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What kind of testimony constitutes eid echad b'tumah in sotah cases? The shiur develops Rashi (רש"י)'s position that eid echad b'tumah is not real eidus but rather raglayim l'davar — circumstantial evidence creating stigma. This approach distinguishes between two separate halachos: actual testimony requiring two witnesses versus kiyur-based disqualification that operates through public shame.
This shiur provides an in-depth analysis of Kesubos 9a, focusing on the Gemara (גמרא)'s discussion of eid echad b'tumah (single witness testimony regarding a sotah's alleged infidelity). Rabbi Zweig examines a fundamental dispute between Rashi (רש"י) and Tosafos (תוספות) regarding the nature of this testimony and its relationship to the broader laws of sotah. The Gemara begins with Rav Elazar's statement that a pesach (פסח) pasuach (open entrance) renders a woman forbidden to her husband. The initial assumption is that a woman is only forbidden through kinyan v'stirah (warning and seclusion) followed by two witnesses. However, the Gemara challenges this by noting that we have established cases where eid echad b'tumah suffices to render her forbidden.
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Kesubos 9a
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