A relative may give testimony with regard to his relative's signature. What is implied? There was a legal document which Reuven and Shimon signed as witnesses. They died or traveled overseas. Reuven's son came and testified: "This is my father's signature," and Shimon's son came and testified: "This is my father's signature," it is as if they are two acceptable witnesses who are not related to the witnesses who have signed. If a third witness joins together with them and testifies with regard to the two signatures, the authenticity of the legal document is validated.
The statements of the following individuals are acceptable when, as adults, they testify with regard to what they observed as minors. A person's words is accepted when, as an adult, he states: "This is the signature of my father....", "This is the signature of my teacher...", "This is the signature of my brother which I learned to recognize when I was a minor." The above applies, provided he is joined by another person who learned to recognize these signatures while an adult.
👨👦 Relatives May Identify
A relative may identify the signature of his relative for document validation purposes. For example, Reuven's son and Shimon's son can each identify their father's signature — treated as two independent acceptable witnesses. Adults may also testify about signatures they recognized as minors, if joined by another who recognized them as an adult.
When there is a legal document on which Reuven and Shimon signed as witnesses and two others came and testified to the authenticity of the signatures of both Reuven and Shimon, the legal document is validated. If, however, one testified to the authenticity of Reuven's signature and the other testified to the authenticity of Shimon's signature, the document is not validated. The rationale is that two witnesses must testify with regard to both witnesses' signature. If there is a third witness who testifies with regard to the authenticity of both Reuven's and Shimon's signature, the document is validated.
When one witness says: "This is my signature," and he and another witness testify with regard to the signature of the other witness, the document is not validated, for three fourths of the money mentioned in the legal document is dependent on the testimony of one person. Similarly, if the son or the brother of the first witness testifies with another person with regard to the signature of the second witness, the document is not validated, because three fourths of the money is dependent on the testimony of relatives.
When two witnesses sign a legal document and one of them dies, it is necessary that two witnesses testify with regard to the authenticity of the witness who died. If there is only one other witness who recognizes his signature in addition to the witness who is alive, the latter should write his signature, even on a shard, in the presence of two witnesses and send it to the court so that his signature will be validated. In that instance, it is not necessary for him to declare that it is his signature. Accordingly, he and another person can testify with regard to the signature of the deceased person so that his signature will be validated even though he is not present.
✌️ Two Per Signature
Two witnesses are required for each signatory's signature, not one per witness. If one person identifies Reuven's signature and another identifies Shimon's, the document is not validated — each signature needs two verifiers. A third witness who can identify both suffices.
The following principles apply if three judges sit together to validate the authenticity of a legal document, two of them recognize the signatures of the witnesses and one of them does not. Before the judges sign the validation, the two witnesses who recognize the signatures may deliver testimony before the third judge. Then they may sign the validation, for witnesses may serve as judges in a matter that is a Rabbinic ordinance, as we explained. If the two witnesses who recognize the signatures sign the validation before testifying, they may not testify in the presence of the third judge and have him sign. For at the time they signed, only those two recognized the signature of the witnesses. A legal document may be validated only when all three judges recognize the signatures or witnesses deliver testimony on the signatures before each one of them.
The following law applies when the two witnesses who signed on a legal document died and two others came and testified, saying: "This is their signature, but they signed under duress," "...they were minors," or "...they were unacceptable as witnesses." Even though there were other witnesses who testify with regard to their signatures or their signatures could be recognized from another legal document concerning which a protest was raised and afterwards, it was validated by the court, the legal document is not validated. Instead, the two witnesses who signed the document are balanced against the two who testified that they were unacceptable as witnesses, and the legal document may not be used to expropriate money.
⚔️ Competing Testimony
When two challengers say the document signatories were 'unfit' and other evidence supports the signatures, the two sets of witnesses are balanced against each other and the document cannot be used. A validation cannot proceed when one of three judges did not hear the testimony before signing.
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🎓 Key Principles
Chapter 7
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Family Testimony on Signatures Is Valid Though relatives cannot testify for each other in ordinary matters, each child identifying only their own parent's signature is not testifying 'for' a relative — they are independent facts about two different people. This is treated as two valid witnesses.
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Two Witnesses for Each Signatory Validating a document requires two witnesses to verify each signer's handwriting. Splitting the testimony — one person per signature — leaves three-fourths of the document's enforceability dependent on single witnesses, which is invalid.
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Childhood Memories Are Valid if Corroborated A person may testify as an adult about signatures he recognized as a child — provided another adult who recognizes the signature currently joins him. Memory from childhood, when corroborated, is legally valid.
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Competing Witnesses Cancel Each Other When two witnesses challenge document signatories and no independent verification exists, the challenge and the document signatures balance each other out — the document cannot be enforced.