Shevuot 60

אי נמי לשודא דדייני

or, [with reference to] the discretion of the judges.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In a case which does not depend on witnesses or oath the judge may use his discretion. Here R. Joseph sent a message to R. Nahman that, if the case in which Ulla was involved was of such a nature, he should use his discretion in his favour, because he was a learned and righteous man, and was therefore more likely to be in the right.');">¹</span> Ulla said: The controversy<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Between R. Judah and the Sages as to whether the litigants may sit in court.');">²</span> is in regard to the litigants, but in regard to witnesses all agree that they mu stand, for it is written: And the two men shall stand.

אמר עולא מחלוקת בבעלי דינין אבל בעדים דברי הכל בעמידה דכתיב (דברים יט, יז) ועמדו שני האנשים אמר רב הונא מחלוקת בשעת משא ומתן אבל בשעת גמר דין דברי הכל דיינין בישיבה ובעלי דינין בעמידה דכתיב (שמות יח, יג) וישב משה לשפוט את העם ויעמוד העם

R'Huna said: The controversy is in regard to the time of the discussion,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' While the case is being argued.');">³</span> but at the time of the completion of the case<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When the judge gives his decision.');">⁴</span> all agree that the judges sit and the litigants stand, for it is written: And Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XVIII, 13.');">⁵</span>

ל"א מחלוקת בשעת משא ומתן אבל בשעת גמר דין דברי הכל דיינין בישיבה ובעלי דינין בעמידה דהא עדים כגמר דין דמו וכתיב בהו ועמדו שני האנשים

Another version: The controversy is in regard to the time of the discussion, but at the time of the completion of the case all agree that the judges sit and the litigants stand, for witnesses are like the completion of the case,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When they give their evidence, the case virtually ends.');">⁶</span> and it is written with reference to them: And the two men shall stand.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This only proves that the litigants must stand, not that the judges have to sit.');">⁷</span> The widow of R'Huna had a case before R'Nahman.

דביתהו דרב הונא הוה לה דינא קמיה דרב נחמן אמר היכי נעביד אי איקום מקמה מסתתמן טענתיה דבעל דינא לא איקום מקמה אשת חבר הרי היא כחבר א"ל לשמעיה צא ואפרח עלי בר אווזא ושדי עלוואי ואיקום

He said [to himself]: What shall I do? If I should rise before her,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Out of respect, because she is the widow of a scholar.');">⁸</span> the plea of her opponent will be stopped up;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He will be intimidated, and will not be able to state his case clearly.');">⁹</span>

והאמר מר מחלוקת בשעת משא ומתן אבל בשעת גמר דין דברי הכל דיינים בישיבה ובעלי דינין בעמידה דיתיב כמאן דשרי מסאניה ואמר איש פלוני אתה זכאי איש פלוני אתה חייב

if I should not rise before her, [I should be doing wrong, for] the wife of a scholar is like a scholar.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And must be respected.');">¹⁰</span> So he said to his attendant: 'Go and make a duck fly over me, and urge it towards me, so that I will rise.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I will really rise out of respect for her, but her opponent will not be intimidated, because he will think I rise to ward off the duck.');">¹¹</span> But the Master said: The controversy is in regard to the time of the discussion, but at the time of the completion of the case all agree that the judges sit and the litigants stand!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' How then is a judge to show his respect for scholarship should a scholar happen to come in while he is giving the verdict?');">¹²</span>

אמר רבה בר רב הונא האי צורבא מרבנן ועם הארץ דאית להו דינא בהדי הדדי מותבינן ליה לצורבא מרבנן ולעם הארץ נמי אמרינן ליה תיב ואי קאי לית לן בה

- He sits as one who unties his shoes,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [MS. M.: 'shoe-laces.'] Half sitting and half standing, and pronounces the verdict.');">¹³</span> and says, 'You, So-and-so, are innocent, and you, So-and-so, are guilty.' Rabbah son of R'Huna said: If a Rabbinical scholar and an illiterate person have some dispute with each other, [and come to court,] we persuade the Rabbinical scholar to sit; and to the illiterate person we also say, 'Sit', and if he stands, it matters not.

רב בר שרביא הוה ליה דינא קמיה דרב פפא אותביה ואותיב נמי לבעל דיניה אתא שליחא דבי דינא בטש ביה ואוקמיה לעם הארץ ולא אמר ליה רב פפא תיב היכי עביד הכי והא מסתתמן טענתיה אמר רב פפא מימר אמר איהו הא אותבן שליחא הוא דלא מפייס מינאי

Rab son of R'Sherabya had a case before R'Papa. He told him to sit, a told his opponent also to sit; but the attendant of the court came and nudged<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'kicked.' [Omitted in some texts; v. D.S. a.l.]');">¹⁴</span> the illiterate man and made him stand up.

ואמר רבה בר רב הונא האי צורבא מרבנן ועם הארץ דאית להו דינא בהדי הדדי לא ליקדום צורבא מרבנן וליתיב משום דמיחזי כמאן דסדר ליה לדיניה ולא אמרן אלא דלא קביע ליה עידניה אבל קביע ליה עידניה לית לן בה מימר אמר בעידניה טריד

And R'Papa did not say to him, 'Sit'. How could he do so; will not the other's plea be stopped up?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When he sees that R. Papa respects his opponent more.');">¹⁵</span> - R'Papa may say: He<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The illiterate man.');">¹⁶</span>

ואמר רבה בר רב הונא האי צורבא מרבנן דידע בסהדותא וזילא ביה מילתא למיזל לבי דיינא דזוטר מיניה לאסהודי קמיה לא ליזיל אמר רב שישא בריה דרב אידי אף אנן נמי תנינא מצא שק או קופה ואין דרכו ליטול הרי זה לא יטול

will say, 'He has<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Papa. [MS. M.: 'He (the litigant) will say, R. Papa has asked me to sit but,' etc.]');">¹⁷</span> asked me to sit, but the attendant was not appeased by me.'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I did not tip him, so he made me stand.');">¹⁸</span> And Rabbah son of R'Huna said: If a Rabbinical scholar and an illiterate person have some dispute with each other, the scholar should not come first and sit down [before the judge],<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Before his opponent comes, even if he remains silent.');">¹⁹</span>

הני מילי בממונא אבל באיסורא (משלי כא, ל) אין חכמה ואין תבונה ואין עצה לנגד ה' כל מקום שיש בו חלול ה' אין חולקין כבוד לרב:

because it will appear as if he is setting forth his case. And we do not say this except when he has not a fixed time with him;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For study.');">²⁰</span> but if he has a fixed time with him, it matters not,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If the judge is his teacher, and they have a fixed time for study together, the scholar may come to him before his opponent arrives.');">²¹</span>

רב יימר הוה ידע ליה סהדותא למר זוטרא אתא לקמיה דאמימר אותבינהו לכולהו אמר ליה רב אשי לאמימר והאמר עולא מחלוקת בבעלי דינין אבל בעדים דברי הכל בעמידה א"ל האי עשה והאי עשה עשה דכבוד תורה עדיף

for he<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The opponent.');">²²</span> will say, he is occupied with his lesson. And Rabbah son of R'Huna said: If a Rabbinical scholar knows some testimony, and it is undignified for him to go to the judge, who is inferior to him, to give testimony before him, he need not go.

(סימן סניגרון בור גזלת מרמה)

R'Shisha the son of R'Idi said: We also learnt thus: If he found a sack or a basket which it is not his custom to handle, he need not take it.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' B.M. 29b; if an eminent man finds in the street something which, even if it were his own, he would not trouble to take into his house, because he deems it undignified, he need not pick it up in order to restore it to its owner.');">²³</span> However, this is only the case in money matters,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He need not give evidence, if it is undignified.');">²⁴</span> but in the case of a prohibition<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' E.g., if a married woman comes before the judge saying she believes her husband to be dead, and she desires to re-marry; and this scholar knows her husband to be alive, he must give his evidence before the judge, though he is his junior or inferior, for, in face of a prohibition, his dignity does not count.');">²⁵</span>

ת"ר מנין לדיין שלא יעשה סניגרון לדבריו תלמוד לומר (שמות כג, ז) מדבר שקר תרחק ומנין לדיין שלא ישב תלמיד בור לפניו ת"ל מדבר שקר תרחק

[he must give evidence, for it is written]: There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XXI, 30; wisdom and understanding are of no value against the Lord, i.e., if their possession results in His will being opposed.');">²⁶</span> wherever there is a profanation of the Name, the honour of a scholar is not regarded. R'Yemar knew some testimony for Mar Zutra, and came before Amemar.

מנין לדיין שיודע לחבירו שהוא גזלן וכן עד שיודע בחבירו שהוא גזלן מנין שלא יצטרף עמו תלמוד לומר מדבר שקר תרחק

He told them all to sit. Said R'Ashi to Amemar: Did not Ulla say: The controversy is in regard to the litigants, but in regard to witnesses all agree that they should stand? - He replied to him: This is a positive precept,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And the two men shall stand. 'v ,t');">²⁷</span> and that is a positive precept;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God: Deut. X, 20; from it is deduced that respect for scholars is also enjoined; v. B.K. 41b.');">²⁸</span>

מנין לדיין שיודע בדין שהוא מרומה שלא יאמר הואיל והעדים מעידין אחתכנו ויהא

the positive precept enjoining respect for the Torah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And its exponents.');">²⁹</span> is greater. <br>(Mnemonic: Advocate, Uncultured, Robbery, False.) Our Rabbis taught: How do we know that a judge should not appoint an advocate for his words?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Should not endeavour to bolster up his decision (though realising he has made a mistake) by an advocate, i.e., by trying to think of further arguments to support it, because he is ashamed to change his view.');">³⁰</span> - Because it is said: From a false matter keep far.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXIII, 7.');">³¹</span> And how do we know that a judge should not allow an uncultured disciple to sit before him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' When trying a case, in order to discuss the arguments with him, for he may suggest wrong views to him.');">³²</span> Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that a judge who knows his colleague to be a robber, or a witness who knows his colleague to be a robber, should not join with him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' To judge, or to give evidence.');">³³</span> Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that a judge who knows that a plea is false<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Having concluded from the evidence of the witnesses that they are not speaking the truth.');">³⁴</span> should not say, Since the witnesses give evidence, I will decide it,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In accordance with their evidence.');">³⁵</span> and