Sanhedrin 33

עמך עמך ואת בהדייהו ורבי יהודה עמך משום שכינה

with thee:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XI, 16. ');">¹</span> 'With thee' implies, 'and thou with [i.e., in addition to] them.' And R. Judah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How does he interpret 'with thee'? ');">²</span>

ורבנן אמר קרא (במדבר יא, יז) ונשאו אתך במשא העם אתך ואת בהדייהו ורבי יהודה אתך בדומין לך

— 'With thee' was stated on account of the <i>Shechinah</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in order to deserve that the Shechinah should rest upon them, as it is written, And I will take of the spirit which is upon thee etc. (Num. XI, 17). But it does not teach that Moses was to be counted in addition to them. ');">³</span> And the Rabbis?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How do they know that Moses was over them, seeing that 'with thee' has a different meaning? ');">⁴</span>

ורבנן (שמות יח, כב) מוהקל מעליך ונשאו אתך נפקא וילפא סנהדרי גדולה מסנהדרי קטנה

— Scripture saith, And they shall bear the burden of the people with thee:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XI, 17. ');">⁵</span> 'With thee' implies, 'and thou with them'. And R. Judah? — With thee' intimates that [the elders must] be like thee,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., in purity of family descent and bodily perfection. ');">⁶</span>

ת"ר (במדבר יא, כו) וישארו שני אנשים במחנה יש אומרים בקלפי נשתיירו

[Moses]. And the Rabbis?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whence do they deduce this? ');">⁷</span> — Scripture saith, So shall they make it easier for thee and bear the burden with thee;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XVIII, 22, referring to the minor Sanhedrin. ');">⁸</span>

שבשעה שאמר לו הקב"ה למשה אספה לי שבעים איש מזקני ישראל אמר משה כיצד אעשה אברור ששה מכל שבט ושבט נמצאו שנים יתירים אברור חמשה חמשה מכל שבט ושבט נמצאו עשרה חסרים אברור ששה משבט זה וחמשה משבט זה הריני מטיל קנאה בין השבטים

and the major Sanhedrin is deduced from the minor. Our Rabbis taught: But there remained two men in the camp.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XI, 26. ');">⁹</span>

מה עשה בירר ששה ששה והביא שבעים ושנים פיתקין על שבעים כתב זקן ושנים הניח חלק בללן ונתנן בקלפי אמר להם בואו וטלו פיתקיכם כל מי שעלה בידו זקן אמר כבר קידשך שמים מי שעלה בידו חלק אמר המקום לא חפץ בך אני מה אעשה לך

Some say: They [i.e., their names]<a rel="footnote" href="#56a_10">¹⁰</a> remained in the urn.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra. ');">¹¹</span>

כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר (במדבר ג, מז) ולקחת חמשת חמשת שקלים לגולגולת אמר משה כיצד אעשה להן לישראל אם אומר לו תן לי פדיונך וצא יאמר לי כבר פדאני בן לוי

For when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Gather unto me seventy of the elders of Israel,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XI, 16. ');">¹²</span> Moses said [to himself]: 'How shall I do it? If I choose six out of each tribe, there will be two more [than the required number]; if I select five, ten will then be wanting. If, on the other hand, I choose six out of one and five out of another, I shall cause jealousy among the tribes.' What did he do? — He selected six men [out of each tribe], and brought seventy-two slips, on seventy of which he wrote the word 'Elder', leaving the other two blank. He then mixed them all up, deposited them in an urn, and said to them, 'Come and draw your slips.' To each who drew a slip bearing the word 'Elder', he said, 'Heaven has already consecrated thee.' To him who drew a blank, he said: 'Heaven has rejected thee, what can I do?' Similarly, thou readest, Thou shalt take five <i>shekels</i> apiece by the poll.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. III, 47. After the completion of the Tabernacle, the Levites were called to replace the firstborns of all Israelites in the service of the Sanctuary, (cf. Ex. XXIV, 5; XIX, 24.) In order to effect this transfer of office, both the firstborn and the Levites were numbered. And when it was found that of the former there were twenty-two thousand two hundred and seventy-three; and of the latter, twenty-two thousand, the two hundred and seventy-three firstborns who were in excess of the Levites were redeemed at the rate of five shekels per head. (Five shekels is the legal sum for the redemption of a firstborn. v. Num. XVIII, 16). To solve the difficulty of deciding who was to be redeemed and who exchanged, the above scheme was adopted. ');">¹³</span>

מה עשה הביא עשרים ושנים אלפים פיתקין וכתב עליהן בן לוי ועל שלשה ושבעים ומאתים כתב עליהן חמשה שקלים בללן ונתנן בקלפי אמר להן טלו פיתקיכם מי שעלה בידו בן לוי אמר לו כבר פדאך בן לוי מי שעלה בידו חמשת שקלים אמר לו תן פדיונך וצא

Moses reasoned: How shall I act toward Israel? If I say to a man, 'Give me [the <i>shekels</i> for] thy redemption,' he may answer, 'A Levite has already redeemed me.' What did he do? He brought twenty-two thousand slips and wrote on each, 'Levite', and on another two hundred and seventy-three he wrote, 'five shekels'. Then he mixed them up, put them into an urn and said to the people, 'Draw your slips.' To each who drew a slip bearing the word 'Levite', he said, 'The Levite has redeemed thee.' To each who drew a ticket with 'five shekels' on it, he said, 'Pay thy redemption and go.' R. Simeon said: They<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Eldad and Medad. ');">¹⁴</span>

רבי שמעון אומר במחנה נשתיירו בשעה שאמר לו הקב"ה למשה אספה לי שבעים איש אמרו אלדד ומידד אין אנו ראויין לאותה גדולה אמר הקב"ה הואיל ומיעטתם עצמכם הריני מוסיף גדולה על גדולתכם ומה גדולה הוסיף להם שהנביאים כולן נתנבאו ופסקו והם נתנבאו ולא פסקו

remained in the Camp. For when the Holy One, blessed be He, ordered Moses: Gather unto me seventy of the elders of Israel, Eldad and Medad observed, 'We are not worthy of that dignity.' Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Because you have humbled yourselves, I will add to your greatness yet more greatness.' And how did He add to their dignity? — In that all [the other prophets] prophesied and ceased, but their prophesying did not cease. And what did they prophesy? — They said, 'Moses shall die and Joshua shall bring Israel into the land.' Abba Hanin said on the authority of R. Eliezer: They prophesied concerning the matter of the quails,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The birds by which the Israelites were miraculously fed in the wilderness. Ex XVI, 11-13; Num. XI, 31. ');">¹⁵</span>

ומה נבואה נתנבאו אמרו משה מת יהושע מכניס את ישראל לארץ אבא חנין אומר משום רבי אליעזר על עסקי שליו הן מתנבאים עלי שליו עלי שליו

[saying], 'Arise, quail; arise, quail.' R. Nahman said: They prophesied concerning Gog and Magog.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to a widespread tradition, Gog and Magog represented the heathen nations or aggregate powers of evil, as opposed to Israel and the Kingdom of God, v. 'Eduy. II, 5. Ezekiel (XXXVIII, 2; XXXIX, 6) pictured the final destruction of the heathen world before the city of Jerusalem, as the defeat of Gog and Magog. ');">¹⁶</span>

רב נחמן אמר על עסקי גוג ומגוג היו מתנבאין שנאמר (יחזקאל לח, ג) כה אמר ה' אלהים האתה הוא אשר דברתי בימים קדמונים ביד עבדי נביאי ישראל הנבאים בימים ההם שנים להביא אותך עליהם וגו' אל תיקרי שנים אלא שנים ואיזו הן שנים נביאים שנתנבאו בפרק אחד נבואה אחת הוי אומר אלדד ומידד

as it is said, Thus saith the Lord God: Art thou he of whom I spoke in old time by My servants the prophets of Israel, that prophesied in those days for many years<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] which may be read either 'shanim' years or 'shenayim' 'two'. ');">¹⁷</span> that I would bring thee against them? etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXVIII, 17. ');">¹⁸</span>

אמר מר כל הנביאים כולן נתנבאו ופסקו והן נתנבאו ולא פסקו מנא לן דפסקו אילימא מדכתיב (במדבר יא, כה) ויתנבאו ולא יספו אלא מעתה (דברים ה, יח) קול גדול ולא יסף ה"נ דלא אוסיף הוא אלא דלא פסק הוא

Read not 'shanim' [years] but 'shenayim' [two].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the two prophets who prophesied, etc. ');">¹⁹</span> And which two prophets prophesied the same thing at the same time? — Say, they are Eldad and Medad.

אלא הכא כתיב ויתנבאו התם כתיב (במדבר יא, כז) מתנבאים עדיין מתנבאים והולכים

The Master said: 'All the other prophets prophesied and ceased, but they prophesied and did not cease.' Whence do we infer that the others ceased? Shall we say, from the verse, They prophesied 'velo yasafu' [but they did so no more]?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] ');">²⁰</span> If so, what of the passage. With a great voice, velo yasaf?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] Deut. V, 19. ');">²¹</span>

בשלמא למ"ד משה מת היינו דכתיב (במדבר יא, כח) אדוני משה כלאם אלא למ"ד הנך תרתי מאי אדני משה כלאם דלאו אורח ארעא דהוה ליה כתלמיד המורה הלכה לפני רבו

Does that too mean, it went on no more?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But surely this cannot be said of the Shechinah. ');">²²</span> But that must be interpreted, It did not cease!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So in the first verse, [H] must bear the same connotation. ');">²³</span>

בשלמא למ"ד הנך תרתי היינו דכתיב מי יתן אלא למ"ד משה מת מינח הוה ניחא ליה לא סיימוה קמיה

— But here<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Speaking of the elders, Num. XI, 25. ');">²⁴</span> it is written, And they prophesied,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (imperfect with waw conversive = perfect). ');">²⁵</span>

מאי כלאם א"ל הטל עליהן צרכי ציבור והן כלין מאיליהן:

whereas there<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the case of Eldad and Medad, Num. XI, 27. ');">²⁶</span> it is stated, [they] were prophesying,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (participle). ');">²⁷</span>

מניין להביא עוד שלשה:

i.e., they were still continuing to prophesy. Now, according to the statement [that they prophesied] that Moses would die, [Joshua's request,] My Lord Moses, forbid them, is understandable; but on these two other views,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That they prophesied concerning the quails, or about Gog and Magog. ');">²⁸</span>

סוף סוף לרעה ע"פ שנים לא משכחת לה אי אחד עשר מזכין ושנים עשר מחייבין אכתי חד הוא אי עשרה מזכין ושלשה עשר מחייבין תלתא הוו א"ר אבהו אי אתה מוצא אלא במוסיפין ודברי הכל ובסנהדרי גדולה ואליבא דרבי יהודה דאמר שבעים

why [did he say], My Lord Moses, forbid them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XI, 29. ');">²⁹</span> — Because their behaviour was not seemly, for they were like a disciple who decides questions in the very presence of his teacher. Now, according to these two other opinions [the wish expressed by Moses,] Would that all the Lord's people were prophets<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. XI, 29. ');">²⁹</span>

וא"ר אבהו במוסיפין עושין ב"ד שקול לכתחילה פשיטא מהו דתימא האי דקאמר איני יודע כמאן דאיתיה דמי ואי אמר מילתא שמעינן ליה קמ"ל דהאי דקאמר איני יודע כמאן דליתיה דמי ואי אמר טעמא לא שמעינן ליה

is reasonable; but on the view [that they prophesied] that Moses would die, was he then pleased therewith? — They did not complete their prophecy in his presence. How was Moses to 'forbid them' [as Joshua requested]? He [Joshua] said to him: Lay upon them public cares, and they will cease [prophesying] of themselves.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' There is here a play on words, 'forbid them' being connected with 'ceasing'. Communal activities bring sorrow, and prophecy is possible only to the joyous spirit (Tosaf.). ');">³⁰</span> WHENCE DO WE LEARN THAT WE MUST FIND ANOTHER THREE? But after all, a majority of two for an adverse verdict is impossible:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In a Sanhedrin of twenty-three. ');">³¹</span>

אמר רב כהנא סנהדרי שראו כולן לחובה פוטרין אותו מ"ט כיון דגמירי הלנת דין למעבד ליה זכותא והני תו לא חזו ליה

if eleven find the man not guilty and twelve find him guilty, there is still a majority of only one;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And for conviction, a majority of two is necessary; v. p. 3. ');">³²</span> and if there are ten for not guilty and thirteen for guilty, there is a majority of three? — R. Abbahu said: [The majority of two] is possible only where [two] judges are added,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' As in the following case: If eleven found him guilty and eleven not guilty, while the twenty-third is dubious, the law provides for an addition of two members. In case these agree with the accusers, the majority for condemnation is then two, v. Mishnah infra 40a. ');">³³</span>

א"ר יוחנן אין מושיבין בסנהדרי אלא בעלי קומה ובעלי חכמה ובעלי מראה ובעלי זקנה ובעלי כשפים ויודעים בע' לשון שלא תהא סנהדרי שומעת מפי המתורגמן

and then the Mishnah agrees with the opinion of all, whilst in the major Sanhedrin, it is possible in accordance with the view of R. Judah, who holds their number to be seventy.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' It might happen that thirty-six condemn and thirty-four acquit. ');">³⁴</span> R. Abbahu also said: Where judges are added, an evenly-balanced court may be appointed from the very outset. But is this not obvious?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely this has already been stated in the Mishnah cited. For if two are added when the twenty-third is dubious, the court consists of an even number. ');">³⁵</span>

אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אין מושיבין בסנהדרין אלא מי שיודע לטהר את השרץ מה"ת אמר רב אני אדון ואטהרנו

— You might have assumed that the one who says, 'I do not know' is regarded as an existing member, and that anything he says is to be taken into consideration. We are therefore informed that he who says, 'I do not know,' is regarded as nonexistent, and if he gives a reason [for a particular verdict] we do not listen to him. R. Kahana said: If the Sanhedrin unanimously find [the accused] guilty, he is acquitted. Why? — Because we have learned by tradition that sentence must be postponed till the morrow in hope of finding new points in favour of the defence.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. infra 34a; 35a. ');">³⁶</span> But this cannot be anticipated in this case.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'But these will no more see for him (any merit).' ');">³⁷</span> R. Johanan said: None are to be appointed members of the Sanhedrin, but men of stature, wisdom, good appearance, mature age, with a knowledge of sorcery,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' So as to be able to detect those who seduce and pervert by means of witchcraft, cf. Rashi. ');">³⁸</span> and who are conversant with all the seventy languages of mankind,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This number is given frequently in Talmud and Midrash as the number of languages existing in the world. V. Pirke de R. Eliezer, ch. 24; Targum Jonathan on Gen. XI, 8, and Rashi on Deut. I, 5. As it is impossible for one man to know all these languages, he must have meant that amongst them all, all the languages were to be known. But cf. Rab's dictum below. ');">³⁹</span> in order that the court should have no need of an interpreter. Rab Judah said in Rab's name: None is to be given a seat on the Sanhedrin unless he is able to prove the cleanness of a reptile from Biblical texts.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he must be of subtle mind, so as to be able to prove the cleanness of reptiles that are definitely declared unclean in Scripture. V. Lev. XI, 29-39. ');">⁴⁰</span> Rab said: 'I shall put forward an argument to prove its cleanness.