The semichah of the elders and the decapitation of the calf are by three; [these are] the words of R’ Shimon. R’ Yehudah, however, says: By five. Chalitzah and refusal are before three. The fourth-year fruit and the maaser sheni whose value is unknown are [judged] by three. [Redemption] of articles of hekdesh is [judged] by three. Assessments of movable objects is by three. R’ Yehudah says: One of them [must be] a Kohen. That of real property is by nine and a Kohen, and likewise for a human being.

Capital cases are [judged] by twenty-three. The [animal] which commits an act of bestiality or is its recipient [is judged] by twenty-three, as it says: And you shall kill the woman and the animal, and it says: And the animal you shall kill. An ox which is to be stoned [is judged] by twenty-three, as it says: The ox shall be stoned and also its owner shall be put to death —- in the same manner as the owner [is put to] death, the ox is [put to] death.  The wolf, the lion, the bear, the leopard, the bardelas, and the snake are sentenced to death by twenty-three. R’ Eliezer says: Whoever is first to kill them acquires merit. R’ Akiva says: Their death is by twenty-three.

A tribe, a false prophet, and a Kohen Gadol, may not be judged except before the court of seventy-one. A discretionary war may not be waged without the approval of the court of seventy-one. Additions to the city and to the courtyards may be made only with the court of seventy-one. Sanhedrins for the tribes may be appointed only by the court of seventy-one. An apostate town can be so designated only by the court of seventy-one. They cannot designate an apostate town on the border, nor three, but they may so designate one or two.

The Great Sanhedrin was composed of seventy-one [judges], and a lesser one of twenty-three. From where [do we know] that the great one was seventy-one? Because it says: Gather to me seventy men from the leaders of Israel, and Moses [pre-sided] over them; hence, seventy-one. R’ Yehudah says: Seventy. And from where [do we know] that a lesser one is com-prised of twenty-three? Because it says: And the congregation shall judge ... and the congregation shall save —- a congrega-tion which judges and a congregation which saves; we thus arrive at twenty. And from where [do we know] that a congregation consists of ten? Because it says: Until when, this evil congregation? —- which excludes Joshua and Caleb. And from where do we [know to] include another three? From the implication of that which it says: Do not follow a majority to convict, I may infer that I should follow them to exonerate. If so, why does it say: according to the majority [the matter] shall be de-cided? [This teaches that] the decision to convict is unlike the decision to exonerate. The decision to exonerate turns on the vote of one; [while] the decision to convict [must] turn on the vote of two. But since no court may consist of an even number, we must add another, for a total of twenty-three.  How many must be in a town to warrant a sanhedrin? One hundred and twenty. R’ Nechemiah says: Two hundred and thirty, corresponding to the officers of the tens.