Translation:Mishnah/Seder Nezikin/Tractate Sanhedrin/Chapter 5/3

Introduction

Sanhedrin deals primarily with the court and with court cases. The fifth chapter of Sanhedrin is focused mostly on testimony and its treatment.

The third mishnah of this chapter continues with checking testimony of witnesses, involving discrepancies between testimonies.

Hebrew Text

אחד אומר בשנים בחדש ואחד אומר בשלשה בחדש , עדותן קימת, שזה יודע בעבורו של חדש וזה אינו יודע בעבורו של חדש.

אחד אומר בשלשה ואחד אומר בחמשה, עדותן בטלה.

אחד אומר בשתי שעות ואחד אומר בשלש שעות, עדותן קימת.

אחד אומר בשלש ואחד אומר בחמש, עדותן בטלה.

רבי יהודה אומר, קימת.

אחד אומר בחמש ואחד אומר בשבע, עדותן בטלה, שבחמש חמה במזרח ובשבע חמה במערב.

English Translation

One says on the second of the month, and the other says on the third of the month, their testimony stands, since one might have known of the intercalation of the month and one didn't know of the intercalation of the month. One says on the third and one says on the fifth, their testimony is canceled. One says at the second hour and one says at the third hour, their testimony stands. One says at the third hour, and one says at the fifth hour, their testimony is canceled. Rabbi Yehuda says, it stands. One says at the fifth hour and one says at the seventh hour, their testimony is canceled, because at the fifth, the sun is in the east, and at the seventh, the sun is in the west.

Explanation

This mishnah is a continuation of the second mishnah, examining discrepancies in the testimony of witnesses. 'Intercalation' refers to whether a month has 29 or 30 days, something that was often decided around the time the month occurred. Thus it is reasonable to think that one might not actually know the proper date.