«Je vous porte si vous ne venez pas témoigner pour moi que je suis un Cohein, que je suis un Lévite, que je ne suis pas fils de divorcée, que je ne suis pas fils de chalutzah, que cet homme est un Cohein, que cet homme est un Lévite, qu'il n'est pas le fils d'une divorcée, qu'il n'est pas le fils d'une chalutzah, "[ils ne sont pas responsables. Car les témoins ne sont pas responsables à moins qu'ils ne nient (témoignage en connaissance de cause) concernant quelque chose impliquant une réclamation pécuniaire.], "Que cet homme a ravi ou séduit la fille de cet homme" ["sa fille" se réfère à "cet homme est un Cohein, etc." (au dessus). Ou cela peut faire référence à la fille de l'homme dont il a été question jusqu'à présent. Ils ne sont pas responsables car il est nécessaire qu'ils (les témoins) l'entendent de la part du demandeur. La Gemara interprète cela comme un exemple de la venue d'une personne avec une procuration (harsha'ah). S'il s'agissait d'une réclamation pour d'autres sommes, ils seraient responsables. Nous sommes ici conscients que celui qui a accordé la harsha'ah n'est pas considéré comme le demandeur lui-même ici comme il l'est généralement. Car puisque les sommes réclamées n'étaient jamais dans sa main (celle du demandeur), il ne peut pas écrire une harsha'ah sur eux.], «Que mon fils m'a blessé» [Ils ne sont pas responsables, car s'ils témoignaient, il serait responsable à mort et non à un paiement monétaire], ou "que mon voisin m'a blessé ou a mis le feu à mes gerbes le Shabbath", ils ne sont pas responsables [car les deux sont passibles de mort et non de paiement monétaire.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
שאני כהן – they are exempt, for witnesses are not liable other than when they denied in a mater where there is the claim of money.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
Introduction Mishnah seven lists cases where although the person falsely testifies, since the case did not concern money, he is not guilty of a false oath of testimony.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
שאנס איש פלוני או פיתה בתו של פלוני – “and his daughter” is taught, regarding a certain individual who is a Kohen who is referred to above, [that is taught above this in the Mishnah that it refers to that a certain individual is a Kohen or a Levite, or is not the son of a divorced woman], or that he made them take an oath that a certain individual raped his daughter of that that same individual that they were speaking of him until now, they are exempt, for we require that they should hear from the mouth of the one making the claim. And in the Gemara (Tractate Shevuot 33b) it establishes it when he comes before the court with a power of attorney, for if it is the monetary claim of another [person], they would be liable, and I comes to tell us that it is not considered the inheritance of the litigant in this like the rest of money [matters], for since it is a monetary [matter] that he is asking about, it never reached his hand at all, he is not able to write a power of attorney upon it.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
This mishnah is a contrast to mishnah six. In it a person adjures witnesses to testify in non-monetary cases, or at least in cases in which the one adjuring does not stand to gain money by the testimony.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
ושחבל בי בני – injury/mayhem is wounding, they are exempt, for if they testified against him, he would be liable for death and not monetary [restitution].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
"I adjure you that you come and bear testimony for me that I am a priest, or, that I am a levite, or, that I am not the son of a divorced woman, or, that I am not the son of a halutzah; That so-and-so is a priest, or, that so-and-so is a levite, or, that he is not the son of a divorced woman, or, that he is not the son of a halutzah; In all of these cases the testimony is about the status of either the person who adjures the witnesses or about a third party. There is no monetary suit. The son of priest and divorcee or a priest and a halutzah (one rejected by the levir) are considered disqualified priests and they do not retain their priestly status.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Shevuot
ושחבל בי חברי ושהדלק את גדישי בשבת – for both of them are liable for death, and exempt from monetary [restitution].
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
That so-and-so violated his daughter, or seduced his daughter; A person who rapes or seduces his own daughter is liable for the death penalty and not for a fine, as is one who rapes or seduces another person's daughter.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
That my son injured me; A child who strikes his parent and inflicts a wound is liable for the death penalty. Since he will be executed he is exempt from paying a financial penalty, and therefore this case is not a monetary suit.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
That my neighbor injured me, or set fire to my haystack on the Sabbath" [And they deny knowledge of testimony] they are exempt. One who injures another person on the Sabbath or burns a haystack is liable for the death penalty. Although these cases also involve financial damage, since a person cannot be obligated for death and payment for the same act, the criminal would be liable for death and not payment. This is not, therefore, a monetary suit.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Shevuot
Questions for Further Thought: Why might you have thought that these cases were monetary suits?
