Vayikra 5:1 · unit 9 · Shevuos 35a

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 35a.

Sefaria — Shevuos 35a
E-Daf · Shevuos 35a

Core Text — Shevuos 35a

שִׁלַּח בְּיַד עַבְדּוֹ, אוֹ שֶׁאָמַר לָהֶן הַנִּתְבָּע: ״מַשְׁבִּיעַ אֲנִי עֲלֵיכֶם, שֶׁאִם אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִין לוֹ עֵדוּת שֶׁתָּבוֹאוּ וּתְעִידוּהוּ״ – הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ פְּטוּרִין, עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִפִּי הַתּוֹבֵעַ.

If he sent via his slave, or the defendant said to them “I adjure you that if you know testimony for him you shall come and testify for him” — they are exempt, until they hear from the mouth of the claimant.

The adjuration must come from the claimant himself. Transmission through a slave or an adjuration issued by the defendant does not create shevu’as ha-eidus liability.

What Is Learned: Shevu’as ha-eidus binds only when the witnesses hear the adjuration from the party who stands to collect by their testimony. An adjuration from the defendant or via a messenger does not trigger the verse’s liability.