הלכות שגגות י״גOfferings for Unintentional Transgressions 13

Halacha 1א׳

כֵּיצַד אִם חָסֵר אַחַת מִכָּל הַדְּרָכִים שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ יִפָּטְרוּ בֵּית דִּין וְיִתְחַיְּבוּ הָעוֹשִׂים. הֲרֵי שֶׁהוֹרוּ בֵּית דִּין שֶׁל אֶחָד מִן הַשְּׁבָטִים לָהֶם שֶׁחֵלֶב הַקֵּיבָה מֻתָּר וַאֲכָלוּהוּ אַנְשֵׁי מְקוֹמָם עַל פִּיהֶם אוֹתוֹ בֵּית דִּין פְּטוּרִין וְכָל מִי שֶׁאָכַל מֵבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה עַל שִׁגְגַתוֹ. וְכֵן אִם הוֹרוּ בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁדַּם הַלֵּב מֻתָּר וְלֹא הָיָה רֹאשׁ יְשִׁיבָה עִמָּהֶן אוֹ שֶׁהָיָה אֶחָד מֵהֶן אֵינוֹ רָאוּי לִהְיוֹת מְמֻנֶּה בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין כְּגוֹן שֶׁהָיָה גֵּר אוֹ מַמְזֵר אוֹ זָקֵן אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה בָּנִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן וְעָשׂוּ הָעָם עַל פִּיהֶם וְאָכְלוּ דַּם הַלֵּב הֲרֵי בֵּית דִּין פְּטוּרִין וְכָל מִי שֶׁאָכַל מֵבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה עַל שִׁגְגָתוֹ. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁאֵין הַכָּתוּב מְדַבֵּר אֶלָּא בְּבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ד יג) "וְאִם כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ" וְגוֹ'. וּמִנַּיִן שֶׁעַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֻּלָּן רְאוּיִין לְהוֹרָאָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו כד) "וְאִם מֵעֵינֵי הָעֵדָה" עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ לָהֶם כְּעֵינַיִם. וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (במדבר לה כד) "וְשָׁפְטוּ הָעֵדָה" מָה הָעֵדָה הָאֲמוּרָה בְּדִינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת כֻּלָּן רְאוּיִין לְהוֹרָאָה אַף עֵדָה הָאֲמוּרָה בִּשְׁגָגָה זוֹ עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כֻּלָּן רְאוּיִין לְהוֹרָאָה. וְכֵן אִם הוֹרוּ וְיָדַע אֶחָד מֵהֶן שֶׁטָּעוּ וְאָמַר לָהֶם טוֹעִים אַתֶּם וְרַבּוּ עָלָיו הַמַּתִּירִים וְהִתִּירוּ. הֲרֵי בֵּית דִּין פְּטוּרִין וְכָל מִי שֶׁעָשָׂה עַל פִּיהֶם חַיָּב לְהָבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה עַל שִׁגְגָתוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְאִם כָּל עֲדַת יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁגּוּ עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁגּוּ כָּל הַסַּנְהֶדְרִין. יָדַע אֶחָד מִן הַסַּנְהֶדְרִין אוֹ מִעוּטָן שֶׁטָּעוּ הַמַּתִּירִין וְשָׁתְקוּ הוֹאִיל וְהוֹרוּ וְלֹא הָיָה שָׁם חוֹלֵק וּפָשְׁטָה הַהוֹרָאָה בְּרֹב הַקָּהָל הֲרֵי בֵּית דִּין חַיָּבִין בְּקָרְבָּן וְכָל שֶׁעָשָׂה עַל פִּיהֶם פָּטוּר. וְאֵלּוּ שֶׁשָּׁתְקוּ אִם עָשׂוּ עַל פִּי אֵלּוּ שֶׁהוֹרוּ הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חַיָּבִין מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא תָּלוּ בְּבֵית דִּין. וְכֵן אִם נָשְׂאוּ וְנָתְנוּ בַּדָּבָר וְאָמְרוּ דָּבָר זֶה מֻתָּר הוּא וְלֹא הוֹרוּ לָעָם וְלֹא אָמְרוּ לָהֶם מֻתָּרִין אַתֶּם לַעֲשׂוֹת וְשָׁמַע הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ מֵהֶן בְּעֵת שֶׁגָּמְרוּ מֻתָּר וְהָלַךְ וְעָשָׂה כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁשָּׁמַע הֲרֵי כָּל הָעוֹשֶׂה חַיָּב חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה וּבֵית דִּין פְּטוּרִין שֶׁהֲרֵי לֹא הוֹרוּ לָהֶם בְּפֵרוּשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת. וְכֵן אִם הוֹרוּ וְעָשׂוּ מִעוּט הַקָּהָל עַל פִּיהֶם וְנוֹדְעָה הַשְּׁגָגָה. הֲרֵי בֵּית דִּין פְּטוּרִין וְאֵלּוּ הַמִּעוּט שֶׁעָשׂוּ חַיָּבִין וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מֵבִיא חַטָּאתוֹ:

How so — that if one of all the conditions we have explained is lacking, the court is exempt and those who acted are liable? If the court of one of the tribes ruled for its own people that the fat upon the stomach is permitted, and the people of their place ate it upon their word — that court is exempt, and everyone who ate brings a fixed sin-offering for his unintentional transgression. So too if the Great Court ruled that the blood of the heart is permitted, and the head of the academy was not with them; or one of them was unfit to be appointed to the Sanhedrin, as when he was a convert, or a mamzer, or an old man, or one who had never had children, and the like; and the people acted upon their word and ate the blood of the heart — the court is exempt, and everyone who ate brings a fixed sin-offering for his unintentional transgression. And from where do we know that Scripture speaks only of the Great Court? For it is said (Leviticus 4:13), "And if the whole congregation of Israel err, etc." And from where do we know that they must all be fit to rule? For it is said (Numbers 15:24), "and if it be without the eyes of the congregation" — until they are as eyes for them. And elsewhere it says (Numbers 35:24), "then the congregation shall judge": just as the congregation spoken of in capital cases must all be fit to rule, so the congregation spoken of in this unintentional transgression must all be fit to rule. So too if they ruled and one of them knew that they had erred and said to them, "You are erring," and those who permitted outnumbered him and permitted it — the court is exempt, and everyone who acted upon their word is obligated to bring a fixed sin-offering for his unintentional transgression, as it is said, "And if the whole congregation of Israel err": until the whole Sanhedrin errs. If one of the Sanhedrin, or a minority of them, knew that those who permitted had erred and they were silent — since they ruled and there was no dissenter there, and the ruling spread to the majority of the assembly, the court is liable to an offering and everyone who acted upon their word is exempt; and those who were silent, if they acted upon the word of those who ruled, are liable, since they did not rely upon the court. So too if they debated the matter and said, "This thing is permitted," but did not rule for the people and did not say to them, "You are permitted to do it," and one who heard from them at the time they concluded that it was permitted went and acted according to what he had heard — everyone who acted is liable to a fixed sin-offering and the court is exempt, since they did not rule for them explicitly to act. So too if they ruled and a minority of the assembly acted upon their word and the unintentional transgression became known — the court is exempt, and this minority who acted are liable, and each and every one brings his own sin-offering.

Halacha 2ב׳

וְהַסַּנְהֶדְרִין עַצְמָן שֶׁעָשׂוּ בְּהוֹרָאָתָן אֵינָן מִצְטָרְפִין לְרֹב הַקָּהָל. עַד שֶׁיִּהְיוּ הָרֹב שֶׁעָשׂוּ חוּץ מִן הַסַּנְהֶדְרִין. עָשׂוּ רֹב אַנְשֵׁי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל פִּיהֶם. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵלּוּ הָעוֹשִׂים שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד. וְכֵן אִם עָשׂוּ רֹב הַשְּׁבָטִים אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן מִעוּט הַקָּהָל. בֵּית דִּין חַיָּבִים וְהָעוֹשִׂין פְּטוּרִין. כֵּיצַד. הָיוּ יוֹשְׁבֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְאֶחָד. וְהָיוּ הָעוֹשִׂין בְּהוֹרָאַת בֵּית דִּין שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְאֶחָד וַהֲרֵי כֻּלָּן בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה בִּלְבַד. אוֹ שֶׁהָיוּ הָעוֹשִׂים בְּנֵי שִׁבְעָה שְׁבָטִים כֻּלָּן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶן מֵאָה אֶלֶף. הֲרֵי בֵּית דִּין חַיָּבִין וְכָל הָעוֹשִׂים עַל פִּיהֶם פְּטוּרִין. וְאֵין מַשְׁגִּיחִין עַל יוֹשְׁבֵי חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ שֶׁאֵין קָרוּי קָהָל אֶלָּא בְּנֵי אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְשֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם אֵינָן חֲשׁוּבִין כִּשְׁנֵי שְׁבָטִים לָעִנְיָן הַזֶּה אֶלָּא שְׁנֵיהֶם שֵׁבֶט אֶחָד:

And the Sanhedrin themselves, who acted upon their own ruling, do not join to make up the majority of the assembly; the majority who acted must be apart from the Sanhedrin. If the majority of the people of the Land of Israel acted upon their word, even though those who acted are one tribe; and so too if the majority of the tribes acted, even though they are a minority of the assembly — the court is liable and those who acted are exempt. How so? If the inhabitants of the Land of Israel were six hundred thousand and one, and those who acted upon the ruling of the court were three hundred thousand and one, and all of them were of the children of Judah alone; or if those who acted were of seven tribes in their entirety, even though they number a hundred thousand — the court is liable and all who acted upon their word are exempt. And no regard is had to those who dwell outside the Land, for none is called an assembly except the people of the Land of Israel. And the tribes of Manasseh and Ephraim are not counted as two tribes in this matter, but the two of them are one tribe.

Halacha 3ג׳

הָיוּ הָעוֹשִׂים מְרֻבִּין בִּשְׁעַת הַחֵטְא וּמוּעָטִין בִּשְׁעַת יְדִיעָה. אוֹ מוּעָטִין בִּשְׁעַת הַחֵטְא וּמְרֻבִּין בִּשְׁעַת יְדִיעָה. הַכּל הוֹלֵךְ אַחַר שְׁעַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה:

If those who acted were many at the time of the sin and few at the time of the knowledge, or few at the time of the sin and many at the time of the knowledge — everything follows the time of the act.