(Mishnah): To interrogate witnesses, we bring them into a room and threaten them. We send everyone outside, and we leave only the most important [witness]. We ask him 'how do you know that he owes him?'

If he says 'he told me "I owe him"', or 'Ploni told me that he owes him'it has no effect, until he says 'in front of us, he admitted to him that he owes him 200.'

(Gemara - R. Yosi citing R. Yochanan): If he [admitted, and] intended to give over testimony (that the witness will be able to testify), the testimony stands.

(Tosefta): How do we judge? The judges sit, and the litigants stand, and the claimant begins his words first, for it says "Mi Ba'al Devarim Yigash Aleihem."

Question: What is the source that ha'Motzi me'Chavero Alav ha'Re'ayah (to collect, one must bring a proof)?

Answer (R. Krispa citing R. Chananyah ben Gamliel): "Yigash Aleihem" - he will present his proofs.

Question (R. Yochanan): A Yevamah [and her Yavam] - who pursues who [goes to the place of the other]?

Answer (R. Lazar): It says "v'Alsah Yevimto ha'Sha'arah" (she pursues him).

R. Yochanan: R. Lazar taught us well!

(R. Berachiyah and R. Chelbo citing R. Ba citing R. Yanai): The claimant claims, the defendant answers, and the judge [listens and] decides.

(R. Simon): The judge must repeat their claims, for it says [when Shlomo judged the women arguing about whose baby died] "this one says my son is alive and your son died, and..."

When Rav Huna saw that the witness said exactly the same, he would investigate (if they conspired to say the same lie), and when he saw that this one says so and this one says so (similarly, but in different words), he considered the testimony to match. (Alei Tamar - the Gra derives this from the coming Mishnah "if their testimony was found to match." It must not match by itself!)

Rav Huna would disgrace a judge who said "do you accept on yourselves one witness?" Rather, [the litigants] will say (what proof they demand).

When Rav Huna knew that one person should win the case, but the person did not know [to claim properly], he would open for (help) him, based on "Pesach Picha l'Ilem." (Chomas Yerushalayim, based on Rambam 21:11).

(R. Avahu citing R. Yochanan): One who hides witnesses in back of the fence [to hear an admission], it has no effect. (The one who admitted can say that he was jesting, since he did not see witnesses.)

This is like the case of a man who wanted to eat at a meal that his friend was making. [The host] said "give to me what you owe me!" The man said yes (I will give);

After they rose from eating, he said "I do not owe you anything." [The host] said "I have witnesses [that you admitted]!" He said "I said [that I owe you] only lest [my denial] hinder [the Simchah of] your meal."

They came in front of R. Ami. He said "this is like R. Yochanan said - one who hides witnesses in back of the fence, it has no effect."