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Shevuos 4:5-6

Shevuos 4:5

Let’s say that a litigant calls upon some witnesses to testify on his behalf that the other party is in possession of a deposit, loan, and stolen and lost items of his and they respond by swearing that they have no information that would be useful to him. In such a case, they are only liable once. If they swear that they have no information about a deposit, loan, and stolen and lost items of his, then they are liable for each thing individually. If he calls them to testify for him that the other party has a deposit of wheat, barley and spelt of his and they reply by swearing that they have no information for him, they are only liable once. If swear that they have no information that the other person has his wheat, barley and spelt, they are liable for each thing individually.

Shevuos 4:6

If he calls them to testify for him that the other party owes him damages, half-damages, two-fold, four-fold or five-fold payments, fines relating to rape and seduction, or that his own son struck him (requiring payment), or another person wounded him or set fire to my haystack on Yom Kippur – in all of these cases, witnesses who falsely deny having information are liable (because these are monetary cases).

Author: Rabbi Jack Abramowitz