Rosh Hashana 2:6 — How the Witnesses Were Examined
The Lived Mishnah·A Zeman Nakat Project
Audio · Listen with Ephraim Diamond
Listen with Ephraim Diamond · 6:39
0:00 / 6:39
0:00
6:39
Speed
MoedSederסדרמוֹעֵד
Rosh HashanaMesechtaמסכתראש השנה
2Perekפרקב׳
6Mishnahמשנהו׳
Mishnah ראש השנה ב׳:ו׳ · Rosh Hashana 2:6
כֵּיצַד בּוֹדְקִין אֶת הָעֵדִים.
זוּג שֶׁבָּא רִאשׁוֹן, בּוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ רִאשׁוֹן.
וּמַכְנִיסִין אֶת הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבָּהֶן וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ, אֱמֹר,
כֵּיצַד רָאִיתָ אֶת הַלְּבָנָה,
לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה אוֹ לְאַחַר הַחַמָּה,
לִצְפוֹנָהּ אוֹ לִדְרוֹמָהּ,
כַּמָּה הָיָה גָבוֹהַּ
וּלְאַיִן הָיָה נוֹטֶה,
וְכַמָּה הָיָה רָחָב.
אִם אָמַר לִפְנֵי הַחַמָּה, לֹא אָמַר כְּלוּם.
וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָיוּ מַכְנִיסִים אֶת הַשֵּׁנִי וּבוֹדְקִין אוֹתוֹ.
אִם נִמְצְאוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם מְכֻוָּנִים, עֵדוּתָן קַיָּמֶת.
וּשְׁאָר כָּל הַזּוּגוֹת שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתָם רָאשֵׁי דְבָרִים,
לֹא שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִין לָהֶן, אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵצְאוּ בְּפַחֵי נֶפֶשׁ,
בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁיְּהוּ רְגִילִים לָבֹא:
How do they examine the witnesses?
The pair that arrived first — they examine that one first.
They bring in the elder of the two and say to him: Tell us —
how did you see the moon?
Was it facing the sun, or away from the sun?
To its north, or to its south?
How high was it?
And which way was it tilted?
And how wide was it?
If he said, facing the sun — he has said nothing.
And afterwards they would bring in the second and examine him.
If their accounts were found to agree, their testimony stands.
And as for all the remaining pairs, they ask them the main points —
not because they were needed, but so that they should not go out crestfallen,
so that they should be in the habit of coming.
A reading aid, not an exact translation.
This English is a clause-by-clause rendering to help you follow the Hebrew. It is not word-for-word literal, and it is not a transcript of the recorded shiur — the audio carries explanation and context the translation deliberately leaves out.
case/objectrestrictive rulingpermissive rulingreasongeneral rule
Structure
The shape of it▾
Summary Chart
How the Witnesses Were Examined▾
| Case | Ruling | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Four pairs arrive the same night — who does beis din take first? | The pair that got there first | — |
| What did they ask the elder of the two? | Facing the sun or away from it · north or south · how high · which way tilted · how wide | — |
| He says the moon's dark side faced the sun — is his testimony any good? | He has said nothing | — |
| His partner is brought in and tells the same story — what then? | Their testimony stands | — |
| Beis din already has what it needs — why question the other pairs at all? | They are asked the main points | so they should not go out crestfallen, and should keep coming |
Transcript
A machine transcript of the recorded shiur.
This is the shiur as spoken, transcribed automatically and left unedited — the wording is Ephraim's, and occasional transcription errors remain. It follows the audio word by word.
Transcript · click any word to jump
▾