Makkot 10

Chapter 10

א אי איסטטית היא זו אפי' כת ראשונה נמי לא אמר ר' אבהו שקדמו והרגו
1 If this [the second group of witnesses] is a plotting group, and even the first group shouldn't be executed. Rebbi Abahu says, [The case in the mishna is] when they were already executed.
ב מאי דהוה הוה אלא אמר רבא הכי קאמר אם אינה אלא כת אחת נהרגת אי איכא טפי אין נהרגין הא בלבד קאמר קשיא
2 But what happened already happened? [and there isn't anything else that we could do either-way] Rather Rava says that this this is what the mishna is saying, If there is only one group it gets executed, if there are more than they don't get executed. But the mishna used the word "belvaad" [only]? It's a question.
ג ההיא איתתא דאתאי סהדי ואישתקור אייתי סהדי ואישתקור אזלה אייתי סהדי אחריני דלא אישתקור אמר ריש לקיש הוחזקה זו א"ל ר' אלעזר אם היא הוחזקה כל ישראל מי הוחזקו
3 There was a woman who had brought in witnesses who were find to be liars, [and she] had brought in [a second set] of witnesses who were [also] found to be liars. She went and brought in author set [of witnesses] who were not find to be liars. Reish Lakash said, She has been established [as someone who brings in false witnesses]. Rebbi Elazar responded, does the fact that she has been established [as bringing in false witnesses] cause all of Israel to be established [as being false witnesses]!?
ד זימנין הוו יתבי קמיה דרבי יוחנן אתא כי האי מעשה לקמייהו אמר ריש לקיש הוחזקה זו א"ל רבי יוחנן אם הוחזקה זו כל ישראל מי הוחזקו הדר חזיה לרבי אלעזר בישות אמר ליה שמעת מילי מבר נפחא ולא אמרת לי משמיה
4 At a different time they [Reish Lakash and Rebbi Elazar] were sitting before Rebbi Yochanon and this story came before them. Reish Lakash said, She has been established [as someone who brings in false witnesses]. Rebbi Yochanon responded, does the fact that she has been established [as bringing in false witnesses] cause all of Israel to be established [as being false witnesses]!? He [Reish Lakash] then proceeded to look at Rebbi Elazar crossly. He said [to Rebbi Elazar], You heard this from the blacksmith's son [Rebbi Yochanon], and you didn't say it over in his name?!
ה לימא ריש לקיש דאמר כרבי יהודה ורבי יוחנן דאמר כרבנן
5 Let's say that Reish Lakash [the woman is established to bring in false witnesses] holds like Rebbi Yehudah [It's a plotting group] and Rebbi Yochanon [not all of Israel has been established] holds like the Rabbis [all the witnesses are executed].
ו אמר לך ריש לקיש אנא דאמרי לך אפי' לרבנן עד כאן לא קא אמרי רבנן התם דליכא דקא מהדר אבל הכא איכא הא דקא מהדרא
6 Reish Lakash would say to you, I can even say like the Rabbis, that the Rabbis only said [that we trust the witnesses] over there because there wasn't anyone seeking them out. But here there is one [the woman] seeking out the witnesses.
ז ורבי יוחנן אמר לך אנא דאמרי אפי' לרבי יהודה עד כאן לא קאמר רבי יהודה התם דאמרינן אטו כולי עלמא גבי הני הוו קיימי אבל הכא הני ידעי בסהדותא והני לא ידעי בסהדותא:
7 And Rebbi Yochanon would say to you, I can even say like Rebbi Yehudah that Rebbi Yehudah only said [that we don't believe the witnesses] over there, because we can't expect the whole world to have been by them [the same two witnesses]. But over here [by this woman], these [witnesses] knew their testimony, and these [witnesses] did not know their testimony.
ח <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> אין העדים זוממין נהרגין עד שיגמר הדין שהרי הצדוקין אומרים עד שיהרג שנאמר (שמות כא, כג) נפש תחת נפש
8 MISHNA: Zomemim witnesses are nut executed until they succeed in having a verdict given for their victim. Because the tzudukim had said, Until they succeed in having their victim executed like the Torah says (Deuteronomy 19,21) "A soul for a soul".
ט אמרו להם חכמים והלא כבר נאמר (דברים יט, יט) ועשיתם לו כאשר זמם לעשות לאחיו והרי אחיו קיים ואם כן למה נאמר נפש תחת נפש יכול משעה שקבלו עדותן יהרגו תלמוד לומר נפש תחת נפש הא אינן נהרגין עד שיגמר הדין:
9 The Sages said to them, But the Torah already says (Deuteronomy 19, 19), "And you should do to them [the zomemim] as they had plotted to do to their brother", which would imply that their brother [the victim] is still alive. If so then why does [the Torah] say, "a soul for a soul"? You might think that they [the zomemim] would be liable to be killed from the time that their testimony was accepted, Therefore the Torah says "a soul for a soul" to teach us that they [zomemim] aren't executed until they succeeded in having a verdict [for their victim].
י <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> תנא בריבי אומר לא הרגו נהרגין הרגו אין נהרגין אמר אביו בני לאו קל וחומר הוא
10 GEMARA: We learned [in a beraisa], Beribi says, If the witnesses didn't succeed in having their victim killed they are executed if they did succeed in having him killed they aren't executed. His father asked him, My son isn't this a fortiori? [which would imply the opposite ruling]
יא אמר לו לימדתנו רבינו שאין עונשין מן הדין דתניא (ויקרא כ, יז) איש אשר יקח [את] אחותו בת אביו או בת אמו אין לי אלא בת אביו שלא בת אמו ובת אמו שלא בת אביו בת אמו ובת אביו מנין ת"ל ערות אחותו גילה
11 He answered him, You taught us, our rebbi, that one cannot derive a punishment from a fortiori. We see this in a beraisa [From what the Torah says,] (Leviticus 20, 17) "If a man should take his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother", I can only derive [that a person is forbidden from] the daughter of his father who isn't the daughter of his mother [half-sister from the father] and the daughter of his mother who isn't the daughter of his father [half-sister from the mother]. From where can I derive [the prohibition for] the daughter of his father and the daughter of his mother [his full sister]? The Torah teaches us this with the words ערות אחותו גילה.
יב עד שלא יאמר יש לי בדין אם ענש על בת אביו שלא בת אמו ובת אמו שלא בת אביו בת אביו ובת אמו לא כל שכן הא למדת שאין עונשין מן הדין
12 Without these words, I would still be able to derive it [punishment for a full sister] with a fortiori, If one gets punished for the daughter of his father who isn't the daughter of his mother [half-sister from the father] and the daughter of his mother who isn't the daughter of his father [half-sister from the mother], shouldn't he certainly [be punished] for the daughter of his father and the daughter of his mother [his full sister]? Thus we see that one cannot derive a punishment from a fortiori.
יג עונש שמענו אזהרה מנין תלמוד לומר (ויקרא יח, ט) ערות אחותך בת אביך או בת אמך אין לי אלא בת אביו שלא בת אמו ובת אמו שלא בת אביו בת אביו ובת אמו מנין תלמוד לומר (ויקרא יח, יא) ערות בת אשת אביך מולדת אביך אחותך היא
13 We see [the source for being unable to derive] punishment [from a fortiori], but from where do we derive [the rule of not being able to derive] a scriptural warning [from a fortiori]? The Torah says (Leviticus 18,9) "ערות אחותך בת אביך או בת אמך". [From this] I can only derive [a scriptural warning against] the daughter of his father who isn't the daughter of his mother [half-sister from the father] and the daughter of his mother who isn't the daughter of his father [half-sister from the mother]. From where can I derive [the scriptural warning against] the daughter of his father and the daughter of his mother [his full sister]? The Torah teaches us this with the words (Leviticus 18,11) "ערות בת אשת אביך מולדת אביך אחותך היא".
יד עד שלא יאמר יש לי מן הדין מה אם הוזהר על בת אמו שלא בת אביו ובת אביו שלא בת אמו בת אביו ובת אמו לא כל שכן הא למדת שאין מזהירין מן הדין
14 Without these words, I would still be able to derive it [the scriptural warning for a full sister] with a fortiori, If one gets a scriptural warning for the daughter of his father who isn't the daughter of his mother [half-sister from the father] and the daughter of his mother who isn't the daughter of his father [half-sister from the mother], shouldn't he certainly [be scripturally warned] for the daughter of his father and the daughter of his mother [his full sister]? Thus we see that one cannot derive a scriptural warning from a fortiori.
טו חייבי מלקיות מנין תלמוד לומר רשע רשע
15 From where do we learn this rule [that zomemim aren't liable if the victim had no verdict] by lashes? The Torah uses a gezariah shava of Rasha Rasha
טז חייבי גליות מנין אתיא רוצח רוצח
16 From where do we learn this rule [that zomemim aren't liable if the victim had no verdict] by exile? The Torah uses a gezariah shava of Rotzaich Rotzaich
יז תניא אמר רבי יהודה בן טבאי אראה בנחמה אם לא הרגתי עד זומם להוציא מלבן של צדוקים שהיו אומרים אין העדים זוממין נהרגין עד שיהרג הנדון
17 We learned in a beraisa: Rebbi Yehudah ben Tavai said I will not seek comfort until I execute a zommeim witness, to go against the Tzudukim, who say zommemim witnesses aren't executed unless they succeeded in having their victim executed.
יח אמר לו שמעון בן שטח אראה בנחמה אם לא שפכת דם נקי שהרי אמרו חכמים אין העדים זוממין נהרגין עד שיזומו שניהם ואין לוקין עד שיזומו שניהם
18 Shimon ben Shatach said to him, I will not seek comfort if you continue to spill innocent blood. That the sages say, zommemim witnesses aren't executed until they both become zommemim, and they also don't receive lashes until they both become zomemim.
יט מיד קבל עליו ר' יהודה בן טבאי שאינו מורה הוראה אלא לפני שמעון בן שטח וכל ימיו של ר' יהודה בן טבאי היה משתטח על קברו של אותו העד והיה קולו נשמע וכסבורין העם לומר קולו של הרוג אמר קולי שלי הוא תדעו למחר הוא מת אין קולו נשמע
19 Immediately Rebbi Yehudah ben Tavi accepted upon himself to only issue halachic rulings in front of Shimon ben Shatach, and for all the remaining days of Rebbi Yehudah ben Tavi, he would prostrate himself on the grave of that witness, and his voice would ring out. And the passerby thought to themselves, saying that it was the voice of the killed. He told them, it's my voice. I'll bring you a proof, that tomorrow when I die the voice will no longer be heard.
כ אמר ליה רב אחא בריה דרבא לרב אשי דלמא בדינא קם בהדיה אי נמי פיוסי פייסיה:
20 Rav Acha the son of Rava said to Rav Ashi perhaps, they took their argument up [to the heavenly court], or maybe he appeased him.
כא <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> (דברים יז, ו) על פי שנים עדים או שלשה עדים יומת המת אם מתקיימת העדות בשנים למה פרט הכתוב בשלשה אלא להקיש (שלשה לשנים) מה שלשה מזימין את השנים אף השנים יזומו את הג' ומנין אפי' מאה ת"ל עדים
21 MISHNA: (Deuteronomy 17,6) "By the mouth [the testimony] of two witnesses or three witnesses the [perpetrator] shall surely be put to death." If the testimony can be established with two [witnesses], why does the Torah specify three? Rather, the Torah is juxtaposing (three to two). Just as three [witnesses] can make two [witnesses] into zomemim, so too two [witnesses] can make three [witnesses] into zomemim. And from where do we know [that two witnesses can] even [make] one hundred [witnesses into zomemim]? The Torah teaches us this with the word "Witnesses".
כב ר' שמעון אומר מה שנים אינן נהרגין עד שיהיו שניהם זוממין אף שלשה אינן נהרגין עד שיהיו שלשתן זוממין ומנין אפי' מאה ת"ל עדים
22 Rebbi Shimon says, Just as two [witnesses] aren't executed unless they are both zomemim, so too three [witnesses] aren't executed unless all three of them are zomemim. And from where do we know even one hundred [witnesses all must be zomemim for any to be executed]? The Torah teaches us this with the word "Witnesses".
כג רבי עקיבא אומר לא בא השלישי להקל אלא להחמיר עליו ולעשות דינו כיוצא באלו
23 Rebbi Akiva says, The third [witness] isn't coming to make things lenient, but rather to make things more stringent upon him, and make his fate like theirs.
כד ואם כן ענש הכתוב לנטפל לעוברי עבירה כעוברי עבירה על אחת כמה וכמה ישלם שכר לנטפל לעושי מצוה כעושי מצוה
24 And if this is how the Torah punishes to one who facilitated the doing of a transgression like the ones transgressing, how much more so will the Torah grant reward to those who facilitate the doing of a mitzvah like the ones doing the mitzva.
כה ומה שנים נמצא אחד מהן קרוב או פסול עדותן בטלה אף שלשה נמצא אחד מהן קרוב או פסול עדותן בטלה מנין אפי' מאה ת"ל עדים
25 And just as by two [witnesses] if one is found to be relative or disqualified, the whole testimony gets dismissed, so too by three [witnesses] if one is found to be relative or disqualified, the whole testimony gets dismissed. And from where do we know that even [the testimony of] one hundred [witnesses can be dismissed if one is found to be relative or disqualified]? The Torah teaches us this with the word "Witnesses".
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