Commentary for Bava Batra 3:4
הָיוּ שְׁנַיִם מְעִידִין אוֹתוֹ שֶׁאֲכָלָהּ שָׁלֹשׁ שָׁנִים, וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹמְמִין, מְשַׁלְּמִין לוֹ אֶת הַכֹּל. שְׁנַיִם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה, וּשְׁנַיִם בַּשְּׁנִיָּה, וּשְׁנַיִם בַּשְּׁלִישִׁית, מְשָׁלְשִׁין בֵּינֵיהֶם. שְׁלֹשָׁה אַחִים וְאֶחָד מִצְטָרֵף עִמָּהֶם, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ שָׁלֹשׁ עֵדֻיּוֹת, וְהֵן עֵדוּת אַחַת לַהֲזָמָה:
If two testified that he had eaten (from the field) three years, and they were found to be zomemim (scheming witnesses - See Deuteronomy 19:19), they pay him (the field's owner) everything. If two (testified for the first year, two for the second, and two for the third (and they were found to be zomemim), they "third" it among themselves. [Each pair gives a third, for they are three pairs for three years.] If they were three brothers, [one brother for each year], and another joining them [i.e., testifying with each of them] they constitute three testimonies [For what one (pair) testifies, the other does not, for which reason their testimony is kasher], and they constitute one testimony for [purposes of] hazamah (scheming witness), [so that if they are found to be zomemim, they "third" it among themselves. And they do not become zomemim until all (three pairs) are so found.]
Explore commentary for Bava Batra 3:4. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.