69 Sanhedrin 1/6 and 2/1-2

(6) The great Sanhedrin [Highest court, charged with deciding cases and appeals that had national significance. It was comprised of 71 scholars who had received the full traditional rabbinical ordination, and its decisions fixed Jewish practice for subsequent generations.][was comprised of] seventy-one [judges], and a small [Sanhedrin] twenty-three [judges]. From where [do we derive] that the great [Sanhedrin] [comprises] seventy-one [judges]? As it says, (Numbers 11:16) "gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel," and Moses [set] over them, behold, [the number of judges adds to] seventy-one. Rabbi Yehudah says: seventy. And from where [do we derive] that a small [Sanhedrin] [comprises] twenty-three [judges]? As it says, (Numbers 35:24-25) "the assembly shall judge... the assembly shall deliver." The assembly judges and the assembly delivers- behold [the number of judges adds to] twenty. From where [do we derive] that the assembly is ten? As it says, (Numbers 14:27) "Until when shall I bear this wicked assembly." This excludes Joshua and Caleb. And from where [do we derive that we] add three more? This is implied by the [verse], as it says, (Exodus 23:2) "Do not follow the many to do evil." Should I learn to follow them to do good? If so, why does it say (Exodus 23:2) "Following the many to distort [justice]" - your following to do good is not like your following to do evil. Following to do good [i.e. acquittal] is by one, following to do evil [i.e. conviction] is by two. Since a court cannot [contain an] even [number of members], we add [to the number of judges] one more- behold this is twenty-three. And how many [inhabitants] must a city have before it may have a Sanhedrin? One hundred and twenty. Rabbi Nechemiah says, two hundred and thirty, [each judge] corresponding to a chief of a group of ten.

(1) The High Priest may judge and be judged [himself]; may testify and others may testify against him; may perform chalitzah [declination of levirate marriage] and others may perform chalitzah for his widow; and others may marry her through levirate marriage, but he may not marry another through levirate marriage, because he is forbidden to marry a widow. [When his relative] dies, he may not follow the bier; rather, when they are concealed [from his view] he may be present, and once they appear he must be concealed [from their view], and he may follow them [in this manner] until the opening [gates] of the city. These are the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehudah says, he may not leave from the Temple, as it says, (Leviticus 21:12) "And from the Temple, he may not leave." When he comforts other [mourners], it is the custom that all the people pass by one after one, and the appointed [substitute High Priest] interposes himself between [the High Priest] and the people. When he is being comforted by others, all the people say to him, "We are your atonement," and he says to them, "From heaven shall you be blessed." And when he is fed in comfort, all the people sit on the ground, and he sits on the stool.

(2) The king may not judge nor be judged himself; may not testify, nor may others testify against him; may not perform chalitzah, nor may others perform chalitzah for his wife; and may not marry through levirate marriage, nor may others marry his wife through levirate marriage. Rabbi Yehudah says, if he wishes to perform chalitzah or marry through Levirate marriage, he is remembered for good [i.e. it is meritorious]. [The Sages] said to him: We do not listen to [the king in this respect]. And none may marry his widow. Rabbi Yehudah says, a king may marry the widow of [another] king, for thus we find with respect to David, who married the widow of Saul, as it says (II Samuel 12:8), "And I gave you the house of your master, and the wives of your master in your bosom."