Sanhedrin Chapter 4 Mishna 5 He who kills a soul
Introduction
Sanhedrin deals primarily with the court and with court cases. The fourth chapter of Sanhedrin is focused mostly on the treatment of non-capital cases.
The fifth mishnah of this chapter concludes the chapter by explaining how testimonies and procedures of capital cases are handled.
Hebrew Text
- כיצד מאימין על עדי נפשות, היו מכניסין אותן ומאימין עליהן.
- שמא תאמרו מאמד , ומשמועה, עד מפי עד ומפי אדם נאמן שמענו , או שמא אי אתם יודעין שסופנו לבדוק אתכם בדרישה ובחקירה.
- הוו יודעין שלא כדיני ממונות דיני נפשות.
- דיני ממונות, אדם נותן ממון ומתכפר לו.
- דיני נפשות, דמו ודם זרעיותיו תלויין בו עד סוף העולם, שכן מצינו בקין שהרג את אחיו, שנאמר (בראשית ד,י) דמי אחיך צעקים, אינו אומר דם אחיך אלא דמי אחיך, דמו ודם זרעיותיו.
- דבר אחר, דמי אחיך , שהיה דמו משלך על העצים ועל האבנים.
- לפיכך נברא אדם יחידי, ללמדך , שכל המאבד נפש אחת, מעלה עליו כאלו אבד עולם מלא.
- וכל המקים נפש אחת, מעלה עליו כאלו קים עולם מלא.
- ומפני שלום הבריות, שלא יאמר אדם לחברו אבא גדול מאביך.
- ושלא יהו מינין אומרים, הרבה רשויות בשמים.
- ולהגיד גדלתו של הקדוש ברוך הוא, שאדם טובע כמה מטבעות בחותם אחד וכלן דומין זה לזה, ומלך מלכי המלכים הקדוש ברוך הוא טבע כל אדם בחותמו של אדם הראשון ואין אחד מהן דומה לחברו.
- לפיכך כל אחד ואחד חיב לומר, בשבילי נברא העולם.
- ושמא תאמרו מה לנו ולצרה הזאת, והלא כבר נאמר (ויקרא ה,א) והוא עד או ראה או ידע אם לוא יגיד ונשא עוונו.
- ושמא תאמרו מה לנו לחוב בדמו של זה, והלא כבר נאמר (משלי יא,י) ובאבד רשעים רנה.
English Translation
How to caution the witnesses in (cases concerning) life: They enter and are cautioned thus: "Maybe you heard a supposition, or hearsay, or by the mouth of another witness, or by the mouth of a man you trust, or maybe you don't know that you will be checked with examination and investigation. Know that cases of life are not like cases of money! Cases of money, a man gives money and atones through this. In cases of life, (he is responsible for) his blood and the blood of his offspring that would have come until the end of the world," like we see with Cain who murdered his brother, as it is written, "The bloods of your brother calls to me" (Genesis 4:10). It does not say the 'blood' of your brother but rather the 'bloods' of your brother, his blood and the blood of his offspring. Another explanation: The 'bloods' of your brother (refers to the idea that) his blood spilled on the trees and on the rocks. Therefore a single person is created to teach that if any causes a single life to be lost, it is on him as if he has lost a whole world, and if anyone saves a single life, it is on him as if he saved a whole world. It is because of the peace of creation that no man shall say to his fellow "my father is greater than your father" and no heretical groups shall say "many rule in heaven." To tell of the greatness of the Holy One, Blessed be He, that man stamps many coins with one seal, and each is like the other, but the King, King of Kings, the Holy One, Blessed be He, stamps every man with the seal of Adam and not one of them is like his fellow. Therefore every man must say "for my sake was the world created." Maybe you [the witness being cautioned] will say: "What is this trouble for us?" On this it is said, "And he witnessed or saw or knew, if didn't say anything, he bears the sin" (Leviticus 5:1). Or maybe you will say "Why is his blood-guilt on us?" On this it is said, "There is rejoicing when the wicked perish" (Proverbs 11:10).
Explanation
This mishnah is a very complex explanation of how to prepare witnesses in capital cases. They are first told that testimony based on hearsay or suppositions will not be accepted, and that capital cases hold a much higher penalty than non-capital cases. At the end of this mishnah, they are told why they are compelled to serve as a witness when possible. In between this, however, is a digression that deals with two different topics: why the word 'bloods' is plural in the discussion of Cain and Abel, as well as how every person is stamped in the image of Adam yet every person is unique.