Mishnayos Shevuos Perek 4 Mishnah 9
Change text layout:
שבועות פרק ד׳ משנה ט׳
9
If one said to witnesses: I administer an oath to you that when you will know testimony relevant to me you will come and testify on my behalf, these witnesses are exempt from liability for taking a false oath of testimony even if they do not testify, due to the fact that the oath preceded their knowledge of the relevant testimony.
מַשְׁבִּיעַ אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם, כְּשֶׁתֵּדְעוּן לִי עֵדוּת שֶׁתָּבֹאוּ וּתְעִידוּנִי, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ פְטוּרִים, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁקָּדְמָה שְׁבוּעָה לָעֵדוּת:
ט׳
Bartenura
מפני שקדמה שבועה לעדות. ורחמנא אמר (ויקרא ה׳:א׳) ושמעה קול אלה והוא עד או ראה או ידע, שקדמה העדות לשבועה ולא שקדמה שבועה לעדות:
מפני שקדמה שבועה לדעות – for the All-Merciful (I.e., God) said (Leviticus 5:1): “When he has heard a public imprecation (against one who withholds testimony) and- although able to testify as one who has either seen or heard of he matter – [he does not give information, so that he is subject to punishment],” for the testimony preceded the oath and the oath did not precede the testimony.