Commentary for Makkot 1:7

עַל פִּי שְׁנַיִם עֵדִים אוֹ שְׁלשָׁה עֵדִים יוּמַת הַמֵּת (שם יז), אִם מִתְקַיֶּמֶת הָעֵדוּת בִּשְׁנַיִם, לָמָּה פָרַט הַכָּתוּב בִּשְׁלשָׁה, אֶלָּא לְהַקִּישׁ שְׁלשָׁה לִשְׁנַיִם, מַה שְּׁלשָׁה מַזִּימִין אֶת הַשְּׁנַיִם, אַף הַשְּׁנַיִם יָזוֹמּוֹ אֶת הַשְּׁלשָׁה. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, עֵדִים. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מַה שְּׁנַיִם אֵינָן נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיְּהוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם זוֹמְמִין, אַף שְׁלשָׁה אֵינָן נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן זוֹמְמִין. וּמִנַּיִן אֲפִלּוּ מֵאָה, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, עֵדִים. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר, לֹא בָא הַשְּׁלִישִׁי אֶלָּא לְהַחְמִיר עָלָיו וְלַעֲשׂוֹת דִּינוֹ כַיּוֹצֵא בָאֵלּוּ. וְאִם כֵּן עָנַשׁ הַכָּתוּב לַנִּטְפָּל לְעוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה כְעוֹבְרֵי עֲבֵרָה, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה יְשַׁלֵּם שָׂכָר לַנִּטְפָּל לְעוֹשֵׂי מִצְוָה כְעוֹשֵׂי מִצְוָה:

(Deuteronomy 17:6): "By the word of two witnesses or three witnesses shall the dead one be put to death." If the testimony stands with two, why does Scripture indicate three? To liken three to two, viz. Just as three can render two, zomemin, so two can render three, zomemin. And whence do we derive [that two can render zomemin] even a hundred? From (Ibid.): "witnesses" (i.e., any number). R. Shimon says: Just as two are not killed until both are rendered zomemin, [it being written (Ibid. 19:18): "And, behold, a false witness is the witness," concerning which the master said: Wherever "witness" is written, two (witnesses) are understood, unless it is explicitly stated "one"], so, three are not killed until the three are rendered zomemin. [This, if each testifies immediately upon the conclusion of the other's testimony. But if two testify and after some time, the others do, they are two distinct sets of witnesses in all respects.] And whence do we derive (that this is so) even (with) a hundred? From: "witnesses." R. Akiva says: The third (i.e., "three witnesses") comes only to (tell us to) be stringent with him and to equate his judgment with that of the others, [that one not say: Since even without the third, the testimony (of the others) would stand, the judgment of hazamah should not apply to him. The verse apprises us (that this is not so) that he, too, is judged.]. If Scripture thus punished the accessory to transgressors as the transgressors themselves, how much more so will the accessories to the doers of a mitzvah be rewarded as the doers of the mitzvah themselves! [For "His measure for good is greater than that for punishment."]

Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot

Where do we know that this is the case for even a hundred. That two can zommemize one hundred that testify together.

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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot

Introduction Both mishnah seven and mishnah eight which we will learn tomorrow contain midrashim, exegeses, of the verse in Deuteronomy 17:6 which states that a person may be executed by the testimony of “two or three witnesses”. This statement is not a precise legal statement. If two witnesses are sufficient than the Torah should have stated two. If three witnesses are necessary the Torah should not have stated two. Since all of the Sages held that two witnesses were sufficient, they must answer why the Torah also stated three.

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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot

Just as two aren't killed until you zommemize the both of them. As it is written (Deuteronomy 19:18) "And behold, the witness is a false witness", and the master said, any place it says "witness" behold here it refers to two, unless the verse specifies it's one.

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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot

This mishnah contains three opinions with regards to a perceived problem in the Biblical verse mentioned in the beginning of the mishnah.

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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot

Until all three are zommemized. This [refers to the case] where they each testified within a few seconds of the previous speaker finishing. However, if two testified and at a later time others testified, behold they are [considered] two groups in all aspects.

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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot

“A person shall be put to death only on the testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 17:6).
If the testimony is sufficiently established by two witnesses, why does Scripture [further] specify three? This is to compare two to three: just as three are competent to incriminate two as perjurers, so are two competent to incriminate three as perjurers. How do we know [that two or three can even incriminate] a hundred? The Torah states “witnesses”. The first solution is that the Torah teaches that a set of three witnesses can be made into perjurers even by a set of two witnesses. If the Torah had only taught “two witnesses” we might have thought that two was sufficient to incriminate two other witnesses but not three, since they are more numerous. Therefore, the Torah teaches that no matter how large the group of witnesses, even one hundred, they do not have more power than a contradictory set of two. If, therefore, three witnesses were to testify to a capital crime and the person was found guilty and condemned to die and then two witnesses claimed that the three prior witnesses were not present at the time of the alleged crime and rather were with them, the first three are executed as perjurers.

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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot

Rabbi Akiva says: The third witness in the group only makes the case stricter. So you don't say, since without the third [witness] the testimony would have stood, don't apply to him the rule of hazama, the verse teaches you that even he is judged.

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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot

Rabbi Shimon says: “Just as two witnesses are not put to death until both have been incriminated as perjurers, so three are not put to death until all three have been incriminated as perjurers. How do we know [that two or three can even incriminate] a hundred? The Torah states “witnesses”. Rabbi Shimon’s opinion is that just as when a pair of witnesses testify neither can be executed until both are proven to be perjurers, so too when three witnesses testify, none may be executed until all are proven to be perjurers. Without the word “three” in the Torah we might have thought that if three or more testify and two are found to be perjurers they may be executed, even if the third was not a perjurer. After all, the two would have been sufficient to have the accused executed. Therefore the Torah teaches “three” and “witnesses” to teach that none are executed as perjurers until all are proven to be so.

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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot

All the more so. Since [G-d's] attribute of good is greater than [his] attribute of punishment.

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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot

Rabbi Akiba says: “The third witness was only mentioned in order to be stringent upon him and make his judgement the same as the other two. And if Scripture thus penalizes one who consorts with those who commit a transgression, as [if he is actually] one of those who commits the transgression, how much more so shall he who consorts with those who perform commandments receive a reward as [if he is actually] one of those who performs the commandments!” According to Rabbi Akiva, if three witnesses testify and two are incriminated as perjurers, the third witness is executed even if he was not a perjurer. He is punished not for his false testimony but for joining in with other perjurers/evildoers. Although this is a harsh sentence, Rabbi Akiva finds in it a ray of hope. If those who merely join with evildoers are punished so harshly all the more so will those who join with those who perform commandments be greatly rewarded.

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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot

Questions for Further Thought:
• What would be the practical result of the various interpretations on the procedures of the court? What type of psychological effect would they have on the witnesses?

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