Derasha 6 on Shoftim 17:06

TT #42 · Parashas Shoftim · First Aliyah · Passuk 6

The Complete Passuk

עַל־פִּ֣י שְׁנַ֣יִם עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ שְׁלֹשָׁ֥ה עֵדִ֖ים יוּמַ֣ת הַמֵּ֑ת לֹ֣א יוּמַ֔ת עַל־פִּ֖י עֵ֥ד אֶחָֽד׃

A person shall be put to death only on the testimony of two or more witnesses; no one shall be put to death on the testimony of a single witness.—

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sifrei Devarim.

Sefaria · Sifrei Devarim

Core Text of Chazal

אין לי אלא אם מת כסדר הזה, מניין לרבות שאר המומתים, ת״ל על פי שנים עדים או שלשה עדים יומת המת.

English: I know only [the requirement of two witnesses] when he dies according to this procedure [stoning]; from where do I include all other forms of capital punishment? From the verse “on the testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses shall the dead be put to death.”

On the daf / in context

The general language “shall the dead be put to death” extends the two-witness requirement to every form of capital execution, not only the stoning described in this chapter.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Sifrei) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The broad phrasing is taken as an inclusion of all four methods of capital punishment.

What Is Learned

Every form of capital punishment — stoning, burning, beheading, and strangulation — requires the testimony of two witnesses.