משנה: אֵין הָעֵדִים זוֹמְמִים נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיִּגָּמֵר הַדִּין שֶׁהֲרֵי הַצְּדוּקִין אוֹמְרִים עַד שֶׁייֵהָרֵג שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ. אָֽמְרוּ לָהֶן חֲכָמִים וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לֹו כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם לַעֲשׂוֹת לְאָחִיו וַהֲרֵי אָחִיו קַייָם. אִם כֵּן לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ. יָכוֹל מִשֶּׁקִּבְּלוּ עֵדוּתָן יֵיהָרֵגוּ תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר נֶפֶשׁ תַּחַת נָפֶשׁ הָא אֵינָן נֶהֱרָגִין עַד שֶׁיִיגָּמֵר הַדִּין׃ MISHNAH: Plotting witnesses cannot be executed unless judgment was rendered, for the Sadducees say, unless he was executed, for it says, a life for a life38This is a misquote. It should be בְּנֶ֗פֶשׁ נֶ֣פֶשׁ (Deuteronomy.19.21">Deut. 19:21), not נֶפֶ֭שׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ (Leviticus.24.18">Lev. 24:18) which applies to an animal.. The Sages told them, was it not already said, do to him as he plotted to do to his brother39Deuteronomy.19.19">Deut. 19:19. It says “he plotted”, not “he did”. This implies that the plot was discovered before it succeeded., does this not imply that his brother is alive? Then why does it say, a life for a life? I could think that they would be executed once they had testified, but the verse says, a life for a life; i. e., they cannot be executed unless judgment was passed40The court might not believe the witnesses even if no formal perjury was proved. Then the testimony becomes irrelevant and cannot be sanctioned. If no sentence had been passed on the accused, it is impossible to sentence the witnesses to the same penalty..
הלכה: אֵין הָעֵדִים הַזּוֹמְמִין. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָה. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. עֵד זוֹמֵם אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל בְּבֵית דִּין אֶלָּא מֵעַצְמוֹ הוּא נִפְסָל. פָּתַר לָהּ בְּהַתְרָייָה. וְתַנֵּי כֵן. אָמַר רִבִּי יֹוסֵי. בַּמֶּה דְבָרִים אֲמוּרִים. בִּשְׁתֵּי כִיתֵּי עֵידִיּוֹת וּבִשְׁתֵּי הַתְרָיוֹת. אֲבָל בְּעֵדוּת אַחַת וּבְהַתְרָייָה אַחַת כָּל־עֵדוּת שֶׁבָּֽטְלָה מִקְצָתָהּ בָּֽטְלָה כוּלָּהּ. מָהוּ כָּל־עֵדוּת שֶׁבָּֽטְלָה מִקְצָתָהּ בָּֽטְלָה כוּלָּהּ. הָיוּ עוֹמְדִין וּמְעִידִין עָלָיו בָּעֲשָׂרָה בְנִיסָן שֶׁגָּנַב אֶת הַשּׁוֹר בְּאֶחָד בְּנִיסָן וְטָבַח וּמָכַר בַּחֲמִשָּׁה בְנִיסָן וְהוּזְּמוּ בְּאַחַד עָשָׂר בְּנִיסָן. כָּל־עֵדוּת שֶׁהֵעִידוּ מִב׳ בְּנִיסָן עַד חֲמִשָּׁה בְנִיסָן לְמַפְרֵעַ הֲרֵי אֵילּוּ פְסוּלִין. אָמַר רִבִּי בָּא בַּר מָמָל. תִּיפְתָּר בִּמְעִידִין עָלָיו בְּכֶרֶךְ אֶחָד וְלֵית שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ כְּלוּם. וְתַנֵּי כֵן. הָיוּ הֵן הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְהֵן הָאַחֲרוֹנִים. הוּזְּמוּ בָרִאשׁוֹנָה אֵין בְּכָךְ כְּלוּם. בַּשְּׁנִייָה הֲרֵי הִיא לוֹ עֵדוּת אַחַת. בַּשְּׁלִישִׁית הֲרֵי הִיא לֹו כִּשְׁתֵּי עֵדִיּוֹת. וְהֵיכֵי. אִמ בִּמְעִידִין עָלָיו בְּכֶרֶךְ אֶחָד לֵית שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ כְּלוּם. לֹא אַתְייָא אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי עֵדִיּוֹת סַגִּין. אָמַר רִבִּי זְעִירָא. הָדָא אָֽמְרָה. עֵד זוֹמֵם אֵינוֹ נִפְסָל בְּבֵית דִּין אֶלָּא מֵעַצְמוֹ הוּא נִפְסָל. HALAKHAH: “Plotting witnesses cannot be”. 45The entire Halakhah is copied from Bava Kamma 7:3:2" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Bava_Kamma.7.3.2">Bava qamma 7:4, explained there in Makkot 1:4:2-7:3" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Makkot.1.4.2-7.3">Notes 45–51. (Babli Bava qamma 72b/73a). Rebbi Zeˋira said, this implies that a plotting witness is not disqualified by the court but is disqualified by himself. Explain it by warning, as it was stated: “Rebbi Yose said, when has this been said? For two testimonies with two warnings. But for one testimony and one warning46Warnings given to the witnesses that perjury is a crime and punishable. any testimony which is partially disqualified is totally disqualified.” What does it mean, “if it is partially disqualified it is totally disqualified”? If they were standing and testifying against him on the tenth of Nisan that he had stolen an ox on the first of Nisan, and slaughtered or sold it on the fifth of Nisan. They were shown to be plotting on the eleventh of Nisan. Any testimony which they delivered between the second and the fifth of Nisan47In G and Bava qamma: between the tenth and the fifteenth of Nisan. This is the correct reading. Testimony of perjured witnesses must be struck from court records from the date of the testimony, not the date of the discovery of the fact of perjury. Sanhedrin.27a">Babli Sanhedrin 27a. is retroactively disqualified. Rebbi Abba bar Mamal said, explain it if they deliver their testimony in one group and you cannot infer anything, as we have stated48Tosephta Bava batra 2:9; testimony to affirm title to real estate by proving three years of undisturbed possession.: “They were the first and they were the later [witnesses]. If they were shown to be plotting at first, there is nothing. At the second time, there is one testimony49Here ends the first sheet of G.. At the third time, there are two testimonies. How? If they testify on one occasion, you could not infer anything. It only comes based on multiple testimonies. 50This sentence, which affirms the correctness of R. Zeˋira’s statement, against R. Abba bar Mamal, is found only here. In contrast to the disqualifications listed in Sanhedrin 3:5:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.3.5.1">Mishnah Sanhedrin 3:6, perjured witnesses are automatically disqualified from the moment of perjury, without any action by the court. Rebbi Zeˋira said, this implies that a plotting witness is not disqualified by the court but is disqualified by himself.