Sanhedrin 30 – Are Court Proceedings Public?

Ordinarily, the verdict is handed down orally. However, the loosing litigant is entitled to a written record of the verdict. Rabbi Yochanan says that the verdict reads “He is not liable”, and individual opinions of the judges are not recorded, because of “Do not be a gossipmonger...” Resh Lakish holds that the names of the judges are recorded with their opinions of “liable” or “not liable,” because otherwise the verdict has the appearance of a lie. Rabbi Elazar finds a compromise: “Through their words so-and-so was found not liable” - which implies that the verdict was not unanimous.

The testimonies of the two witnesses are not combined unless they witness the event together. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah says that even if they witness two separate events that occur one after another, their testimonies may be combined. The first teacher maintains that the maneh (100 shekels) of one testimony is not the maneh of the other. But Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah says that they testify about a maneh in general.

Art: Louis Grosclaude- The Three Gossips