Musar for Sanhedrin 91:7
אמר להן רבי אליעזר והלא שמעון בן שטח תלה נשים כו': אמר רב חסדא לא שנו אלא בשתי מיתות אבל במיתה אחת דנין והא מעשה דשמעון בן שטח דמיתה אחת הואי וקא אמרו ליה דאין דנין
only of two different deathpenalties,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Because where the crimes committed are different, the mitigating circumstances cannot be carefully brought forward to a hasty discussion. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> but if a single modeof execution is involved, they [two charges] may be tried [on the same day].But in the instance of Simeon b. Shetah, only one mode of execution was involved,and yet [the Sages] said to him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Eliezer, in answer to his remark. ');"><sup>14</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."
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy