Mishnayos Rosh Hashanah Perek 1 Mishnah 6
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ראש השנה פרק א׳ משנה ו׳
There was once an incident where more than forty pairs of witnesses were passing through on their way to Jerusalem to testify about the new moon, and Rabbi Akiva detained them in Lod, telling them that there was no need for them to desecrate Shabbat for this purpose. Rabban Gamliel sent a message to him: If you detain the many people who wish to testify about the new moon, you will cause them to stumble in the future. They will say: Why should we go, seeing that our testimony is unnecessary? At some point they will be needed, and no witnesses will come to the court.
מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָבְרוּ יוֹתֵר מֵאַרְבָּעִים זוּג, וְעִכְּבָן רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא בְלוּד. שָׁלַח לוֹ רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, אִם מְעַכֵּב אַתָּה אֶת הָרַבִּים, נִמְצֵאתָ מַכְשִׁילָן לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא:
Bartenura
ארבעים זוג. כתי עדים זוג אחר זוג:
ועכבן רבי עקיבא. שלא היה לבית דין צורך בהן:
אתה מכשילן לעתיד לבא. שימנעו מלבוא להעיד כשיראו שדבריהן לא נשמעו. והלכה כרבן גמליאל:
ארבעים זוג – sets of witnesses one pair after another
ועכבן ר"ע – for the Jewish court had no need of them
אתה מכשילן לעתיד לבא – they will be prevented from coming and testifying when they saw that their words were not listened to. And the Halakha is according to Rabban Gamaliel.