Study Shevuot folio 48A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אחד אומר גבוה שתי מרדעות ואחד אומר שלש – עדותן קיימת. אחד אומר שלש ואחד אומר חמש – עדותן בטלה, ומצטרפין לעדות אחרת.
If one witness who came to testify about Rosh Chodesh says that he saw it two oxgoads high above the horizon, and the other one says it was 3 oxgoads high, their testimony is valid, as a discrepancy of this type is reasonable. But if one says that he saw the moon 3 oxgoads above the horizon, and the other one says it was 5, their testimony is voided. But despite this, they are not disqualified as witnesses, and either of them may join in another testimony.
מאי, לאו לעדות ממון? אמר רבא: הוא ואחר מצטרפין לעדות אחרת של ראש חדש; דהוי להו תרי וחד, ואין דבריו של אחד במקום שנים.
What, is it not teaching that they each can join with another witness for testimony about monetary matters, even though each of them is suspected of giving false testimony? This contradicts Rav Ḥisda’s opinion. Rava said, explaining how Rav Ḥisda understands this baraita: He, one of the contradictory witnesses, and another witness may combine for another testimony about Rosh Chodesh, as in doing so, they become two witnesses against one testifying differently; and the statement of one witness has no standing in a place where it is contradicted by two witnesses.
אמר לחנוני ״תן לי בדינר פירות״ כו׳. תניא, אמר רבי יהודה: אימתי – בזמן שהפירות צבורין ומונחין, ושניהן עוררין עליהן; אבל הפשילן בקופתו לאחוריו – המוציא מחברו עליו הראיה.
§ The Mishnah teaches: If one said to a storekeeper: Give me produce valued at a dinar, and he gave him the produce, and subsequently the storekeeper and the customer dispute whether the customer ever paid the storekeeper, the Mishnah rules that the customer takes an oath that he paid. It is taught in a baraita: R' Yehuda says: When does the customer take this oath? He takes it when the produce is collected and situated in front of them, and the two of them are quarreling about it. But if the customer has it bundled in his basket on his back, the burden of proof rests upon the claimant, i.e., the storekeeper.