Ketubot

a plausible reason for her words she is believed. He learned it from him forty times, and still Samuel did not act accordingly with regard to himself. Our Rabbis taught: When two [witnesses] say [that the husband of the woman] has died, and two [witnesses] say [that] he has not died, or two [witnesses] say [that] she has been divorced, and two [witnesses] say [that] she has not been divorced, she shall not marry [again], but if she has married [again], she shall not go out. R. Menahem b. Jose says: She shall go out. R. Menahem b. Jose said: When do I say [that] she shall go out? — When witnesses  came and then she married, but if she married and then came witnesses,  she shall not go out. Now, they are two and two,  [and] he who has intercourse with her  is liable to a doubtful guilt-offering!  Said R. Shesheth: When she married one of her witnesses.  Then she herself should bring a doubtful guilt. offering! — When she says. 'I am sure'. R. Johanan said: When two [witnesses] say [that the husband of the woman] has died, and two [witnesses] say [that] he has not died, she shall not marry [again], but if she has married [again], she shall not go out. When two [witnesses] say [that] she has been divorced, and two [witnesses] say [that] she has not been divorced, she shall not marry [again]. and if she has married, she shall go out. What is the difference between the first case and the second case? — Abaye said: Explain it  [that it speaks] of one witness.  When one witness says [that] he has died, the Rabbis believe him as two [witnesses].  And [this is] according to 'Ulla, for 'Ulla said: Wherever the Torah makes one witness credible. [it is as if] there are two, whereas he who said that he has not died is one, and the words of one have no validity against two.  If so, [she should be allowed to marry again] from the beginning? — Because of that [saying] of R. Assi, for R. Assi said: 'Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee'.  In the second case [however] one witness says [that] she has been divorced, and one witness says [that] she has not been divorced, they [therefore] both testify to a married woman, and he who says [that] she has been divorced is one, and the words of one have no validity against two. Raba said: Indeed, they are two and two, and R. Johanan regards [as right] the words of R. Menahem b. Jose  in [the case of] divorce, but not in [the case of] death. Why? — In the case of death, she cannot contradict him,  [but] in the case of divorce, she can contradict him.  But would she be as impudent as all that?  Did not R. Hamnuna say: If a woman says to her husband, 'thou hast divorced me,' she is believed, [for] the presumption is [that] a woman is not insolent before her husband?  — This is the case only when there are no witnesses who support her; but when there are witnesses who support her, she is indeed insolent. R. Assi says: When the witnesses say, 'he has died just now, he has divorced her just now.' Death one cannot prove,  divorce one can prove, for we say to her, 'if it is so, shew us thy document of divorce'. Our Rabbis taught: If two [witnesses] say that she has been betrothed, and two [witnesses] say [that] she has not been betrothed, she shall not marry, and if she has married, she shall not go out. If two [witnesses] say [that] she has been divorced, and two [witnesses] say [that] she has not been divorced, she shall not marry, and if she has married, she shall go out.