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Today's Mishnah Yomi

Sanhedrin 5:3 - 5:4

The Mishnah Yomi for Wednesday, January 1, 2025 is Sanhedrin 5:3 - 5:4

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Mishnah 1

Mishnayos Sanhedrin Perek 5 Mishnah 3

סנהדרין פרק ה׳ משנה ג׳

3
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:
ג׳

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.”

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:

Mishnah 2

Mishnayos Sanhedrin Perek 5 Mishnah 4

סנהדרין פרק ה׳ משנה ד׳

4
The mishna continues: And afterward, after the court examines the first witness, they bring in the second witness and examine him. If the statements of the witnesses are found to be congruent, the court begins to deliberate the matter. They open the deliberations with an appeal to anyone who can find a reason to acquit the accused. If one of the witnesses said: I can teach a reason to acquit him, or if one of the students sitting before the judges said: I can teach a reason to deem him liable, the judges silence him, i.e., both the witness and the student. The reason is that these people are not allowed to offer information such as this. But if one of the students said: I can to teach a reason to acquit him, they raise him to the seat of the court and seat him among them, and he would not descend from there the entire day, but would sit and participate in their deliberations. If the statement of that student has substance, the court listens to him. And if even the accused says: I can teach a reason to acquit me, the court listens to him and considers his statement, provided that his statement has substance.
וְאַחַר כָּךְ מַכְנִיסִין אֶת הַשֵּׁנִי וּבוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ. אִם נִמְצְאוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם מְכֻוָּנִין, פּוֹתְחִין בִּזְכוּת. אָמַר אֶחָד מִן הָעֵדִים יֶשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת, אוֹ אֶחָד מִן הַתַּלְמִידִים יֶשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עָלָיו חוֹבָה, מְשַׁתְּקִין אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר אֶחָד מִן הַתַּלְמִידִים יֶשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עָלָיו זְכוּת, מַעֲלִין אוֹתוֹ וּמוֹשִׁיבִין אוֹתוֹ בֵינֵיהֶן, וְלֹא הָיָה יוֹרֵד מִשָּׁם כָּל הַיּוֹם כֻּלּוֹ. אִם יֵשׁ מַמָּשׁ בִּדְבָרָיו, שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ. וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא אוֹמֵר יֶשׁ לִי לְלַמֵּד עַל עַצְמִי זְכוּת, שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיֵּשׁ מַמָּשׁ בִּדְבָרָיו:
ד׳

נמצאו דבריהם מכוונים – and from now, they must engage in “give-and-take” in the matter.

פותחין בזכות – If you did not transgress, do not be fearful

אמר אחד מן העדים יש לי ללמד עליו זכות – even for acquittal, and all the more so, for guilty, we silence him, as it is written (Numbers 35:30): “…the testimony of a single witness against a person shall not suffice [for a sentence of death],” whether for acquittal or for guilt.

אחד מן התלמידים – who are sitting before the judges [saying]: “I am able to teach concerning him [his] guilt.”

משתקין אותו – As it is written (Numbers 35:30): “”…the testimony of a single witness against a person shall not suffice for a sentence of death,” for death he may not respond, but for acquittal, he may respond.

אינו יורד משם כל היום – and even if there is nothing substantive in his words, but if if there is something of substance in his words, he never goes down [from the witness stand].

נמצאו דבריהם מכוונים. ומעתה צריכין לישא וליתן בדבר:

פותחין בזכות. אם לא עברת אל תירא:

אמר אחד מן העדים יש לי ללמד עליו זכות. אפילו זכות, וכ״ש חובה. משתקים אותו, דכתיב (במדבר ל״ה) ועד אחד לא יענה, בין לזכות בין לחובה:

אמר אחד מן התלמידים. היושבים לפני הדיינים. יש לי ללמד עליו חובה:

משתקין אותו. דכתיב (שם) ועד אחד לא יענה בנפש למות, למות הוא דאינו עונה, הא לזכות עונה:

אינו יורד משם כל היום. ואפילו שאין ממש בדבריו. אבל יש ממש בדבריו, אינו יורד משם לעולם:

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