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