“And if a person will sin, and hear the voice of adjuration, and he is a witness, who either saw or knew; if he does not tell, he shall bear his iniquity” (Leviticus 5:1). “And if a person will sin, and hear the voice of adjuration, and he is a witness, who either saw or knew…” – that is what the verse said: “Do not be a witness against your friend in vain…” (Proverbs 24:28). “Do not be a witness…in vain” – this is Israel, as it is stated: “You are My witnesses, the utterance of the Lord, and I am God” (Isaiah 43:12).
“Against your friend” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Do not forsake your friend and your father’s friend…” (Proverbs 27:10).1See Shemot Rabba 27:1, where the word friend in this verse is interpreted as a reference to God. Do not deceive with your lips” (Proverbs 24:28) – after you beguiled Me2See Psalms 78:36. at Sinai and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7), ultimately at the end of forty days, you said to the calf: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4).
Rav Aḥa said: This is the Divine Spirit as an advocate, advocating for this party and that party. It says to Israel: “Do not be a witness…in vain.” Then it says to the Holy One blessed be He: “Do not say: I will do to him as he did to me” (Proverbs 24:29). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: It is written: “But they, like men,3Man is fallible with a tendency to sin. have violated the covenant” (Hosea 6:7).
However, here: “For I am God4God’s tendency is to forgive. and not man” (Hosea 11:9). Reuven knew testimony regarding Shimon.5This is a hypothetical case. The names Reuven, Shimon, and Levi are often used in rabbinic literature to refer to people in hypothetical circumstances. [Shimon] said to him: ‘Come and testify this testimony on my behalf.’ He said yes.
When he entered before the judge, he reconsidered. The Divine Spirit said to him: “Do not deceive with your lips” (Proverbs 24:28) – after you beguiled him with your lips and brought him to trial, you recanted. The next day, testimony regarding Reuven came to Shimon. What will he do?
Shall he do what he did to him? “Do not say: I will do to him as he did to me; I will repay the man according to his actions” (Proverbs 24:29). But did the Torah not already issue a decree: “And he is a witness, who either saw or knew; if he does not tell, he shall bear his iniquity.”