מחזירין אותו. ומוסרין לו שני תלמידי חכמים שיעיינו אם יש ממש בדבריו שאז מחזירין אותו ארבע וחמש פעמים:

ופלוני ופלוני עדיו. שעבר עבירה פלונית ביום פלוני בשעה פלונית. במקום פלוני. דלמא איכא דמזים להו:

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