Pisqa’ 93¹⁸²

1. “Some . . . men went out” (Dt. 13:14)— [the tempters] must be men, but not women. “Men” (Dt. 13:14)— they must be adults, and not children. “Men” (Dt. 13:14)— the plural, men, indicates not less than two tempters. ¹⁸³

footnotes: ¹⁸² H:141-142; JN1:246-247. ¹⁸³ Cf. T.San.14:2

“Some rebellious (blial*) men” (Dt. 13:14)—** **without any restraint (*bli ol). that is, people who have thrown off the yoke of the All-Present.¹⁸⁴ 117.1.

footnotes: ¹⁸⁴ Cf. Pisqa’

“From among you” (Dt. 13:14)— **but not from unprotected border-lands.**¹⁸⁵

footnotes: ¹⁸⁵ //T. San.14:1.

“And have led astray the residents of their city” (Dt. 13:14)— but not the residents of another city.

“Saying” (Dt. 13:14)— [despite] having been cautioned against it,¹⁸⁶ “Let us go and serve other gods which you have not known!

footnotes: ¹⁸⁶ Cf. M. San.10:4; Sifre Nu. 113.

Then you shall seek out the truth, and investigate, and inquire diligently” (Dt. 13:14-15). Inferring from what is stated elsewhere: “If it is reported to you, and you have heard it, then you shall seek out diligently” (Dt. 17:4)— diligently occurs here (Dt. 13:15) and diligently occurs elsewhere (Dt. 17:4), permitting an analogical inference. It teaches that we probe a witness with seven¹⁸⁷ quoted at Y. San. 5:1, 22c the total of seven is arrived at by adding the procedures enumerated at Dt. 13:15: seek out, investigate, inquire, diligently, true, well-founded, the matter. **investigations.**¹⁸⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸⁷ According to a baraita ¹⁸⁸ //M.San.5:1.These investigations concern the date and circumstances of the crime: The witness must be able to identify the sabbatical cycle within the Jubilee, the year of the seven-year cycle, the month, the day of the month, the day of the week, the time of day, and the place.

2. On what basis do I know that [there is a formal procedure of] probing?

“And, indeed, the report is true and well-founded” (Dt. 13:15)—

[necessitating a thorough probe]. But if we are eventually going to include probings, (bediqot) what is the point of the Teaching that mentions investigations (khaqirot; Dt. 13:15)? Investigations implies that if one witness [of two] testified: “I don’t know”— the their testimony is nullified. Probings implies that if one witness testified: “I don’t know”— and even if two testified: “we don’t know”— their testimony is sustained.

Investigations and probings are alike in that, when they are in conflict, their testimony is nullified.

“That this abomination was done among you” (Dt. 13:15)— **including the participation of converts and freed [Hebrew] slaves.**¹⁸⁹ 149.1

footnotes: ¹⁸⁹ Cf. Pisqa’