Commentary for Sanhedrin 34:8

וכמה יהא בעיר ויהא ראויה לסנהדרין מאה ועשרים וכו': מאה ועשרים מאי עבידתייהו עשרים ושלשה כנגד סנהדרי קטנה ושלש שורות של עשרים ושלשה הרי תשעים ותרתי ועשרה בטלנין של בית הכנסת הרי מאה ותרי

to R. Jose b. Hanina. 'They laughed at it in the West', to R. Eleazar. But do we not read: 'A message was sent from Palestine: according to R. Jose b. Hanina&nbsp;…'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How then could the sender himself be R. Jose b. Hanina? ');">¹⁵</span> — Therefore reverse it: 'A message was sent from Palestine' refers to R. Eleazar; 'They laughed at it in the West', to R. Jose b. Hanina. WHAT MUST THE POPULATION OF A CITY BE IN ORDER THAT IT MAY QUALIFY FOR A SANHEDRIN? A HUNDRED AND TWENTY, etc. What is the reason for that NUMBER?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'what has (the number) to do (with that)?' ');">¹⁶</span> — Twenty-three, corresponding to the number of the minor Sanhedrin, and three rows of twenty-three,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Usually seated behind the Sanhedrin for the purpose of completing courts. For full explanation, v. Mishnah, infra 37a. ');">¹⁷</span>

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