Sanhedrin

It is written, And the Lord said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people.  If the people had sinned, wherein had the chiefs sinned?  — Rab Judah said in Rab's name: The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto Moses: Divide them into [many] courts.  Why? Shall we say, because two [men] may not be tried [and sentenced] on the same day?  But R. Hisda said: This was taught only with reference to [charges involving] two different modes of execution;  whereas [cases that involve only] one mode of execution  may be tried? — But it was so, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel. CIVIL SUITS MAY BE CONCLUDED ON THE SAME DAY etc. … Whence is this derived? — R. Hanina said: Scripture saith, She that was full of justice, righteousness lodged [yalin] in her,  but now, murderers.  Raba derived it from the following: Ashsheru hamoz  — i.e., bless  the judge who reserves  his verdict. And the other?  — [He interprets it thus:] Relieve the oppressed,  not the oppressor.  And the latter [Raba]: how does he utilize the verse: And she that was full of justice? — Even as R. Eleazar said in the name of R. Isaac. Viz.: If on a fast day, the distribution of alms  is postponed overnight, it is just as though blood were shed,  as it is written, She that was full of justice, charity  etc. This, however, applies only to bread and dates;  but in the case of money, wheat or barley, [postponement] does not matter. THEREFORE TRIALS ARE NOT HELD [ON THE EVE OF A SABBATH OR FESTIVAL] etc. Why so? — Because it is impossible, for how could it be done? Should they try him [the accused] on the eve of the Sabbath and pronounce judgment on the same day; perhaps they may find cause for condemnation, and judgment will then have to be postponed overnight.  Or again, if they try him on the eve of the Sabbath, and pronounce judgment on the Sabbath, and execute him on that day,  but execution cannot supersede the Sabbath.  Again, should he be executed in the evening; execution must be carried out 'in the face of the sun.'  One the other hand, if judgment is pronounced on the Sabbath whist he is executed on the first day of the week [Sunday], they might delay the course of justice.  If he be tried on the eve of the Sabbath, and the matter concluded on the first day of the week, they might have forgotten their reasons by then, for although two judges' clerks stand before them and write down the arguments of those who would acquit and those who would convict,  they can but record according to the mouth,  yet once the heart forgets, it remains forgotten.  Hence this is impossible. Resh Rakish said to R. Johanan: Why should not the burial of a Meth-Mizwah  supersede [the laws of] the Sabbath, reasoning a minori: if the Temple service, which sets aside the Sabbath,  is itself suspended for the burial of a Meth-Mizwah (as is deduced from, And to his sister, even as it has been taught: To his father and to his mother and to his brother and to his sister:  What does this teach us?  [Even] if he [the Nazir] were on his way to sacrifice the Paschal lamb or to circumcise his son,