Pisqa’ 93182H:141-142; JN1:246-247. 1. “Some . . . men went out” (Dt.13:14)— [the tempters] must be men, but not women. “Men” (Dt.13:14)— they must be adults, and not children. “Men” (Dt.13:14)— the plural, men, indicates not less than two tempters.183Cf. T.San.14:2
“Some rebellious (bli`al) men” (Dt.13:14)— without any restraint (bli `ol). that is, people who have thrown off the yoke of the All-Present.184Cf. Pisqa’ 117.1.
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מִקִּרְבֶּךָ – וְלֹא מִן הַסְּפָר.
“From among you” (Dt.13:14)— but not from unprotected border-lands.185//T. San.14:1.
“Saying” (Dt.13:14)— [despite] having been cautioned against it,186Cf. M. San.10:4; Sifre Nu.113. “Let us go and serve other gods which you have not known!
Then you shall seek out the truth, and investigate, and inquire diligently” (Dt.13:14-15). Inferring from what is stated elsewhere: “If it is reported to you, and you have heard it, then you shall seek out diligently” (Dt.17:4)— diligently occurs here (Dt.13:15) and diligently occurs elsewhere (Dt.17:4), permitting an analogical inference. It teaches that we probe a witness with seven187According to a baraita quoted at Y. San. 5:1, 22c the total of seven is arrived at by adding the procedures enumerated at Dt. 13:15: seek out, investigate, inquire, diligently, true, well-founded, the matter.investigations.188//M.San.5:1.These investigations concern the date and circumstances of the crime: The witness must be able to identify the sabbatical cycle within the Jubilee, the year of the seven-year cycle, the month, the day of the month, the day of the week, the time of day, and the place.
2. On what basis do I know that [there is a formal procedure of] probing? The Teaching states: “And, indeed, the report is true and well-founded” (Dt.13:15)—
[necessitating a thorough probe]. But if we are eventually going to include probings, (bediqot) what is the point of the Teaching that mentions investigations (khaqirot; Dt.13:15)? Investigations implies that if one witness [of two] testified: “I don’t know”— the their testimony is nullified. Probings implies that if one witness testified: “I don’t know”— and even if two testified: “we don’t know”— their testimony is sustained.
(דברים יג יד) יָצְאוּ אֲנָשִׁים – וְלֹא נָשִׁים, אֲנָשִׁים – וְלֹא קְטַנִּים, אֲנָשִׁים – אֵין פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם.
Pisqa’ 93182H:141-142; JN1:246-247.
1. “Some . . . men went out” (Dt.13:14)—
[the tempters] must be men, but not women.
“Men” (Dt.13:14)—
they must be adults, and not children.
“Men” (Dt.13:14)—
the plural, men, indicates
not less than two tempters. 183Cf. T.San.14:2
בְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל – בְּלִי עוֹל, בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁפָּרְקוּ עֻלּוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם.
“Some rebellious (bli`al) men” (Dt.13:14)—
without any restraint (bli `ol).
that is, people who have
thrown off the yoke of the All-Present.184Cf. Pisqa’ 117.1.
מִקִּרְבֶּךָ – וְלֹא מִן הַסְּפָר.
“From among you” (Dt.13:14)—
but not from unprotected border-lands.185//T. San.14:1.
וַיַּדִּיחוּ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי עִירָם – וְלֹא יוֹשְׁבֵי עִיר אַחֶרֶת.
“And have led astray the residents of their city” (Dt.13:14)—
but not the residents of another city.
לֵאמֹר – בְּהַתְרָאָה. נֵלְכָה וְנַעַבְדָה אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדַעְתֶּם.
“Saying” (Dt.13:14)—
[despite] having been cautioned against it,186Cf. M. San.10:4; Sifre Nu.113.
“Let us go and serve other gods which you have not known!
(דברים יג טו) וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְחָקַרְתָּ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ הֵיטֵב, מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ד) ״וְהֻגַּד לְךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ וְדָרַשְׁתָּ הֵיטֵב״, הֵיטֵב הֵיטֵב לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבּוֹדְקִים אוֹתוֹ בְּשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת.
Then you shall seek out the truth, and investigate, and inquire diligently” (Dt.13:14-15).
Inferring from what is stated elsewhere:
“If it is reported to you, and you have heard it, then you shall seek out diligently” (Dt.17:4)—
diligently occurs here (Dt.13:15)
and diligently occurs elsewhere (Dt.17:4),
permitting an analogical inference.
It teaches that
we probe a witness with seven187According to a baraita quoted at Y. San. 5:1, 22c the total of seven is arrived at by adding the procedures enumerated at Dt. 13:15: seek out, investigate, inquire, diligently, true, well-founded, the matter. investigations.188//M.San.5:1.These investigations concern the date and circumstances of the crime: The witness must be able to identify the sabbatical cycle within the Jubilee, the year of the seven-year cycle, the month, the day of the month, the day of the week, the time of day, and the place.
בְּדִיקוֹת מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר.
2. On what basis do I know that
[there is a formal procedure of] probing?
The Teaching states:
“And, indeed, the report is true and well-founded” (Dt.13:15)—
אִם סוֹפֵנוּ לְרַבּוֹת בְּדִיקוֹת, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר חֲקִירוֹת? חֲקִירוֹת, אָמַר אֶחָד ׳אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ׳ – עֵדוּתָם בְּטֵלָה. בְּדִיקוֹת, אָמַר אֶחָד ׳אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ׳, וַאֲפִלּוּ שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים ׳אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים׳ – עֵדוּתָם קַיֶּמֶת.
[necessitating a thorough probe].
But if we are eventually
going to include probings, (bediqot)
what is the point of the Teaching
that mentions investigations (khaqirot; Dt.13:15)?
Investigations implies that
if one witness [of two] testified: “I don’t know”—
the their testimony is nullified.
Probings implies that
if one witness testified: “I don’t know”—
and even if two testified: “we don’t know”—
their testimony is sustained.
אֶחָד חֲקִירוֹת וְאֶחָד בְּדִיקוֹת, בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּכְחִישִׁים זֶה אֶת זֶה – עֵדוּתָם בְּטֵלָה.
Investigations and probings are alike
in that, when they are in conflict,
their testimony is nullified.
נֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת – לְרַבּוֹת גֵּרִים וַעֲבָדִים מְשֻׁחְרָרִים.
“That this abomination was done among you” (Dt.13:15)—
including the participation of converts and freed [Hebrew] slaves.189Cf. Pisqa’ 149.1