Sanhedrin 82

Chapter 82

א וקבעוה בשמיה כי הוה למד בן זכאי הוה קרי ליה כתלמיד היושב לפני רבו כי הוה לימד הוה קרי ליה רבן יוחנן בן זכאי כי קרי ליה בן זכאי על שם דמעיקרא וכי קרי ליה רבן יוחנן בן זכאי על שם דהשתא:
1 IT ONCE HAPPENED THAT ETC. … WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAKIROTH ANDBEDIKOTH.? etc. What does 'EVEN<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The word 'even' gives the impression that when both witnesses are dubious, the evidence is less likely to be valid than when only one is in doubt. ');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ב מעשה ובדק כו' מה בין חקירות כו': מאי אפילו שנים אומרים פשיטא כי אמר אחד איני יודע עדותן קיימת כי אמרי בי תרי נמי עדותן קיימת
2 IFBOTH SAY etc. mean? It is surely obvious that if when one of the two witnessessays, 'I do not know,' their evidence is valid, if two say so, their testimonyis likewise valid?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For if one is ignorant on a certain point, the other's knowledge thereof is valueless. Hence whatever evidence is valid when one is ignorant, is also valid when both are ignorant. ');"><sup>5</sup></span>
ג א"ר ששת ארישא קאי והכי קאמר בחקירות אפילו שנים אומרים ידענו ואחד אומר איני יודע עדותן בטילה כמאן כר"ע דמקיש שלשה לשנים
3 — R. Sheshethsaid: This refers to the first clause [of the Mishnah]<a rel="footnote" href="#56a_6"><sup>6</sup></a>
ד אמר רבא והא עדותן קיימת קתני אלא אמר רבא ה"ק אפילו בחקירות שנים אומרים ידענו ואחד אומר איני יודע עדותן קיימת כמאן דלא כר"ע
4 and its meaning isas follows: In hakiroth, even if two say, 'We know,' and one is in doubt,their evidence is invalid. With whom does this agree? — With R. Akiba, whotreated three [witnesses] as equal totwo.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Just as when there are only two witnesses, if one of them is disqualified, the whole evidence falls to the ground, so when there are three. V. Tosaf. and cf. Mak. 5b. ');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ה רב כהנא ורב ספרא תנו סנהדרין בי רבה פגע בהו רמי בר חמא אמר להו מאי אמריתו בה בסנהדרין דבי רבה אמרי ליה ומאי אמרינן בה בסנהדרין גרידתא ומאי קשיא לך
5 Raba demurred: Surely the Mishnahstates: THEIR EVIDENCE IS VALID!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How then interpret it of a case where the evidence is invalid? ');"><sup>8</sup></span>
ו א"ל מהא דקתני מה בין חקירות לבדיקות חקירות אחד אומר איני יודע עדותן בטילה בדיקות אמר אחד איני יודע ואפי' שנים אומרים אין אנו יודעים עדותן קיימת מכדי אידי ואידי דאורייתא היא מאי שנא חקירות ומאי שנא בדיקות
6 —But, said Raba, it means this: Even in hakiroth, if two say, 'We know,' andthe third says, 'I do not know,' their evidence is valid. With whom doesthis agree? — Not with R. Akiba.
ז א"ל הכי השתא בחקירות אמר אחד איני יודע עדותן בטילה דהויא לה עדות שאי אתה יכול להזימה בדיקות אמר אחד מהן איני יודע עדותן קיימת עדות שאתה יכול להזימה הוא
7 R. Kahana and R. Safra were studying [the Tractate] Sanhedrin in the schoolof Rabbah. When Rami b. Hama met them, he asked them: What have ye to sayon the Tractate Sanhedrin as taught in the school ofRabbah?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Seeing that you have studied under such a great man, you must surely have discovered many new points. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ח אמר להו אי הכי אמריתו בה טובא אמריתו בה אמרי ליה מטיבותיה דמר אמרינן בה טובא מנזיהותיה דמר לא אמרינן בה ולא חדא:
8 They retorted: And what inparticular are we to say of the Tractateitself?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., even if we had not studied with Rabbah, was there really any difficulty to be found there? (Rashi). [Yad Ramah adds: 'as generally taught' (lit., 'as all the world teaches')? ');"><sup>10</sup></span>
ט אחד אומר כו': עד כמה א"ר אחא בר חנינא אמר ר' אסי אמר רבי יוחנן עד רובו של חודש
9 What is your special difficulty?— He answered: [The difficulty arises] from what is stated: WHAT IS THEDIFFERENCE BETWEEN HAKIROTH AND BEDIKOTH? IN HAKIROTH, IF ONE [OF THE WITNESSES]ANSWERS, 'I DO NOT KNOW,' THEIR EVIDENCE IS VOID. WITH RESPECT TO BEDIKOTH,HOWEVER, IF ONE ANSWERS, I DO NOT KNOW,' OR EVEN IF BOTH SAY, 'WE DO NOTKNOW THEIR EVIDENCE IS VALID. Now consider: both are Biblically[required]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. supra 40b, 41a. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>
י אמר רבא אף אנן נמי תנינא אחד אומר בשלשה ואחד אומר בה' עדותן בטילה ואמאי נימא שזה יודע בשני עיבורין וזה אינו יודע בשני עיבורין אלא לאו משום דברובה ידע
10 why then should hakirothdiffer from bedikoth? — They said to him: How comparethem?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'How so, now!' ');"><sup>12</sup></span>
יא לעולם אימא לך ברובה נמי לא ידע ובשיפורא ידע בחד שיפורא אמר דטעי בתרי שיפורא לא אמר דטעי
11 As for hakiroth, if one ofthe witnesses say, 'I do not know', the evidence is invalid because itcannot be refuted;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Be proving that the witnesses were elsewhere at the said time. Hence, if one is in doubt regarding the place or time, such refutation is impossible. — It should be observed that only refutation of time and place is meant in the whole discussion, since that is the only form of refutation which renders the witnesses liable to the law of retaliation. ');"><sup>13</sup></span>
יב וא"ר אחא בר חנינא אמר רב אסי אמר רבי יוחנן עד כמה מברכין על החדש עד שתתמלא פגימתה וכמה אמר רבי יעקב בר אידי אמר רב יהודה עד שבעה נהרדעי אמרי עד ששה עשר
12 but with respectto bedikoth, if one of them answers, 'I do not know', the evidence remainsvalid, since it is still subject to refutation. Thereupon he said to them:If that is what you have to say, you have much to say thereon. But they replied:only because of your great forbearance have we said so much; had you criticizedus, we should not have saidanything.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., had you criticized our arguments we should not have been able to resist yours! ');"><sup>14</sup></span> IF ONE TESTIFIES&nbsp;… [FOR ONE MAY HAVE BEEN AWARE OF THE INTERCALATIONOF THE MONTH etc.] Till whatdate?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., until what day of the month may ignorance of the defectiveness or fullness of the last month be assumed in explanation of the discrepancy between two witnesses? ');"><sup>15</sup></span> — R. Aha b.Hanina said inthe name of R. Assi in the name of R. Johanan: Until the greater part ofthe month [has passed].<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After that, contradiction as to date invalidates the evidence. The greater part of the month means one day beyond half way. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> Raba said:We too learnt likewise' IF HOWEVER, ONE SAID, 'ON THE THIRD, AND THE OTHER,'ON THE FIFTH, THEIR EVIDENCE IS INVALID. But why so? Why not assume thatthe one may have known of twointercalations,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Either consecutively or alternately. ');"><sup>17</sup></span> whilst the otherwas ignorant of both! Hence it must surely be so because, when the greaterpart of the month has passed, one knows thereof [sc. intercalation]! — [No.]In truth I might argue that even after the passing of the greater part ofthe month, one does not necessarily know [of theintercalation],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And so the question from the Mishnah is not corroborative. ');"><sup>18</sup></span> yet he must haveknown of the <i>Shofar</i>-signal:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Blown at the proclamation of the new moon, be the month full or defective. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> wemay then say that he may have erred regarding onesignal,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., though knowing that the Shofar had been sounded, he may have erred once as to the day on which it was sounded. ');"><sup>20</sup></span> but not regardingtwo.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Hence the invalidity of the evidence where there is a difference of two days. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> R. Hanina also said in the name of R. Assi in R. Johanan's name: Until whatday of the month may the benediction over the new moon berecited?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A benediction is recited at each re-appearance of the new moon just as on the re-appearance of everything that is beneficial to mankind. V. J. Ber. IX, 2. 'He who sees the moon in her stage of renovation, utters: Blessed etc.' ');"><sup>22</sup></span> — Until its concavityis filled up. And how long is that? — R. Jacob b. Idi said In Rab Judah'sname: Seven days. The Nehardeans said: Sixteen [days].
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