(Mishnah): Yosi ben Yo'ezer says, we do not do Semichah (on a Korban on Yom Tov). Yosi ben Yochanan says, we do Semichah;

Yehoshua ben Perachiyah says, we do not do Semichah. Nitai ha'Arbeli says, we do Semichah;

Yehudah ben Tabai says, we do not do Semichah. Shimon ben Shetach says, we do Semichah;

Shemayah says, we do Semichah. Avtalyon says, we do not do Semichah;

Hillel and Menachem did not argue. Menachem left and Shamai entered. Hillel says, we do Semichah. Shamai says, we do not do Semichah;

The firsts [of these pairs] were Nesi'im, and the seconds were Avos Beis Din.

(Gemara): Initially, there was no argument in Yisrael, only about Semichah alone. Hillel and Shamai [had three additional arguments, and] made it four;

After the increase of Talmidim of Beis Shamai and Beis Hillel who did not serve their Rebbeyim as much as needed, arguments increased in Yisrael and they divided into two groups - these are Metamei and these are Metaher.

[Unity] will not return until Ben David (Mashi'ach) comes.

(R. Chiyah citing R. Yochanan): Shevus should not be light in your eyes. Semichah [on Yom Tov] is only Shevus, and Avos ha'Olam argued about it!

Inference (R. Yosah): One must press his weight [on the Korban when doing Semichah]. If not, will we say that it is forbidden to touch an animal on Yom Tov?! (Rather, the Korban supports him, and he uses the animal.)

(Mishnah): Hillel and Menachem did not argue. Menachem left and Shamai entered.

Question: To where did Menachem leave?

Answer #1: He went from Midah to Midah (he sinned).

Answer #2: He was forced to leave [through the kingdom], he and 80 pairs of Talmidei Chachamim dressed in gold ornaments. (We deleted from the text like SHA'AREI TORAS ERETZ YISRAEL, for the Yevanim decreed to write on the bull's horn, and Hillel was Nasi more than 100 years after the fall of Yavan.)

We learned in our Mishnah that Yehudah ben Tabai was the Nasi (he was listed first), and Shimon ben Shetach was the Av Beis Din. Some say oppositely.

The one who says that Yehudah ben Tabai was the Nasi, the episode in Alexandria supports him;

Yehudah ben Tabai, Bnei Yerushalayim wanted to appoint him to be Nasi in Yerushalayim. He fled and went to Alexandria. Bnei Yerushalayim wrote "from the great Yerushalayim to the small Alexandria - how long does my betrothed (Yehudah ben Tabai, whom we want to appoint to be Nasi) dwell amidst you, and I sit sad [longing] for him?''

[Yehudah ben Tabai] went on a boat [to go to Yerushalayim]. He said [to his Talmidim] "do you remember the mistress of the house in which we were received - what did she lack?!''

One of the Talmidim: Rebbi, her eye was broken!

Yehudah ben Tabai: You have two [Aveiros]! One - you suspected me [of looking at women. Another] one - you looked at her! What I said that she is nice was not her looks, rather, her actions (hospitality! Yehudah ben Tabai) was angry at him; [the Talmid] went away.

The one who says that Shimon ben Shetach was the Nasi, the episode in Ashkelon supports him. There were two Talmidim (Reuven and Ploni) in Ashkelon - they ate together, drank together and learned Torah together;

One of them (Ploni) died, and people did not bestow Chesed [to bury him properly]. The son of Mayan the [evil] tax collector died, and the entire city was idle from work [to bestow Chesed with him];

The Talmid (Reuven) started to cry, and said "woe! Perhaps haters of (this is a euphemism) Yisrael have no [reward]?!''

[Ploni] appeared to him in a dream, and said 'do not disgrace the children (Bnei Yisrael) of your Master [to say that they showed honor for no reason - B'SHEM BETZALEL). This one (I) did one Aveirah and it went (was paid up through lack of honor at my burial). This one did one Mitzvah and it went (his entire reward was the honor done at his burial).

What Aveirah did [Ploni] do? Chas v'Shalom, he never did a [real] Aveirah, just one day he [put on] the head Tefilin before the hand Tefilin. (MASA D'YERUSHALAYIM - he did a Mitzvah visible to others before a hidden Mitzvah, to receive honor. To atone for this, he was buried without honor.)

What Mitzvah did the son of Mayan the tax collector do? He never did a good deed in his life, just once he made a meal for officers, and they did not come. He said that the poor should come and eat, lest the food spoil.

Some say that he was walking on the road with a loaf under his underarm, and it fell, and an Oni took it, and [Ben Mayan] did not say anything, lest he make him blush.

Note: Why is this not called a good deed? Perhaps the intent is that he never planned to do a good deed, but when the situation arose, he acted properly this one time.

Days later, [Reuven] saw his fellow Chasid (Ploni, in a dream) going in gardens, in orchards amidst springs of water, and he saw the son of Mayan the tax collector on the riverbank, his tongue hanging down over the river and he wanted to reach the water [to drink], but he could not.

[Reuven] saw Miryam bas Eli Betzalim. R. Lazar bar Yosi says that she was hanging by her breasts. (Teshuvas MAHARAM ME'ROTENBERG (4:1023, b'Sof) - this is for women who nurse in public, and men see their breasts);

R. Yosi ben Chanina says that [he saw] the hinge-pin of the gate of Gehinom stuck in her ear. Reuven asked why [she is punished] like this.

[Those appointed over Gehinom] told him that she would fast, and publicize it. Some say that she would fast one day and say that she fasted two days (alternatively - indulge herself doubly on other days).

Reuven asked how long she [will have this punishment. They] told him until Shimon ben Shetach will die. Then they will remove the hinge-pin from her ear and put it in his ear.

He asked, why [will Shimon ben Shetach be punished? They] said, he said "if I will become Nasi, I will kill the witches'', and he became Nasi and he did not kill the witches. There are 80 female witches in a cave in Ashkelon, and they are ruining the world. Go tell him!

[Reuven]: I fear, for he is the Nasi, and he will not believe me!

They told him, if he will believe you, fine. And if he does not believe you, do this sign in front of him. Put your hand on your eye and take it out and return it; it returned.

Reuven went and told [Shimon ben Shetach]. He wanted to do the Siman [of the eye] in front of him; he did not let him do it;

[Shimon ben Shetach]: I know that you are a Chasid. You can do more than this [Siman]! Further, I did not say with my mouth [that I kill them]. I thought [so] in my heart. (You would not know so if not that what you said is true.)

Immediately, Shimon ben Shetach got up on a rainy day and took 80 bachelors wearing clean clothes. They took 80 new barrels and put the clothes in the barrels, and carried the barrels on their heads

He told them, when I whistle once, wear your [clean] clothes. When I whistle a second time, all ascend at once.

Once you come, each of you take one [witch] and lift her off the ground, for these witches, when they are off the ground, cannot do anything.

He went to the gate of the cave. He said 'Oyam Oyam (in their language, this means) open for me! I am from (i.e. a witch like) you!'

They said to him "how did you come to here [in clean clothes] on such a day?'' He said, I went between the drops [through witchcraft].

They said to him "what did you come here to do?'' He said [I came] to learn and to teach. Everyone will do what they know to do. Each one said what she said (an incantation), and brought bread (through witchcraft). One said what she said, and brought a cooked food. One said what she said, and brought meat. One said what she said, and brought wine.

They said to him "what can you do?'' He said "I will whistle twice, and will come here 80 bachelors to be happy with you and make you happy.'' They said "we want!''

He whistled once, and they put on their [clean] clothes. He whistled a second time, and they all ascended at once. He said "each one pick your mate.'' [The men] carried them and brought them and hung them.

This is what was taught, that Shimon ben Shetach hung women in Ashkelon. They said that he hung 80 women in one day. We do not judge two in one day! Rather, it was needed at the time.

Note: Tana'im argue about whether or not we hang women. Since we are forced to say that it was a Hora'as Sha'ah to judge many in one day, we can say that it was a Hora'as Sha'ah also to hang women. The Bavli (Sanhedrin 46a) says that we can judge many in one day for the same Aveirah. Perhaps the Yerushalmi argues. HA'GAON RAV C. KANIEVSKY, SHLITA explains that some were liable for Ov, some for Yid'oni... In any case, it was a Hora'as Sha'ah to judge a capital case without three rows of Talmidim, beginning from the side, beginning for Zechus, not convicting on the same day, to kill via hanging without stoning first, nor announcing 'Plonis is being taken to be executed.'

(Beraisa - R. Eliezer ben Yakov): I heard that [Beis Din can] punish unlike Halachah and unlike Torah law.

Question: What is the extent [to which they may do so]?

Answer #1 (R. Lazar bei R. Yosi): It is even based on hearsay (GILYONEI HA'SHAS).

Answer #2 (R. Yosi): It is through witnesses, but [even] without warning.

A case occurred [in the days of the Yevanim] that one went out riding on a horse on Shabbos. They brought him to Beis Din and stoned him;

Is this not forbidden only mid'Rabanan?! Rather, at the time it was necessary (people were disgracing the Mitzvos).

Another case occurred in which a man went on the road with his wife, and went in back of the fence and did his needs (had Bi'ah) with her. They brought him to Beis Din and lashed him;

It was his wife (she was permitted to him)! Rather, [it was] because he acted disgracefully.