Related%20passage for Rosh Hashanah 2:5

חָצֵר גְּדוֹלָה הָיְתָה בִירוּשָׁלַיִם, וּבֵית יַעְזֵק הָיְתָה נִקְרֵאת, וּלְשָׁם כָּל הָעֵדִים מִתְכַּנְּסִים, וּבֵית דִּין בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתָם שָׁם. וּסְעוּדוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת עוֹשִׂין לָהֶם בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיְּהוּ רְגִילִין לָבֹא. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה לֹא הָיוּ זָזִין מִשָּׁם כָּל הַיּוֹם, הִתְקִין רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל הַזָּקֵן שֶׁיְּהוּ מְהַלְּכִין אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ. וְלֹא אֵלּוּ בִלְבַד, אֶלָּא אַף הַחֲכָמָה הַבָּאָה לְיַלֵּד, וְהַבָּא לְהַצִּיל מִן הַדְּלֵקָה וּמִן הַגַּיִס וּמִן הַנָּהָר וּמִן הַמַּפֹּלֶת, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְאַנְשֵׁי הָעִיר, וְיֵשׁ לָהֶם אַלְפַּיִם אַמָּה לְכָל רוּחַ:

There was a big courtyard in Jerusalem called Beth Ya'azek, where all the witnesses congregated and where beth-din examined them. And they would make large feasts for them so that they would be encouraged to come. In the beginning, they [the witnesses, who had left their tchum on Shabbath and had come to testify] did not move from there the entire day, [for one who leaves the tchum may walk only four cubits (outside it)], whereupon R. Gamliel the Elder instituted that they be permitted to go two thousand cubits in every direction. And not only they — but also a midwife who came to deliver (outside the tchum), one fleeing a fire, or (one fleeing) an armed troop, an overflow, or a cave-in, are regarded as the people of the city and may go two thousand cubits in every direction.

Explore related%20passage for Rosh Hashanah 2:5. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.