Makkos 5b

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Makkot 5b

Learn Makkos 5b step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

Chains of עדים זוממין, when עדים זוממין are punished, אין עונשין מן הדין, and how a group of witnesses counts as one testimony

Overview

The amud opens by asking about רבי יהודה's view that a chain of עדים זוממין is a 'conspiracy'. רבי אבהו's answer is rejected. רבא's reading is challenged from the word 'בלבד', and that challenge stays a קשיא. Next comes a story of a woman whose first two sets of witnesses were caught lying. ריש לקיש says she is now suspect, while רבי אלעזר and רבי יוחנן say new witnesses are not suspect. The גמרא then shows that neither view depends on the רבי יהודה and רבנן argument. A new משנה teaches that עדים זוממין are executed only if they are caught after the verdict, against the צדוקים, who required that the accused already be dead. The גמרא brings בריבי's ruling that if the accused was already killed, the witnesses are not killed, because אין עונשין מן הדין. A ברייתא proves this from the full-sister verses, and also teaches that a prohibition cannot come from a קל וחומר either. Then comes the story of רבי יהודה בן טבאי, who wrongly executed a single עד זומם and regretted it all his life. Finally, a משנה learns from 'two or three witnesses' that a group of any size counts as one testimony, with views of the תנא קמא, רבי שמעון and רבי עקיבא, and a lesson about reward for joining a מצוה.

Opening lines

The steps (45)

1. ChallengeIf it's a conspiracy, why kill even the first set?
2. ResolutionThe first set was already killed
3. ChallengeWhat already happened is not a law
4. Resolutionרבא: one set is killed, many sets are not
5. ChallengeBut רבי יהודה said 'only'
6. ConclusionThe question stands
7. StatementA woman whose witnesses were caught lying twice
8. Statementריש לקיש: she is now suspect
9. Challengeרבי אלעזר: the whole Jewish people are not suspect
10. StatementThe same case comes before רבי יוחנן
11. Challengeרבי יוחנן gives רבי אלעזר's answer
12. Conclusionריש לקיש is upset with רבי אלעזר
13. QuestionIs this the same as the רבי יהודה and רבנן argument?
14. Rejectionריש לקיש can even agree with רבנן
15. Rejectionרבי יוחנן can even agree with רבי יהודה
16. StatementNew משנה: עדים זוממין are executed only after the verdict
17. ProofThe חכמים prove the accused can still be alive
18. QuestionThen why does the Torah say 'a life for a life'?
19. Response'A life for a life' means only after the verdict
20. StatementIf they succeeded in killing him, the witnesses are not killed
21. ChallengeHis father objects: isn't it a קל וחומר?
22. ResolutionWe do not punish based on logic
23. ProofThe Torah wrote a separate verse for a full sister
24. ConclusionThe Torah did not rely on logic, so neither can we
25. QuestionWe have the punishment, but where is the warning?
26. ResponseThe warning for a sister from ויקרא 18:9
27. QuestionThat covers half-sisters, but what about a full sister?
28. ResponseThe warning for a full sister from ויקרא 18:11
29. ConclusionA warning cannot come from a קל וחומר
30. ProofThe rule covers מלקות too, through 'רשע'
31. ProofThe rule covers גלות too, through 'רוצח'
32. Statementרבי יהודה בן טבאי executes an עד זומם to refute the צדוקים
33. Challengeשמעון בן שטח says an innocent man was killed
34. Conclusionרבי יהודה בן טבאי accepts the rebuke
35. StatementHe weeps on the witness's grave all his life
36. ProofHe proves the voice is his own
37. Rejectionרב אחא shows the proof does not work
38. QuestionWhy does the verse mention three witnesses?
39. ResponseThree are compared to two
40. StatementEven a hundred witnesses
41. Statementרבי שמעון: all of them must be proven lying
42. Statementרבי עקיבא: the third witness is not let off
43. ConclusionJoining a מצוה brings full reward
44. StatementOne disqualified witness cancels a group of three
45. StatementEven a hundred witnesses are cancelled by one bad witness