משנה: כֵּיצַד בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הָעֵדִים. הָיוּ מַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָן וּמְאַייְמִין עֲלֵיהֶן וּמוֹצִיאִין אוֹתָן לַחוּץ וּמְשַׁייְרִין אֶת הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ אֱמוֹר הֵיאַךְ אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁזֶּה חַייָב לָזֶה. אִם אָמַר הוּא אָמַר לִי שֶׁאֲנִי חַייָב לוֹ אִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי אָמַר לִי שֶׁהוּא חַייָב לוֹ לֹא אָמַר כְּלוּם עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר בְּפָנֵינוּ הוֹדָה לוֹ שֶׁהוּא חַייָב לוֹ מָאתַיִם זוּז. MISHNAH: How does one check out the witnesses? One brings them to court and instills fear into them123Since witnesses are not interrogated under oath, they have to be informed of the gravity of the crime of perjury., then removes them124This also is the reading of Alfasi and Rosh. Maimonides and the Venice text of the Babli read: One removes everybody. but retains the greatest among them125The witnesses are interrogated separately.. One says to him, tell why you know that this person owes to the other one. If he said, he himself confessed to me that he owes the money126He might have said this either to establish credit or to publicize his needy status in order that no public service should be required of him., or another person told me that he owes it127Hearsay has to be disregarded., he did not say anything until he says, before us128At least two witnesses, whose word confirms everything by biblical standards. he confessed to him that he owed him 200 denar.
הלכה: כֵּיצַד בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הָעֵדִים כול׳. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. אִם הָיָה מִתְכַּוֵּין לִמְסוֹר לוֹ עֵדוּת עֵדוּתָן קַייֶמֶת. HALAKHAH: “How does one check out the witnesses,” etc. Rebbi Yose in the name of Rebbi Johanan: If he had intended to appoint them as witnesses, their testimony is valid129Testimony that the debtor admitted to the debt (Note 126) is to be accepted if the debtor explicitly stated that he made the statement to his listeners for the purpose of testimony. There must be two listeners (Halakhah 10, Note 180)..
כֵּיצַד דָּנִין. הַדַּייָנִין יוֹשְׁבִין וְהַנִּידּוֹנִין עוֹמְדִין וְהַתּוֹבֵעַ פּוֹתֵחַ בִּדְבָרָיו רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר מִי־בַ֥עַל דְּבָרִ֖ים יִגַּ֥שׁ אֲלֵיכֶם. How does one judge? The judges are sitting130They have to sit during the entire proceedings., the parties are standing, and the claimant starts first with his words, as it is written131A misquote from Ex. 24:14.: He who has something to say shall present before you132Tosephta 6:3..
וּמְנַיִין שֶׁהַמּוֹצִיא מֵחֲבֵירוֹ עָלָיו הָֽרְאָייָה. רִבִּי קְרִיסְפָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. יִגַּ֥שׁ אֲלֵיכֶם. יַגִּישׁ רְאָיוֹתָיו. From where that the burden of proof is on the claimant? Rebbi Crispus in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina ben Gamliel: Shall present before you, shall present his proofs133Babli Bava qamma 46b..
רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן בָּעֵי. בִּיבָמָה מִי מְרַדֵּף אַחַר מִי. הָתִיב רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר. וְהָֽכְתִיב וְעָֽלְתָה֩ יְבִמְתּ֨וֹ הַשַּׁ֜עְרָה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. יָפֶה לִימְּדָנִי רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר. 134A slight reformulation of a text in Yebamot 12:7, Notes 123–124. Rebbi Joḥanan asked, in the case of a sister-in-law, who runs after whom? Rebbi Eleazar answered: His sister-in-law shall come to the gate135Deut. 25:7.. Rebbi Joḥanan said, Rebbi Eleazar taught me correctly.
רִבִּי בְרֶכְיָה וְרִבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ רִבִּי בָּא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יַנַּאי. הַתּוֹבֵעַ תּוֹבֵעַ וְהַנִּתְבָּע מֵשִׁיב וְהַדַּייָן מַכְרִיעַ. אָמַר רִבִּי סִימוֹן. צָרִיךְ הַדַּייָן לְשַׁנּוֹת טַעֲנוֹתֵיהֶן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֹּ֣אמֶר הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ זֹ֣את אוֹמֶרֶת זֶה־בְּנִ֥י הַחַ֖י וּבְנֵ֣ךְ הַמֵּ֑ת וגו׳. Rebbi Berekhiah and Rebbi Ḥelbo, Rebbi Abba in the name of Rebbi Yannai: The claimant claims, the respondent responds, and the judge decides. Rebbi Simon said, the judge has to repeat their arguments136To give each party the opportunity to complain that its arguments were not understood correctly by the judges., as it is said1371K. 3:23.: The king138Solomon, acting as judge. said, this one says, my son is the living and yours is the dead one, etc.
רַב הוּנָא כַּד הֲוָה חֲמִי סָהֲדוּ מְכַווְנָא הֲוָה חֲקַר וְכַד הֲוָה חֲמִי הָכֵן הֲוָה מְכַווֵן. רַב הוּנָא מֵיקַל לְדַייָנָא דַאֲמַר. מְקַבְּלִין עֲלֵיכוֹן חַד סָהִיד. אֶלָּא יֵימְרוּן אִינּוּן. רַב הוּנָא כַּד הֲוָה יְדַע זְכוּ לְבַר נָשׁ בְּדִינָא וְלָא הֲוָה יְדַע לֵיהּ הֲוָה פְתַח לֵיהּ. עַל שֵׁם פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם. When Rav Huna saw that witnesses said exactly the same, he was investigating139Witnesses using exactly the same language either bear false witness or they went over their testimony beforehand. Then they can be counted only as one witness, not as the biblically required two.. When he saw them essentially identical, he determined the common element140He summarized the common points.. Rav Huna made light of a judge who said, “accept a single witness,” but they should say it themselves141Two independent witnesses are absolutely necessary only in criminal trials. Civil suits may be determined on the basis of documents or, with the agreement of the parties, single witnesses. But accepting a single witness cannot be suggested by the court.. When Rav Huna realized an argument in favor of a person who himself did not know it, he guided him142Since the parties are not supposed to consult lawyers, the judge may by a Socratic dialogue with the parties steer one of the parties to a certain argument which the latter did not see before., following143Prov. 31:8. open your mouth for the dumb.
רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. הַמַּכְמִין עֵידָיו אֲחוֹרֵי גָּדֵר לֹא עָשָׂה כְלוּם. כְּהָדָא. חַד בַּר נַשׁ אַשְׁגַּח לְמֵיגוֹס גַּו אֵרִיסָטוֹן. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. הַב לִי מַה דְאַתְּ חַייָב לִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. אִין. בָּתָר דְקָמוּן אֲמַר לֵיהּ. לִי נָא חַייָב לָךְ כְּלוּם. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. אִית לִי סְהָדִין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. לָא אָֽמְרִית אֶלָּא בְגִין דְלָא מִיעַרְבֵּב מְגוֹסָתָךְ. אֲתַא קוֹמֵי רִבִּי אִמִּי וָמַר. הָדָא דָמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. הַמַּכְמִין עֵדָיו אֲחוֹרֵי גָּדֵר לֹא עָשָׂה כְלוּם. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Joḥanan: He who hides his witnesses behind a wall did not do anything144Babli 29a.. As in this case: A man happened to prepare food for a meal145Greek ἄριστον.. He said to another, give me what you owe me. That one answered, yes. When he rose, he told him, I do not owe you anything. He answered, I have witnesses. The other said, I said that only in order not to spoil your food. The case came before Rebbi Immi, who said, this is what Rebbi Joḥanan said, he who hides his witnesses behind a wall did not do anything146What a person says not in the presence of witnesses must be interpreted following the speaker’s explanation..