Shoftim 19:15 · unit 12

TT #236 · Parashas Shoftim · Sixth Aliyah · Passuk 19:15

The Complete Passuk

לֹֽא־יָקוּם֩ עֵ֨ד אֶחָ֜ד בְּאִ֗ישׁ לְכׇל־עָוֺן֙ וּלְכׇל־חַטָּ֔את בְּכׇל־חֵ֖טְא אֲשֶׁ֣ר יֶֽחֱטָ֑א עַל־פִּ֣י ׀ שְׁנֵ֣י עֵדִ֗ים א֛וֹ עַל־פִּ֥י שְׁלֹשָֽׁה־עֵדִ֖ים יָק֥וּם דָּבָֽר׃

A single witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he may commit; by the mouth of two witnesses or by the mouth of three witnesses a matter shall be established.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin 30b.

TT lemma: עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 30b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
עַל פִּי שְׁנֵי עֵדִים – שֶׁיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם רוֹאִים כְּאֶחָד.

English: ‘By the mouth of two witnesses’ – that both of them see as one.

On the daf / in context: Simultaneous observation is preferred or required in certain cases.

Type of Learning

Derash on joint perception (Bavli) — the ideal is that the witnesses experience the event together.

What Is Learned

The preferred form of testimony is that the two witnesses observe the event together, so that their accounts form a single coordinated whole.