Sanhedrin 74

מה לנו ולצרה הזאת והלא כבר נאמר (ויקרא ה, א) והוא עד או ראה או ידע אם לא יגיד וגו' ושמא תאמרו מה לנו לחוב בדמו של זה והלא כבר נאמר (משלי יא, י) באבוד רשעים רנה:

WHY SHOULD WE INCUR THIS ANXIETY?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the moral responsibility is so great, why should we give evidence at all? Quite unintentionally we may cause a perversion of justice. ');">¹</span> [KNOW THEN:] IS IT NOT ALREADY WRITTEN, AND HE BEING A WITNESS, WHETHER HE HATH SEEN OR KNOWN, IF HE DO NOT UTTER IT?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Then he shall bear his iniquity. Lev. V, 1. ');">²</span>

<big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר כיצד מאומד אומר להן שמא כך ראיתם שרץ אחר חבירו לחורבה ורצתם אחריו ומצאתם סייף בידו ודמו מטפטף והרוג מפרפר אם כך ראיתם לא ראיתם כלום

AND SHOULD YE SAY: WHY SHOULD WE BEAR GUILT FOR THE BLOOD OF THIS [MAN]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., we prefer to transgress that law, rather than be responsible for the accused's death. ');">³</span> — SURELY, HOWEVER, IT IS SAID, WHEN THE WICKED PERISH, THERE IS JOY!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XI, 10. ');">⁴</span>

תניא א"ר שמעון בן שטח אראה בנחמה אם לא ראיתי אחד שרץ אחר חבירו לחורבה ורצתי אחריו וראיתי סייף בידו ודמו מטפטף והרוג מפרפר ואמרתי לו רשע מי הרגו לזה או אני או אתה אבל מה אעשה שאין דמך מסור בידי שהרי אמרה תורה (דברים יז, ו) על פי שנים עדים יומת המת היודע מחשבות יפרע מאותו האיש שהרג את חבירו אמרו לא זזו משם עד שבא נחש והכישו ומת

<b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: What is meant by BASED ON CONJECTURE? — He [the judge] says to them: Perhaps ye saw him running after his fellow into a ruin, ye pursued him, and found him sword in hand with blood dripping from it, whilst the murdered man was writhing [in agony]: If this is what ye saw, ye saw nothing.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For it is not an actual witnessing of the murder. But v. Mishnah on 81b, and Talmudic discussion thereon. ');">⁵</span> It has been taught: R. Simeon b. Shatah said: May I never see comfort<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A customary oath. This may either mean, May I (personally) always be afflicted; or, May I never see the comfort of Zion and of Jerusalem. If the latter be correct, the troublous times of the period, owing to the clash of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, might have given rise to such an oath. ');">⁶</span>

והאי בר נחש הוא והאמר רב יוסף וכן תני דבי חזקיה מיום שחרב בית המקדש אף על פי שבטלה סנהדרי ארבע מיתות לא בטלו לא בטלו והא בטלו אלא דין ארבע מיתות לא בטלו

if I did not see a man pursuing his fellow into a ruin, and when I ran after him and saw him, sword in hand with blood dripping from it, and the murdered man writhing, I exclaimed to him: Wicked man, who slew this man? It is either you or I!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., it must be you. ');">⁷</span> But what can I do, since thy blood [i.e., life] does not rest in my hands, for it is written in the Torah, At the mouth of two witnesses etc., shall he that is to die be put to death?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XVII, 6. ');">⁸</span>

מי שנתחייב סקילה או נופל מן הגג או חיה דורסתו מי שנתחייב שריפה או נופל בדליקה או נחש מכישו מי שנתחייב הריגה או נמסר למלכות או ליסטין באין עליו מי שנתחייב חנק או טובע בנהר או מת בסרונכי

May he who knows one's thoughts exact vengeance from him who slew his fellow! It is related that before they moved from the place a serpent came and bit him [the murderer] so that he died. But should this man [have died] through a serpent? Did not R. Joseph say, and so too it was taught in the school of Hezekiah: From the day the Temple was destroyed, although the Sanhedrin was abolished, the four modes of execution were not abolished? They were not abolished, [you say,] but surely they were! — But the law of the four modes of execution was not abolished:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the death which the Jewish courts could no longer decree was now brought about by Heavenly agencies. ');">⁹</span>

אמרי ההוא חטא אחריתי הוה ביה דאמר מר מי שנתחייב שתי מיתות ב"ד נידון בחמורה:

He who is worthy of stoning either falls from the roof,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before stoning one was thrown from a certain height. Cf. infra 45a. ');">¹⁰</span> or is trampled to death by a wild beast; he who merits burning either falls into the fire or is bitten by a serpent;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The action of the poison was likened to the inner fire of burning; v. p. 349. ');">¹¹</span>

מאומד וכו': בדיני נפשות הוא דלא אמדינן הא בדיני ממונות אמדינן כמאן כר' אחא דתניא ר' אחא אומר גמל האוחר בין הגמלים ונמצא גמל הרוג בצידו בידוע שזה הרגו

he who is worthy of decapitation is either delivered to the [gentile] Government<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Whose mode of execution was then as a rule by the sword: 'handed over' does not mean, by the Jews, but rather, falls into their hands, through some misdeed which attracts their attention. ');">¹²</span> or brigands attack him; he who is worthy of strangulation is either drowned in a river or dies of suffocation?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Now, returning to the subject, the said murderer ought to have met his death by the sword: why then did he die of a bite? ');">¹³</span>

וליטעמיך עד מפי עד דקתני בדיני נפשות הוא דלא אמרינן הא בדיני ממונות אמרינן והתנן אם אמר הוא אמר לי שאני חייב לו איש פלוני אמר לי שהוא חייב לו לא אמר כלום עד שיאמר בפנינו הודה לו שהוא חייב לו מאתים זוז

— I will tell you: that man was guilty of another crime,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Punishable by burning, which is severer. Cf. infra 49b. ');">¹⁴</span> for a Master said: One who incurs two death penalties imposed by <i>Beth din</i> is executed by the severer.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Infra 81a. ');">¹⁵</span>

אלמא אף על גב דפסילי בדיני ממונות אמרינן להו בדיני נפשות הכא נמי אף על גב דפסילי בדיני ממונות אמרינן להו בדיני נפשות:

BASED ON CONJECTURE. Thus, only in capital charges do we disallow conjecture, but permit it in civil suits.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This follows from the fact that the Mishnah states this only in connection with the former. ');">¹⁶</span> Who [is the authority for this]? — R. Aha. For it has been taught: R. Aha said: If among camels there is a lustful one, and a camel is found killed by its side, it is certain that this one killed it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. B.B. 93a. Hence in monetary cases circumstantial evidence is acceptable. The Mishnah thus follows the view of a single authority. ');">¹⁷</span>

הוו יודעים כו': אמר רב יהודה בריה דר' חייא מלמד שעשה קין בהבל אחיו חבורות חבורות פציעות פציעות שלא היה יודע מהיכן נשמה יוצאה עד שהגיע לצוארו

Now, on your reasoning,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' That, because in monetary cases the attention of the witnesses is not actually called to the inadmissibility of circumstantial evidence, such is permissible. ');">¹⁸</span> when he [the Tanna] regards EVIDENCE FROM THE MOUTH OF ANOTHER WITNESS [as invalid]: it is only in capital charges that we do not admit it; whilst we do in monetary cases? But did we not learn: If he [the witness] says: He [the defendant] said to me, 'I owe him [the money],' or, 'So and so told me that he owes him,' his statement is worthless,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'He hath said nothing.' ');">¹⁹</span>

וא"ר יהודה בריה דר' חייא מיום שפתחה הארץ את פיה וקיבלתו לדמו של הבל שוב לא פתחה שנאמר (ישעיהו כד, טז) מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו צבי לצדיק מכנף הארץ ולא מפי הארץ איתיביה חזקיה אחיו (במדבר טז, לב) ותפתח הארץ את פיה א"ל לרעה פתחה לטובה לא פתחה

unless he states, 'In our presence<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., 'In the presence of another witness and myself.' ');">²⁰</span> he admitted to him that he owed him two hundred <i>zuz</i>!'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Supra 29a. ');">²¹</span>

וא"ר יהודה בריה דרבי חייא גלות מכפרת עון מחצה מעיקרא כתיב (בראשית ד, יד) והייתי נע ונד ולבסוף כתיב (בראשית ד, טז) וישב בארץ נוד

This proves that although [such evidence] is inadmissible in monetary cases too, we caution them<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Sc. the witnesses. ');">²²</span> only in capital cases. So in the present instance,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With reference to circumstantial evidence. ');">²³</span>

אמר רב יהודה גלות מכפרת שלשה דברים שנאמר (כה אמר ה' וגו') היושב בעיר הזאת ימות בחרב ברעב ובדבר והיוצא ונפל אל הכשדים הצרים עליכם יחיה והיתה לו נפשו לשלל

though it [sc. conjecture] is inadmissible in civil suits too, we nevertheless admonish them only in capital cases. KNOW THAT etc. Rab Judah the son of R. Hiyya said: This teaches that Cain inflicted upon his brother many blows and wounds, because he knew not whence the soul departs,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he did not know which blow would prove fatal. ');">²⁴</span>

ר' יוחנן אמר גלות מכפרת על הכל שנאמר (ירמיהו כב, ל) (כה אמר ה') כתבו את האיש הזה ערירי גבר לא יצלח בימיו כי לא יצלח מזרעו איש יושב על כסא דוד ומושל עוד ביהודה ובתר דגלה כתיב (דברי הימים א ג, יז) ובני יכניה אסיר (בנו) שלתיאל בנו אסיר שעיברתו אמו בבית האסורין שלתיאל ששתלו אל שלא כדרך הנשתלין גמירי שאין האשה מתעברת מעומד

until he reached his neck.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And severed the arteries. ');">²⁵</span> Rab Judah the son of R. Hiyya also said: Since the day the earth opened her mouth to receive the blood of Abel, she has never opened it again, for it is written, From the edge of the earth have we heard songs, glory to the righteous:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. XXIV, 16. ');">²⁶</span> implying, from the 'edge' of the earth, but not from the mouth of the earth. Hezekiah his brother objected thereto: And the earth opened her mouth!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XVI, 32. ');">²⁷</span> — He answered: She opened if for evil,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To swallow Korah and his associates; the opening to receive Abel's blood is however accounted for good. i.e., to hide Cain's guilt. ');">²⁸</span> but not for good. Rab Judah the son of R. Hiyya also said: Exile atones for the half of men's sins. Earlier [in the Cain narrative] it is written, And I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] Gen. IV, 14. ');">²⁹</span> but later, And he dwelt in the land of Nod [wandering].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], The other half of the curse, 'to be a fugitive' was remitted because of his wandering, i.e., exile, ');">³⁰</span> Rab Judah said: Exile makes remission for three things, for it is written, Thus saith the Lord etc. He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out and falleth away to the Chaldeans who beseige you he shall live and his life shall be unto him for a prey.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXI, 8-9. He that remained at home was subject to these three evils; but wandering and its consequent hardships outweighed them all. ');">³¹</span> R. Johanan said: Exile atones for everything, for it is written, Thus saith the Lord, write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his seed shall prosper sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Jer. XXII, 30. ');">³²</span> Whereas after he [the king] was exiled, it is written, And the sons of Jechoniah, — the same is Assir — Shealtiel his son etc.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I Ch. III, 17. Notwithstanding the curse that he should be childless and not prosper, after being exiled he was forgiven. ');">³³</span> [He was called] Assir,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], imprisoned. ');">³⁴</span> because his mother conceived him in prison. Shealtiel,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to this Haggadah they were one and the same person. ');">³⁵</span> because God did not plant him<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H], a play on [H]. ');">³⁶</span> in the way that others are planted. We know by tradition that a woman cannot conceive in a standing position.