Introducing The Jewish Bet Din, Its Types, And Historical Value

By Kimberly Murray


Many years ago, there was already such thing as laws, judgment, or anything which pertains to the legal system. Different provisions and penalties were regulated by authorized people. Until today, these provisions and the legal system itself have become the ultimate basis of judicial decision making.

A large group of wise men gathered at a hill beside the old biblical city. That marked the beginning of the Jewish Bet Din, a home where the law resides. It is said to be vested with an absolute command in matters that are civil and religious in nature. It had taken dominance in all communities and cities of the nation.

Three types of courts were identified. Although the third one has no name, its nature and structure are written in this literature. The two are called Sanhedrin and Sanhedrin Katana.

Sanhedrin, the grand judicial court, comprised of seventy one wise men who would gather together on the hill which was known to be the holy place in the old biblical city. At first, there were only seventy wise men that comprised it until a prophet called their attention and invited them to be with him in leading the entire nation. That made seventy one, thereby bringing back the court to him. In that setting, he was recognized as the wisest man who would make a final decision on legal cases. As many years passed, a nasi replaced the wise prophet and took over his position as the wisest.

Sanhedrin Katana consisted of twenty three judges. These judges would gather in some of biggest cities to discuss on important legal matters and issues. Just like the most supreme court, it had the authority to regulate rulings and impose penalties which are capital, corporal, and monetary in nature.

The smaller cities or villages were composed of mainly one hundred twenty men or less, most of which are adults. These, on the other hand, had the smallest courts that comprised of three judges. They could be more than three if the number of remaining ones is odd. Their judges, however, were not allowed to impose monetary punishments but not on corporal and capital types.

Yes, they are many types of them. Regardless of this fact, this kind of judicial system is more on the religious practices of a population that it governs. These matters of litigations were better known for them as dine Torah. These are a basis for decision and judgment that have been applied in other communities. However, whatever decisions are made, these are also based on varying degrees of authority and a kind of jurisdiction they were having on that community.

This system was not entirely abolished. Instead, it was under a care of knowledgeable rabbi scholars. Because they have the power to supervise and regulate it, they also have the power to make judicial decisions on different cases, answer questions about some provisions of a law, and address concerns. One example of these concerns is the problem on your marriage life or divorce.

The bottom line here is that no matter how strict it is, this is still a known instrumentality on the regulations of matters like religious life, family disputes, marriage, and the like. This all just depends on the political, economic, and social conditions of its area of jurisdiction.




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