Tiresias: The Ancient Mediterranean Religions Source Database

8019

Mishnah, Makkot, 1.7

nan “A person shall be put to death only on the testimony of two witnesses or three witnesses” (Deuteronomy 17:6).If the testimony is sufficiently established by two witnesses, why does Scripture [further] specify three? This is to compare two to three: just as three are competent to incriminate two as perjurers, so are two competent to incriminate three as perjurers. How do we know [that two or three can even incriminate] a hundred? The Torah states “witnesses”. Rabbi Shimon says: “Just as two witnesses are not put to death until both have been incriminated as perjurers, so three are not put to death until all three have been incriminated as perjurers. How do we know [that two or three can even incriminate] a hundred? The Torah states “witnesses”. Rabbi Akiba says: “The third witness was only mentioned in order to be stringent upon him and make his judgement the same as the other two. And if Scripture thus penalizes one who consorts with those who commit a transgression, as [if he is actually] one of those who commits the transgression, how much more so shall he who consorts with those who perform commandments receive a reward as [if he is actually] one of those who performs the commandments!”"

Intertexts (texts cited often on the same page as the searched text):

None available Subjects of this text:

subject	book bibliographic info
begging,alternatives to	Gardner (2015) 174
charity supervisors,as judges	Gardner (2015) 174
charity supervisors,assessing the poor	Gardner (2015) 174
charity supervisors	Gardner (2015) 174
dependency	Gardner (2015) 174
judges	Gardner (2015) 174
poor,assessing their claims	Gardner (2015) 174
poor,imposters	Gardner (2015) 174
sherman,thomas p.	Hirshman (2009) 143
weinfeld,moshe'	Hirshman (2009) 143