הלכות עדות א׳Testimony 1

Halacha 1א׳

הָעֵד מְצֻוֶּה לְהָעִיד בְּבֵית דִּין בְּכָל עֵדוּת שֶׁיּוֹדֵעַ. בֵּין בְּעֵדוּת שֶׁיְּחַיֵּב בָּהּ אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בֵּין בְּעֵדוּת שֶׁיְּזַכֵּהוּ בּוֹ. וְהוּא שֶׁיִּתְבָּעֶנּוּ לְהָעִיד בְּדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ה א) "וְהוּא עֵד אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדָע אִם לוֹא יַגִּיד וְנָשָׂא עֲוֹנוֹ":

The witness is commanded to testify in religious court giving all testimony which he knows, whether his testimony will cost his friend or benefit him. This is when he [the witness] is selected to testify in a monetary case, as it is said (Leviticus 5:1) "If he is a witness or saw or knew, if he does not tell, he shall bear his sin."

Halacha 2ב׳

הָיָה הָעֵד חָכָם גָּדוֹל וְהָיָה בְּבֵית דִּין פָּחוּת מִמֶּנּוּ בְּחָכְמָה. הוֹאִיל וְאֵין כְּבוֹדוֹ שֶׁיֵּלֵךְ לִפְנֵיהֶם עֲשֵׂה שֶׁל כְּבוֹד תּוֹרָה עָדִיף וְיֵשׁ לוֹ לְהִמָּנַע. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּעֵדוּת מָמוֹן. אֲבָל בְּעֵדוּת שֶׁמַּפְרִישׁ בָּהּ מִן הָאִסּוּר וְכֵן בְּעֵדוּת נְפָשׁוֹת אוֹ מַכּוֹת הוֹלֵךְ וּמֵעִיד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (גמרא ברכות יט ב) "אֵין חָכְמָה וְאֵין תְּבוּנָה לְנֶגֶד ה'". כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם אֵין חוֹלְקִין כָּבוֹד לָרַב:

If the witness is a great sage and he is in a religious court which is his inferior in wisdom, because it is inconsistent with his honor [to appear before the court], the positive commandment of respect for the Torah takes precedence, and he may refrain from going. When are these matters said? For testimony about monetary issues. However, for testimony which prevents forbidden actions, and for testimony about capital matters or matters which could incur the punishment of lashes, he must go and testify, as it says (Berachot 19b), "There is neither wisdom nor understanding against the Lord."

Halacha 3ג׳

כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל אֵינוֹ חַיָּב לְהָעִיד אֶלָּא עֵדוּת שֶׁהִיא לְמֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְבַד. הוֹלֵךְ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל וּמֵעִיד בָּהּ. אֲבָל בִּשְׁאָר הָעֵדֻיּוֹת פָּטוּר:

A high priest is never obligated to testify, except where the testimony concerns a King of Israel. [Then,] he goes to the great religious court and testifies. However, he is exempt from providing other testimony.

Halacha 4ד׳

מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה לִדְרשׁ אֶת הָעֵדִים וּלְחָקְרָן וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בִּשְׁאֵלָתָן וּמְדַקְדְּקִין עֲלֵיהֶן וּמַסִּיעִין אוֹתָן מֵעִנְיָן לְעִנְיָן בְּעֵת הַשְּׁאֵלָה כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁתְּקוּ אוֹ יַחְזְרוּ בָּהֶן אִם יֵשׁ בְּעֵדוּתָן דֹּפִי. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יג טו) "וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְחָקַרְתָּ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ הֵיטֵב". וּצְרִיכִין הַדַּיָּנִים לְהִזָּהֵר בְּעֵת חֲקִירַת הָעֵדִים [שֶׁמָּא מִתּוֹכָהּ יִלְמְדוּ לְשַׁקֵּר. וּבְשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָם]. בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁבוּעַ. בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁנָה. בְּאֵי זֶה חֹדֶשׁ. בְּכַמָּה בְּחֹדֶשׁ. בְּאֵי זֶה יוֹם מִימֵי הַשַּׁבָּת. וּבְכַמָּה שָׁעוֹת בַּיּוֹם. וּבְאֵי זֶה מָקוֹם. אֲפִלּוּ אָמַר הַיּוֹם הֲרָגוֹ אוֹ אֶמֶשׁ הֲרָגוֹ שׁוֹאֲלִין לָהֶן בְּאֵי זֶה שָׁבוּעַ בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁנָה בְּאֵי זֶה חֹדֶשׁ בְּכַמָּה בַּחֹדֶשׁ בְּאֵי זֶה יוֹם בְּאֵי זוֹ שָׁעָה. וּמִכְּלַל הַחֲקִירוֹת יֶתֶר עַל הַשֶּׁבַע הַשָּׁווֹת בַּכּל שֶׁאִם הֵעִידוּ עָלָיו שֶׁעָבַד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שׁוֹאֲלִין לָהֶן אֶת מֶה עָבַד וּבְאֵי זוֹ עֲבוֹדָה עָבַד. הֵעִידוּ שֶׁחִלֵּל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָן אֵי זוֹ מְלָאכָה עָשָׂה וְהֵיאַךְ עָשָׂה. הֵעִידוּ שֶׁאָכַל בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָן אֵי זֶה מַאֲכָל אָכַל וְכַמָּה אָכַל. הֵעִידוּ שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָן בַּמֶּה הֲרָגוֹ. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה הֲרֵי הוּא מִכְּלַל הַחֲקִירוֹת:

It is a positive commandment to find witnesses, to interrogate them, to ask them many questions, and examine them closely, moving from topic to topic during the questions so that they will be silenced or recant if their testimony is duplicitous. As it says, (Deuteronomy 13:16), "And you shall search, and interrogate, and ask well." Additionally, the judges must be careful while interrogating the witnesses [lest the witness learn from the judges' statements how to lie. With seven questions they examined them:] Which seven-year cycle was it? Which year? Which month? What day of the month? What day of the week? How many hours of the day? And in which place? Even if he said "Today he killed him" or "Yesterday he killed him," they still ask them which seven-year cycle, which year, which month, which day of the month, which day [of the week], and which hour [it occurred]. Among the questions, beyond the seven which apply to everyone, there are additional [questions asked]. If they are testifying about a person, saying that he worshipped strange gods, they ask them what he worshipped and what service he performed. If they are testifying that he desecrated the Sabbath, they ask him which form of [forbidden] labor he performed and in what manner did he do it. If they are testifying that he ate on the Day of Atonement, they ask him which food he ate and how much he ate. If they are testifying that he killed someone, they ask him what he used to kill the person. And similarly, all such questions are included in the interrogation.

Halacha 5ה׳

הַחֲקִירוֹת וְהַדְּרִישׁוֹת הֵן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהֵן עִקַּר הָעֵדוּת וּבָהֶן יִתְחַיֵּב אוֹ יִפָּטֵר. וְהֵן כַּוָּנַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁעָשָׂה וְכִוּוּן הַזְּמַן וְכִוּוּן הַמָּקוֹם שֶׁבָּהֶן יָזֹמּוּ הָעֵדִים אוֹ לֹא יָזֹמּוּ. שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִים לְהָזִים הָעֵדִים עַד שֶׁיְּכַוְּנוּ הַזְּמַן וְהַמָּקוֹם:

The interrogatories and investigations are the matters central to testimony, through which the person is deemed liable of exempt. These include specifying the action done, specifying the time, and specifying the place, because from such testimony the witnesses may be excluded by hazamah [testimony by other witnesses claiming that the first witnesses did not actually witness the act] or not. For we may not exclude witnesses through hazamah unless they have specified the time and place.

Halacha 6ו׳

וְעוֹד מַרְבִּין לִבְדֹּק הָעֵדִים בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָן עִקָּר בָּעֵדוּת וְאֵינָהּ תְּלוּיָה בָּהֶם. וְהֵם הַנִּקְרָאִים בְּדִיקוֹת. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִּבְדִיקוֹת הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח. כֵּיצַד הֵן הַבְּדִיקוֹת. הֲרֵי שֶׁהֵעִידוּ עָלָיו שֶׁהָרַג וְנֶחְקְרוּ בְּשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת שֶׁמָּנִינוּ. שֶׁהֵן בְּכַוָּנַת הַזְּמַן וְכַוָּנַת הַמָּקוֹם. וְנִדְרְשׁוּ בְּכַוָּנַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה וְכִוְּנוּ הַמַּעֲשֶׂה וְכִוְּנוּ הַכְּלִי שֶׁהֲרָגוֹ בּוֹ. בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָן עוֹד וְאוֹמְרִים לָהֶן מֶה הָיָה לְבוּשׁ הַנֶּהֱרָג אוֹ הַהוֹרֵג. בְּגָדִים לְבָנִים אוֹ שְׁחוֹרִים. עֲפַר הָאָרֶץ שֶׁנֶּהֱרַג עָלֶיהָ לָבָן אוֹ אָדֹם. אֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן הֵם הַבְּדִיקוֹת. מַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁאָמְרוּ הָעֵדִים הֲרָגוֹ בְּמָקוֹם פְּלוֹנִי תַּחַת הַתְּאֵנָה וּבָדְקוּ הָעֵדִים וְאָמְרוּ לָהֶם תְּאֵנִים שֶׁלָּהּ שְׁחוֹרוֹת הָיוּ אוֹ לְבָנוֹת עֻקְצִין שֶׁל אוֹתָם הַתְּאֵנִים אֲרֻכּוֹת הָיוּ אוֹ קְצָרוֹת. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִּבְדִיקוֹת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח:

Additionally, the witnesses are examined considerably concerning matters not central to their testimony, i.e. where the testimony is not dependent on such matters. These are called examinations. Any increase in examinations is praiseworthy. How are these examinations performed? If they testify that a person has killed, and they are questioned with the seven interrogatories which we delineated, which specify the time and place; if they [the judges] investigated to specify the action, and they [the witnesses] specified the action and the weapon with which he was killed; they are examined further. They say to them, "What was the killer wearing?", or "What was the victim [wearing]? "White or black clothing?" "Was the ground on which he was killed white or red?" These and similar [questions] are the examinations. It once happened that witnesses said that one had killed in a certain place, under a fig tree. They [the judges] investigated, and said to the witnesses, "Were its figs dark or light? The stems - were they long or short?" Any increase in such examinations is praiseworthy.