Shevuos 30a

שבועות ל׳ ע״א

Shevuot 30a

Learn Shevuos 30a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

שבועת העדות: who it applies to; the source that witnesses are men; fair treatment of litigants in court

Overview

This amud opens the פרק of שבועת העדות. The משנה teaches that the oath only applies to people fit to testify: men and not women, non-relatives and not relatives, and כשרים and not פסולים. רבי מאיר and חכמים argue about whether a denial outside בית דין makes the witnesses liable. Witnesses who knew the testimony and swore falsely bring a קרבן עולה ויורד. The גמרא asks for the source that women do not testify. It brings three ברייתות that read ״ועמדו שני האנשים״ as speaking about עדים. Each ברייתא gives its own first proof and backs it up with a גזירה שוה from ״שני עדים״. Next, a ברייתא learns from the same פסוק that בעלי דינין should stand, and רבי יהודה says the real rule is equal treatment. ״בצדק תשפוט עמיתך״ teaches equal treatment in court and judging others לכף זכות. רב יוסף adds that a fellow in תורה and מצוות should be judged 'nicely.' The story of רב עולא's case before רב נחמן shows this means hearing his case first, not favoring him.

Opening lines

The steps (25)

1. StatementWho the oath of testimony applies to
2. StatementDenying in court or outside court
3. StatementIntentional versus unwitting, and the offering
4. QuestionWhere do we learn this?
5. ResponseThe verse about the two men
6. ProofThe litigants are already mentioned, so the two men must be the witnesses
7. ProofBackup proof: the word 'two' links to 'two witnesses'
8. QuestionWhy was a backup proof needed?
9. ResponseThe verse lacks 'and', so it might be about litigants the whole way through
10. ProofSecond ברייתא: litigants can be more than two, so the 'two' must be witnesses
11. ProofThe same backup proof from the word 'two'
12. QuestionWhy the backup in the second ברייתא?
13. Response'Two' could mean the plaintiff and the defendant
14. ProofA third proof: women also come to court
15. ProofThe backup גזירה שוה again
16. QuestionWhat is weak about the 'women' proof?
17. ResponseWomen usually stay out of court, so 'men' proves nothing
18. StatementLitigants must stand
19. Statementרבי יהודה: both may sit, but they must be equal
20. StatementEqual treatment learned from ״בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפֹּט עֲמִיתֶךָ״
21. StatementAnother reading: judge others favorably
22. Statementרב יוסף: judge a fellow in תורה 'nicely'
23. Statementרב יוסף sends a note about רב עולא's case
24. Questionרב נחמן: am I supposed to favor him?
25. ResponseThe answer: hear his case first