Shevuot 61

קולר תלוי בצואר עדים תלמוד לומר מדבר שקר תרחק

the chain [of guilt] will hang round the neck of the witnesses?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The guilt will be on their heads.');">¹</span> - Because it is said: From a false matter keep far.

(סימן תלת"א תלמי"ד ותל"ת בעל"י חו"ב סמרטו"ט שומ"ע ומטעי"ם)

<br>(Mnemonic: Three [of] disciples, Three [of] creditors, Rags, Hearing, Explaining.) How do we know that a disciple sitting before his master, who sees that the poor man is right and the wealthy man wrong, should not remain silent?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' If his master has come to the opposite conclusion.');">²</span>

מנין לתלמיד שיושב לפני רבו ורואה זכות לעני וחוב לעשיר מנין שלא ישתוק תלמוד לומר (שמות כג, ז) מדבר שקר תרחק

Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that a disciple, who sees his master making a mistake in the law, should not say, I will wait until he finishes, and then upset his decision, and build up [another decision] according to my own judgment, so that the decision will be called by my name?

מנין לתלמיד שרואה את רבו שטועה בדין שלא יאמר אמתין לו עד שיגמרנו ואסתרנו ואבננו משלי כדי שיקרא הדין על שמי ת"ל מדבר שקר תרחק

Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that a disciple to whom his master says, 'You know that if I were given a hundred manehs, I would not tell a lie; now, So-and-so owes me one maneh, and I have only one witness against him;' how do we know that the disciple should not join with him?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' With the witness to give evidence, in order that there should be two witnesses.');">³</span>

מנין לתלמיד שאמר לו רבו יודע אתה בי שאם נותנין לי מאה מנה איני מבדה מנה יש לי אצל פלוני ואין לי עליו אלא עד אחד מנין שלא יצטרף עמו תלמוד לומר מדבר שקר תרחק

- Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. - Is this, then, deduced from: From a false matter keep far?

האי מדבר שקר תרחק נפקא הא ודאי שקורי קא משקר ורחמנא אמר (שמות כ, יב) לא תענה ברעך עד שקר אלא כגון דאמר ליה ודאי חד סהדא אית לי ותא אתה קום התם ולא תימא ולא מידי דהא לא מפקת מפומך שקרא אפי' הכי אסור משום שנאמר מדבר שקר תרחק

Surely this is definitely lying, and the Divine Law said: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XX, 13.');">⁴</span> - Well, then, for example, if he said to him, ' have definitely one witness; and you come and stand there,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the court.');">⁵</span>

מנין לנושה בחבירו מנה שלא יאמר אטעננו במאתים כדי שיודה לי במנה ויתחייב לי שבועה ואגלגל עליו שבועה ממקום אחר תלמוד לומר מדבר שקר תרחק

and you need not say anything, so that you will not be uttering a lie from your mouth;'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' But the debtor will think you have come to give evidence, and will perhaps admit the debt of his own accord. ,menc vsun');">⁶</span> even so it is prohibited, because It is said: From a false matter keep far.

מנין לנושה בחבירו מנה וטענו מאתים שלא יאמר אכפרנו בב"ד ואודה לו חוץ לבית דין כדי שלא אתחייב לו שבועה ולא יגלגל עלי שבועה ממקום אחר תלמוד לומר מדבר שקר תרחק

How do we know that he who has a claim of a hundred zuzim against his neighbour should not say, 'I will claim two hundred, so that he will admit a hundred, and be liable for an oath,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He who admits a portion of a claim () takes an oath that he owes no more, and is exempt. kfv rpuf');">⁷</span> then I will be able to impose an oath upon him from another place'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., in connection with another claim which he totally denied () , and for which no oath could be imposed; but since he has to take an oath in this case, the court can at the same time include the previous claim in the oath.');">⁸</span>

מנין לשלשה שנושין מנה באחד שלא יהא אחד בעל דין ושנים עדים כדי שיוציאו מנה ויחלוקו ת"ל מדבר שקר תרחק

- Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that, if one has a claim of a hundred zuzim against his neighbour, and sues for two hundred, the debtor should not say, 'I will deny it totally in court, but admit it outside the court, so that I should no be liable for an oath, and he may not impose on me an oath from another place'?

מנין לשנים שבאו לדין אחד לבוש סמרטוטין ואחד לבוש איצטלית בת מאה מנה שאומרין לו לבוש כמותו או הלבישהו כמותך ת"ל מדבר שקר תרחק כי הוו אתו לקמיה דרבא בר רב הונא אמר להו שלופו פוזמוקייכו וחותו לדינא

Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that, if three persons have a claim of a hundred zuzim against one person,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And have no witnesses.');">⁹</span>

מנין לדיין שלא ישמע דברי בעל דין (חבירו) קודם שיבא בעל דין חבירו ת"ל מדבר שקר תרחק

one should not be the litigant, and the other two, the witnesses, in order that they may extract the hundred zuzim and divide it? Because it is said: From a false matter keep far.

מנין לבעל דין שלא יטעים דבריו לדיין קודם שיבא בעל דין חבירו ת"ל מדבר שקר תרחק רב כהנא מתני (שמות כ, ו) מלא תשא לא תשיא

How do we know that, if two come to court, one clothed in rags and the other in fine raiment worth a hundred manehs, they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The court.');">¹⁰</span> should say to him,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The well dressed man.');">¹¹</span>

(יחזקאל יח, יח) ואשר לא טוב עשה בתוך עמיו רב אמר זה הבא בהרשאה ושמואל אמר זה הלוקח שדה שיש עליה עסיקין:

'Either dress like him, or dress him like you'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In order that the judges be not biassed in your favour, and the poorly dressed man be not intimidated.');">¹²</span> - Because it is said: From a false matter keep far.

אינה נוהגת אלא בראוין להעיד כו': לאפוקי מאי אמר רב פפא לאפוקי מלך ורב אחא בר יעקב אמר לאפוקי משחק בקוביא

When they<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Litigants.');">¹³</span> would come before Raba son of R'Huna, he would say to them, 'Remove your fine shoes, and come down for your case.'

מ"ד משחק בקוביא כל שכן מלך ומ"ד מלך אבל משחק בקוביא מדאורייתא מחזא חזי ורבנן הוא דפסלוהו:

How do we know that a judge should not hear the words of one litigant before the other litigant arrives? - Because it is said: From a false matter keep far. And how do we know that a litigant should not explain his case to the judge before the other litigant arrives? - Because it is said: From a false matter keep far.

בפני בית דין ושלא בפני ב"ד כו': במאי קמיפלגי

R'Kahana learnt [these deductions] from: Thou shalt not utter [a false report]:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ex. XXIII, 1, lit., 'thou shalt not take up, or accept'; a warning to the judge not to hear one litigant before the arrival of the other, because the litigant, in his opponent's absence, may be tempted to lie. ta,');">¹⁴</span> thou shalt not cause to be uttered.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Reading the same Hebrew word, , with different vowels (the Hiphil) : 'thou shalt not cause to be accepted'; a warning to the litigant not to explain his case to the judge in his opponent's absence, because he may be tempted to lie, and will thereby cause the judge to accept a false report, v. Sanh. 7b.');">¹⁵</span>

אמרוה רבנן קמיה דרב פפא בדון מינה ומינה בדון מינה ואוקי באתרה קא מיפלגי

And did that which is not good among his people:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XVIII, 18.');">¹⁶</span> Rab said this refers to one who comes with power of attorney;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He is authorised by one of the litigants to take his place; he is doing 'that which is not good among his people', if he undertakes it merely our of love of contention and litigation, for the litigant himself might have been willing to compromise, whereas he presses for the full amount of the claim. If, however, the litigant himself is not able to appear for some reason, and he is acting on his behalf, in order to obtain his money for him, he is doing a meritorious act; v. Tosaf. a.l.');">¹⁷</span>

ר' מאיר סבר דון מינה ומינה מפקדון מה פקדון מושבע מפי עצמו חייב אף עדות מושבע מפי עצמו חייב ומינה מה פקדון בין בבית דין ובין שלא בבית דין אף עדות בין בבית דין ובין שלא בבית דין

and Samuel said it refers to one who buys a field about which there are disputes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The title of which is disputed; this man buys it, relying on his strength to resist other claimants.');">¹⁸</span> AND IT APPLIES ONLY TO THOSE LIABLE TO BEAR WITNESS, etc. What does this exclude? - R'Papa said, it excludes a king;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' 'Thou shalt set a king over thee (Deut. XVII, 15) ; he must be respected, and it is therefore not seemly that he should stand as a witness before the Judge; and since he cannot be a witness (Sanh. 18a) , the oath of testimony does not apply.');">¹⁹</span>

ורבנן סברי דון מינה ואוקי באתרה מה פקדון מושבע מפי עצמו חייב אף עדות מושבע מפי עצמו חייב ואוקי באתרה מה מושבע מפי אחרים בבית דין אין שלא בבית דין לא אף מושבע מפי עצמו בבית דין אין שלא בבית דין לא

and R'Aha B'Jacob said, it excludes a dice player.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' A gambler, since he is willing to retain money won by him which is not really his, is disqualified by the Sages from being a witness. The xnj sg Torah disqualifies only (Ex. XXIII, 1) . 'a witness of violence', i.e., who has been guilty of robbery by violence.');">²⁰</span> He who says [it excludes] a dice player certainly [holds it excludes] a king;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For a dice player is disqualified only by the Sages, whereas a king is disqualified by the Torah.');">²¹</span> but he who says [it excludes] a king [holds it does not exclude] a dice player, for he is fit [to be a witness] according to Holy Writ, and it is the Rabbis wh have disqualified him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' And, therefore, though we do not accept him as a witness owing to the Sages' disqualification, the oath of testimony applies in his case, for, according to the Torah, he may be a witness.');">²²</span> BEFORE THE BETH DIN OR NOT BEFORE THE BETH DIN, etc. In what do they disagree?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' R. Meir and the Sages, in the Mishnah; i.e., on what principle do they differ? vua vrzd');">²³</span> - Said the Scholars to R'Papa: They disagree [as to whether we say,] 'deduce from it, and [entirely] from it'; or, 'deduce from it, and establish it in its own place'.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where Holy Writ does not explicitly state the law concerning a certain subject, and it is necessary to deduce it by from another subject concerning which Holy Writ states the law explicitly, we may either deduce one from the other entirely (i.e liken the unexplained subject to the explained subject in every respect) , or deduce only one point, and, as for the rest, leave the unexplained subject in its own place, i.e., leave it to be governed by the rules which govern other aspects of it. vua vrzd tyj,');">²⁴</span> R'Meir holds, 'deduce from it, and [entirely] from it'.' Deduce from it':<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [Adopting reading of MS.M.] By : in the case of a deposit it is said if any one sin (Lev. V, 21) , and in the case of the oath tyj, of testimony it is also said (Lev. V, 1) .');">²⁵</span> just as [in the case of] a deposit, if he swears of his own accord,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 24: about which he hath sworn falsely (i.e., of his own accord) . vua vrzd');">²⁶</span> he is liable, so [in the case of testimony, if he swears of his own accord, he is liable;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Though Holy Writ does not specifically say so, but we deduce it by from the case of a deposit.');">²⁷</span> 'and [entirely] from it' - just as [in the case of] deposit [he is liable] whether [he utters the oath] before the Beth Din or not before the Beth Din,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' For Holy Writ says: and sweareth falsely (Lev. V, 22) - wherever he swears falsely, not necessarily before the Beth Din.');">²⁸</span> so [in the case of] testimony [he is liable] whether [he utters the oath] before the Beth Din or not before the Beth Din. And the Rabbis<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Sages.');">²⁹</span> hold, 'deduce from it, and establish it in its own place': 'Deduce from it:'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. p. 173, n. 8.');">³⁰</span> just as [in the case of] a deposit, if he swears of his own accord, he is liable, so [in the case of] testimony, if he swears of own accord, he is liable; 'and establish it in its own place': just as when adjured by others, [he is liable onl if he swears] before the Beth Din,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lev. V, 1: he heareth the voice of adjuration . . if he tell it not, then he shall bear his iniquity - in the place where, if he had told it (i.e., g his testimony) , it would have been effective, i.e., before the Beth Din.');">³¹</span> but not [if he swears] not before the Beth Din, so if he swears of his own accord, before the Beth Din he is liable, but if not before the Beth Din he is not liable.