## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 189

###### Sifrei Devarim 189:1
[Sifrei Devarim 189:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/189:1)

(דברים יט טז) **כִּי יָקוּם עֵד חָמָס בְּאִישׁ לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָה** – אֵין חָמָס אֶלָּא גַּזְלָן. **לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ סָרָה**, אֵין סָרָה אֶלָּא עֲבֵרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יג ו): ״כִּי דִבֶּר סָרָה״, וְאוֹמֵר (ירמיה כח טז): ״הַשָּׁנָה אַתָּה מֵת כִּי סָרָה דִבַּרְתָּ עַל ה׳״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
(Devarim 19:16) "If there arise a witness *chamas* against a man to testify against him *sarah*": "*chamas*" connotes a robber, and "*sarah*," as in (*Ibid*. 13:6) "for he has spoken *sarah*," and (Jeremiah 28:16) "This year you shall die, for you have spoken *sarah* of the L-rd."


###### Sifrei Devarim 189:2
[Sifrei Devarim 189:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/189:2)

**[לַעֲנוֹת בּוֹ]**, מַגִּיד שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיַּכְחִישׁ אֶת עַצְמוֹ. מִכָּן אָמְרוּ (מכות פ״א מ״ד): אֵין הָעֵדִים נַעֲשִׂים זוֹמְמִים עַד שֶׁיָּזוֹמּוּ אֶת עַצְמָם. כֵּיצַד? מֵעִיד אֲנִי בְּאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְכוּ׳.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
We are hereby taught that he is not liable until he falsifies *himself* — whence they ruled: Witnesses do not become *zomemin* ("scheming witnesses") until they falsify *themselves*. How so? A says: I testify that that man killed someone (on a certain day). B. says: How can you say that? That slain man (or that slayer) was with us on that day in this and this place? — These are *not* *zomemin*. But if they said: How can you testify thus? *You* were with us on that day in that place — These are *zomemin*, and they are killed for their testimony.