Rav Aḥa bar Pappa cited "Neither shall you answer in a cause (, "riv")," to support the rule of that in capital cases, the judges began issuing their opinions from the side, where the least significant judges sat. The Sages interpreted to read, "Neither shall you answer after the Master (, "rav"), that is: Do not dispute the opinion of the greatest among the judges. Were the judges to begin issuing their opinions from the greatest to the least among the judges, and the greatest would find the accused guilty, no judge would acquit the accused. Thus to encourage the lesser judges to speak freely in capital cases, the Mishnah's rule had them speak first.