Negative Commandment 286 (Digest)
Accepting Testimony from a Wicked Person
"Do not put your hand together with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness"—Exodus 23:1.
It is forbidden for a judge to accept testimony from an evil person – e.g., a robber or a desperado – and to issue a verdict based on that testimony.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 286th prohibition is that a judge is forbidden from accepting testimony from a wicked person and from acting based on his testimony.
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> The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement;) (exalted be He), "Do not place your hand with a wicked person to be a corrupt witness." The Oral Tradition;) explains that this means, "Do not place a wicked person as a witness; do not place a corrupt person as a witness." This disqualifies corrupt individuals and robbers, who are invalid for testimony, as it is written,;) "Do not take a corrupt witness against any person."
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> The details of this mitzvah are explained in the third chapter;) of tractate Sanhedrin.
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> Footnotes
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> 1.
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> Ex. 23:1.
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> 2.
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> Mechilta, Parshas Shoftim.
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> 3.
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> Deut. 19:16. The verse actually reads, "If a corrupt witness...."
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> 4.
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> 27a.