1,977. When a Man is Not Punished for Libelous Witnesses

Naarah Besulah 3:8

In cases where a naarah who was raped or seduced is not entitled to a fine, a husband is not subject to lashes or a fine for making a slanderous report against her. Additionally, if a non-Jewish girl was converted or a servant girl was freed before reaching the age of three, then her husband is not subject to lashes or a fine for making a slanderous report against her. This is true even if a girl was conceived before her mother converted and born afterwards based on Deuteronomy 22:19, “because he defamed the reputation of a Jewish girl,” i.e., she must be Jewish from conception and birth.

Naarah Besulah 3:9

A man is not liable when his witnesses are found to have lied, as follows: Let’s say that a man betroths a maiden and divorces her, then he betroths her again and makes a slanderous report against her. He brings witnesses and they testify that she committed adultery during their first betrothal. Similarly, a man is not liable for lashes or a fine when his witnesses are found to have lied in a case where he makes a slanderous report against his yevama, bringing witnesses who say that she committed adultery while she was betrothed to this man’s brother. Whenever a man is not liable to lashes or a fine, he is permitted to divorce the woman if he so desires.