Mishnah
Mishnah

Halakhah for Bekhorot 4:10

הֶחָשׁוּד עַל הַשְּׁבִיעִית, אֵינוֹ חָשׁוּד עַל הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת. הֶחָשׁוּד עַל הַמַּעַשְׂרוֹת, אֵינוֹ חָשׁוּד עַל הַשְּׁבִיעִית. הֶחָשׁוּד עַל זֶה וְעַל זֶה, חָשׁוּד עַל הַטָּהֳרוֹת. וְיֵשׁ שֶׁהוּא חָשׁוּד עַל הַטָּהֳרוֹת, וְאֵינוֹ חָשׁוּד לֹא עַל זֶה וְלֹא עַל זֶה. זֶה הַכְּלָל, כָּל הֶחָשׁוּד עַל הַדָּבָר, לֹא דָנוֹ וְלֹא מְעִידוֹ:

One who is suspect regarding [observing] <i>Shevi'it</i> is not automatically suspect regarding tithes. One who is suspect regarding tithes is not automatically suspect regarding <i>Shevi'it</i>. One who is suspect on both is suspect on regarding purity. There is one who is suspect regarding purity but is not suspect regarding either of the others. The rule is that anyone who is suspect regarding something may not judge or give testimony about it.

Gray Matter III

The reason for this is straightforward: as the Mishnah (Bechorot 4:10) records, “One who does not observe a particular mitzvah cannot serve as a judge or witness regarding that mitzvah.” For example, one cannot trust the kashrut of someone who does not abide by the laws of kashrut. One who does not observe a Torah law sometimes cannot psychologically grasp the importance of observing that law meticulously. An archaeologist who does not observe Torah law might not be sensitive to the importance of the great dignity with which Halachah requires us to treat the dead.
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