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POINT BY POINT SUMMARY

Prepared by Rabbi P. Feldman
of Kollel Iyun Hadaf, Yerushalayim
Rosh Kollel: Rabbi Mordecai Kornfeld


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Sanhedrin 3

1) THE JUDGES NEEDED FOR ADMISSIONS AND LOANS

(a) Objection #1 (against Answer 3:e, Daf 2B): If admissions and loans do not need Mumchim, the Mishnah teaches separate laws - monetary cases need three judges (even amateurs), theft and wounds require three Mumchim (but R. Avahu said that theft and wounds are examples of monetary cases)!
(b) Objection #2: (against Answer 3:b (2B)): (If theft or wounds are examples of monetary cases) why does the Mishnah say 'three judges' by monetary cases, and repeat 'three judges' after theft and wounds and...)?
(c) Answer #2 (to Question 3:a (2B) - Rava): (Eiruv Parshiyos applies here, Mid'Oraisa, three Mumchim are needed also for admissions and loans;) the Mishnah teaches two different laws:
1. (Mid'Rabanan, three amateurs suffice for monetary cases (i.e. admissions and loans), lest people will refrain from lending;
2. Theft and wounds require three Mumchim.)
(d) (Rav Acha brei d'Rav Ika): (Rashi - Eiruv Parshiyos does not apply here; Tosfos - even if it does) Mid'Oraisa, one judge (even an amateur) suffices for admissions and loans - "B'Tzedek Tishpot Amisecha";
1. Mid'Rabanan, we require three judges, lest an ignoramus give the wrong verdict.
(e) Question: Even with three judges, we should be concerned for unlearned judges!
(f) Answer: Surely, at least one of the three people has learned.
(g) Question: If so, we should say that if they erred, they are exempt (Rashi - because they are allowed to judge; Tosfos - to encourage learned people to judge).
(h) Answer: All the more so, this would encourage unlearned people to judge!
(i) Question: (Practically,) what is the difference between Rava and Rav Acha?
(j) Answer: They argue about Shmuel's law.
1. (Shmuel): If two judged a monetary case, the verdict stands, just it is called an impudent Beis Din.
2. Rava argues with Shmuel, Rav Acha agrees with Shmuel.
2) WHY DAMAGE WAS INCLUDED IN THE MISHNAH
(a) (Mishnah): Theft and wounds... damage, half-damage...
(b) Question: Damage is identical to wounds (whether an animal or person hit a person)!
(c) Answer: Yes, there was no need to teach damage, it was only taught along with half-damage.
(d) Question: Also half-damage is wounds!
(e) Answer #1: The Tana teaches fines (payments not equal to the damage, only witnesses obligate one to pay them) and 'Mamon' (payments that are not fines).
(f) Question: This is according to the opinion that half-damage is a fine;
1. According to the opinion that half-damage is Mamon, what can we answer?
(g) Answer #2: Because he must teach double payment, four and five, which are more than the principal, he also teaches half-damage, which is less than the principal.
3b---------------------------------------3b

1. Since he teaches half-damage, he also teaches damage.
3) THE SOURCE FOR THREE JUDGES
(a) Question: How do we know that three judges are needed?
(b) Answer (Beraisa - R. Yoshiyah): "V'Nikrav Ba'al ha'Bayis El *ha'Elohim*" - this teaches one; "Ad *ha'Elohim* Yavo Devar Shneihem" teaches a second; "Asher Yarshi'un *Elohim*" teaches a third;
(c) R. Yonason says, the first time 'ha'Elohim' is said, it is needed to teach that Mumchim are required, we cannot expound it to teach the number of judges;
1. We expound the other two, to teach two judges; we do not make a Beis Din with an even number of judges, so we add a third.
(d) Suggestion: They argue whether or not we expound the first occurrence.
(e) Rejection: No, all agree that (normally) we do not expound the first occurrence;
1. Here, R. Yoshiyah expounds it, because it should have said 'Shofet' (judge); since the Torah rather said "ha'Elohim", it teaches about how many are required.
2. R. Yonason says, this merely suggests that someone with a case should go to a Mumcheh.
(f) Question: Does R. Yoshiyah argue with the rule 'we do not make a Beis Din with an even number of judges'?! (A verse teaches this!)
1. (Beraisa - R. Eliezer son of R. Yosi ha'Galili): "Lintos Acharei Rabim Lehatos" - we must make a Beis Din that leans (that there is always a majority, i.e. there are an odd number of judges).
(g) Answer #1: Yes - he holds like R. Yehudah, who says that the Great Sanhedrin has 70 judges.
1. (Mishnah): The Great Sanhedrin has 71 judges;
2. R. Yehudah says, it has 70.
(h) Objection: R. Yehudah only says that regarding the Great Sanhedrin, he learns from a verse - we have no source that he permits a regular Beis Din with an even number of judges!
1. Suggestion: Perhaps we do not distinguish between the Great Sanhedrin and smaller Batei Din.
2. Rejection (Mishnah - R. Shimon): Three judges are needed for Semichah of judges and for the beheaded calf;
3. R. Yehudah says, five are needed.
4. Question: What is R. Yehudah's reason?
5. Answer: "V'Somechu" teaches two judges, "Ziknei" teaches two judges, a Beis Din cannot have an even number of judges, so we add a fifth.
(i) Answer #2: R. Yoshiyah holds like R. Yehudah, and says a larger Chidush;
1. R. Yehudah only said that the Great Sanhedrin can have an even number of judges, R. Yoshiyah says this even regarding smaller Batei Din.
(j) Question: What does he learn from "Lintos"?
(k) Answer: He applies it to a Sanhedrin judging a capital case, it cannot have an even number of judges.
(l) Question: Does he really say that Batei Din for monetary cases can have an even number of judges?!
1. (Mishnah): If two judges say that he is innocent, one says that he is guilty - he is innocent;
2. If two say that he is guilty, one says that he is innocent - he is guilty;
3. If R. Yoshiyah learns from verses that three judges are needed, all three must agree to make a verdict!
(m) Answer: No - a Kal va'Chomer teaches, we follow the majority:
1. Even regarding capital cases, we follow the majority, all the more so in monetary cases!
4) REBBI REQUIRES FIVE JUDGES
(a) (Beraisa): Three judges are needed for monetary cases;
(b) Rebbi says, five judges are needed, so there will be a majority.
(c) Objection: Even with three judges, there will always be a majority!
(d) Answer: He means, we need five judges in order that at least three will agree to the verdict.
(e) Inference: He holds that the three judges learned from verses must agree to make a verdict.
(f) Objection (R. Avahu): If so, the Great Sanhedrin should require 141 judges, so 71 will agree to the verdict, and a small Sanhedrin should need 45, so 23 will agree!
1. Rather, you must say, "Esfah Li Shiv'im Ish" - it suffices to gather 70 (and one, we are not concerned how many agree to the verdict); "V'Shofetu ha'Edah... V'Hitzilu ha'Edah" - we only care about how many judges deliberate;
2. Likewise, "V'Nikrav Ba'al ha'Bayis El ha'Elohim" - the concern is how many judges he approaches (not how many agree to the verdict).
(g) (R. Avahu): Rather, Rebbi learns from "Asher *Yarshi'un* ha'Elohim", the plural form teaches two judges;
1. Likewise, "Ad ha'Elohim Yavo Devar Shneihem" teaches two judges (we do not expound the first occurrence);
2. A Beis Din cannot have an even number of judges, so we add a fifth.
(h) Chachamim argue, because "Yarshi'un" is written missing a 'Vov', as if it was the singular 'Yarshi'an'.
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