Related%20passage for Sanhedrin 5:2

כָּל הַמַּרְבֶּה בִבְדִיקוֹת, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח. מַעֲשֶׂה וּבָדַק בֶּן זַכַּאי בְּעֻקְצֵי תְאֵנִים. וּמַה בֵּין חֲקִירוֹת לִבְדִיקוֹת. חֲקִירוֹת, אֶחָד אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה. בְּדִיקוֹת, אֶחָד אוֹמֵר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ, וַאֲפִלּוּ שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין, עֵדוּתָן קַיָּמֶת. אֶחָד חֲקִירוֹת וְאֶחָד בְּדִיקוֹת, בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּכְחִישִׁין זֶה אֶת זֶה, עֵדוּתָן בְּטֵלָה:

Whoever multiplies examinations (of the witnesses) is to be praised. Once, Ben Zakkai examined (someone) on the peduncles of figs. [("Ben Zakkai":) R. Yochanan ben Zakkai. He was a disciple judging before his master at that time, for which reason he was called "Ben Zakkai." ("on the peduncles of fruits":) They (the witnesses) testified that he was killed under a fig tree, and Ben Zakkai "examined": "Were the peduncles of the figs thin or thick?"] What is the difference between "inquiries" (chakiroth) and "examinations" (bedikoth)? With chakiroth, if one (of the witnesses) says: "I do not know," their testimony is invalidated. [For they are no longer subject to hazamah through that chakirah. And so long as it is impossible to satisfy hazamah with one of the witnesses, the entire testimony is invalidated, even if there are a hundred witnesses; for the witnesses cannot be rendered zomemin until all of them are so rendered.] With bedikoth, if one says: "I do not know," and even if two of them say: "We do not know," the testimony stands. [Even if all say: "We do not know," the mitzvah of hazamah obtains. For hazamah is contingent only upon chakirah, (leaving the witnesses open) to the claim: "You were with us at that time in a different place."] Both with chakiroth and with bedikoth, if they (the witnesses) contradict each other, their testimony is invalidated. [In all instances of "their testimony is invalidated" in the Gemara, he (the one testified against) and they (the witnesses) are exempt (from liability)].

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