The Sanhedrin and the Penalties within Their Jurisdiction Chapter 22

שְׁנַּיִם שֶׁבָּאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ לְדִין אֶחָד רַךְ וְאֶחָד קָשֶׁה. עַד שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם אוֹ מִשֶּׁתִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם וְאִי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ לְהֵיכָן הַדִּין נוֹטֶה אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לוֹמַר לָהֶם אֵינִי נִזְקָק לָכֶם שֶׁמָּא יִתְחַיֵּב הַקָּשֶׁה וְנִמְצָא רוֹדֵף אַחַר הַדַּיָּן. אֲבָל מִשֶּׁתִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם וְתֵדַע לְהֵיכָן הַדִּין נוֹטֶה אִי אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לוֹמַר אֵינִי נִזְקָק לָכֶם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים א יז) "לֹא תָגוּרוּ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ" שֶׁלֹּא תֹּאמַר אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי רָשָׁע הוּא שֶׁמָּא יַהֲרֹג אֶת בְּנִי שֶׁמָּא יַדְלִיק אֶת גְּדִישִׁי שֶׁמָּא יְקַצֵּץ נְטִיעוֹתַי. וְאִם הָיָה מְמֻנֶּה לָרַבִּים חַיָּב לְהִזָּקֵק לָהֶם:

When two people come before a judge, one soft and one harsh - before he hears their words, or even after he hears their words, but does not know the direction in which the judgment is leaning - he has the license to tell them: "I will not involve myself with you," lest the harsh litigant be held liable and seek vengeance from the judge. After he hears their words and knows in which direction the judgment is leaning, he does not have the license to tell them: "I will not involve myself with you," as Deuteronomy 1:18 states: "Do not be intimidated by any person." That verse implies that one should not say: "So-and-so is wicked, maybe he will kill my son, set fire to my crops, or cut down my trees." If he was an expert appointed to judge the many, he is obligated to involve himself with them in all circumstances.

וְכֵן תַּלְמִיד שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ וְרָאָה זְכוּת לֶעָנִי וְחוֹבָה לֶעָשִׁיר אִם שָׁתַק הֲרֵי זֶה עוֹבֵר מִשּׁוּם (דברים א יז) "לֹא תָגוּרוּ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ" וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (שמות כג ז) "מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק". וּמִנַּיִן לַדַּיָּן שֶׁלֹּא יוֹשִׁיב תַּלְמִיד בּוּר לְפָנָיו תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק:

Similarly, if a student was sitting before his master and became aware of a factor that would vindicate a poor person and obligate his rich adversary, he transgresses the above commandment if he remains silent. Concerning such matters, Exodus 23:7 states: "Keep distant from words of falsehood." What is the source which teaches that a judge should not have an underdeveloped student sit before him? It is written: "Keep distant from words of falsehood."

וּמִנַּיִן לְתַלְמִיד שֶׁרָאָה רַבּוֹ שֶׁטּוֹעֶה בַּדִּין שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אַמְתִּין לוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּגָּמֵר הַדִּין וְאֶסְתְּרֵנוּ וַאֲבִינֶנּוּ כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּקָּרֵא הַדִּין עַל שְׁמִי תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שמות כג ז) "מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק":

From where do we know that a student who sees his teacher erring in a particular matter of judgment, should not say, "I will wait for him until the conclusion of the judgment, at which time I will point out his error. I will then construct the argument correctly, so that the judgment will be quoted in my name"? The Torah therefore says, "Distance yourself from falsehood."

מִצְוָה לוֹמַר לְבַעֲלֵי דִּינִים בַּתְּחִלָּה בְּדִין אַתֶּם רוֹצִים אוֹ בִּפְשָׁרָה. אִם רָצוּ בִּפְשָׁרָה עוֹשִׂין בֵּינֵיהֶן פְּשָׁרָה. וְכָל בֵּית דִּין שֶׁעוֹשִׂין פְּשָׁרָה תָּמִיד הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח וְעָלָיו נֶאֱמַר (זכריה ח טז) "מִשְׁפַּט שָׁלוֹם שִׁפְטוּ בְּשַׁעֲרֵיכֶם" אֵי זֶהוּ מִשְׁפָּט שֶׁיֵּשׁ עִמּוֹ שָׁלוֹם הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶה בִּצּוּעַ. וְכֵן בְּדָוִד הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמואל ב ח טו) "וַיְהִי דָוִד עשֶֹׁה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה לְכָל עַמּוֹ" אֵיזֶהוּ מִשְׁפָּט שֶׁיֵּשׁ עִמּוֹ צְדָקָה הֱוֵי אוֹמֵר זֶהוּ בִּצּוּעַ וְהִיא הַפְּשָׁרָה. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים קֹדֶם גְּמַר דִּין אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשָּׁמַע דִּבְרֵיהֶם וְיָדַע לְהֵיכָן הַדִּין נוֹטֶה מִצְוָה לִבְצֹעַ אֲבָל אַחֲרֵי שֶׁגָּמַר הַדִּין וְאָמַר אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי אַתָּה זַכַּאי אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי אַתָּה חַיָּב אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לַעֲשׂוֹת פְּשָׁרָה בֵּינֵיהֶן אֶלָּא יִקֹּב הַדִּין אֶת הָהָר:

It is a Mitzvah to tell the parties at the beginning 'do you want Din (strict justice), or Pesharah (arbitration)?' If they want Pesharah, we seek out a compromise for them. A court that always does Pesharah is praiseworthy. Of them the verse says, “A just peace was made in your gates.” What kind of peace is also justice? We must conclude that this is Pesharah. As it is stated regarding King David, “And David made justice and righteousness to the nation.” What is the justice that has with it righteousness? We must conclude that it is arbitration. This is before the verdict, even if you heard their words and know which way the verdict leans. Once the case finished, and he said “Ploni, you are innocent, and Almoni, you are liable,” you may not do Pesharah, rather, let the Din pierce the mountain.

אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁרָצוּ בַּעֲלֵי הַדִּין בִּפְשָׁרָה בְּבֵית דִּין יֵשׁ לָהֶם לַחְזֹר וְלִתְבֹּעַ אֶת הַדִּין עַד שֶׁיִּקְנוּ מִיַּד שְׁנֵיהֶם:

Although the litigants agreed to a compromise in court, they have the authority to demand a judgment until they confirm their commitment to the compromise with a kinyan.

יָפֶה כֹּחַ פְּשָׁרָה מִכֹּחַ הַדִּין שֶׁשְּׁנֵי הֶדְיוֹטוֹת שֶׁדָּנוּ אֵין דִּינֵיהֶן דִּין וְיֵשׁ לְבַעֲלֵי דִּינִין לַחְזֹר בָּהֶן וְאִם עָשׂוּ פְּשָׁרָה וְקָנוּ מִיָּדָן אֵין יְכוֹלִין לַחְזֹר בָּהֶן:

A compromise has greater legal power than a judgment. If two ordinary people rendered a judgment, their judgment is not binding and the litigants need not accept it. If, however, such individuals negotiated a compromise and the litigants affirmed their agreement with a kinyan, they may not retract.

אָסוּר לְאֶחָד מִן הַדַּיָּנִים כְּשֶׁיֵּצֵא מִבֵּית דִּין לוֹמַר אֲנִי הוּא הַמְזַכֶּה אוֹ הַמְחַיֵּב וַחֲבֵרַי חוֹלְקִין עָלַי אֲבָל מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה שֶׁהֵם רַבּוּ עָלַי וְאִם אָמַר כֵּן הֲרֵי הוּא בִּכְלַל הוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל מְגַלֶּה סוֹד. וּמַעֲשֶׂה בְּתַלְמִיד אֶחָד שֶׁהוֹצִיא דְּבָרִים שֶׁנֶּאֶמְרוּ בְּבֵית הַמִּדְרָשׁ לְאַחַר שְׁתַּיִם וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וְהוֹצִיאוּהוּ בֵּית דִּין מִבֵּית הַמִּדְרָשׁ וְהִכְרִיזוּ עָלָיו זֶה מְגַלֶּה סוֹד הוּא:

After leaving the court, it is forbidden for any of the judges to say: "I was the one who vindicated you or held you liable and my colleagues differed with me. What could I do? They outnumbered me." If he says this, he is among those to whom the words of censure, Proverbs 11:13,: "He proceeds gossiping, revealing secrets" is applied. An incident occurred with regard to one student who revealed the private conversations in the House of Study 22 years later. The court had him removed from the House of Study and denounced him as "a revealer of secrets."

שָׁאַל אֶחָד מִבַּעֲלֵי דִּינִים לִכְתֹּב לוֹ פְּסַק דִּין כּוֹתְבִין לוֹ כָּךְ בָּא פְּלוֹנִי לְבֵית דִּין שֶׁל פְּלוֹנִי עִם פְּלוֹנִי בַּעַל דִּינוֹ שֶׁטְּעָנוֹ בְּכָךְ וְיָצָא זַכַּאי אוֹ חַיָּב וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ וְאֵין מַזְכִּירִין שֵׁם הַמְזַכִּין וְלֹא שֵׁם הַמְחַיְּבִין אֶלָּא בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל פְּלוֹנִי מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם נִזְדַּכָּה פְּלוֹנִי:

If either of the litigants asks the court to compose a record of the judgment, they write it for him in the following manner: "So-and-so came to this-and-this court with so-and-so, the opposing litigant, claiming this-and-this. He was vindicated" or "...held liable." The record is given to him without it mentioning the names of those who vindicated him or those who held him liable. Instead, it says merely "From the statements of the court of such-and-such, so-and-so was vindicated."

כָּךְ הָיָה מִנְהָגָם שֶׁל אַנְשֵׁי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם. מַכְנִיסִין בַּעֲלֵי דִּינִין וְשׁוֹמְעִים דִּבְרֵיהֶם וְטַעֲנוֹתֵיהֶם וּמַכְנִיסִים הָעֵדִים וְשׁוֹמְעִים דִּבְרֵיהֶם. וּמוֹצִיאִין כָּל אָדָם לַחוּץ. וְהַדַּיָּנִים נוֹשְׂאִים וְנוֹתְנִים בֵּינֵיהֶם בַּדָּבָר וְגוֹמְרִין אֶת הַדָּבָר וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַכְנִיסִין בַּעֲלֵי דִּינִים וְגָדוֹל שֶׁבַּדַּיָּנִים אוֹמֵר אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי אַתָּה זַכַּאי אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי אַתָּה חַיָּב כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵדַע אֶחָד מִבַּעֲלֵי דִּינִים אֵי זֶה דַּיָּן הוּא מִי שֶׁזִּכָּה אוֹתוֹ וְלֹא אֵי זֶה דַּיָּן הוּא שֶׁחִיְּבוֹ:

This was the custom of the men of Jerusalem: "They would bring the litigants into the court and listen to their statements and claims. They would then bring in the witnesses and listen to their statements. Afterwards, the judges would have all others removed and would debate the matter among themselves until they came to a decision. Afterwards, they would call the litigants in and the judge of the greatest stature declares: "So-and-so, your claim is vindicated; so-and-so, you are liable." In this way, the litigants do no know which judge vindicated him and which judge held him liable.

דַּיָּן שֶׁהוּא יוֹדֵעַ בַּחֲבֵרוֹ שֶׁהוּא גַּזְלָן אוֹ רָשָׁע אָסוּר לְהִצְטָרֵף עִמּוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כג ז) "מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק". וְכָךְ הָיוּ נְקִיֵּי הַדַּעַת שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם עוֹשִׂין אֵין יוֹשְׁבִין בַּדִּין עַד שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ עִם מִי הֵם יוֹשְׁבִים וְלֹא חוֹתְמִים אֶת הַשְּׁטָר עַד שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ מִי חוֹתֵם עִמָּהֶם וְלֹא נִכְנָסִים לִסְעוּדָה עַד שֶׁיֵּדְעוּ מִי מֵסֵב עִמָּהֶן:

When a judge knows that a colleague is a robber or a wicked person, it is forbidden for him to sit in judgment with him, as it is stated: "Keep distant from words of falsehood." This is the practice that would be followed by Jerusalem's men of refined character: They would not sit to participate in a judgment unless they knew who would sit with them. They would not sign a legal document unless they knew who would sign with them. And they would not enter a feast until they knew who would be joining them.