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1) SPLITTING TESTIMONY

(a) (Rav Yosef): If Shimon says 'Levi had relations with me against my will', Shimon can join with a second witness to kill Levi;
(b) If he says 'Levi had relations with me, I consented", he admits that he transgressed, he cannot testify - "Al Tesht Rasha Ed".
(c) (Rava): A person is considered a relative with respect to himself, he cannot disqualify himself by saying that he is a Rasha. (Therefore, we split his testimony - we ignore his admission that he consented, he is still a valid witness, he joins with a second witness to kill Levi.)
(d) (Rava): If Shimon says 'Levi had relations with my wife', Shimon can join with a second witness to kill Levi, but not to kill his wife.
(e) Question: What is the Chidush, that we split his testimony? We learned this from Rava's previous teaching!
(f) Version #1 (Rashi) Answer: One might have thought, a person is a relative with respect to himself, but not with respect to his wife, he is a valid witness, he joins with a second witness to kill her. (Ran - because we believe his testimony about Levi, we believe it about her also.)
(g) Version #2 (Ra'avad, brought in Ran) Answer: One might have thought, a person is so close to himself that we *totally ignore* what he says about himself, it is not even considered invalid testimony, therefore his testimony about Levi remains;

1. But with respect to his wife, he is an invalid witness (a relative), his testimony about her is invalid, therefore all his testimony (even about Levi) is disqualified - Rava teaches, this is not so.

(h) (Rava): Two witnesses testified that Ploni had relations with a Mekudeshes Na'arah (without specifying her name) and they were Huzmu, they are killed, they do not pay money;

1. If they testified that he had relations with Almoni's daughter, and they were Huzmu, they are killed, and they pay money;

i. They pay her (they sought to reduce her Kesuvah), they are killed for trying to kill Ploni.

(i) (Rava): Two witnesses testified that Ploni had relations with an ox and they were Huzmu, they are killed, they do not pay money;

1. If they testified that he had relations with Almoni's ox, and they were Huzmu, they are killed, and they pay money;

i. They pay Almoni (they sought to kill his ox), they are killed for trying to kill Ploni.

(j) Question: We learn this from his previous teaching!
(k) Answer: He taught this because he had a question.
(l) Question (Rava): If Reuven and David testified 'Ploni had relations with Reuven's ox' (surely, we kill Ploni,) what is the law of the ox?

1. We know that a person is like a relative with respect to himself, i.e. if he testifies about himself and another, we split his testimony, we ignore what he says about himself, and accept his testimony about another;
2. Is a person like a relative with respect to his money (and we ignore what he says about his money), or, do we accept his testimony about his money as well?

(m) Answer (Rava): He is a relative with respect to himself, not with respect to his money.

(a) (Mishnah): Cases of lashes require three judges...
(b) Question: How do we know that
(c) Answer (Rav Huna): "U'Shfatum" - this teaches two judges;

1. We do not make a Beis Din with an even number of judges, therefore three judges are required.

(d) Question: If so, we should say "V'Hitzdiku" teaches another two judges, "V'Hirshi'u" teaches another two, making seven in all!
(e) Answer: We expound those as Ula did.

1. Question (Ula): Where does the Torah hint about Zomemim witnesses?
2. Objection: The Torah explicitly discusses them - "Ka'Asher Zamam"!
3. Correction: Rather, where does the Torah hint that Zomemim witnesses are lashed (when we cannot apply to them what they plotted to do to the subject of their testimony, e.g. if they testified that he is a disqualified Kohen)?
4. Answer: "V'Hitzdiku Es ha'Tzadik v'Hirshi'u Es h'aRasha...";

i. Question: Acquitting the innocent is not a condition for (lashing the Rasha, the continuation of the verse) "V'Hayah Im Bin Hakos ha'Rasha"!
ii. Answer: Rather, the case is that (Zomemim) witnesses caused a Tzadik to be convicted, and other witnesses (Mezimim) showed that he was truly a Tzadik and that the first witnesses were Resha'im, "V'Hayah Im Bin Hakos ha'Rasha".

5. Question: We should already know that they are lashed for "Lo Sa'aneh" (testifying falsely)!
6. Answer: They are not lashed for that, it is a Lav without an action, one is not lashed for such a Lav.

(f) (Mishnah): R. Yishmael says, 23 judges are needed (for lashes).
(g) Question: What is his reason?
(h) Answer #1 (Abaye): He learns a Gezerah Shavah "Rasha-Rasha" from Chayavei Misah;

1. Regarding lashes it says "V'Hayah Im Bin Hakos ha'Rasha"; regarding Chayavei Misah it says "Asher Hu Rasha Lamus";
2. Just as 23 judges are needed for capital cases, also for lashes.

(i) Answer #2 (Rava): Lashes are in place of death (it is like a death penalty).
(j) Question (Rav Acha brei d'Rava): If so, why must we estimate how many lashes he can bear - we should lash the full 39, without concern lest he dies!
(k) Answer (Rav Ashi): "V'Niklah Achicha l'Einecha" - you must strike him when he is your brother (i.e. alive).
(l) Question (Beraisa): If they estimated that he can survive 20 lashes, we only lash him divisible by three, i.e. 18.

1. We should give 21 lashes, even if he dies on the last, we gave the required number when he was alive!

(m) Answer: "V'Niklah Achicha l'Einecha" - even after you strike him, he must still be your brother.

(a) (Mishnah): R. Meir says, three judges are needed for Ibur Chodesh.
(b) Question: The Mishnah does not say to *consider* whether to Me'aber (add a day to) the month, nor to Mekadesh (accept testimony of the new moon and declare the 30th day to be the first of the coming) month, rather, *Ibur* (adding a day);

1. If we do not Mekadesh on the 30th day, the month is automatically Me'ubar (what requires three judges?)!

(c) Answer #1 (Abaye): The Mishnah refers to Kidush ha'Chodesh.

1. Support (Beraisa - R. Meir): Three judges are needed for Kidush ha'Chodesh and Ibur Shanah.

(d) Objection (Rava): But the Mishnah says *Ibur* Chodesh!
(e) Answer #2 (Rava): Three judges are required to Mekadesh the new month on the day (that was fit to be) Ibur (added) to the old month (the 30th);

1. If it was not Mekudash on this day, no Kidush is required (is it automatically Mekudash the next day).
2. The Mishnah is like R. Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok.

i. (Beraisa - R. Eliezer b'Rebbi Tzadok): If the new moon was not seen in its proper time (the 30th), we do not Mekadesh the new month, Hash-m caused the 31st day to be Mekudash.

(f) Answer #3 (Rav Nachman): Three judges are required to Mekadesh the new month after the day (fit to be) Ibur (i.e. Kidush on the 31st);

1. We do not Mekadesh on the 30th.
2. The Mishnah is like Flimo.

i. (Beraisa - Flimo): If the new moon begins on the proper day (i.e. first possible day, the 30th), we do not Mekadesh it; if it begins on the 31st, we Mekadesh it.

(g) Answer #4 (Rav Ashi): Really, the Mishnah teaches about considering whether to Me'aber the month;

1. Even though it says Ibur Chodesh, this means considering whether to Me'aber it.
2. It says Ibur Chodesh for parallel structure to the next topic, Ibur Shanah (adding a month to the year).

(h) Question: Three judges are required to consider whether or not to Me'aber the month, not for Kidush - as whom is this?
(i) Answer: It is like R. Eliezer.

1. (Beraisa - R. Eliezer): Whether the new month begins on the 30th or 31st, we do not Mekadesh it;

i. "V'Kidashtem Es Shenas ha'Chamishim Shanah" - we Mekadesh years, not months.

(j) (Mishnah): R. Shimon ben Gamliel says, we begin with three...
(k) (Beraisa - R. Shimon ben Gamliel): We begin with three, we deliberate with five, and the verdict is with seven;
(l) If one (of the first three) says to sit to deliberate and the other two disagree (for surely, we need not Me'aber the year), we ignore the lone opinion.
(m) If two say to sit and one disagrees, we add two more judges.

1. If two (of these five) say to Me'aber the year and three disagree, we do not Me'aber;
2. If three say to Me'aber the year and two disagree, we add two more judges and Me'aber the year, for at least seven are needed for this.

(n) Question: Why do we make Batei Din of three, five and seven for Ibur Shanah?
(o) Answer #1 (R. Yitzchak bar Nachmani or R. Shimon ben Pazi): This corresponds to the numbers of words in the three verses of Birkas Kohanim.
(p) Answer #2 (The other of R. Yitzchak bar Nachmani or R. Shimon ben Pazi): Three correspond to those that guard the king's gates (or vessels), five correspond to the five (mentioned in Megilas Esther) *of* those who get an audience with the king, seven correspond to those who get an audience with the king.
(q) Abaye (to Rav Yosef): Why didn't you explain thusly before?
(r) Rav Yosef: I thought you knew (since you did not ask);

1. Did you ever ask something I didn't answer?