## Sanhedrin Daf 18b

###### Sanhedrin 18b:1
[Sanhedrin 18b:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:1)

הַהוֹרֵג כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל, אוֹ כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ – אֵינוֹ יוֹצֵא מִשָּׁם לְעוֹלָם; אֵימָא לָא לִיגְלֵי – קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן. וְאֵימָא הָכִי נָמֵי? אָמַר קְרָא ״לָנוּס שָׁמָּה כׇּל רֹצֵחַ״ – אֲפִילּוּ כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל בַּמַּשְׁמָע.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
With regard to **one who kills a High Priest or a High Priest who killed a person,** he **never departs from** the city of refuge. Therefore, **I will say** that a High Priest **is not exiled** at all. For that reason, the *baraita* above **teaches us** that he is exiled. The Gemara suggests: Why not **say that** the *halakha* is **indeed** that the High Priest would not be exiled, since he would not be able to return home? The Gemara responds: The **verse states** concerning the city of refuge: **“That every manslayer may flee there”** (Deuteronomy 19:3), and **even a High Priest is indicated** by the inclusive term “every.”


###### Sanhedrin 18b:2
[Sanhedrin 18b:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:2)

עוֹבֵר עַל עֲשֵׂה וְעַל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה. לָא סַגִּי דְּלָא עָבַר? הָכִי קָאָמַר: אִם עָבַר עַל עֲשֵׂה וְעַל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, הֲרֵי הוּא כְּהֶדְיוֹט לְכׇל דְּבָרָיו.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* teaches that a High Priest **transgresses a positive mitzva and a prohibition.** The Gemara understands the *baraita* as an independent statement asserting that the High Priest must transgress a positive mitzva and a prohibition, and asks: Is it **not possible that he doesn’t transgress** a positive mitzva and prohibition; i.e., must the High Priest transgress a positive mitzva and a prohibition? The Gemara responds: **This** is what the *baraita* **is saying:** This is not an independent statement asserting that the High Priest must transgress a positive mitzva and a prohibition; rather, the *baraita* teaches that **if he transgressed a positive mitzva and a prohibition,** then **he is** considered to be **like an ordinary** person **concerning all of his** *halakhot*, judged just as anyone else for common transgressions.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:3
[Sanhedrin 18b:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:3)

פְּשִׁיטָא! סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אָמֵינָא, הוֹאִיל וּתְנַן: אֵין דָּנִין לֹא אֶת הַשֵּׁבֶט וְלֹא אֶת נְבִיא הַשֶּׁקֶר וְלֹא אֶת כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל אֶלָּא עַל פִּי בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל שִׁבְעִים וְאֶחָד, וְאָמַר רַב אַדָּא בַּר אַהֲבָה: ״כׇּל הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ״ – דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל גָּדוֹל, אֵימָא כׇּל דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל גָּדוֹל, קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara asks: Isn’t that **obvious?** The Gemara responds: No, as it could **enter your mind to say** that **since we learned** in the mishna (2a): The court **judges** cases involving an entire **tribe** that sinned, **or a false prophet, or a High Priest, only on the basis of a court of seventy-one** judges, i.e., the Great Sanhedrin, **and** since **Rav Adda bar Ahava says** that the phrase **“every great matter they shall bring unto you”** (Exodus 18:22), refers to the **matters of a great** person, the High Priest, who is judged in a court of seventy-one, therefore, one might **say** that this means **all the matters of a great** person, including non-capital transgressions, are judged in a court of seventy-one. Therefore, the *baraita* **teaches us** that for non-capital transgressions, he is treated like an ordinary person, and judged even by a court of three.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:4
[Sanhedrin 18b:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:4)

וְאֵימָא הָכִי נָמֵי: מִי כְּתִיב דִּבְרֵי גָדוֹל? ״הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל״ כְּתִיב, דָּבָר גָּדוֹל מַמָּשׁ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara suggests: **But** why not **say** that **indeed,** the *halakha* is that all cases involving the High Priest must be adjudicated in a court of seventy-one? The Gemara rejects this. **Is it written: The matters of a great person?** “Every **great matter” is written,** meaning **actually a great matter,** one involving a capital transgression, not only one related to a great person.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:5
[Sanhedrin 18b:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:5)

מֵעִיד וּמְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ. מֵעִיד? וְהָתַנְיָא: ״וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ״ – פְּעָמִים שֶׁאַתָּה מִתְעַלֵּם, וּפְעָמִים שֶׁאִי אַתָּה מִתְעַלֵּם. הָא כֵּיצַד?

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna teaches that the High Priest **testifies** before the court **and** others **testify concerning him.** The Gemara expresses surprise: **He testifies? But isn’t it taught** in a *baraita* that in the verse: “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep wandering and ignore them; you shall return them to your brother” (Deuteronomy 22:1), the use of the unusual term **“and ignore** them,” as opposed to the more direct: Do not ignore them, indicates that there are **times when you ignore** lost items **and** there are **times when you do not ignore** them. **How so?**


###### Sanhedrin 18b:6
[Sanhedrin 18b:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:6)

כֹּהֵן וְהוּא בְּבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת, זָקֵן וְאֵינָהּ לְפִי כְּבוֹדוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁהָיְתָה מְלָאכָה שֶׁלּוֹ מְרוּבָּה מִשֶּׁל חֲבֵירוֹ – לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר ״וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ״.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The *baraita* answers: If the one who found the item was **a priest, and** the lost item **is in the cemetery,** where priests are prohibited from entering; or if he was **an elderly person and it is not** in keeping **with his dignity** to tend to a lost item of that kind; **or** if **his work,** which he would need to suspend in order to tend to and return the item, **is** of **greater** value **than** the lost item **of the other,** one might think that he must nonetheless return it. **Therefore,** with regard to those cases, **it is stated: “And ignore** them.” Since a distinguished individual may ignore a mitzva that is incumbent on others if it is not in keeping with his dignity, perhaps the High Priest would be allowed to ignore the obligation to testify, due to his honor.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:7
[Sanhedrin 18b:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:7)

אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: מֵעִיד לַמֶּלֶךְ. וְהָתְנַן: לֹא דָּן וְלֹא דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ? אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי זֵירָא: מֵעִיד לְבֶן מֶלֶךְ. בֶּן מֶלֶךְ הֶדְיוֹט הוּא!

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Yosef said:** A High Priest **testifies** only **about a king,** since such testimony would not compromise his dignity. The Gemara objects: **But didn’t we learn** in the mishna above that the king **does not judge and is not judged,** and **he does not testify and** others **do not testify concerning him? Rather, Rabbi Zeira said:** The meaning of Rav Yosef’s statement is that a High Priest **testifies about a son of a king.** The Gemara objects: **The son of a king is an ordinary** person, without special status in *halakha*, so it is not in keeping with the High Priest’s dignity to testify concerning him.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:8
[Sanhedrin 18b:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:8)

אֶלָּא, מֵעִיד בִּפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ. וְהָא אֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין מֶלֶךְ בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין! מִשּׁוּם יְקָרָא דְּכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל אֲתָא וְיָתֵיב. מְקַבְּלִי נִיהֲלֵיהּ לְסָהֲדוּתֵיהּ, קָאֵי הוּא וְאָזֵיל, וּמְעַיְּינִינָא לֵיהּ אֲנַן בְּדִינֵיהּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rather,** the meaning of Rav Yosef’s statement is that **he testifies before the king,** and it is not in keeping with the dignity of the High Priest to testify if the king is a presiding judge. The Gemara objects: **But** didn’t we learn in a *baraita* (*Tosefta* 2:8) that **a king is not seated on the Sanhedrin?** The Gemara explains: Rav Yosef is referring to a special arrangement: **Due to the honor of** the **High Priest,** the king **comes and sits** as one of the judges, **they receive his testimony, he rises and goes, and we deliberate about the case.**


###### Sanhedrin 18b:9
[Sanhedrin 18b:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:9)

גּוּפָא: אֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין מֶלֶךְ בַּסַּנְהֶדְרִין, וְלֹא מֶלֶךְ וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּעִיבּוּר שָׁנָה. מֶלֶךְ בַּסַּנְהֶדְרִין – דִּכְתִיב: ״לֹא תַעֲנֶה עַל רִב״ – לֹא תַעֲנֶה עַל רַב.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ Having mentioned this *baraita*, the Gemara turns its attention to **the** matter **itself: A king is not seated on the Sanhedrin, nor** is **a king or a High Priest** seated **on** a court for **intercalating the year.** The Gemara explains: With regard to **a king on the Sanhedrin,** the source is **as it is written: “Do not answer in a cause [*riv*]”** (Exodus 23:2), which is explained to mean: **Do not answer to a great person [*rav*].** Therefore, one whose stature will make the other judges afraid to contradict him may not be appointed to the Sanhedrin.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:10
[Sanhedrin 18b:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:10)

לֹא מֶלֶךְ וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל בְּעִיבּוּר שָׁנָה. מֶלֶךְ – מִשּׁוּם אַפְסַנְיָא, כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל – מִשּׁוּם צִינָּה.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara continues its explanation of the *baraita*: **Nor** is **a king or a High Priest** seated **on** a court for **intercalating the year. A king** does not serve as a judge concerning this matter **due to** the **sustenance** of soldiers. **A High Priest** does not serve as a judge concerning this matter **due to the cold.** If a month is added to the calendar and the High Priest must perform his Yom Kippur immersions and walk barefoot on the floor of the Temple deeper into the cold autumn, he too will have a vested interest in not adding a month.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:11
[Sanhedrin 18b:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:11)

אָמַר רַב פָּפָּא: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ, שַׁתָּא בָּתַר יַרְחָא אָזֵיל. אִינִי? וְהָא הָנָךְ שְׁלֹשָׁה רוֹעֵי בָקָר דַּהֲווֹ קָיְימִי, וְשַׁמְעִינְהוּ רַבָּנַן דְּקָאָמְרִי:

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**Rav Pappa says: Learn from** the ruling concerning the High Priest that the weather of **the year follows the months,** meaning that changes in the seasons are in accordance with the sequence of the months in the standard, non-intercalated calendar. The High Priest would not want the year to be intercalated, because then the colder weather of Marḥeshvan would occur during Tishrei. The Gemara asks: **Is that so? But** isn’t that contradicted by the incident of **those three cattle herders that were standing** around, **and the Sages heard them saying** various statements about annual weather signs?


###### Sanhedrin 18b:12
[Sanhedrin 18b:12](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:12)

חַד אָמַר: אִם בַּכִּיר וְלַקִּישׁ כַּחֲדָא יֵינֵץ – דֵּין הוּא אֲדָר, וְאִם לָאו – לֵית דֵּין אֲדָר. וְחַד אָמַר: אִם תּוֹר בִּצְפַר בִּתְלַג יְמוּת, וּבְטִיהֲרָא בְּטוּל תְּאֵינָה יִדְמוֹךְ יַשְׁלַח מַשְׁכֵּיהּ – דֵּין הוּא אֲדָר, וְאִם לָאו – לֵית דֵּין אֲדָר. וְחַד אָמַר: אִם קִידּוּם תַּקִּיף לַחֲדָא יְהֵא, יִפַּח בְּלוֹעָךְ נָפֵיק לְקִיבְלֵיהּ – דֵּין הוּא אֲדָר, וְאִם לָאו – לֵית דֵּין אֲדָר. וְעַבְּרוּהָ רַבָּנַן לְהַהִיא שַׁתָּא.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
**One** of them **said: If the first grains and the late-ripening grains sprout at the same** time, **that is Adar, but if not, that is not Adar** but still Shevat. **And one** of them **said: If an ox dies in the morning in the snow,** indicating that it is still very cold, **and at noon in the shade of a fig tree it sleeps,** rubbing against it **to strip off its skin** because of the heat, **that is Adar, but if not, that is not Adar. And one** of them **said: If there is a very strong east wind,** which is cold, yet the warm air that **you blow with your jaw goes out** and **toward it** and overcomes its effect, **that is Adar, but if not, that is not Adar. And** since those signs had not yet come to pass, **the Sages intercalated** the calendar **that year.**


###### Sanhedrin 18b:13
[Sanhedrin 18b:13](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:13)

וְתִסְבְּרָא רַבָּנַן אַרָעֲווֹתָא סְמוּךְ? אֶלָּא, רַבָּנַן אַחוּשְׁבָּנַיְיהוּ סְמוּךְ, וְרוֹעֵי בָקָר אִיסְתַּיּוֹעֵי הוּא דְּאִיסְתַּיַּיעָא מִילְּתַיְיהוּ.

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
The Gemara rejects this: **And** can **you understand** that the **Sages relied on cattle herders** to determine *halakha*? **Rather, the Sages relied on their own calculations, and** those **cattle herders were supported** inasmuch **as their statements were supported** by the Sages’ independent conclusion.


###### Sanhedrin 18b:14
[Sanhedrin 18b:14](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sanhedrin/r/18b:14)

חוֹלֵץ וְחוֹלְצִין כּוּ׳. קָא פָּסֵיק וְתָנֵי, לָא שְׁנָא מִן הָאֵירוּסִין וְלָא שְׁנָא מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין. בִּשְׁלָמָא מִן הַנִּישּׂוּאִין, הָוֵי עֲשֵׂה וְלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה -

**William Davidson Edition - English:**
§ The mishna teaches that the High Priest **performs *ḥalitza*** with his brother’s widow **and** his brother **performs *ḥalitza*** with his wife, but in any case he does not consummate levirate marriage with his brother’s wife. The Gemara comments: The mishna **categorically teaches** that the High Priest does not consummate levirate marriage, and there **is no difference** whether his brother’s wife was a widow **from betrothal** alone **and no difference** whether she was a widow **from a marriage** that had been consummated. **Granted,** it is understood that he does not consummate levirate marriage with a widow **from marriage,** since **there is** both **a positive mitzva:** “And he shall take a wife in her virginity” (Leviticus 21:13), **and** also **a prohibition:** “A widow, or one divorced, or a *ḥalala*, or a *zona*, these shall he not take” (Leviticus 21:14),