Sanhedrin 9 – Reasons for Disagreement on Defamer

Rabbi Meir requires only three judges to judge a husband who defames his wife, but the Sages require twenty three. Here are four out of eight possible reasons for the disagreement.

* The husband comes without the support of the witnesses, but the Sages fear that witnesses to adultery might come forward when gossip spreads;
* The husband claimed to have witnesses of adultery, and the court of twenty-three was convened to try this capital case, but then the husband failed to produce witnesses. The Sages rule that the original twenty-three judges should be retained for the sake of their honor;
* The witnesses warned the woman that if she commits adultery, she will be liable to the death penalty, but did not specify the method of execution;
* The woman was learned, and the witnesses did not give her any warning not to commit adultery.

Art: Reading (portrait of the artist's wife) by Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoy