If

<<a conspiracy

<<is

<<this,

<<even

<<the group

<<first

<<too

<<should not [be executed]!

<<Said

<<Rabbi Abbahu:

<<where they had already

<<carried out the execution.

What

<<has happened

<<has happened!

<<Rather,

<<said

<<Rava,

<<this is what

<<he means:

<<if

<<there is not

<<but

<<group

<<one —

<<it is executed;

<<if

<<there are

<<more —

<<they are not

<<executed.

<<But

<<‘alone’

<<he said!

<<It is a difficulty.

A certain

<<woman

<<who brought

<<witnesses

<<and they were proven liars;

<<she brought

<<witnesses

<<and they were proven liars.

<<She went

<<[and] brought

<<witnesses

<<other

<<who were not

<<proven liars.

<<Said

<<Reish Lakish:

<<she has a presumption [of falsity],

<<this one.

<<Said to him

<<Rabbi Elazar:

<<if

<<she

<<has such a presumption,

<<all

<<Israel —

<<do they

<<have it?

Once

<<they were

<<sitting

<<before

<<Rabbi Yochanan,

<<[and] there came

<<such

<<as this

<<case

<<before them.

<<Said

<<Reish Lakish:

<<she has a presumption,

<<this one.

<<Said to him

<<Rabbi Yochanan:

<<if

<<has a presumption

<<this one,

<<all

<<Israel —

<<do they

<<have it?

<<He then

<<looked at

<<Rabbi Elazar

<<with displeasure,

<<[and] said to him:

<<you heard

<<this teaching

<<from bar Nappacha

<<and did not

<<say it

<<to me

<<in his name?

Shall we say

<<Reish Lakish

<<holds

<<like Rabbi Yehuda,

<<and Rabbi Yochanan

<<holds

<<like the Rabbis?

Could say to you

<<Reish Lakish:

<<I

<<said

<<to you

<<even

<<according to the Rabbis.

<<Up to here

<<did not

<<say

<<the Rabbis

<<there,

<<because there is no one

<<who

<<keeps seeking [witnesses].

<<But

<<here,

<<there is

<<this woman

<<who

<<keeps seeking.

And Rabbi Yochanan

<<could say to you:

<<I

<<said [it]

<<even

<<according to Rabbi Yehuda.

<<Up to here

<<did not

<<say

<<Rabbi Yehuda

<<there,

<<for we say:

<<‘is it so that

<<the whole

<<world

<<beside

<<these

<<was

<<standing?’

<<But

<<here,

<<these

<<know

<<the testimony,

<<and these

<<do not

<<know

<<the testimony.

MISHNAH.

<<Conspiring witnesses are not

<<executed

<<until

<<is concluded

<<the verdict.

<<For

<<the Sadducees

<<say:

<<until

<<he is executed,

<<as it is stated,

<<‘a life

<<for

<<a life.’

Said

<<to them

<<the Sages:

<<but is it not

<<already

<<stated,

<<‘and you shall do

<<to him

<<as

<<he schemed

<<to do

<<to his brother’ —

<<and behold

<<his brother

<<is alive!

<<And if

<<so,

<<why

<<is it stated

<<‘a life

<<for

<<a life’?

<<One might think

<<from the moment

<<that they accepted

<<their testimony

<<they are executed —

<<the verse

<<teaches:

<<‘a life

<<for

<<a life,’

<<so

<<they are not

<<executed

<<until

<<is concluded

<<the verdict.

GEMARA.

<<It was taught,

<<Beribbi

<<says:

<<[if] they did not

<<kill —

<<they are executed;

<<[if] they killed —

<<they are not

<<executed.

<<Said

<<his father:

<<my son,

<<is it not

<<an a-fortiori

<<argument?

He said to him:

<<you taught us,

<<our teacher,

<<that we do not

<<punish

<<from

<<logical inference.

<<As it was taught:

<<‘a man

<<who

<<takes

<<his sister,

<<daughter of

<<his father

<<or

<<daughter of

<<his mother’ —

<<I would know

<<only

<<daughter of

<<his father

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his mother,

<<and daughter of

<<his mother

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his father.

<<Daughter of

<<his mother

<<and daughter of

<<his father —

<<from where?

<<The verse

<<teaches:

<<‘the nakedness of

<<his sister

<<he uncovered.’

Before

<<it is

<<stated,

<<I have

<<it

<<by inference:

<<if

<<He punished

<<for

<<daughter of

<<his father

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his mother,

<<and daughter of

<<his mother

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his father —

<<daughter of

<<his father

<<and daughter of

<<his mother

<<is it not

<<all the more so?

<<So

<<you have learned

<<that we do not

<<punish

<<from

<<logical inference.

The punishment

<<we have heard;

<<the prohibition —

<<from where?

<<The verse

<<teaches:

<<‘the nakedness of

<<your sister,

<<daughter of

<<your father

<<or

<<daughter of

<<your mother.’

<<I would know

<<only

<<daughter of

<<his father

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his mother,

<<and daughter of

<<his mother

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his father.

<<Daughter of

<<his father

<<and daughter of

<<his mother —

<<from where?

<<The verse

<<teaches:

<<‘the nakedness of

<<the daughter of

<<the wife of

<<your father,

<<born of

<<your father —

<<your sister

<<she is.’

Before

<<it is

<<stated,

<<I have

<<it

<<from

<<inference:

<<just as —

<<if

<<he was prohibited

<<regarding

<<daughter of

<<his mother

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his father,

<<and daughter of

<<his father

<<who is not

<<daughter of

<<his mother —

<<daughter of

<<his father

<<and daughter of

<<his mother

<<is it not

<<all the more so?

<<So

<<you have learned

<<that we do not

<<prohibit

<<from

<<logical inference.

Those liable to

<<lashes —

<<from where?

<<The verse

<<teaches

<<‘wicked’

<<‘wicked.’

Those liable to

<<exile —

<<from where?

<<It is derived

<<‘murderer’

<<‘murderer.’

It was taught,

<<said

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabbai:

<<May I [not] see

<<consolation

<<if

<<I did not

<<put to death

<<a witness

<<proven conspiring —

<<to remove [the notion]

<<from the hearts

<<of

<<the Sadducees,

<<who were

<<saying:

<<conspiring witnesses are not

<<executed

<<until

<<is executed

<<the condemned.

Said to him

<<Shimon ben Shatach:

<<May I [not] see

<<consolation

<<if

<<you did not

<<spill

<<blood

<<innocent —

<<for

<<said

<<the Sages:

<<conspiring witnesses are not

<<executed

<<until

<<both are incriminated,

<<the two of them,

<<and they are not

<<flogged

<<until

<<both are incriminated,

<<the two of them.

Immediately

<<accepted

<<upon himself

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabbai

<<that he would not

<<render

<<a ruling

<<except

<<before

<<Shimon ben Shatach.

<<And all

<<the days

<<of

<<Rabbi Yehuda ben Tabbai

<<he would

<<prostrate himself

<<on

<<the grave

<<of

<<that

<<witness,

<<and

<<his voice

<<was heard,

<<and thought

<<the people

<<to say:

<<it is the voice

<<of

<<the executed man.

<<He said:

<<it is my voice,

<<my own

<<it is;

<<you will know —

<<tomorrow

<<he

<<dies,

<<and is not

<<his voice

<<heard.

Said to him

<<Rav Acha son of Rava

<<to Rav Ashi:

<<perhaps

<<in judgment

<<he stood

<<with him,

<<or else

<<appeasing

<<he appeased him.

MISHNAH.

<<‘By the mouth of

<<two

<<witnesses

<<or

<<three

<<witnesses

<<shall be put to death

<<the one to die’ —

<<if

<<the testimony is established

<<with two,

<<why

<<did specify

<<the verse

<<three?

<<Rather,

<<to compare

<<three

<<to two:

<<just as

<<three

<<incriminate

<<the two,

<<so too

<<the two

<<incriminate

<<the three.

<<And from where

<<even

<<a hundred?

<<The verse

<<teaches:

<<‘witnesses.’

Rabbi Shimon

<<says:

<<just as

<<two

<<are not

<<executed

<<until

<<both are

<<of them

<<conspirators,

<<so too

<<three

<<are not

<<executed

<<until

<<all three are

<<of them

<<conspirators.

<<And from where

<<even

<<a hundred?

<<The verse

<<teaches:

<<‘witnesses.’

Rabbi Akiva

<<says:

<<not

<<did come

<<the third

<<to be lenient,

<<but

<<to be stringent

<<with him,

<<and to make

<<his law

<<like

<<these.

And if

<<so —

<<punished

<<the verse

<<one who attaches himself

<<to those who commit

<<a transgression

<<like those who commit

<<the transgression —

<<how much more so

<<will He pay

<<reward

<<to one who attaches himself

<<to those who perform

<<a mitzvah

<<like those who perform

<<the mitzvah.

And just as

<<two —

<<[if] is found

<<one

<<of them

<<a relative

<<or

<<disqualified,

<<their testimony

<<is void —

<<so too

<<three:

<<[if] is found

<<one

<<of them

<<a relative

<<or

<<disqualified,

<<their testimony

<<is void.

<<From where

<<even

<<a hundred?

<<The verse

<<teaches:

<<‘witnesses.’