דיני ממונות – that is admissions (according to Tractate Shevuot 6:1 – worth at least one Perutah) and loans.

בשלשה – commoners/lay persons, for the Rabbis did not require three specialists, in order not to lock the door before loans, lest the borrower confess and specialists are not found to force him to court, but rather, or one [judge] would be a specialist or [all] three are commoners; but cases of theft and mayhem [require] three specialists, for [the word] אלהים/”God” (which means judges) is written in the section of the guardians in [the Torah portion] of “And these are the statutes” (Exodus, chapter 21 and beyond; specifically, the verses are: Exodus 22:6-8) , and from it we derive three specialists.

נזק – [damage caused] by man or by a warned bull , who damaged him for which they pay complete damages.

חצי נזק – an innocuous bull, who caused damage (and even though this is mayhem) , since it was necessary to teach in the Mishnah “double fines, and four and five-times payment, which he doesn’t pay like what he damages, when he pays more. The Tanna [our Mishnah] also taught half-damage in which he does not pay what he damaged, for he pays less. And since the Mishnah taught half-damage, it also taught [full] damages.

ומוציא שם רע – “I did not find your daughter a virgin” (Deuteronomy 22:17); “and they shall fine him one hundred shekels of silver [and give it to the girl’s father for the man has defamed a virgin in Israel…]” (Deuteronomy 22:19).

דיני נפשות – and if the matter was found to be true that she was unfaithful [to her husband] and they stoned her. And capital cases [are judged] by twenty-three, as seen further, and Halakha is according to the Sages.

מכות – forty stripes

בשלשה – as it is written (Deuteronomy 25:1): “…and they go to law, and a decision is rendered.” The word ושפטום/and they go to law – [denotes] two, and there can never be an even-balanced court, so we add upon them another [judge], for we have three [judges].

רבי ישמעאל אומר: בעשרים ושלשה – it comes [by a comparison of the word] רשע רשע –[found in two different places by analogy]. It is written here (Deuteronomy 25:1) “declared the one in the right and the other in the wrong”, and it is written there (Numbers 35:31): “[You may not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer] who is guilty of capital crime; [he must be put to death].”Just as there (i.e., in Numbers 35:31), with twenty-three [judges], so here (Deuteronomy 25:1) with twenty-three [judges].

עיבור החודש – the Sanctification of the [New] Month, and since it was necessary [for the Mishnah] to teach the intercalation of the year (i.e., proclaiming a leap-year/inserting a second Adar), so too it taught the intercalation of a month (i.e., proclaiming a month just past one of thirty days).

בשלשה מתחילין – to see if one is able to appoint a Jewish court on this. And if one of the three [judges] says that there is a need for the Jewish court to sit and investigate if it is necessary to intercalate the year because of the solstice, and the spring and the fruition, but two say that it is not necessary, for there is no doubt here and for sure it is not necessary to have a leap year, the individual is nullified in his minority [status]. Two [judges] who say to appoint a Jewish court and one [judge] says not to appoint [a Jewish court], we follow after the two [judges], and we add two other [judges] who will engage in give-and-take in the matter, and hence we have here five. If two [judges] say that we must intercalate [the year] and three [judges] say that it is not necessary, the two are nullified in their minority. [But if] two [judges] say that it is not necessary and three [judges] say that it is necessary, we follow after the majority, and add another two [judges] so that that there will be seven and we intercalate it [i.e., the year]. And the Gemara explains that these three, five and seven correspond to the Priestly Blessing, for there are three words in the first verse, and in the second, five [words] and in the third [verse] seven [words], and the Halakah is according to Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel.

סמיכת זקנים – on the head of a bullock over a matter that escaped the notice of the community. And there is in the implication of these things also the appointment of a judge, for the greatest one who is ordained, needs to combine with him two [others] when he wants to ordain a Sage in order in order that he will be called “Rabbi” and will adjudicate laws of fines. And we use the language of סמיכה / laying of hands/ordination because it is written (Numbers 27:23): “He laid his hands upon him [and commissioned him – as the LORD had spoken through Moses].” And not that one requires the ordaining with his hands upon him, but by name, as they call him “Rabbi.” But there is no ordination outside of the Land of Israel, but it is necessary that the one who ordains and the ordainee are all together in the Land of Israel, for then he will have permission to adjudicate the laws of fines, and even outside of the Land, for the [authority of the] Sanhedrin applies both in the Land [of Israel] and outside of the Land [of Israel], after they have been ordained in the Land [of Israel]. And Maimonides wrote that it appeared to him that since we no longer have men ordained by the mouth of other men [going back] until the time of Moses our Teacher, if all the Sages in the Land of Israel would each ordain one individual or many, it would be that they would be ordained and able to adjudicate the laws of fines and they would be able to ordain others. And this matter requires a verdict by a majority of one.

ועריפת העגלה בשלשה – since it is written (Leviticus 4:15): “ The elders of the community [lay their hands upon the head of the bull before the LORD…”, the lowest [value] of [the word] זקנים/elders is two, and there cannot be an even-balanced court, they add upon them another “one,” so that there are three.

רבי יהודה אומר: בחמשה – [The word] וסמכו/and they lay their hands [denotes] “two”, [and the word] זקני/elders [denotes] two, and there cannot be an even-balanced court, they add upon them another “one,” so that there are five, and the Halakha is according to Rabbi Yehuda.

מצות חליצה בשלשה – As it is written (Deuteronomy 25:9): “the brother’s widow shall go up to him in the presence of the elders…” The word זקנים /elders [denotes] two , and there cannot be an even-handed court, they add upon them another “one,” which makes three. And the other two which they add on are not [added] other than to publicize the matter.

מיאונין – A minor orphan girl whose mother or brothers married her off, with her knowledge, and may go free with her protest against a marriage to her husband [contracted during her minority], which must take place [with a Jewish court] of three [judges], and in the Tractate Yevamot, it is proved that a woman’s protest it is enough [that the protest is lodged] in front of two [judges].

נטע רבעי – if he comes to redeem [them] by setting aside its monetary value, and similarly for the Second Tithe, where their value is not known, such as fruits that rotted and they do not have a known market rate.

וההקדשות – One who comes to redeem them requires three [judges] to estimate [their value].

הערכין המיטלטלין – For a person who said: “[I vow] the value of so-and-so upon myself”, and he lacks money to give according to the established price and he comes to give [the equivalent] in movable objects, requires three [judges] to estimate [the value] of those movables.

אחד מהן כהן – that in valuations [of a person or animal dedicated to the Temple], a Kohen is written (Leviticus 27:12): “whatever assessment is set by the priest shall stand.”

והקרקעות – and if he lacks movable [objects] and comes to give land, it requires ten individuals who will assess [the value of] the land, and one of them must be a Kohen, that it will be according the value that he must give.

ואדם כיוצא בהן – and if he said, the value of so-and-so is upon me, that we appraise the how much worth he would have to be sold in the marketplace, and he gives its monetary value, and this also requires that there would be ten [individuals], and one of them a Kohen in this appraisal.

והרגת את האשה ואת הבהמה – that is an animal that copulates with a woman, which is compared by analogy to a woman. Just as a woman [is tried by a court] of twenty three, so is the animal [tried by a court of twenty-three.

ואומר: "ואת הבהמה תהרוגו" – It is written concerning an animal that was copulated by a man. We have [thereby] learned/derived the animal that copulated with a woman and the animal that was copulated by a man.

כמיתת הבעלים – that is to say, just as the owner is judged by [a court of] twenty-three [judges], if he was liable for the death penalty.

כל הקודם להורגן זכה – when they killed a human being, and there is no need to bring them to be tried in a Jewish court.

רבי עקיבא אומר: וכו' – It explains in the Gemara that there is a difference between the first teacher [of the Mishnah] and Rabbi Akiva. [Concerning] a snake – where the first Tanna [of the Mishnah] claims that its death is via a Jewish court of twenty-three [judges], but according to Rabbi Akiva, [the wolf], the lion, and the bear and the leopard and the hyena , their deaths [are administered] through [a Jewish court] of twenty-three [judges], but a snake, all who can kill it earliest, is [found] worthy, for it removes the one who causes damage from the world. And the Halakha is according to Rabbi Akiva.

את השבט – the majority of a tribe that intentionally worshiped idolatry, they are not judged other than with a Jewish court of seventy one, as it is written (Deuteronomy 17:5): “You shall take the man or the woman [who did that wicked thing] out to the public place….”, You can take a man or a woman out to the public place, but you cannot take out a tribe to the public place (i.e., literally, “your gates”) other than with the large Jewish court [of seventy-one members].

ולא את נביא השקר – The Rabbis learn/derive [by analogy from the double usage of the word] דבר דבר [from the case of] the rebellious elder [disregarding the decision of the Supreme Court]. It is written here (Deuteronomy 18:20): “[But any prophet] who presumes to speak [in My name an oracle that I did not command him to utter…],” and it is written regarding the rebellious elder (Deuteronomy 17:8): “If a case is too baffling for you to decide…” Just as the rebellious elder [is judged] in the Great Jewish court, as it is written, (Deuteronomy 17:8): “you shall promptly repair [to the place the LORD your God will have chosen], so also the false prophet [is to be tried] in the Great Jewish court.

ולא את כהן גדול – For the Biblical verse states (Exodus 18:22): “…Have them bring every major dispute to you, [but let them decide every minor dispute themselves].” The matters for a great person, they should bring to you, and Moses was in place of [the court] of seventy-one.

ואין מוציאין למלחמת הרשות – Every war except for the wars [against] the seven {Canaanite] natiosn and the war [against] Amalek, is called the optional (secular/political) war.

אלא בבית דין של שבעים ואחד – as it is written (I Chronicles 27:34): “After Ahitophel were Jehoiada son of Benaiah [and Abiathar. The commander of the king’s army was Joab.” (In verse 33 is written:) “Ahitophel was a counselor to the king.” Jehoiada son of Benaiah is the Sanhedrin, for he was the greatest of them all and all of them were dragged after him. (The Bartenura or the Gemara – Sanhedrin 16b and see the Tosafot misquoted the verse).

על העיר – Jerusalem, whose holiness is greater than the rest of the Land of Israel (see Mishnah Kelim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 6 and following).

והעזרות – their holiness is greater than the holiness of Jerusalem and it is impossible to renew sanctity other than in the Jewish court of seventy-one, as it states in the Biblical verse (Exodus 25:9): “Exactly as I show you, etc. – so you shall make it,” for all generations. Just as the Tabernacle is holy through the mouth of Moses who is in place of the Great Sanhedrin, even for all generations, the addition of the city [of Jerusalem] and the courtyards – by the mouth of the Great Sanhedrin.

ואין עושין סנהדראות לשבטים כו' – as we find with Moses who established Sanhedrins, for Moses stands in place of [the Great Sanhedrin] of seventy-one.

ואין עושין עיר הנדחת – As it is written (Deuteronomy 17:5): “You shall take the man or the woman.” A man or a woman you take out to your gates (i.e., “the public place”), to the Jewish court that is in your city, but you do not take the entire city to your gates (i.e., “the public place”) other than to a special gate.

בספר – [on the border] a city that separates between the Land of Israel and the heathen countries, as it is written, “among you” (Deuteronomy 17:2), but not from the border. And the reason of the verse is, lest the heathens hear and come and lay waste/destroy the Land of Israel; therefore, we do not leave eternal mound of ruins according to the statute of the apostate city, but we only kill all of its inhabitants.

ולא שלשה – [but not three] towns, the apostate city with one Jewish court and in one place. That is to say, each is near to the other, but with two or three places we do it.

ומשה על גביהן הרי שבעים ואחד – for the Biblical verse states (Numbers 11:17): “they shall bear [the burden of the people] with you, [and you shall not bear it alone],” and they will be with you.”

רבי יהודה אומר: שבעים – Who expounds on the word אתך/with you, that are similar to you, and not that you will sit with them in judgement. But the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Yehuda.

עדה שופטת – ten who make liable/guilty

עדה מצלת – ten who acquit, and learn from this that there needs to be twenty for if they divided it, there would be ten making liable and ten acquitting.

הטייתך לרעה על פי שנים – This is how the verse (Exodus 23:2) should be read: “You shall neither side with the mighty/multitude to do wrong” – to make guilty via a [majority of] one , so that there would be more than those who acquit; “but to pervert it in favor of the mighty” – with two, even for evil, so that there would be two more declaring guilty than those who acquit. Therefore, perforce, we require twenty-three [judges], for less than ten [judges] who acquit =, we don’t have to say, for it it is written (Numbers 35:25): “And the assembly shall protect (the manslayer from the blood avenger),” and further, we do not find that “guilt” is less than twelve.

ואין בית דין שקול – We don’t make pairs in Jewish courts, for it they would split tdown the middle, it would be half and half – and we would not find giving a verdict according to the majority of votes by a majority of one for good; hence, we add to them one other [judge] so that there would be twenty-three.

מאה ועשרים – The Gemara explains that twenty-three judges is a Small Sanhedrin. And three rows of twenty-three apiece sit before them, for if there was a need increase [the number of] judges, they would add from them, and there would be ten idle individuals [available]. These ten individuals are idle from all work and always sit in the House of Study. And two scribes [are available] who write the words of those who acquit and those who find guilty. And two men who announce the order of proceedings, sextons of the Jewish court who flog the guilty and invite the opponents in court, the two opponents [themselves], and two witnesses and two conspiring witnesses and two witnesses who find the previous witnesses to be conspiring, and two treasurers/managers [of the charity], and a third to distribute the tzedakah/charity, since charity is collected by two and distributed by a third, and an artisan doctor [whose task it is] to draw blood, and a scribe, and a teacher of children which [all together] equals one-hundred and twenty.

מאתים ושלשים כדי שרי עשרות – since that is twenty three groups of ten, whereby each judge would be the prince of ten, for less than the princes of ten, we would not find rulership. But the Halakha does not follow Rabbi Nehemiah.