אמר רב כהנא סנהדרי שראו כולן לחובה פוטרין אותו מ"ט כיון דגמירי הלנת דין למעבד ליה זכותא והני תו לא חזו ליה
§ Rav Kahana says: In a Sanhedrin where all the judges saw fit to convict the defendant in a case of capital law, they acquit him. The Gemara asks: What is the reasoning for this halakha? It is since it is learned as a tradition that suspension of the trial overnight is necessary in order to create a possibility of acquittal. The halakha is that they may not issue the guilty verdict on the same day the evidence was heard, as perhaps over the course of the night one of the judges will think of a reason to acquit the defendant. And as those judges all saw fit to convict him they will not see any further possibility to acquit him, because there will not be anyone arguing for such a verdict. Consequently, he cannot be convicted.
וּבִכְלַל מִדּוֹתַיִךְ שְׁתֵּי מִדּוֹת וְהֵן הַמּוֹרָא וְהַתִּקְוָה. וּמְקוֹם הַמּוֹרָא שֶׁתִּהְיִי בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁמֵּבִיא אֶל הָעִנְיָן שֶׁיְּצַעֲרֵךְ וְלֹא תִּהְיֶה לָךְ אַחֲרִיתוֹ טוֹבָה וְאֵין בָּךְ כֹּחַ וִיכֹלֶת לִדְחוֹתוֹ מֵעָלַיִךְ.
Among your traits there are other two - fear and hope. Fear is proper when you are in a situation which will lead to a painful situation that will not have a good end and which you have no strength or power to avert.
אַךְ מְקוֹם הַתִּקְוָה שֶׁתִּשְׁתַּדְּלִי בַּהַקְדָּמוֹת הַמְּבִיאוֹת הַטּוֹבָה אֵלַיִךְ וּמְחַיְּבוֹת לָךְ הַנְּעִימוֹת מִבְּלִי מוֹנֵעַ שֶׁיִּמְנַע מֵהֶן וְלֹא דָּבָר שֶׁיַּבְדִּיל בֵּינֵךְ וּבֵינֵיהֶן בַּעֲשׂוֹת הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁצִּוָּה הָאֵל לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ מִפְּנֵי טוּב אַחֲרִיתוֹ.
The occasion for hope arises when you busy yourself with the preliminaries that will bring you good and secure for you bliss with no hindrance to keep you from it, nothing that will separate you from it. And that is when you fulfill the duties which G-d commanded you and the result of which is good.