Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Musar for Sanhedrin 91:14

ומתירין אותו מיד ואם לן עובר עליו בלא תעשה שנאמר (דברים כא, כג) לא תלין נבלתו על העץ כי קבר תקברנו כי קללת אלהים תלוי וגו' כלומר מפני מה זה תלוי מפני שבירך את השם ונמצא שם שמים מתחלל

&nbsp; &nbsp; <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. <font>HOW IS HEHANGED?</font><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After being stoned. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> — THE POST IS SUNKINTO THE GROUND <font>WITH A [CROSS-] PIECE BRANCHING OFF [AT THETOP]</font>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This bears no resemblance at all to crucifixion. Cf. Rabbinowicz, Legislation criminelle du Talmud, p. 111: What a difference between this hanging after death, where the executed man had both his hands tied and did not remain one minute upon the gallows, and the Supplicium, which the Romans inflicted upon Jesus, who was nailed to the cross whilst alive, with his hands on the cross, and left hanging on the gallows all day. ');"><sup>28</sup></span>

Shenei Luchot HaBerit

Prior to the appointment of the first king, the Sanhedrin performed both functions, i.e. משפט התורה as well as הוראת שעה. This is one of the reasons Moses is referred to in our traditonal sources as מלך, king. This is also why, after the destruction of the Temple when Israel no longer had a king, Rabbi Eliezer is on record as saying: "I have heard that (nowadays) a Jewish Court of Law may administer corporal punishment even when Torah law does not call for this."
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