For witnesses to be joined as a group their testimony must be connected via their speech (testimony) time frame.
(Q) What is that time frame?
(A) “Toch k’dei dibbur,” The time required for an utterance. This brief interval must not elapse between the testimony of each witness and the next. (Not all from the first witness)
*Connection: Mishna related*
הלכה ב
Halacha 2
[דף ה]
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מַה שְּׁנַיִם אֵינָן נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיְּהוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם זוֹמְמִין, אַף שְׁלשָׁה אֵינָן נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן זוֹמְמִין. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, ״עֵדִים:״
Passive-Discredited:
The previous halacha was about doing the discrediting. This one is about being discredited. As long as witnesses form a group, they all must be discredited in order (for somebody) to be Punished.
הלכה ג
Halacha 3
[דף ה]
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, לֹא בָא הַשְּׁלִישִׁי אֶלָּא לְהַחְמִיר עָלָיו וְלַעֲשׂוֹת דִּינוֹ כַיּוֹצֵא בָאֵלּוּ.:
Passive-Discredited: (Punishment)
As long as witnesses form a group, they are all executed if found guilty. Not just the first two.
הלכה ד
Halacha 4
[דף ה]
וְאִם כֵּן עָנַשׁ הַכָּתוּב לַנִּטְפָּל לְעוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה כְעוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה יְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר לַנִּטְפָּל לְעוֹשֵׂי מִצְוָה כְעוֹשֵׂי מִצְוָה:
Mussar:
(Joining Positive Groups)
Just as a person is punished for joining a wicked group, he is also rewarded for joining a Good group. He gets what they get.
MISHNA 8:
WITNESS NUMBER COMPARISON:
(MULTIPLE TO TWO)
(CONT.)
הלכה א
Halacha 1
[דף ה]
מַה שְּׁנַיִם נִמְצָא אַחַד מֵהֶן קָרוֹב אוֹ פָסוּל, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה, אַף שְׁלשָׁה נִמְצָא אֶחָד מֵהֶן קָרוֹב אוֹ פָסוּל, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה. מִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, ״עֵדִים״. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים, בְּדִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת. אֲבָל בְּדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת, תִּתְקַיֵּם הָעֵדוּת בַּשְּׁאָר. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֶחָד דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת וְאֶחָד דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת. בִּזְמַן שֶׁהִתְרוּ בָהֶן, אֲבָל בִּזְמַן שֶׁלֹּא הִתְרוּ בָהֶן, מַה יַּעֲשׂוּ שְׁנֵי אַחִין שֶׁרָאוּ בְאֶחָד שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנָּפֶשׁ:
Witness Validity:
(Relative / Other) (Capital / Monetary)
(Legal Set Establishment)
1)As long as witnesses form a group, they all must be valid in order to testify.
2)There is a disagreement between the Sages, whether or not this applies to both capital and monetary cases, or just monetary. 3)There is also a disagreement between the stages whether or not the witnesses had in mind to testify as a group.
- Crime Parties Exclusion:
The perpetrator and the victim (even if murdered) are not considered witnesses. According to the opinion that says “just seeing the event” makes you a witness, they would invalidate all the others due to their non-validity. (Being part of the event, or a relative to themselves)
(Q) Derivation:
(A) “A matter shall be established,” (Devarim19,15)
This teaches that only those who “establish” the facts of the matter may be witnesses, but not the participants of the matter.
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
- Witness Set Determination:
If these witnesses are a set, then if one is disqualified, then the others are as well.
(Q) how is this determined:
(A) By asking them. The court accepts their word. The court asks them if they had in mind to be a witness at the time of the event, or if they, merely, observed it. They are part of the set if they intended to testify with the others.
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
MISHNA 9:
WITNESS ACTIVITY:
הלכה א
Halacha 1
[דף ו]
הָיוּ שְׁנַיִם רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ מֵחַלּוֹן זֶה וּשְׁנַיִם רוֹאִין אוֹתוֹ מֵחַלּוֹן זֶה וְאֶחָד מַתְרֶה בוֹ בָּאֶמְצַע, בִּזְמַן שֶׁמִּקְצָתָן רוֹאִין אֵלּוּ אֶת אֵלּוּ, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ עֵדוּת אַחַת. וְאִם לָאו, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ שְׁתֵּי עֵדֻיּוֹת. לְפִיכָךְ אִם נִמְצֵאת אַחַת מֵהֶן זוֹמֶמֶת, הוּא וָהֵן נֶהֱרָגִין וְהַשְּׁנִיָּה פְּטוּרָה:
Legal Set Establishment:
(In One Another’s View-
While Witnessing Event)
In order to legally establish witnesses as a set, they must see each other while they are witnessing the event.
- One Pair Of Witnesses:
Two witnesses must also see each other in order to testify. (not only two groups)
(Q) Derivation:
(A) “He shall not be executed by the word of one witness,” (Devarim 17,6)
This means even when the two witnesses see the event separately; one by one.
This part of the verse is not teaching that two witnesses are required because the beginning of that verse teaches that. (“By the word of two witnesses.”)
- Connection: Mishna Related.
- Simultaneous Witness:
Witnesses must see the same act at the same moment. (not one after another looking through a window)
(Q) Redundancy:
The crime committed only takes a moment. One must see it.
- With regards to forbidden relations, it is sufficient to witness the couple being together
without actually witnessing the act itself. Here as well, they must see at the same moment.
- Connection: Mishna Related.
- Sight Of Warner: (One Of Two Directions)
(Q) Sufficiency:
Is this enough? (That the witnesses do not see each other, but they see the warner)
- If The one giving the warning sees the witnesses in the windows or the witnesses in the
windows see the one giving the warning, they all combine.
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
- Warning Administrator:
(Q) Subject: (Who)
Must the warning come from the witnesses themselves?
- Warning can come from anyone, even the parties of the event, or a demon.
(See next law)
- Connection: Mishna Related.
- Capital Cases Only: (Leniency)
It is only regarding capital cases that isolated witnesses do not combine. This way it is more difficult to find the defendant guilty.
(Q) Derivation:
(A) “He shall not be executed by the word of one witness,” (Devarim 17,6)
(This rule may seem to be strict, and not lenient at times; but we stick to the rule)
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
הלכה ב
Halacha 2
[דף ו]
רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, לְעוֹלָם אֵין נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיְּהוּ פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדָיו מַתְרִין בּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז) ״עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים:״
Warning Administrator:
(Both Witnesses)
Both the witnesses must be the ones who issue the warning to the criminal in order for him to be executed by the court.
- Warning From Both Witnesses:
(Q) Author: (Which R’ Yossi?)
(A) R’ Yossi Bar Chalafta. (R’ Yossi Bar Yehudah does not hold by this law)
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
הלכה ג
Halacha 3
[דף ו]
דָּבָר אַחֵר, ״עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים״, שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא סַנְהֶדְרִין שׁוֹמַעַת מִפִּי הַתֻּרְגְּמָן:
Testimony:
Self:
(No Interpreter)
An interpreter is not permitted during testimony.
- Interpreter:
(Q) For The Judge:
The witnesses may not use an interpreter, but can the judge?
- Interpreter Is allowed.
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
- Relative of Co-Signer:
(Q) Witness invalidation:
(A) Yes. The co-signer is treated as is the borrower himself.
- Connection: Related to mishna 8.
MISHNA 10:
JEWISH COURT:
הלכה א
Halacha 1
[דף ז]
מִי שֶׁנִּגְמַר דִּינוֹ וּבָרַח וּבָא לִפְנֵי אוֹתוֹ בֵית דִּין, אֵין סוֹתְרִים אֶת דִּינוֹ.
כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיַּעַמְדוּ שְׁנַיִם וְיֹאמְרוּ, מְעִידִין אָנוּ בְאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁנִּגְמַר דִּינוֹ בְּבֵית דִּינוֹ שֶׁל פְּלוֹנִי, וּפְלוֹנִי וּפְלוֹנִי עֵדָיו, הֲרֵי זֶה יֵהָרֵג:
Fugitive Capture Procedure:
The court will only re-open a case of a fugitive if the original case was outside of Israel and this present court, with new judges, is in Israel. (This is where the fugitive is now)
[Daf 7]
- Two Statements Of The mishna:
(Q) Contradiction: (Of the two cases)
(A) The first case is discussing where the location changed from outside of Israel to Israel, but the judges are the same; they relocated. He is not retried. The second case is discussing where the location changed from Israel to outside of Israel. Whether or not the judges are the same, he is not retried. (His Case is reopened only if the location change is from outside of Israel to Israel with new judges. Due to the merit of Israel and it’s atmosphere, which makes one wise, the case is reopened in hope that the judges will see a way to acquit him, which was not apparent before.
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
הלכה ב
Halacha 2
[דף ז]
סַנְהֶדְרִין נוֹהֶגֶת בָּאָרֶץ וּבְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ:
Sanhedrin Location:
(Israel Or Other)
A Sanhedrin, a court of twenty-three judges capable of judging capital cases, may be set up in Israel as well as out.
- In/Out Of Israel: (Both Allowed)
(Q) Derivation:
(A) “These will be for you the laws of judgment for your generations in all of your dwelling places,” (Bemidbar 35,29)
(In Israel, courts must be set up in every city as well)
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
הלכה ג
Halacha 3
[דף ז]
סַנְהֶדְרִין הַהוֹרֶגֶת אֶחָד בְּשָׁבוּעַ נִקְרֵאת חָבְלָנִית. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אוֹמֵר, אֶחָד לְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. רַבִּי טַרְפוֹן וְרַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמְרִים, אִלּוּ הָיִינוּ בַסַּנְהֶדְרִין לֹא נֶהֱרַג אָדָם מֵעוֹלָם. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, אַף הֵן מַרְבִּין שׁוֹפְכֵי דָמִים בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:
Ideal Execution Record
(0 In 7(0) Years)
The Sages disagree concerning the number of capital punishments executed by a court, which would make them be referred to as “destructive”.
- 70 Years:
(Q) Case:
When it says “seventy”, does it mean one in seventy is destructive or acceptable? Is it arguing on the first opinion or just stating a fact of what is acceptable.
- “Teiku”. (Question is unresolved)
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
- Execution Prevention: (Concerning Murder)
R’ Tarfon and R’ Akiva said that they would have avoided execution had they sat on the Sanhedrin.
(Q) Method: (What would they have done?)
(A) They would have asked many questions about the victim regarding treifa. Many questions would hopefully result in the witnesses contradicting each other at some point, invalidating them. (Tosafot)
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.
- Execution Prevention: (Concerning Adultery)
(Q) Method: (What would they have done?)
(A) They would have asked the witnesses if they saw the actual “act” itself. Being that the answer would most likely be “no”, the case would be dismissed.
- Connection: Explanation of current mishna.