Sanhedrin 28 – Relatives Disqualified as Judges or Witnesses

Relatives are disqualified absolutely: They may not testify whether their testimony is favorable or detrimental. Relatives include one's brother, uncle, sister's husband, aunt's husband, father-in-law, brother-in-law, and sons and sons-in-law.

Rabbi Yehudah says, "One's close friend and one's enemy are also disqualified." However, the Sages say that Jewish people are not suspected of bearing false witness about someone because of love or animosity.

How does one understand "Fathers shall not be put to death because of their sons nor shall sons be put to death because of their fathers..."? We already know that "...each man shall be put to death only because of his own sin." Therefore, we have to understand that "Fathers shall not be put to death because of the testimony of their sons."

Art: The Browne Brothers by Isaac Oliver