Mishnayos Sanhedrin Perek 5 Mishnah 3
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סנהדרין פרק ה׳ משנה ג׳
The mishna clarifies: If one witness says the event occurred on the second of the month, and one witness says that the event occurred on the third of the month, this is not regarded as a contradiction and their testimony stands, since it is possible to say that this witness knows of the addition of a day to the previous month, and according to his tally the event occurred on the second of the month, and that witness does not know of the addition of a day to the previous month, and according to his tally the event occurred on the third of the month. Their testimony is not considered incongruent. By contrast, if this witness says the event occurred on the third of the month and one witness says the event occurred on the fifth of the month, their testimony is void, as this disparity cannot be attributed to a mere error. Therefore, their testimony is not congruent. Similarly, if one witness says that the event occurred at two hours, i.e., the second hour of the day from sunrise, and one witness says that the event occurred at three hours, their testimony stands, as one could reasonably err this amount in estimating the hour of the day. By contrast, if one says that the event occurred at three hours, and one says that the event occurred at five hours, their testimony is void. Rabbi Yehuda says: Also in this case their testimony stands, as one could reasonably err concerning even this length of time. Rabbi Yehuda adds: But if one says that the event occurred at five hours, and one says that the event occurred at seven hours, their testimony is void. Here the difference is recognizable to all, since at five hours the sun is in the east and at seven the sun is in the west, and one could not err concerning this. Therefore, their testimony is not congruent.
אֶחָד אוֹמֵר בִּשְׁנַיִם בַּחֹדֶשׁ וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה בַחֹדֶשׁ, עֵדוּתָן קַיֶּמֶת, שֶׁזֶּה יוֹדֵעַ בְּעִבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל חֹדֶשׁ וְזֶה אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ בְּעִבּוּרוֹ שֶׁל חֹדֶשׁ. אֶחָד אוֹמֵר בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר בַּחֲמִשָּׁה, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה. אֶחָד אוֹמֵר בִּשְׁתֵּי שָׁעוֹת וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר בְּשָׁלֹשׁ שָׁעוֹת, עֵדוּתָן קַיֶּמֶת. אֶחָד אוֹמֵר בְּשָׁלֹשׁ וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר בְּחָמֵשׁ, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, קַיָּמֶת. אֶחָד אוֹמֵר בְּחָמֵשׁ וְאֶחָד אוֹמֵר בְּשֶׁבַע, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה, שֶׁבְּחָמֵשׁ חַמָּה בַמִּזְרָח וּבְשֶׁבַע חַמָּה בַמַּעֲרָב:
Bartenura
שזה ידע בעיבורו של חודש. זה שאמר בשנים ידע שהחודש שעבר מלא היה, ויום ראשון של חודש שהוא יום שלשים, מחודש שעבר היה. ודוקא עד חצי החודש, אבל מחצי החודש ואילך עדותן בטילה, שחזקה אין עובר חצי החודש עד שכל העולם יודעים מתי קדשו בית דין החודש:
רבי יהודה אומר קיימת. דעביד אינש דטעי כולי האי:
חמה במזרח. ממקום זריחת החמה עד אמצע הרקיע קרוי מזרח, ומאמצע הרקיע עד מקום השקיעה קרוי מערב:
שזה ידע בעיבורו של חודש – The person who said “on the second” knew that the previous month was full, and the first day of the month which is the thirtieth day, was from the previous month. And specifically, until the middle of the month, but from the middle of the month onward, their testimony is invalid, for there is a presumption that half the month doesn’t pass until the entire work would kknow when the Jewish court had sanctified the month.
רבי יהודה אומר קיימת – a person must labor that he will miscalculate so much.
חמה במזרח – from the place of the rising of the sun until the middle of the firmament is called, “east,” and from the middle of the firmament until the place where it sets is called, “west.”