Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 5:1

משנה: הָיוּ בוֹדְקִין אוֹתָן בְּשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁבוּעַ בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁנָה בְּאֵי זֶה חֹדֶשׁ בְּכַמָּה בַחֹדֶשׁ בְּאֵי זֶה יוֹם בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁעָה בְּאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר בְּאֵי זֶה יוֹם בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁעָה בְּאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם מַכִּירִין אַתֶּם אוֹתוֹ וְהִתְרֵיתֶם בּוֹ. הָעוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה אֶת מֶה עָבַד וּבַמֶּה עָבַד׃ MISHNAH: ⁰For this Chapter and the next, there exists a Genizah text, published by M. Assis in Tarbiz 47 (1977) 29–90, 321–329, compared to the Leiden text. Additions from this text will be denoted G. They were investigating him in seven ways¹The number seven may be taken from Roman law, formulated in Quintilian’s hexameter which enumerates the questions to be answered in a trial: Quis, quid, ubi, quibus auxiliis, cur, quomodo, quando? “Who? What? Where? By means of what? For what purpose? How? When?” But questions 4,5,6 are reserved for cross-examination, not investigation (cf. Sanhedrin 4:9:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.4.9.1">Chapter 4, Note 1) (E. G.).: In which Sabbatical period, in which year²In the Sabbatical period. It is clear from this Mishnah that for capital crimes there is no statute of limitations., in which month, which day of the month, which day, which hour, at which place³The Mishnah is a direct continuation of the preceding Chapter. Testimony is acceptable in court only if given under the possible penalties of perjury. But the only way the biblical penalties can be imposed is that the witnesses are proven not to have been at the indicated place of the crime at the time indicated. Therefore, exact determination of time and place are prerequisites to the trial.? Rebbi Yose said, which day, which hour, which place⁴He has only three questions before the actual crime is investigated., do you recognize him, and did you warn him⁵A conviction in biblical law is possible only if criminal intent is proven. This is provable only by two witnesses who testify that they saw the defendant intent on committing a crime and informed him that his intended action was prohibited and that he exposed himself to such and such penalties.? If one worshipped idols, what did he worship and how did he worship⁶Actions which imitate worship of Heaven or are specific for a certain deity are capital crimes; any other actions are punishable only by whipping or not at all (Sanhedrin 7:9:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.7.9.1">Mishnah 7:12).?

הלכה: הָיוּ בוֹדְקִין אוֹתָן בְּשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת כול׳. וְלֹא תַנִּינָן. בְּאֵי זֶה יוֹבֵל. שֶׁאֵין הַדָּבָר מָצוּי. אַשְׁכַּח תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוּחַי אוֹמֵר. אַף בְּאֵי זֶה יוֹבֵל. וְקַייְמוּנָהּ בָּהוּא דְעָאַל וּבָהוּא דִנְפַק. HALAKHAH: “They were investigating him in seven ways,” etc. But we did not state, in which Jubilee period? For that is not current⁷Since the Jubilee was not observed during Second Temple times (cf Ševiˋit 1:1 Sanhedrin 5:1:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.5.1.2">Note 7, Kiddushin 1:2:6" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kiddushin.1.2.6">Qiddušin 1:2 Notes 190–191) except possibly for the determination of Sabbatical periods, one cannot assume that the witnesses were able to determine the year by its position in a Jubilee period.. It was found stated: Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai says, also in which Jubilee period⁸Cf. Sanhedrin.40b">Babli 40b.? We confirmed that in a year which started or concluded [a Jubilee period]⁹At least during the existence of the Temple, close to the beginning or the end of a Jubilee period everybody can be assumed to be alerted to the change in computation of Sabbatical periods induced by the (not observed) Jubilee. Everybody agrees that after the destruction of the Temple, the determination of the Jubilee period was meaningless. Therefore, the Mishnaiot dealing with procedures in criminal trials are attempts of reconstruction of Hasmonean or even earlier procedures..

מְנַיִין לְשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת. תַּנָּא שְׁמוּאֵל הַזָּקֵן קוּמֵי רִבִּי אָחָא. וְדָֽרַשְׁתָּ֧ וְחָֽקַרְתָּ֛ וְשָֽׁאַלְתָּ֖ הֵיטֵ֑ב וְהִנֵּ֤ה אֱמֶת֙ נָכ֣וֹן. אָמַר לֵיהּ. לָא תְהֵא קְרָא וַאֲזִיל אֶלָּא וְדָֽרַשְׁתָּ֧ וְחָֽקַרְתָּ֛ וְשָֽׁאַלְתָּ֖ הֵיטֵ֑ב וְהוּגַּד לְךָ֖ וְשָׁמָ֑עְתָּ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ הֵיטֵ֔ב. הֵיטֵב הֵיטֵב לִגְזֵירָה שָׁוָה. לִיתֵּן [לְ]כָל־אַחַת וְאַחַת שְׁמוּעָה שְׁאֵלָה דְּרִישָׁה וַחֲקִירָה. רִבִּי יִצְחָק מַקְשֵׁי לָהּ. הֲווֹן תְּפִיסִין בְּחַד לֵיסְטֵיס דְּטִיבֵּרִיָּא אָֽמְרִין. כְּדוֹן קְטוֹל כְּדוֹן קְטַל. וּמְנַיִין לָזֶה שֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת. אִיסִּי אָמַר. כָּל־זְמַן שֶׁאִילּוּ הָעֵדִים יְכוֹלִין לְהִזְדַּמֵּם עַל אוֹתָהּ עֵדוּת אֵין הַהוֹרֵג נֶהֱרָג. From where the seven investigations? Samuel the Elder stated before Rebbi Aḥa: You shall inquire, investigate, ask in depth, and behold, the matter is well founded¹⁰Deuteronomy.13.15">Deut. 13:15. The judicial inquiry is described by seven words.. He told him, this verse does not work¹¹At least another word has to be added to reach the next dividing accent; stopping at נָכוֹן is unjustified. On the other hand, the two words דָּרַשׁתָּ הֵיטֵב represent a single notion.; but: you shall inquire, investigate, ask in depth; it will be told to you, you shall listen, ask in depth¹²Deuteronomy.17.4">Deut. 17:4.. In depth, in depth for an equal cut, to require in each case listening, asking, inquiry, and investigation¹³Both verses 13:15 and 17:4 mention five notions each of inquiry; eliminating the words appearing twice one is left with seven different words. Sanhedrin.40a">Babli 40a, Sifry Deut. 93.. Rebbi Isaac asked about this: If they caught an armed robber in Tiberias and said, this is the murderer, this is the murdered; why does this need seven investigations¹⁴Is the situation not obvious?? Issi said, any time that the witnesses could not be proven perjured, the murderer cannot be executed on that testimony¹⁵Since perjured witnesses in a capital case can be executed if it was shown that they could not have seen the act since at the pretended time they were at another place, a criminal trial can proceed only if the witnesses can be made to testify about the exact time and place where the observed criminal act took place..

מַכִּירִין אַתֶּם אוֹתוֹ. מֶה הָיָה. גּוֹי הָיָה אוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא דָּמַר רִבִּי יוֹחָנָן. נֶהֱרַג מִטִּיבֵּרִיָּא לְצִיפּוֹרִי חֲזָקָה שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל הָיָה. “Do you recognize him?” Who was he, a Gentile¹⁶Then it would be a case for the king’s court, not the Sanhedrin. or an Israel? Let us hear from what Rebbi Joḥanan said: If he was slain between Tiberias and Sepphoris, it is prima facie evidence that he was an Israel¹⁷In order to remove the case to a police court, the defendant would have to prove that the slain person was a Gentile. As a practical matter, an unknown corpse found on the road between Tiberias and Sepphoris is a corpse of obligation (Nazir 7:1:2-22" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Nazir.7.1.2-22">Nazir 7:1)..

הִתְרֵיתֶם בּוֹ. מְנַיִין לְהַתְרָייָה. רִבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹנָתָן. וְאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחוֹתוֹ. חֶ֣סֶד ה֔וּא. אָמַר רִבִּי בּוּן. קַיִן נָשָׂא אֲחוֹתוֹ. הֶבֶל נָשָׂא אֲחוֹתוֹ. חֶסֶד עָשִׂיתִי עִם הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁיִיבָּנֶה עוֹלָם מֵהֶן. כִּֽי־אָמַ֗רְתִּי ע֭וֹלָם חֶ֣סֶד יִבָּנֶ֑ה. “Did you warn him?” From where warning? Rebbi Samuel bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Jonathan: ¹⁸Leviticus.20.17">Lev. 20:17. In a slightly different setting, this paragraph also is in Yevamot 11:1:5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Yevamot.11.1.5">Yebamot 11:1, Notes 25–26. Incest with one’s sister is criminal (although by the earthly court only punishable by flogging) while it was permitted to earlier generations. Therefore, it cannot be assumed that everybody knows it to be prohibited. People found engaged in incestuous acts cannot be prosecuted unless before the act informed of its criminality.A man who would take his sister …, it is ḥesed. Rebbi Bun said, Cain married his sister, Abel married his sister. It is charitable, I was charitable with the first generations so the world could be inhabited; I said, the world was to be built on ḥesed¹⁹Psalms.89.3">Ps. 89:3..

תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אוֹמֵר. עַל־פִּ֣י ׀ שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵדִ֗ים יוּמַ֣ת הַמֵּ֑ת. [וְכִי] הַמֵּת מֵת. אֶלָּא לְהוֹדִיעוֹ בְּאֵי זוֹ מִיתָה מֵת. תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי יוּדָה בֵירִבִּי אִלְעַאי אוֹמֵר. וְכִֽי־יָזִיד אִ֛ישׁ עַל־רֵעֵ֖הוּ לְהוֹרְגוֹ בְעָרְמָ֑ה. שֶׁיַּעֲרִימוּהוּ בְּאֵי זוֹ מִיתָה מֵת. It was stated: Rebbi Simeon ben Ioḥai said, by the mouth of two witnesses shall the dead die²⁰Deuteronomy.17.6">Deut. 17:6. In the Babli, this is an Amoraic argument. The verse is read as: by the mouth of two witnesses shall the dead kill himself, i. e., in the presence of two witnesses he accepts to be killed.. Does he die when dead? But to tell him by which kind of death he will be executed. It was stated: Rebbi Jehudah ben Rebbi Illai said, and if a man intentionally kill his neighbor knowingly²¹Exodus.21.14">Ex. 21:14, Sanhedrin.41a">Babli 41a. Babli and Mekhiltot read the verse as freeing the mentally disabled from prosecution.; they shall inform him by which kind of death he will be executed.

הָֽיְתָה מִיתָתוֹ בַחֲמוּרָה וְהִתְרוּ בוֹ בַּקַּלָּה. יְכִיל מֵימַר. אִילּוּ הֲוָה יְדַע שֶׁמִּיתָתוֹ בַחֲמוּרָה לָא הֲוָה עֲבַד הָדָא מִילְּתָא. הָיָה מִיתָתוֹ בַקַּלָּה וְהִתְרוּהוּ בַּחֲמוּרָה. עַל דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרִבִּי יוּדָן בֵירִבִּי אִילְעַאי שֶׁיַּעֲרִימוּהוּ בְּאֵי זוֹ מִיתָה מֵת. If his death should have been a severe one²²Mishnah 7:1, Note 1. but they warned him about an easy one. He could say that had he known that his death was to be severe, he would not have committed that crime. If his death should have been an easy one but they warned him about a severe one; in the opinion of Rebbi Jehudah ben Rebbi Illai they have to inform him by which kind of death he will be executed²³R. Jehudah finds the warning deficient, preventing the imposition of a death sentence. By contrast, in the Sanhedrin.80b">Babli, 80b, it is stated as commonly accepted that a warning about a painful death implies the same of an easy one..

הָיוּ מַתְרִין בּוֹ וְשׁוֹתֵק. מַתְרִין בּוֹ וּמַרְכִין בְּרֹאשׁוֹ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאוֹמֵר יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי. פָּטוּר. עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר. עַל מְנָת כֵּן אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה. רָאוּהוּ שׁוֹפֵךְ דָּם. אָ‍ֽמְרוּ לוֹ. הֲוֵי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁבֶּן בְּרִית הוּא וְהַתּוֹרָה אָֽמְרָה שׁוֹפֵךְ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָם֭ דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר. יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי. פָּטוּר עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר. עַל מְנָת כֵּן אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה. רָאוּהוּ מְחַלֵּל שַׁבָּת. אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ. הֲוֵי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא שַׁבָּת וְהַתּוֹרָה אָֽמְרָה מְחַֽלְלֶ֨יהָ֙ מ֣וֹת יוּמָ֔ת. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאָמַר. יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי. פָּטוּר. עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר. עַל מְנָת כֵּן אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה. “If they warned him and he remained silent, they warned him and he nodded his head, even if he said, I know, he cannot be prosecuted unless he say: for that purpose I am doing it.²⁴Sanhedrin 11:1" href="/Tosefta_Sanhedrin.11.1">Tosephta 11:2. Cf. also Sanhedrin 5:1:6" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.5.1.6">Note 20.” “If they saw him spilling blood; they told him, know that he is a son of the Covenant²⁵A Jew. and the Torah said, he who spills a man’s blood, by man his blood shall be spilled²⁶Genesis.9.6">Gen. 9:6. The quote seems to be slightly out of place since it is directed at Gentile criminal courts which are not under the severe restrictions imposed at Torah courts., even if he said, I know, he cannot be prosecuted unless he say: for that purpose I am doing it²⁷Sanhedrin 11:1" href="/Tosefta_Sanhedrin.11.1">Tosephta 11:4..” “If they saw him desecrating the Sabbath; they told him, know that today is Sabbath and the Torah said, its desecrators shall be put to death²⁸Exodus.31.14">Ex. 31:14., even if he said, I know, he cannot be prosecuted unless he say: for that purpose I am doing it²⁹Sanhedrin 11:1" href="/Tosefta_Sanhedrin.11.1">Tosephta 11:3..”

רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר גַּמְדָּא שָׁאַל. מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ מִשּׁוּם מַאי מִיחַייֵב. מִשּׁוּם תּוֹלֵשׁ אוֹ מִשּׁוּם קוֹצֵר. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא. וַיִּהְי֥וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וַֽיִּמְצְא֗וּ. מְלַמֵּד שֶּׁמְצָאוּהוּ תוֹלֵשׁ עֵצִים מִן הַקַּרְקַע. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda asked³⁰His question is about the degree of specificity required in the warning delivered to a person ready to commit a crime punishable by death. Is it sufficient to deliver a general warning as described in the preceding paragraph (Sanhedrin 5:1:8" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.5.1.8">Note 27) or does one have to specify the exact paragraph of the law being violated? In the case of the Sabbath, is it enough to warn a person not to do any work or does he have to be warned about which of the 39 prohibited types of work he is going to perform? The biblical evidence about the gatherer (Numbers.15.32-36">Num. 15:32–36) shows that the Tosephta was correct in requiring only a general warning.: What was the gatherer’s guilt? Because of tearing off or because of reaping³¹In the list of the forbidden categories of work (Mishnah Šabbat 7:2–4) only reaping is mentioned, which means cutting off the produce from its root. All forms of harvesting are forbidden as derivatives of reaping. The question remains whether a warning about tearing off from the ground would also cover reaping; a warning about reaping certainly covers all forms of harvesting.? Let us hear from the following: The Children of Israel were in the desert when they found … This teaches that he was tearing wood off the ground³²Sifry Num. 113..

רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר גַּמְדָּא שָׁאַל. מְקוֹשֵׁשׁ בַּמֶּה הִיא מִיתָתוֹ. בִּסְקִילָה. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא. יוֹדְעִין הָיוּ שֶׁמְקוֹשֵׁשׁ חַייָב מִיתָה וְלֹא הָיוּ יוֹדְעִין בַּמֶּה הָֽיְתָה מִיתָתוֹ. אַשְׁכַּח תַּנֵי רִבִּי חִייָה. הוֹצֵ֣א אֶת־הַֽמְקַלֵּ֗ל מִחוּץ לַֽמַּֽחֲנֶ֔ה. בַּמֶּה הָֽיְתָה מִיתָתוֹ. בִּסְקִילָה. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda asked: How was the gatherer put to death³³According to R. Jehudah, he could not be put to death if the specific way of execution was not known even though the fact that violating the Sabbath was known to be a capital crime.? By stoning. Let us hear from the following³⁴Sifra Emor Parashah 14(5).: “They knew that the gatherer should be executed but they did not know how he should be put to death.” It was found that Rebbi Ḥiyya stated: Take the blasphemer outside the camp³⁵Leviticus.24.14">Lev. 24:14. This proves that from the pentateuchal stories nothing can be inferred for the rules of procedure required at later times. While it was known that a Sabbath infraction was punishable by death (Sanhedrin 5:1:8" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.5.1.8">Note 28), nothing was known about the penalty for blasphemy. Therefore, the first time these crimes occurred after the epiphany on Sinai, the law was only being formed; it was not yet consolidated (Sanhedrin.78b">Babli 78b).. How was he put to death? By stoning.

אֶת מֶה עָבַד. לִפְעוֹר אוֹ לְמֶרְקוּלִיס. בַּמֶּה עָֽבְדָהּ. בַּעֲבוֹדָתָהּ עָֽבְדָהּ אוֹ בַעֲבוֹדַת גָּבוֹהַּ. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מֵהָדָא. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ שְׁנַיִם וְאָֽמְרוּ. רָאִינוּ זֶה עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְאֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין פְּעוֹר הָיָה אוֹ מֶרְקוּלִיס הָיָה. דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ בִשְׁתֵּיהֶן וּבְאֵי זוֹ מִזְדַּכֶּה פוֹטְרִין אוֹתוֹ. “What did he worship?” Peor or Mercury³⁶As explained in Sanhedrin 7:9:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.7.9.1">Mishnah 7:12, the worship of Baˋal Peˋor was by defecating in front of his statue; the worship of Mercurius, the Greek Hermes, was by throwing an additional stone on the heap surrounding the Hermes, the pillar representing the divinity. Both forms of worship would be an insult if performed for any other idol and, therefore, not punishable.? “And how did he worship?” In its proper worship or the worship of Heaven³⁷Any imitation of Temple worship for an idol is a capital crime. Any other sort of worship is punishable only if ordinarily it was performed for that idol.? Let us hear from the following: It happened that two [witnesses] came and said, we saw that this one was worshipping idols, but we do not know whether it was Peor or Mercury³⁸Clearly, this is inadmissible testimony.. One judges him for both and for the one in which he was found innocent one lets him go³⁹Since the accused must be found innocent of one of two mutually exclusive allegations, one may accept the witnesses by basing a trial on their testimony even if a not-guilty verdict is a foregone conclusion..