Jewish%20thought for Sanhedrin 91:17

ולא היו קוברין אותו בקברות אבותיו אלא שתי בתי קברות היו מתוקנין לבית דין אחת לנהרגין ולנחנקין ואחת לנסקלין ולנשרפין נתעכל הבשר מלקטין את העצמות וקוברין אותן במקומן והקרובים באים ושואלים בשלום הדיינין ובשלום העדים כלומר שאין בלבנו עליכם שדין אמת דנתם

— AS IF TO SAY WHYWAS HE HANGED? — <font>BECAUSE HE CURSED THE NAME [OF GOD]</font>; ANDSO<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If his body be left hanging a considerable time, thus reminding men of his blasphemy. ');">³³</span> <font>THE NAME OF HEAVEN [GOD] ISPROFANED</font>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Man's sin reflecting, in a manner of speaking, on God. ');">³⁴</span> R. MEIR SAID:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In interpretation of the words [H]. ');">³⁵</span> WHEN MANSUFFERS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In consequence of sin, as those are who are executed in this instance. ');">³⁶</span> WHAT EXPRESSION DOES THESHECHINAH<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word [H] is omitted in most editions of the Mishnah. Where it is omitted, the definite article is added to the word [H], and the phrase is translated, 'When man suffers, what does the tongue say?' [The tongue stands for the Divine, and some texts accordingly add here, 'if it could be said', [H].] ');">³⁷</span> USE? — MY HEAD IS TOOHEAVY FOR ME, MY ARM IS TOO HEAVY FORME.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Gemara. The phrase is intended to express how painful it is to God when His children suffer, even though they may deserve punishment for their iniquities, as a father would deplore the pain of his sinful son. ');">³⁸</span> AND IF GOD IS SO GRIEVED OVERTHE BLOOD OF THE WICKED THAT IS SHED, HOW MUCH MORE SO OVER THE BLOOD OFTHE RIGHTEOUS! AND NOT ONLY OF THIS ONE [A CRIMINAL,] DID THEY [SC. THE SAGES] SAYIT,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., that the corpse must not be left hanging over night. ');">³⁹</span> BUT WHOSOEVER LETS HIS DEADLIE OVER NIGHT TRANSGRESSES A NEGATIVECOMMAND.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Mentioned above. ');">⁴⁰</span> IF HE KEPT HIM OVER NIGHTFOR THE SAKE OF HIS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'HIS' is ambiguous, and the Talmud on 47a discussed to whom it refers. ');">⁴¹</span> HONOUR, TO PROCUREFOR HIM A COFFIN OR A SHROUD, HE DOES NOT TRANSGRESS THEREBY. AND THEY DID NOT BURY HIM [THE EXECUTED PERSON] IN HIS ANCESTRAL TOMB, BUTTWO BURIAL PLACES WERE PREPARED BY THE <i>BETH DIN</i>, ONE FOR THOSE WHO WEREDECAPITATED OR STRANGLED, AND THE OTHER FOR THOSE WHO WERE STONED OR BURNED. WHEN THE FLESH WAS COMPLETELY DECOMPOSED, THE BONES WERE GATHERED AND BURIEDIN THEIR PROPER PLACE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the family vault. ');">⁴²</span> THE RELATIVESTHEN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Soon after the execution. ');">⁴³</span> CAME AND GREETED THE JUDGESAND WITNESSES, AS IF TO SAY, WE HAVE NO [ILL FEELINGS] AGAINST YOU IN OURHEARTS, FOR YE GAVE A TRUE JUDGMENT.

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