Din & Daf: Conceptual Analysis of Halakha Through Case Study with Dr. Elana Stein Hain
Can the Politically Powerful Truly Be Governed by Law? The Case of an Israelite King – סנהדרין יט.-:, מלך לא דן ולא דנין אותו
The function of a judicial system is to hold people accountable to the law. But can the courts accomplish this even when those who need to be held accountable have tremendous political power? The example raised in the Gemara is the king, but truly the question could be asked about the possibility of the court bowing to anyone with power…In this shiur, we will examine whether מלך לא דן ולא דנין אותו represents an ideal separation of powers or whether it is merely a capitulation to the impossibility of holding kings accountable for their actions.
Sanhedrin 2, Sanhedrin 19
Dr. Elana Stein Hain – dinanddaf@hadran.org.il
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- משנה סנהדרין ב:ב
הַמֶּלֶךְ לֹא דָן וְלֹא דָנִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא חוֹלֵץ וְלֹא חוֹלְצִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. לֹא מְיַבֵּם וְלֹא מְיַבְּמִין לְאִשְׁתּוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אִם רָצָה לַחֲלֹץ אוֹ לְיַבֵּם, זָכוּר לָטוֹב. אָמְרוּ לוֹ, אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ. וְאֵין נוֹשְׂאִין אַלְמָנָתוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, נוֹשֵׂא הַמֶּלֶךְ אַלְמָנָתוֹ שֶׁל מֶלֶךְ, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְדָוִד שֶׁנָּשָׂא אַלְמָנָתוֹ שֶׁל שָׁאוּל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל ב יב) וָאֶתְּנָה לְךָ אֶת בֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ וְאֶת נְשֵׁי אֲדֹנֶיךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ:
The mishna continues, enumerating the halakhot pertaining to the king in similar matters: The king does not judge others as a member of a court and others do not judge him, he does not testify and others do not testify concerning him, he does not perform ḥalitza with his brother’s widow and his brother does not perform ḥalitza with his wife, and he does not consummate levirate marriage with his brother’s widow and his brother does not consummate levirate marriage with his wife, as all these actions are not fitting to the honor of his office. Rabbi Yehuda says: These are not restrictions, but his prerogative: If he desired to perform ḥalitza or to consummate levirate marriage, he is remembered for good, as this is to the benefit of his brother’s widow. The Sages said to him: They do not listen to him if he desires to do so, as this affects not only his own honor but that of the kingdom. And no one may marry a king’s widow, due to his honor. Rabbi Yehuda says: Another king may marry the widow of a king, as we found that King David married the widow of King Saul, as it is stated: “And I have given you the house of your master and the wives of your master in your bosom” (II Samuel 12:8).
- שמואל א’ ח:ה-ו
וַיֹּאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֗יו הִנֵּה֙ אַתָּ֣ה זָקַ֔נְתָּ וּבָנֶ֕יךָ לֹ֥א הָלְכ֖וּ בִּדְרָכֶ֑יךָ עַתָּ֗ה שִֽׂימָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֛לֶךְ לְשׇׁפְטֵ֖נוּ כְּכׇל־הַגּוֹיִֽם׃
and they said to him, “You have grown old, and your sons have not followed your ways. Therefore appoint a king for us, to govern us like all other nations.”
וַיֵּ֤רַע הַדָּבָר֙ בְּעֵינֵ֣י שְׁמוּאֵ֔ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמְר֔וּ תְּנָה־לָּ֥נוּ מֶ֖לֶךְ לְשׇׁפְטֵ֑נוּ וַיִּתְפַּלֵּ֥ל שְׁמוּאֵ֖ל אֶל־ה’׃ {פ}
Samuel was displeased that they said “Give us a king to govern us.” Samuel prayed to the LORD,
- דברים יז:ח-ט
כִּ֣י יִפָּלֵא֩ מִמְּךָ֨ דָבָ֜ר לַמִּשְׁפָּ֗ט בֵּֽין־דָּ֨ם ׀ לְדָ֜ם בֵּֽין־דִּ֣ין לְדִ֗ין וּבֵ֥ין נֶ֙גַע֙ לָנֶ֔גַע דִּבְרֵ֥י רִיבֹ֖ת בִּשְׁעָרֶ֑יךָ וְקַמְתָּ֣ וְעָלִ֔יתָ אֶ֨ל־הַמָּק֔וֹם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִבְחַ֛ר ה’ אֱ-לֹהֶ֖יךָ בּֽוֹ׃
If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over homicide, civil law, or assault—matters of dispute in your courts—you shall promptly repair to the place that your God יהוה will have chosen,
וּבָאתָ֗ אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְאֶ֨ל־הַשֹּׁפֵ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֙ וְהִגִּ֣ידוּ לְךָ֔ אֵ֖ת דְּבַ֥ר הַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃
and appear before the levitical priests, or the magistrate in charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have announced to you the verdict in the case,
- דברי הימים ב כו:ט״ז-כא
וּכְחֶזְקָת֗וֹ גָּבַ֤הּ לִבּוֹ֙ עַד־לְהַשְׁחִ֔ית וַיִּמְעַ֖ל בַּה’ אֱ-לֹהָ֑יו וַיָּבֹא֙ אֶל־הֵיכַ֣ל ה’ לְהַקְטִ֖יר עַל־מִזְבַּ֥ח הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃
When he was strong, he grew so arrogant he acted corruptly: he trespassed against his God by entering the Temple of the LORD to offer incense on the incense altar.
וַיָּבֹ֥א אַחֲרָ֖יו עֲזַרְיָ֣הוּ הַכֹּהֵ֑ן וְעִמּ֞וֹ כֹּהֲנִ֧ים ׀ לַה’ שְׁמוֹנִ֖ים בְּנֵי־חָֽיִל׃
The priest Azariah, with eighty other brave priests of the LORD, followed him in
וַיַּעַמְד֞וּ עַל־עֻזִּיָּ֣הוּ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וַיֹּ֤אמְרוּ לוֹ֙ לֹֽא־לְךָ֣ עֻזִּיָּ֗הוּ לְהַקְטִיר֙ לַיהֹוָ֔ה כִּ֣י לַכֹּהֲנִ֧ים בְּנֵֽי־אַהֲרֹ֛ן הַמְקֻדָּשִׁ֖ים לְהַקְטִ֑יר צֵ֤א מִן־הַמִּקְדָּשׁ֙ כִּ֣י מָעַ֔לְתָּ וְלֹֽא־לְךָ֥ לְכָב֖וֹד מֵה’ אֱ-לֹהִֽים׃
and, confronting King Uzziah, said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to offer incense to the LORD, but for the Aaronite priests, who have been consecrated, to offer incense. Get out of the Sanctuary, for you have trespassed; there will be no glory in it for you from the LORD God.”
וַיִּזְעַף֙ עֻזִּיָּ֔הוּ וּבְיָד֥וֹ מִקְטֶ֖רֶת לְהַקְטִ֑יר וּבְזַעְפּ֣וֹ עִם־הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים וְ֠הַצָּרַ֠עַת זָרְחָ֨ה בְמִצְח֜וֹ לִפְנֵ֤י הַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ בְּבֵ֣ית ה’ מֵעַ֖ל לְמִזְבַּ֥ח הַקְּטֹֽרֶת׃
Uzziah, holding the censer and ready to burn incense, got angry; but as he got angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in the House of the LORD beside the incense altar.
וַיִּ֣פֶן אֵלָ֡יו עֲזַרְיָ֩הוּ֩ כֹהֵ֨ן הָרֹ֜אשׁ וְכׇל־הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים וְהִנֵּה־ה֤וּא מְצֹרָע֙ בְּמִצְח֔וֹ וַיַּבְהִל֖וּהוּ מִשָּׁ֑ם וְגַם־הוּא֙ נִדְחַ֣ף לָצֵ֔את כִּ֥י נִגְּע֖וֹ ה’:
When the chief priest Azariah and all the other priests looked at him, his forehead was leprous, so they rushed him out of there; he too made haste to get out, for the LORD had struck him with a plague.
וַיְהִי֩ עֻזִּיָּ֨הוּ הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ מְצֹרָ֣ע ׀ עַד־י֣וֹם מוֹת֗וֹ וַיֵּ֜שֶׁב בֵּ֤ית (החפשות) [הַֽחׇפְשִׁית֙] מְצֹרָ֔ע כִּ֥י נִגְזַ֖ר מִבֵּ֣ית ה’ וְיוֹתָ֤ם בְּנוֹ֙ עַל־בֵּ֣ית הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ שׁוֹפֵ֖ט אֶת־עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ׃
King Uzziah was a leper until the day of his death. He lived in isolated quarters-b as a leper, for he was cut off from the House of the LORD—while Jotham his son was in charge of the king’s house and governed the people of the land.
- Dr. David Flatto, The Crown and the Courts 3
In grappling with the vital relationship between law and power, early Jewish writings confront a core tension familiar to modern jurisprudence—especially manifest in the bedrock constitutional concepts of separation of powers, an independent judiciary, and the rule of law. Here is where a distinctive strand of early Jewish jurisprudence proves most fascinating from a comparative perspective. In many societies, controlling law is a way of wielding substantial power. For this reason, the most powerful have historically sought to preside over the legal enterprise. Especially in antiquity, laws emanated from the sovereign body, and justice was administered by the politically powerful. Absolute kings, emperors, and rulers left little room for a discrete sphere of justice… an important strand in early Jewish jurisprudential writings sharply diverges from ancient legal traditions in this respect…Jewish tradition breaks new ground by envisioning the construction of independent institutions for administering justice, and articulating different versions of an ideal of separation.
- תוספתא סנהדרין ד:ב
מלך ישראל…ועובר על מצות עשה ועל מצות לא תעשה ושאר כל המצות והרי הוא כהדיוט לכל דבר
A King of Israel…and when he violates a positive or negative commandment or any other commandment, he is considered like a commoner in all respects.
- משנה סנהדרין ב:ז
…יוֹשֵׁב בַּדִּין, הִיא עִמּוֹ…
…He sits in judgement, and the Torah (he wrote) is with him…
- ירושלמי סנהדרין ב:ג
וְלֹא דָנִין אוֹתוֹ. עַל שֵׁם מִ֭לְּפָנֶיךָ מִשְׁפָּטִ֣י יֵצֵ֑א.
One may not judge him.” Because from You my judgment will come *Psalms.17.2
- סנהדרין יט.-:
מֶלֶךְ לֹא דָּן כּוּ׳. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף: לֹא שָׁנוּ אֶלָּא מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲבָל מַלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד דָּן וְדָנִין אוֹתָן, דִּכְתִיב: ״בֵּית דָּוִד כֹּה אָמַר ה׳ דִּינוּ לַבֹּקֶר מִשְׁפָּט״. וְאִי לָא דָּיְינִינַן לֵיהּ, אִינְהוּ הֵיכִי דָּיְינִי? וְהָכְתִיב: ״הִתְקוֹשְׁשׁוּ וָקוֹשּׁוּ״, וְאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: קְשֹׁט עַצְמְךָ וְאַחַר כָּךְ קְשֹׁט אֲחֵרִים.
- The mishna teaches: A king does not judge and is not judged. Rav Yosef says: They taught this halakha only with regard to the kings of Israel, who were violent and disobedient of Torah laws, but with regard to the kings of the house of David, the king judges and is judged, as it is written: “O house of David, so says the Lord: Execute justice in the morning” (Jeremiah 21:12). If they do not judge him, how can he judge? But isn’t it written: “Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together [hitkosheshu vakoshu]” (Zephaniah 2:1), and Reish Lakish says: This verse teaches a moral principle: Adorn [kashet] yourself first, and then adorn others, i.e., one who is not subject to judgment may not judge others. Since it is understood from the verse in Jeremiah that kings from the Davidic dynasty can judge others, it is implicit that they can also be judged.
אֶלָּא מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מַאי טַעְמָא לָא? מִשּׁוּם מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁהָיָה, דְּעַבְדֵּיהּ דְּיַנַּאי מַלְכָּא קְטַל נַפְשָׁא. אֲמַר לְהוּ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח לַחֲכָמִים: תְּנוּ עֵינֵיכֶם בּוֹ וּנְדוּנֶנּוּ. שְׁלַחוּ לֵיהּ: עַבְדָּךְ קְטַל נַפְשָׁא. שַׁדְּרֵיהּ לְהוּ. שְׁלַחוּ לֵיהּ: תָּא אַנְתְּ נָמֵי לְהָכָא, ״וְהוּעַד בִּבְעָלָיו״ אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה – יָבֹא בַּעַל הַשּׁוֹר וְיַעֲמוֹד עַל שׁוֹרוֹ.
The Gemara asks: But what is the reason that others do not judge the kings of Israel? It is because of an incident that happened, as the slave of Yannai the king killed a person. Shimon ben Shataḥ said to the Sages: Put your eyes on him and let us judge him. They sent word to Yannai: Your slave killed a person. Yannai sent the slave to them. They sent word to Yannai: You also come here, as the verse states with regard to an ox that gored a person to death: “He should be testified against with his owner” (Exodus 21:29). The Torah stated: The owner of the ox should come and stand over his ox.
אֲתָא וִיתֵיב. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח: יַנַּאי הַמֶּלֶךְ, עֲמוֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְיָעִידוּ בָּךְ. וְלֹא לְפָנֵינוּ אַתָּה עוֹמֵד, אֶלָּא לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם אַתָּה עוֹמֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הָרִיב וְגוֹ״. אָמַר לוֹ: לֹא כְּשֶׁתֹּאמַר אַתָּה, אֶלָּא כְּמָה שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ חֲבֵרֶיךָ.
The Gemara continues to narrate the incident: Yannai came and sat down. Shimon ben Shataḥ said to him: Yannai the king, stand on your feet and witnesses will testify against you. And it is not before us that you are
standing, to give us honor, but it is before the One Who spoke and the world came into being that you are standing, as it is stated: “Then both the people, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges that shall be in those days” (Deuteronomy 19:17). Yannai the king said to him: I will not stand when you alone say this to me, but according to what your colleagues say, and if the whole court tells me, I will stand.
נִפְנָה לִימִינוֹ – כָּבְשׁוּ פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע. נִפְנָה לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ – וְכָבְשׁוּ פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע. אָמַר לָהֶן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שָׁטַח: בַּעֲלֵי מַחְשָׁבוֹת אַתֶּם, יָבֹא בַּעַל מַחְשָׁבוֹת וְיִפָּרַע מִכֶּם! מִיָּד בָּא גַּבְרִיאֵל וַחֲבָטָן בַּקַּרְקַע, וּמֵתוּ. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה אָמְרוּ: מֶלֶךְ לֹא דָּן וְלֹא דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ, לֹא מֵעִיד וְלֹא מְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ.
Shimon ben Shataḥ turned to his right. The judges forced their faces to the ground out of fear and said nothing. He turned to his left, and they forced their faces to the ground and said nothing. Shimon ben Shataḥ said to them: You are masters of thoughts, enjoying your private thoughts, and not speaking. May the Master of thoughts, God, come and punish you. Immediately, the angel Gabriel came and struck those judges to the ground, and they died. At that moment, when they saw that the Sanhedrin does not have power to force the king to heed its instructions, the Sages said: A king does not judge others and others do not judge him, and he does not testify and others do not testify concerning him, due to the danger of the matter.
- רמב”ם הל’ סנהדרין ב:ה
מַלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין מוֹשִׁיבִין אוֹתָם בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין יוֹשְׁבִין וְדָנִים הֵם אֶת הָעָם. וְדָנִים אוֹתָם אִם יֵשׁ עֲלֵיהֶן דִּין. אֲבָל מַלְכֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין דָּנִין וְאֵין דָּנִין אוֹתָם לְפִי שֶׁאֵין נִכְנָעִים לְדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה שֶׁמָּא תָּבוֹא מֵהֶן תַּקָּלָה:
Kings from the House of David, though we do not put them in the Sanhedrin, they sit and judge the nation. And we just them if there is a judgment to be made against them. But Israelite Kings – they do not judge, and we do not judge them because they refuse to submit to Torah, so lest a tragedy emerge from them.
- מדרש תנחומא שופטים טז:ז:א
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ דִּין עִם מֶלֶךְ מִמַּלְכֵי בֵּית חַשְׁמוֹנַאי, וְעָמַד לִפְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח. אָמַר לֵיהּ: דִּין יֵשׁ לִי אֵצֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ. אָמַר שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח לָהֶם לְאוֹתָן דַּיָּנִין שֶׁדָּנִין עִמּוֹ, אִם מְשַׁגֵּר אֲנִי בִּשְׁבִיל הַמֶּלֶךְ, אַתֶּם מוֹכִיחִים אוֹתוֹ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: הֵן. שִׁגֵּר בִּשְׁבִילוֹ. בָּא, וְנָתְנוּ אֶת כִּסְּאוֹ וְיָשַׁב בְּצַד שִׁמְעוֹן. אָמַר לוֹ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח, עֲמֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְתֵן אֶת הַדִּין. אָמַר לוֹ: וְכִי דָּנִין אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ. פָּנָה לִימִינוֹ, כָּבְשׁוּ הַדַּיָּנִין אֶת פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע. לִשְׂמֹאלוֹ, כָּבְשׁוּ פְּנֵיהֶם בַּקַּרְקַע. בָּא הַמַּלְאָךְ וַחֲבָטָן בַּקַּרְקַע עַד שֶׁיָּצְאָה נִשְׁמָתָן. מִיָּד נִזְדַּעְזֵעַ הַמֶּלֶךְ. מִיָּד אָמַר לֵיהּ שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן שֶׁטַח, עֲמֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ וְתֵן אֶת הַדִּין, שֶׁלֹּא לְפָנַי אַתָּה עוֹמֵד, אֶלָּא לִפְנֵי מִי שֶׁאָמַר וְהָיָה הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעָמְדוּ שְׁנֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הָרִיב לִפְנֵי ה’ (דברים יט, יז). מִיָּד עָמַד עַל רַגְלָיו וְנָתַן אֶת הַדִּין. לְכָךְ צָרִיךְ שֶׁיְּהוּ בַּעֲלֵי דִּינִין נוֹהֲגִין אֵימָה בְּעַצְמָן, וְהַדַּיָּנִין יְהוּ נוֹהֲגִין אֵימָה בְּעַצְמָן, כִּבְיָכוֹל לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הֵן דָּנִין. שֶׁכָּךְ אָמַר יְהוֹשָׁפָט לַדַּיָּנִין, כִּי לֹא לָאָדָם תִּשְׁפֹּטוּ כִּי לַה’ (דה״ב יט, ו). אָמַר רַבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָא, בֹּא וּרְאֵה אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב, אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאוֹמְרוֹ. בָּשָׂר וָדָם דָּן לְבוֹרְאוֹ. אֶלָּא אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַדַּיָּנִין, הֱיוּ נוֹהֲגִים אֵימָה בְּעַצְמְכֶם, כְּאִלּוּ אוֹתִי אַתֶּם דָּנִין. כֵּיצַד, אָדָם עוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת לְפָנַי, גָּזַרְתִּי עָלָיו לִתֵּן לוֹ מֵאָה שָׂדוֹת. אִם אַתָּה מַעֲבִיר עָלָיו אֶת הַדִּין בְּאַחַת מַה שֶּׁגָּזַרְתִּי עָלָיו, אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ מִשֶּׁלִּי, וּמַעֲלֵנִי עָלֶיךָ כְּאִלּוּ מִמֶּנִּי נָטַלְתְּ.
(Deut. 16:19:) “You shall not turn aside justice; you shall not show partiality.” [Here is] a warning for the prince not to place one suited to be low, high; and one suited to be high, low. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:19), “You shall not turn aside justice,” because of wealth; “you shall not show partiality,” because of honor, so that a poor person does not stand while a wealthy one sits. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:19), “You shall not turn aside justice.” It is a warning to the sage not to seat someone beside him who is unfit for jurisdiction. Moreover, if he should so seat someone [like this], it is as though he had planted an asherah. So near [this verse] is [the following] (in Deut. 16:21), “You shall not plant for yourselves [any tree as] an asherah [beside an altar of the Lord your God…].” (Deut. 16:19) “You shall not turn aside justice.” Let the judges always feel as if the Divine Presence is among them, as stated (in Ps. 82:1), “[God stands in the divine congregation;] he pronounces judgment in the midst of powers.” From here it follows for litigants that they conduct themselves in awe. There is a story about a certain person who had a lawsuit with a king, one of the kings of the Hasmonean dynasty. He came and stood before Simeon ben Shetah. He said to him, “I have a lawsuit with the king.” Simeon ben Shetah said to those judges who were judging along with him, “If I send for the king, will you reprimand him?” They told him, “Yes.” He sent for him. He came and put his throne beside Simeon ben Shetah. Simeon ben Shetah said to him, “Stand on your feet and give satisfaction.” He said to him, “Do we judge a king?” [Simeon ben Shetah] turned to the right, and the judges [on the right] pressed their faces on the ground (to hide them). He turned to the left, and [those on the left] pressed their faces on the ground. The angel came and beat them on the ground, until their souls left them. Immediately the king trembled. Simeon ben Shetah said to him, “Stand on your feet and give satisfaction, since you are not standing before me, but before the One who spoke and the world came into being, as stated (in Deut. 19:17), ‘The two parties to the dispute shall stand before the Lord.’” He immediately stood on his feet and gave satisfaction. Hence the litigants need to conduct themselves in awe and the judges need to conduct themselves in awe; as they are rendering judgment, as it were, for the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore Jehoshaphat said to the judges (in II Chron. 19:6), “[Consider what you are doing], since you are not rendering judgment for humans but for the Lord.” R. Hama bar Hanina said, “Come and see! If there were no scriptural text written, it is not possible for him to say that flesh and blood judges its Creator. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the judges, ‘Let them conduct themselves in awe, as if you were judging Me. How? One fulfills a commandment before Me. [So] I have decreed over him to give him a hundred fields. If you pass judgment against him on one thing that I have decreed over him, I will give him other [fields] from what I possess; and I will credit it against you as though you had gotten it from Me.’”
- Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 14.165-167
But the chief Jews were in great fear when they saw how powerful and reckless Herod was and how much he desired to be dictator. These Jews came to Hyrcanus and asked in disbelief, “Do you not see that Antipatwr and his sons have girded themselves with royal power, while you have only the name of king given you? But do not let these things go unnoticed, nor consider yourself free of danger because you are careless of yourself and the kingdom. For no longer are Antipater and his sons merely your stewards in the government, and do not deceive yourself with the belief that they are; they are openly acknowledged to be masters.
Thus Herod, his son, has killed Ezekias and many of his men in violation of our law which forbids us to slay a man, even an evildoer, unless he has first been condemned by the Sanhedrin to suffer this fate. He however has dared to do this without authority from you [Hyrcanus].
- Josephus, The Jewish War, 1.209
If he [Herod] is not king but still a commoner, he ought to appear in court and answer for his conduct to his king and to his country’s laws, which do not permit anyone to be out to death without trial.
- Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 14.169,171-6
But when Herod stood in the Sanhedrin with his troops, he overawed them all, and no one of those who had denounced him before his arrival dared to accuse him thereafter; instead there was silence and doubt about what was to be done.
When affairs stood thus, one whose name was Sameas, a righteous man he was, and for that reason above all fear, rose up, and said, Fellow councilors and king, I do not myself know of, nor do I suppose that you can name, anyone who when summons before you for trial has ever presented such an appearance. For no matter who it was that came before this Sanhedrin for trial, he has shown himself humble and has assumed the manner of one who is fearful and seeks mercy from you by letting his hair grow long and wearing a back garment. But this fine fellow Herod, who is accused of murder and has been summoned on no less grave a charge than this, stands here clothed in purple, with the hair of his head carefully arranged and with his soldiers round him, in order to kill us if we condemn him as the law prescribed, and to save himself by outraging justice…
Yet do not I make this complaint against Herod himself; he is to be sure more concerned for himself than for the laws; but my complaint is against yourselves, and your king, who gave him a license so to do. However, take you notice, that God is great, and that this very man, whom you are going to absolve and dismiss, for the sake of Hyrcanus, will one day punish both you and your king himself also.”
Nor did Sameas mistake in any part of this prediction; for when Herod had received the kingdom, he slew all the members of this Sanhedrin, and Hyrcanus himself also, excepting Sameas, for he had a great honor for him on account of his righteousness, and because, when the city was afterward besieged by Herod and Sosius, he persuaded the people to admit Herod into it; and told them that for their sins they would not be able to escape his hands:—which things will be related by us in their proper places.
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