If two saw him from one window and two saw him from another, and one warned him in the middle — When some see each other, they become one set of witnesses [The warner combines with the set of witnesses that he sees and who see him at the time of the warning. Therefore, if the two sets in the two windows see him, they combine with each other and all become one set.]; and if not, they are two sets. Therefore, if one of the sets were rendered zomemin, he (the adjudged) and they are killed. [He is killed, for there is still another set who were not rendered zomemin; and they, the refuted ones, are killed, having been rendered zomemin], and the second set are not liable. R. Yossi says: He (the accused one) is not killed unless his two witnesses had warned him, it being written (Deuteronomy 17:6): "By word of two witnesses, etc." Another interpretation: "By word of two witnesses" — that Sanhedrin not hear it from an interpreter [i.e., The judges must understand the language of the witnesses and not find it necessary to place an interpreter between them. And this is the halachah.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
And one warns in the middle. The warner joins with the group of witnesses, he sees them and they see him at the time of warning. Therefore, if the two groups that are in the two windows see him, they all join together and their testimony becomes one.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Introduction
Mishnah nine continues to discuss the laws of witnessing capital crimes. It deals with the question when are witnesses consider two groups and when are they considered one group. Furthermore this mishnah deals with the requirement of the witnesses to warn the transgressor before he commits his crime.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
He and them are killed. He is killed since there is one group that wasn't zommemized, and those that were zommemized are killed.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
If two persons see him [the transgressor] from one window and two other persons see him from another window and one standing in the middle warns him, then, if some on one side and some on the other side can see one another, they constitute together one body of evidence, but if they cannot [see one another], they are two bodies of evidence. Consequently, if one of these is found to be a perjurer, both [the transgressor] and those two witnesses are put to death, while other group of witnesses is exempt. If a murder is witnessed by two sets of witnesses from two different angles we need to know if they are legally considered one set of witnesses or two sets. If they constitute one set of witnesses then if any one of the four is caught as a perjurer, or is otherwise invalidated, all of their testimony is invalid, and none of the witnesses can be executed, unless they were all caught as perjurers . If they are two sets of witnesses, then if one set is caught as a perjurers or otherwise disqualified, there remains a set of valid witnesses, and the transgessor is executed upon their testimony. According to the mishnah the two sets of witnesses’ testimony is joined only under two conditions: 1) the two sets can see each other; 2) the person warning the transgessor stands between the two sets of witnesses such that all may see him. If the witnesses cannot see each other or the person warning was not seen by all of the witnesses, then they are two different sets.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
That the Sanhedrin shouldn't hear through a interpreter. The judges need to understand the language, and not need to place an interpreter between them. And thus this is the halacha.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Rabbi Yose says: “He is never put to death unless two witnesses had warned him, as it says, “by the mouth of two witnesses..” (Deut. 17:6). Rabbi Yose states that two must warn the transgessor before he commits the crime in order to convict him afterwards. He learns this from the verse in Deut. 17:6, which literally translates, “by the mouth of two witnesses” (which is just idiomatic for “by two witnesses”). Rabbi Yose understands that not only the verbal testimony but the verbal warning as well must come from two witnesses.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Another interpretation: “By the mouth of two witnesses”: that the Sanhedrin shall not hear the evidence from the mouth of an interpreter. Another interpretation of the phrase “by the mouth of” is that testimony may not be given through a translator. A translator would cause the testimony to come from someone else’s mouth. If the witness does not speak a language that the sanhedrin understands, his testimony does not count.
