| 17a. עמך עמך ואת בהדייהו ורבי יהודה עמך משום שכינה,ורבנן אמר קרא (במדבר יא, יז) ונשאו אתך במשא העם אתך ואת בהדייהו ורבי יהודה אתך בדומין לך,ורבנן (שמות יח, כב) מוהקל מעליך ונשאו אתך נפקא וילפא סנהדרי גדולה מסנהדרי קטנה,ת"ר (במדבר יא, כו) וישארו שני אנשים במחנה יש אומרים בקלפי נשתיירו,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,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,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,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,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,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,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,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,אלא הכא כתיב ויתנבאו התם כתיב (במדבר יא, כז) מתנבאים עדיין מתנבאים והולכים,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,בשלמא למ"ד הנך תרתי היינו דכתיב מי יתן אלא למ"ד משה מת מינח הוה ניחא ליה לא סיימוה קמיה,מאי כלאם א"ל הטל עליהן צרכי ציבור והן כלין מאיליהן:,מניין להביא עוד שלשה:,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,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,אמר רב כהנא סנהדרי שראו כולן לחובה פוטרין אותו מ"ט כיון דגמירי הלנת דין למעבד ליה זכותא והני תו לא חזו ליה,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,אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אין מושיבין בסנהדרין אלא מי שיודע לטהר את השרץ מה"ת אמר רב אני אדון ואטהרנו | 17a. b with you” /b (Numbers 11:16), i.e., they will stand b “with you,” and you /b are to be counted b with them, /b leading to a total number of seventy-one. b And Rabbi Yehuda /b holds that the term b “with you” /b is mentioned b due to the Divine Presence /b that rested on Moses. According to Rabbi Yehuda, Moses was instructed to remain with the seventy Elders in order for the Divine Presence to rest upon them as well. He was not formally part of their court and therefore the number of Sages on the Great Sanhedrin is seventy.,The Gemara asks: b And /b how would b the Rabbis /b respond to this line of reasoning? The Gemara answers: b The verse states: “And they shall bear the burden of the people with you” /b (Numbers 11:17), which indicates: b “With you,” and you /b are to be counted b with them. And /b how would b Rabbi Yehuda /b respond to that? He would explain that the term b “with you” /b means b similar to you, /b meaning, that the Elders appointed to the court had to be of fit lineage and free of blemish, like Moses., b And /b from where do b the Rabbis /b derive that i halakha /i ? They b derive it from /b what was stated with regard to the appointment of the ministers of thousands and the ministers of hundreds: b “And they shall make it easier for you, and bear the burden with you” /b (Exodus 18:22), understanding the term “with you” to mean: Similar to you. b And /b the i halakha /i of the judges of b the Great Sanhedrin /b of seventy b is derived from /b the i halakha /i of the judges of b the lesser Sanhedrin, /b i.e., those ministers, that Moses appointed.,§ Apropos the appointment of the Elders by Moses, the Gemara discusses additional aspects of that event. There were seventy-two candidates for Elder but only seventy were needed. They were chosen by lots with their names put into a box. b The Sages taught: /b The verse states: b “And there remained two men in the camp; /b the name of one was Eldad and the name of the other Medad, and the spirit rested upon them, and they were among those who were written but who did not go out to the tent, and they prophesied in the camp” (Numbers 11:26). Where did they remain? b Some say /b this means b they, /b i.e., their names, b remained /b excluded from those selected from the lots b in the box. /b ,The i baraita /i explains: b At the time that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: “Gather for Me seventy men of the Elders of Israel” /b (Numbers 11:16), b Moses said: How shall I do /b it? If b I select six from each and every tribe, there will be /b a total of seventy-two, which will be b two extra. /b But if b I select five from each and every tribe, there will be /b a total of sixty, b lacking ten. /b And if b I select six from this tribe and five from that tribe, I will bring about envy between the tribes, /b as those with fewer representatives will resent the others., b What did he do? He selected six /b from every tribe b and he brought seventy-two slips [ i pitakin /i ]. On seventy /b of them b he wrote: Elder, and he left two /b of them b blank. He mixed them and placed them in the box. He /b then b said to /b the seventy-two chosen candidates: b Come and draw your slips. Everyone whose hand drew up /b a slip that said: b Elder, he said /b to him: b Heaven has already sanctified you. /b And b everyone whose hand drew up /b a b blank /b slip, b he said /b to him: b The Omnipresent does not desire you; what can I do for you? /b ,The Gemara comments: b You /b can b say /b something b similar to this /b to explain the verse about the redemption of the firstborn by the Levites: “Take the Levites in place of all of the firstborn of the children of Israel…and as for the redemption of the 273 of the firstborn of the children of Israel who are in excess over the number of the Levites… b you shall take five shekels per head” /b (Numbers 3:45–47). It can be explained that b Moses said: How shall I do /b this b for the Jews? If I say to /b one of the firstborns: b Give me /b money for b your redemption and /b you may b leave, /b as you are among the 273 extra firstborns, b he will say to me: A Levite already redeemed me; /b what is the reason you think that I am among those who were not redeemed?, b What did he do? He brought 22,000 slips ( /b see Numbers 3:39), b and he wrote on them: Levite, and on 273 /b additional ones b he wrote: Five shekels. He mixed them up and placed them in a box. He said to them: Draw your slips. Everyone whose hand drew up /b a slip that said: b Levite, he said to him: A Levite already redeemed you. Everyone whose hand drew up /b a slip that said: b Five shekels, he said to him: Pay your redemption /b money and you may b leave. /b , b Rabbi Shimon says: /b Eldad and Medad b remained in the camp, /b as they did not want to come to the lottery for the Elders. b At the time that the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Gather for me seventy Elders, Eldad and Medad said: We are not fitting for that /b level of b greatness; /b we are not worthy of being appointed among the Elders. b The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: Since you have made yourselves humble, I will add greatness to your greatness. And what is /b the b greatness /b that b he added to them? /b It was b that all of the prophets, /b meaning the other Elders, who were given prophecy, b prophesied /b for a time b and /b then b stopped /b prophesying, b but they prophesied and did not stop. /b ,Apropos Eldad and Medad being prophets, the Gemara asks: b And what prophecy did they prophesy? They said: Moses will die, /b and b Joshua will bring the Jewish people into Eretz /b Yisrael. b Abba Ḥanin says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: They prophesied about the matter of the quail /b that came afterward (Numbers 11:31–33), saying: b Arise quail, arise quail, /b and then the quail came., b Rav Naḥman says: They were prophesying about the matter of Gog and Magog, as it is stated /b with regard to Gog and Magog: b “So says the Lord God: Are you the one of whom I spoke in ancient days, through my servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for many years [ i shanim /i ] that I would bring you against them?” /b (Ezekiel 38:17). b Do not read /b it as: b “Years [ i shanim /i ]”; rather, /b read it as: b Two [ i shenayim /i ]. And who are the two prophets who prophesied the same prophecy at the same time? You must say: Eldad and Medad. /b , b The Master says: /b The i baraita /i said: b All of the prophets prophesied and /b then b stopped, but /b Eldad and Medad b prophesied and did not stop. /b The Gemara asks: b From where do we /b derive b that /b the other prophets b stopped /b prophesying? b If we say /b it is b from that which is written /b about them: b “And they prophesied but they did so no more [ i velo yasafu /i ]” /b (Numbers 11:25), that is difficult: b But if that is so, /b then concerning that which is stated in relation to the giving of the Torah: “These words the Lord spoke to all your assembly…with b a great voice, and it went on no more [ i velo yasaf /i ]” /b (Deuteronomy 5:19), b so too /b shall it be understood b that /b the great voice b did not continue? Rather, /b the intention there is b that it did not stop, /b interpreting the word i yasafu /i as related to i sof /i , meaning: End. Consequently, with regard to the seventy Elders as well, the word can be interpreted to mean that they did not stop prophesying., b Rather, /b the proof is as follows: b It is written here /b with regard to the seventy Elders: b “They prophesied” /b (Numbers 11:25), and b it is written there: /b “Eldad and Medad b are prophesying /b in the camp” (Numbers 11:27), from which it can be derived that b they were continuously prophesying. /b ,With regard to the content of Eldad and Medad’s prophecy, the Gemara asks: b Granted, according to the one who says /b their prophecy was that b Moses will die, this is /b the reason for that b which is written /b there: “And Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of Moses from his youth, answered and said: b My master Moses, imprison them” /b (Numbers 11:28), as their prophecy appeared to be a rebellion against Moses. b But according to the one who says those /b other b two /b opinions with regard to the content of the prophecy, according to which their prophecy had no connection to Moses, b what /b is the reason that Joshua said: b “My master Moses, imprison them”? /b The Gemara answers: He said this b because /b it is b not proper conduct /b for them to prophesy publicly in close proximity to Moses, b as /b by doing so b they are like a student who teaches a i halakha /i in his teacher’s presence, /b which is inappropriate.,The Gemara asks: b Granted, according to the one who says those /b other b two /b opinions, b this is /b the reason for that b which is written: /b “And Moses said to him: Are you jealous for my sake? b Would /b that all of the Lord’s people were prophets” (Numbers 11:29). b But according to the one who says /b that Eldad and Medad prophesied that b Moses will die /b and Joshua will bring Israel into the land, b would it have been satisfactory to Moses /b that all of the people of God would utter similar prophecies? The Gemara answers: b They did not conclude it before him. /b Moses was not aware of what they had said, but only that they were prophesying.,The Gemara asks: b What /b is the meaning of: b “Imprison them [ i kela’em /i ]”? /b The Gemara answers: Joshua b said to him: Place /b responsibility for the b needs of the public upon them, /b so that they will be occupied like the other Elders of Israel b and they will cease [ i kalin /i ] /b prophesying, b on their own. /b Due to the burden of public responsibility they would not be able to be prophets.,§ The mishna derives the i halakha /i that there are twenty-three judges on a lesser Sanhedrin from the verses: “And the congregation shall judge,” and: “And the congregation shall save” (Numbers 35:24–25). The mishna understands that the term “congregation” is referring to ten judges, so that the two congregations, one in each verse, total twenty judges. The mishna then asks: b From where /b is it derived b to bring three more /b judges to the court? The mishna answers: The implication of the verse: “You shall not follow a multitude to convict” (Exodus 23:2), is that your inclination after a majority to exonerate is not like your inclination after a majority to convict, and a conviction must be by a majority of two.,The Gemara objects: b Ultimately, you do not find /b an occurrence of the inclination b for evil according to /b a majority of b two /b judges. b If eleven /b judges vote to b acquit /b the defendant b and twelve /b vote to b convict, this is still /b only a majority of b one, /b and b if ten /b vote to b acquit and thirteen /b vote to b convict, they are /b a majority of b three. /b With a court of twenty-three judges, there is no possible way to convict with a majority of two. b Rabbi Abbahu says: You do not find /b such a scenario b except /b in a case b where they add /b two additional judges because one of the judges abstained from the deliberation, the other judges are split in their decisions, and the two added judges both vote to convict. b And /b this is a possibility b according to /b all i tanna’im /i , b and in /b a case tried by b the Great Sanhedrin according to /b the opinion b of Rabbi Yehuda, who says /b there are b seventy /b judges on the Great Sanhedrin. With an even number, it is possible to have a majority of two., b And Rabbi Abbahu says: When they add /b additional judges, they b create a court /b consisting of b an even /b number of judges b i ab initio /i . /b The Gemara asks: Isn’t that b obvious? /b What is the novelty in Rabbi Abbahu’s statement? The Gemara answers: b Lest you say: This /b judge b who says: I do not know, is /b viewed b as one who is /b still b there, and if he says something /b afterward, b we listen to him /b and include him in the count, so there are actually an odd number of judges on the court; therefore, Rabbi Abbahu b teaches us that this /b judge b who says: I do not know, is /b viewed b as one who is not /b still b there, and if he says a reason /b to rule in a certain manner afterward, b we do not listen to him. /b Consequently, the court consists of an even number of judges.,§ b Rav Kahana says: /b In b a Sanhedrin where all /b the judges b saw /b fit b to convict /b the defendant in a case of capital law, they b acquit him. /b The Gemara asks: b What is the reasoning /b for this i halakha /i ? It is b since /b it b is learned /b as a tradition that b suspension of the trial /b overnight is necessary in order b to create /b a possibility of b acquittal. /b The i halakha /i is that they may not issue the guilty verdict on the same day the evidence was heard, as perhaps over the course of the night one of the judges will think of a reason to acquit the defendant. b And /b as b those /b judges all saw fit to convict him they b will not see /b any b further /b possibility to acquit b him, /b because there will not be anyone arguing for such a verdict. Consequently, he cannot be convicted.,§ b Rabbi Yoḥa says: /b They b place on the /b Great b Sanhedrin only /b men b of /b high b stature, and of wisdom, and of /b pleasant b appearance, and of /b suitable b age /b so that they will be respected. b And /b they must also be b masters of sorcery, /b i.e., they know the nature of sorcery, so that they can judge sorcerers, b and /b they must b know /b all b seventy languages /b in order b that the Sanhedrin will not /b need to b hear /b testimony b from the mouth of a translator /b in a case where a witness speaks a different language., b Rav Yehuda says /b that b Rav says: /b They b place on the Sanhedrin only one who knows /b how b to render /b a carcass of b a creeping animal pure by Torah law. /b The judges on the Sanhedrin must be so skilled at logical reasoning that they could even produce a convincing argument that creeping animals, which the Torah states explicitly are ritually impure, are actually pure. b Rav said: I will discuss /b the i halakha /i of the creeping animal b and render it pure, /b i.e., I am able to demonstrate how it is possible to construct such a proof: |
