Commentary for Sanhedrin 73:6

והיינו דאמר ליה ההוא מינא לרב כהנא אמריתו נדה שרי לייחודי בהדי גברא אפשר אש בנעורת ואינה מהבהבת אמר ליה התורה העידה עלינו סוגה בשושנים שאפילו כסוגה בשושנים לא יפרצו בהן פרצות

— Because it protects [meggin] the whole world. [Why] ha-Sahar? — Because it was moon-shaped.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H]=moon.I.e., they were seated in circular form like a moon. ');">¹¹</span> [Why] in which no mingled wine is wanting? — I.e., if one of them had to leave, it had to be ascertained if twenty-three, corresponding to the number of the minor Sanhedrin, were left,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The actual number required for capital cases is twenty-three, roughly a third of seventy-one, the remaining two-thirds being for completion purposes. The Aggadists therefore compare the court to mingled wine, a mixture of one-third of wine and two-thirds of water. Cf. B M. 60a; Tanhuma. Bamidbar IV. ');">¹²</span>

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