OU TARYAG MITZVOS MITZVA 75. The Jury Will Disregard the Testimony: The prohibition against certain sinners testifying

(TODAYS MITZVA SHOULD BE LEARNED FOR THE SAFE RETURN OF Shlomo ben Kayla)
The Torah uses the terms “rasha” (an evil person) and “eid chamas” (a malicious witness). Since nobody’s perfect, how do we know what kind of “sinners” are not valid to serve as witnesses? The word “chamas” is typically used to describe someone who seizes another’s property by force. This eliminates those who rob. (A gazlan is a robber – a person who says “Stick ‘em up!” A goniff is a thief - one who breaks into someone’s house and sneaks off with the silverware.)