דברים י״ז:ב׳-ז׳

לעבר בריתו. אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת אִתְּכֶם שֶׁלֹּא לַעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה:

By violating His covenant. Which He established with them prohibiting idolatry.

אשר לא צויתי. לְעָבְדָם (מגילה ט'):

That I did not command. To worship them.

נכון. מְכֻוָּן הָעֵדוּת:

Authenticated. The testimony was consistent.

והוצאת את האיש ההוא אל שעריך וגו'. הַמְתַרְגֵּם אֶל שְׁעָרֶיךָ "לִתְרַע בֵּית דִּינָךְ" טוֹעֶה, שֶׁכֵּן שָׁנִינוּ "אֶל שְׁעָרֶיךָ" — זֶה שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, אוֹ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא שַׁעַר שֶׁנִּדּוֹן בּוֹ? נֶאֱמַר "שְׁעָרֶיךָ" לְמַטָּה וְנֶאֱמַר "שְׁעָרֶיךָ" לְמַעְלָה, מַה שְּׁעָרֶיךָ הָאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, אַף שְׁעָרֶיךָ הָאָמוּר לְמַטָּה שַׁעַר שֶׁעָבַד בּוֹ, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "לְקִרְוָיךְ":

You are to take out that man . . . to your city, etc. Anyone who renders אֶל שְׁעָרֶיךָ as “to the gates of your tribunal” is mistaken, for we have learned the following: “to your gates” — this refers to the gate where he worshipped. But perhaps it refers to the gate in which he was tried? ”Your gates” is said below, and “your gates” is said above. Just as “your gates” above refers to the gate in which he worshipped, so does “your gates” below refer to the gate in which he worshipped. Targum [Onkelos] renders “to your city.”

שנים עדים או שלשה. אִם מִתְקַיֶּמֶת עֵדוּת בִּשְׁנַיִם לָמָּה פֵּרֵט לְךָ בִשְׁלוֹשָׁה? לְהַקִּישׁ שְׁלוֹשָׁה לִשְׁנַיִם, מַה שְּׁנַיִם עֵדוּת אַחַת אַף שְׁלוֹשָׁה עֵדוּת אַחַת, וְאֵין נַעֲשִׂין זוֹמְמִין עַד שֶׁיִּזֹּמּוּ כֻלָּם (מכות ה'):

Two witnesses or three. If testimony is valid with two, why is three specified? To compare three to two. Just as two comprise a single entity, so three comprise a single entity — hence, none are liable as “conspiring witnesses” unless all are convicted as conspirators.