Translation:Mishnah/Seder Nezikin/Tractate Sanhedrin/Chapter 3/7

Introduction

Sanhedrin deals primarily with the court and with court cases. The third chapter of Sanhedrin is focused on witnesses and court proceedings.

The seventh mishnah of this chapter deals with the behavior of judges after a trial completes.

Hebrew Text

גמרו את הדבר, היו מכניסין אותן.

הגדול שבדינים אומר , איש פלוני אתה זכאי, איש פלוני אתה חיב.

ומנין לכשיצא אחד מן הדינים לא יאמר אני מזכה וחברי מחיבין אבל מה אעשה שחברי רבו עלי, על זה נאמר (משלי יא) הולך רכיל מגלה סוד.

English Translation

When the word [verdict] is finished, they bring him [the defendant] in. The greatest of the judges says, "So-and-so, you are innocent" or "So-and-so, you are guilty." And when they leave, one form the judges cannot say, "I acquitted him but my fellows convicted him but what was I to do, as my fellows were the majority. On this it is said, (Proverbs 11:13) "He who gossips reveals secrets."

Explanation

This presents a very simple ruling in terms of whether the proceedings of a jury are allowed to be made public or not. The obvious interpretation is that decisions made behind closed doors must remain behind closed doors. However, a stricter interpretation is that one cannot make themselves out to be more gracious than the majority who convicted the defendant, as this will breed distrust and anger. In either case, the mishnah is quite clear that the vote of the judges must remain a secret and that revealing it is equivalent to gossiping (a crime in and of itself).