Shoftim 19:15 · unit 8

TT #232 · 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 30a.

TT lemma: עֵד אֶחָד.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 30a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
עֵד אֶחָד – אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נֶאֱמָן כְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ.

English: ‘A single witness’ – even if he is as trustworthy as Moshe Rabbeinu.

On the daf / in context: Personal reliability does not override the formal requirement of two.

Type of Learning

Derash rejecting exceptions based on character (Bavli) — even the most reliable individual is still only one witness.

What Is Learned

No matter how trustworthy a single witness may be, the Torah still requires two or three for the matter to be established.