שמעון בן שטח

(9) Shimon ben Shatach says, "Examine the witnesses thoroughly, but be careful with your words, lest from them they learn to lie."

Shimon ben Shetach made three "Takanot": That a man could use his wife's Ketuba in business, and that children should go to school, and the rules for glass utensils/tools

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(8) For every plague—which may the community never be visited with! —an alarm is to be sounded, except for a superabundance of rain. It happened once, that they said to Choni Hama'gal, "Pray for us, that rain may fall." He told them, "Go and bring in the Passover ovens, that they may not be spoiled by the rain." He prayed, and the rain did not descend. What did he then? He marked out a circle, and placing himself within it, thus prayed, "Creator of the world! thy children have looked up to me as being peculiarly favoured by thee; I swear, by thy Great Name, that I will not move from this place until thou wilt have compassion on thy children." The rain began to drop down [gently]. He said, "It was not for this that I petitioned, but for rain [sufficient to fill] wells, cisterns, and caves." The rain then fell in violent torrents; when he said, "Not for such rains did I petition, but for mild, felicitous, and liberal showers." The rain then fell in the usual manner, until the Israelites of Jerusalem were obliged to go from the city to the Temple mountain, on account of the rain. They came and said to him, "Even as thou didst pray that the rains might come down, thus pray now that they may cease." He said to them, "Go and see whether the stone ‏טועים‎ is covered by the waters." Simeon, son of Shatach sent him word, "If thou wert not Honee, I would order thee to be anathematised; but what shall I do to thee? since thou sinnest against God, and yet he forgives and indulges thee like a favoured child, who sins against his father, and is yet forgiven and indulged. To thee may be applied the text, 'Thy father and mother shall rejoice, and they who begot thee shall be glad.' (Prov. 23:25)"

The student asked the angel, "until when will this man be condemned in Judgement?" He (the angel) said to him: Until Shimon Ben Shetach dies and someone replaces him (as Nasi of the Sanhedrin).

"Why?" the student asked. The angel answered, "because the Jewish witches are still living in Ashkelon and he has not yet placed judgement upon them."

The student went and told Shimon ben Shetach. What did Shimon do? He gathered together 80 young and studious men on a day when it was raining, and they were each given a jar with a dry cloak/tallit in it. He instructed them to keep their cloaks/tallit dry and to ensure that they were not seen by the witches until the appointed signal.

He left the young men outside the cave, and approached the witches' residence. "Who are you," they asked. Shimon answered, "I am a magician, and I came to see you magical works."

"What magic can you do," the witches inquired.

"I can make 80 young men appear in dry cloaks, even thought it is a rainy day."

"Show us!" The witches demanded.

Shimon went outside and signaled to the young men to take out the cloaks and cover themselves in them, and they entered and lifted the witches off the ground (to prevent them from doing sorcery, which can only be done while on the ground) and they hung them all.

Some

Relatives of those witches who were angered by this came forward with false testimony accusing Shimon ben Shetach’s son of a capital crime. Upon being convicted and led to his death the witnesses recanted their testimony. Shimon desired a new trial for his son, but the son insisted that the punishment be carried out, as we learned, if a witness recounts their testimony, we do not believe them.