Vayikra 5:1 · unit 25 · Shevuos 32a

Complete Passuk

וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי־תֶחֱטָא וְשָׁמְעָה קוֹל אָלָה וְהוּא עֵד אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדָע אִם־לוֹא יַגִּיד וְנָשָׂא עֲוֺנוֹ׃

Source Citation

Torah Temimah cites Shevuos 32a.

Sefaria — Shevuos 32a
E-Daf · Shevuos 32a

Core Text — Shevuos 32a

עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִפִּי הַתּוֹבֵעַ!

רָץ אַחֲרֵיהֶן אִיצְטְרִיכָא לֵיהּ; סָלְקָא דַּעְתָּךְ אָמֵינָא: כֵּיוָן דְּרָץ אַחֲרֵיהֶן – כְּמַאן דְּאָמַר לְהוּ דָּמֵי; קָא מַשְׁמַע לַן.

Until they hear a demand to testify directly from the mouth of the plaintiff.

Mentioning the case of the plaintiff pursuing them was necessary for Shmuel, as otherwise it could enter your mind to say: Since the plaintiff is pursuing them, it is like the case of one who says to them directly to testify. Therefore Shmuel teaches us that although the intent of the plaintiff is for them to testify, the witnesses are liable only if he tells them so explicitly.

What Is Learned: Liability under “if he does not tell” (Vayikra 5:1) requires that the witnesses hear the demand to testify from the claimant himself. Even when the claimant chases after the witnesses, demonstrating clear intent, they are not bound by shevu’as ha-eidus until an explicit oral demand is made to them.