Sanhedrin 1:3 - 1:4

סמיכת זקנים – on the head of a bullock over a matter that escaped the notice of the community. And there is in the implication of these things also the appointment of a judge, for the greatest one who is ordained, needs to combine with him two [others] when he wants to ordain a Sage in order in order that he will be called “Rabbi” and will adjudicate laws of fines. And we use the language of סמיכה / laying of hands/ordination because it is written (Numbers 27:23): “He laid his hands upon him [and commissioned him – as the LORD had spoken through Moses].” And not that one requires the ordaining with his hands upon him, but by name, as they call him “Rabbi.” But there is no ordination outside of the Land of Israel, but it is necessary that the one who ordains and the ordainee are all together in the Land of Israel, for then he will have permission to adjudicate the laws of fines, and even outside of the Land, for the [authority of the] Sanhedrin applies both in the Land [of Israel] and outside of the Land [of Israel], after they have been ordained in the Land [of Israel]. And Maimonides wrote that it appeared to him that since we no longer have men ordained by the mouth of other men [going back] until the time of Moses our Teacher, if all the Sages in the Land of Israel would each ordain one individual or many, it would be that they would be ordained and able to adjudicate the laws of fines and they would be able to ordain others. And this matter requires a verdict by a majority of one.

ועריפת העגלה בשלשה – since it is written (Leviticus 4:15): “ The elders of the community [lay their hands upon the head of the bull before the LORD…”, the lowest [value] of [the word] זקנים/elders is two, and there cannot be an even-balanced court, they add upon them another “one,” so that there are three.

רבי יהודה אומר: בחמשה – [The word] וסמכו/and they lay their hands [denotes] “two”, [and the word] זקני/elders [denotes] two, and there cannot be an even-balanced court, they add upon them another “one,” so that there are five, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.

מצות חליצה בשלשה – As it is written (Deuteronomy 25:9): “the brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders…” The word זקנים /elders [denotes] two , and there cannot be an even-handed court, they add upon them another “one,” which makes three. And the other two which they add on are not [added] other than to publicize the matter.

מיאונין – A minor orphan girl whose mother or brothers married her off, with her knowledge, and may go free with her protest against a marriage to her husband [contracted during her minority], which must take place [with a Jewish court] of three [judges], and in the Tractate Yevamot, it is proved that a woman’s protest it is enough [that the protest is lodged] in front of two [judges].

נטע רבעי – if he comes to redeem [them] by setting aside its monetary value, and similarly for the Second Tithe, where their value is not known, such as fruits that rotted and they do not have a known market rate.

וההקדשות – One who comes to redeem them requires three [judges] to estimate [their value].

הערכין המיטלטלין – For a person who said: “[I vow] the value of so-and-so upon myself”, and he lacks money to give according to the established price and he comes to give [the equivalent] in movable objects, requires three [judges] to estimate [the value] of those movables.

אחד מהן כהן – that in valuations [of a person or animal dedicated to the Temple], a Kohen is written (Leviticus 27:12): “whatever assessment is set by the priest shall stand.”

והקרקעות – and if he lacks movable [objects] and comes to give land, it requires ten individuals who will assess [the value of] the land, and one of them must be a Kohen, that it will be according the value that he must give.

ואדם כיוצא בהן – and if he said, the value of so-and-so is upon me, that we appraise the how much worth he would have to be sold in the marketplace, and he gives its monetary value, and this also requires that there would be ten [individuals], and one of them a Kohen in this appraisal.

והרגת את האשה ואת הבהמה – that is an animal that copulates with a woman, which is compared by analogy to a woman. Just as a woman [is tried by a court] of twenty three, so is the animal [tried by a court of twenty-three.

ואומר: "ואת הבהמה תהרוגו" – It is written concerning an animal that was copulated by a man. We have [thereby] learned/derived the animal that copulated with a woman and the animal that was copulated by a man.

כמיתת הבעלים – that is to say, just as the owner is judged by [a court of] twenty-three [judges], if he was liable for the death penalty.

כל הקודם להורגן זכה – when they killed a human being, and there is no need to bring them to be tried in a Jewish court.

רבי עקיבא אומר: וכו' – It explains in the Gemara that there is a difference between the first teacher [of the Mishnah] and Rabbi Akiva. [Concerning] a snake – where the first Tanna [of the Mishnah] claims that its death is via a Jewish court of twenty-three [judges], but according to Rabbi Akiva, [the wolf], the lion, and the bear and the leopard and the hyena , their deaths [are administered] through [a Jewish court] of twenty-three [judges], but a snake, all who can kill it earliest, is [found] worthy, for it removes the one who causes damage from the world. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiva.