The term, Sanhedrin is the name of the Beth Din HaGadol (The Great Court) as it was called during the Second Temple Period. Most secular scholars are convinced that the term comes from Greek, though they admit that if so, the word has strayed considerably from its original meaning.
Our sages, however, suggest a more applicable derivation of the term. P'siqta D'Rav Kahana (chapter 25), teaches that the first part of the word, "sin," referring to the Torah that was received at Mount "Sinai," was combined with the second part of the word, "hadrin," meaning, "glorification," to express the Great Court's role, the glorification of G-d's Torah through its application. Rabbi Ovadia Bartenura suggests an alternative meaning (exegesis on Mishnah Sota, chapter 9, Mishnah 11). Also taking the term as a combination of two words to mean, son'im hadarath pan'im b'din, "foes (opposing litigants) give respect and honor to its judgment." Other commentators confirm his interpretation, suggesting further that the first letter was changed from "sin" to "samekh," at a later date (Tosofoth Yom Tov and the Maharal).
The Sanhedrin's origins begin with Moshe Rabbeinu (Our Master and Teacher Moses)'s appointment of seventy elders at Sinai, in accordance with HaShem's commandment. The lower courts of twenty-three members, Sanhedrin Qa`tanot, was also established by Moshe Rabbeinu. Only rabbis with semikhah (authentic ordination) could sit on these courts, which had the authority to judge capital cases, imposes lashes, and impose fines (lay courts composed of three non-ordained individuals are able to judge other civil matters).
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Frequently Asked Questions about the Sanhedrin
Question: What does it mean ''authentic'' semikhah (rabbinical ordination)? Doesn't every rabbi have semikhah?
Answer: No. For many generations, there hasn't been any ''authentic'' semikhah, though rabbinic tradition
has continued from teacher to student. Authentic semikhah was suspended with the disbanding of the Sanhedrin by the Roman Empire, may HaShem blot out its memory.
Authentic semikhah can only be granted in the Land of Israel and only by a panel of three rabbis at least one of whom himself has authentic semikhah. This was only made possible recently.
See the articles on the History of the Sanhedrin and the article "The Great Sanhedrin - What It Is and Why It is Important" for further details.
Question: How is it possible to ''renew'' authentic semikhah if it was suspended for 1600 years?
Answer: The process on how to reestablish authentic semikhah is explained in detail by the Rambam in his seminal work,
Mishneh Torah. In fact two other times in history, there was an attempt to reestablish authentic semikhah, but they failed (see History for further details).
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JUSTICE AND RIGHTOUSNESS: Temple Mount Faithful Denied Freedom of Worship on Temple Mount
(IsraelWire-4/24) Members of the Temple Mount Faithful organization on Sunday, the third intermediary day of Passover, were denied entry to the al-Aksa Mosque compound - known as the Temple Mount, the holiest site to the Jewish people, site of the First and Second Temples.
The members of the organization repeatedly attempt to alight to the Mount on Jewish holidays in the hope they may be permitted to pray. Despite being under Israeli control, the actual daily control was placed in the hands of the Moslem Wakf Authority which does not permit Jews to pray at the location.
As usual, the group was turned away by police but was later permitted entry to the Mount as individuals or in very small groups. Temple Mount Faithful leader Dr. Gershon Solomon admitted there attempt to enter the compound is a political statement.
"We came to say that no one we will remove us from this place. We are here forever and we should do everything in our lives for the cause. Jerusalem and the Temple Mount will be forever the capital of Israel," Solomon told his followers.
Israeli paratroop forces liberated the Old City of Jerusalem including the Temple Mount from Jordanian occupation in the June 1967 Six Day War. The government later decided to place the Wakf Authority in charge of the Mount, which has since barred Jews from praying and continues to this day to carry out illegal construction on the site, causing irreparable damage to artifacts dating back to the Temple era.
JUSTICE AND RIGHTOUSNESS: Robert Bork on Israel's Supreme Court
Robert Bork on Israel's Supreme Court
20 Tammuz 5764
(IsraelNN.com) Robert Bork is a distinguished jurist who was nominated to the Supreme Court by United States President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He has also served as Solicitor General and has been a distinguished professor at Yale University. He is now a Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and he has written a book on judicial activism called, Coercing Virtue: The Worldwide Rule of Judges. He recently appeared on The 700 Club to talk with Pat Robertson about the issue.
Robert Bork: Israel must have the most activist, and from my point of view, the worst court in the Western world. They have developed an intrusive, pervasive constitutional law without really having a Constitution. Now that's hard to do, but they've managed it and they have managed to get themselves in a position where they, in effect, control the membership of their own court. They've done a variety of things -- there's so many, I list a lot of them in the book, but there's too many to list here.
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The Loss of Jewish Identity in Israel
from the Jerusalem Post
By Sarah Honig
Headgear is fraught with symbolism, and even an uncovered pate has meaning. Hats are more than fashion statements. They can identify our sex, occupation, rank, favorite sports team, political allegiance, nationality, or religious affiliation. It wasn't for nothing that Shas (Orodox polital party) suggested last week that wearing a kippa should be obligatory on memorial days for fallen soldiers and Holocaust martyrs. The 10 MKs (members of the Knesset) who naughtily sponsored the provocative bill knew they hadn't a prayer of actually passing it. They were out to make a statement, because that's what the kippa is.
And because that's what all manner of headdress are, I so respect Basmat Tzabari. I have never met her and I know nothing about the 22-year-old except that she is an Eilat hotel waitress who vehemently refused to don Santa Claus's fur-trimmed hat as her bosses demanded she do on Christmas Eve. Her attitude cost Basmat her job, but she has no regrets. She knows it's all about symbols. In her age-group and in our milieu, Basmat is rare. Her convictions probably even earned her the stinging derision of her peers. In all likelihood they don't see what the fuss is about.
Dozens of my daughter's peers showed up in school on December 24 sporting the very sort of hat which lost Basmat her job. It was the trendy thing to do. One boy came attired in Santa's entire red suit and handed out candies. The school administration had no problem with any of this.
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