Sanhedrin 2: The Number of Judges
Beginning Sanhedrin! With an introduction to the court system, as initially instituted, in some measure, in the Torah. And the first mishnah -- this time, all of the mishnah of the chapter, printed together at its beginning. First and foremost, determining the number of judges needed for each case of damages, in "monetary law" (dini mamanot) - 3, and then for capital cases (dini nefashot) - 23. Plus, how do we know the number of judges for the courts? That is, which verses from the Torah?). Also, the Gemara opens with an evaluation as to why the mishnah specifies certain of the basic monetary issues, and not include them in a more general umbrella presentation of monetary issues.