Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 93/ספרי דברים צ״ג
א(דברים יג יד) יָצְאוּ אֲנָשִׁים – וְלֹא נָשִׁים, אֲנָשִׁים – וְלֹא קְטַנִּים, אֲנָשִׁים – אֵין פָּחוֹת מִשְּׁנַיִם.
1Pisqa’ 931821. “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, indicatesnot less than two tempters. 183
בבְּנֵי בְלִיַּעַל – בְּלִי עוֹל, בְּנֵי אָדָם שֶׁפָּרְקוּ עֻלּוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם.
2“Some rebellious (bli`al) men” (Dt. 13:14)—without any restraint (bli `ol).that is, people who havethrown off the yoke of the All-Present.184 117.1.
גמִקִּרְבֶּךָ – וְלֹא מִן הַסְּפָר.
3“From among you” (Dt. 13:14)—but not from unprotected border-lands.185
דוַיַּדִּיחוּ אֶת יֹשְׁבֵי עִירָם – וְלֹא יוֹשְׁבֵי עִיר אַחֶרֶת.
4“And have led astray the residents of their city” (Dt. 13:14)—but not the residents of another city.
הלֵאמֹר – בְּהַתְרָאָה. נֵלְכָה וְנַעַבְדָה אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְדַעְתֶּם.
5“Saying” (Dt. 13:14)—[despite] having been cautioned against it,186“Let us go and serve other gods which you have not known!
ו(דברים יג טו) וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְחָקַרְתָּ וְשָׁאַלְתָּ הֵיטֵב, מִכְּלָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ד) ״וְהֻגַּד לְךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ וְדָרַשְׁתָּ הֵיטֵב״, הֵיטֵב הֵיטֵב לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁבּוֹדְקִים אוֹתוֹ בְּשֶׁבַע חֲקִירוֹת.
6Then 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 thatwe 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
זבְּדִיקוֹת מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: וְהִנֵּה אֱמֶת נָכוֹן הַדָּבָר.
72. On what basis do I know that[there is a formal procedure of] probing?The Teaching states:“And, indeed, the report is true and well-founded” (Dt. 13:15)—
חאִם סוֹפֵנוּ לְרַבּוֹת בְּדִיקוֹת, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר חֲקִירוֹת? חֲקִירוֹת, אָמַר אֶחָד ׳אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ׳ – עֵדוּתָם בְּטֵלָה. בְּדִיקוֹת, אָמַר אֶחָד ׳אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ׳, וַאֲפִלּוּ שְׁנַיִם אוֹמְרִים ׳אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים׳ – עֵדוּתָם קַיֶּמֶת.
8[necessitating a thorough probe].But if we are eventuallygoing to include probings, (bediqot)what is the point of the Teachingthat mentions investigations (khaqirot; Dt. 13:15)?Investigations implies thatif one witness [of two] testified: “I don’t know”—the their testimony is nullified.Probings implies thatif one witness testified: “I don’t know”—and even if two testified: “we don’t know”—their testimony is sustained.
טאֶחָד חֲקִירוֹת וְאֶחָד בְּדִיקוֹת, בִּזְמַן שֶׁמַּכְחִישִׁים זֶה אֶת זֶה – עֵדוּתָם בְּטֵלָה.
9Investigations and probings are alikein that, when they are in conflict,their testimony is nullified.
ינֶעֶשְׂתָה הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת – לְרַבּוֹת גֵּרִים וַעֲבָדִים מְשֻׁחְרָרִים.
10“That this abomination was done among you” (Dt. 13:15)—including the participation of converts and freed [Hebrew] slaves.189 149.1