Shoftim 19:15 · unit 6

TT #230 · 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 37b.

TT lemma: לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 37b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
לֹא יָקוּם עֵד אֶחָד בְּאִישׁ – לְעֹנֶשׁ, אֲבָל לְשָׁבוּעָה קָם.

English: ‘A single witness shall not rise up against a man’ – for punishment, but for an oath he does rise.

On the daf / in context: A single witness can still trigger a rabbinic or biblical oath in certain monetary cases.

Type of Learning

Derash limiting the exclusion (Bavli) — one witness is powerless for liability but can obligate an oath.

What Is Learned

A single witness cannot create liability, yet in monetary matters he can force the defendant to take an oath.