הלכות שגגות י״דOfferings for Unintentional Transgressions 14

Halacha 1א׳

בֵית דִּין שֶׁשָּׁגְגוּ וְהוֹרוּ לַעֲקֹר גּוּף מִגּוּפֵי תּוֹרָה וְעָשׂוּ כָּל הָעָם עַל פִּיהֶם בֵּית דִּין פְּטוּרִין וְכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד מִן הָעוֹשִׂים חַיָּב חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ד יג) "וְנֶעְלַם דָּבָר" וְלֹא כָּל הַגּוּף:

A court that erred and ruled so as to uproot a principle of the principles of the Torah, and all the people acted upon their word — the court is exempt, and each and every one of those who acted is liable to a fixed sin-offering, as it is said (Leviticus 4:13), "and a matter is hidden" — a matter, and not the whole principle.

Halacha 2ב׳

לְעוֹלָם אֵין בֵּית דִּין חַיָּבִין עַד שֶׁיּוֹרוּ לְבַטֵּל מִקְצָת וּלְקַיֵּם מִקְצָת בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁאֵינָן מְפֹרָשִׁין בַּתּוֹרָה וּמְבֹאָרִים וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִהְיוּ בֵּית דִּין חַיָּבִין בְּקָרְבָּן וְהָעוֹשִׂים עַל פִּיהֶם פְּטוּרִין. כֵּיצַד. שָׁגְגוּ וְהוֹרוּ שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. אוֹ שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְהוֹצִיא מֵרְשׁוּת לִרְשׁוּת בְּשַׁבָּת. אוֹ שֶׁמֻּתָּר לָבוֹא עַל שׁוֹמֶרֶת יוֹם כְּנֶגֶד יוֹם. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ כְּמִי שֶׁאָמְרוּ אֵין שַׁבָּת בַּתּוֹרָה אוֹ אֵין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בַּתּוֹרָה אוֹ אֵין נִדָּה בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁעָקְרוּ כָּל הַגּוּף וְאֵין זוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה שִׁגְגַת הוֹרָאָה אֶלָּא שִׁכְחָה. לְפִיכָךְ פְּטוּרִין מִן הַקָּרְבָּן וְכָל הָעוֹשֶׂה עַל פִּיהֶן חַיָּב חַטָּאת בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ. אֲבָל אִם טָעוּ וְהוֹרוּ וְאָמְרוּ הַמּוֹצִיא מֵרְשׁוּת לִרְשׁוּת הוּא שֶׁחָיַּב שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות טז כט) "אַל יֵצֵא אִישׁ מִמְּקֹמוֹ" אֲבָל הַזּוֹרֵק אוֹ הַמּוֹשִׁיט מֻתָּר. אוֹ שֶׁעָקְרוּ אָב מֵאֲבוֹת מְלָאכוֹת וְהוֹרוּ שֶׁאֵינָהּ מְלָאכָה. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חַיָּבִין. וְכֵן אִם טָעוּ וְאָמְרוּ הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה בְּפִשּׁוּט יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם הוּא הַחַיָּב שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ (שמות לד יד) "לֹא תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאֵל אַחֵר" אֲבָל הַכּוֹרֵעַ עַל הָאָרֶץ וְלֹא פָּשַׁט יָדָיו וְרַגְלָיו הֲרֵי הוּא מֻתָּר הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חַיָּבִין. וְכֵן אִם טָעוּ וְאָמְרוּ הַבָּא עַל שׁוֹמֶרֶת יוֹם כְּנֶגֶד יוֹם שֶׁרָאֲתָה דָּם בַּיּוֹם הוּא חַיָּב שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא טו כו) "כָּל יְמֵי זוֹבָהּ" אֲבָל רָאֲתָה בַּלַּיְלָה מֻתָּר לָבוֹא עָלֶיהָ. וְכֵן אִם הוֹרוּ וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁמִּי שֶׁפֵּרְשָׂה אִשְׁתּוֹ נִדָּה בִּשְׁעַת תַּשְׁמִישׁ מֻתָּר לִפְרשׁ מִמֶּנָּה כְּשֶׁהוּא מִתְקַשֶּׁה. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חַיָּבִין. וְכֵן אִם טָעוּ וְאָמְרוּ שֶׁהָאוֹכֵל דָּם שֶׁיָּצָא בִּשְׁעַת שְׁחִיטָה הוּא הַחַיָּב אֲבָל הָאוֹכֵל דַּם הַלֵּב מֻתָּר הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ חַיָּבִים. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בְּטָעֵיּוֹת אֵלּוּ אִם הוֹרוּ בָּהֶן וְעָשׂוּ רֹב הַקָּהָל עַל פִּיהֶן פְּטוּרִין וּבֵית דִּין מְבִיאִין קָרְבָּן עַל שִׁגְגָתָן:

The court is never liable unless they rule so as to annul part and uphold part in matters that are not set out and explained in the Torah; only then are the court liable to an offering and those who act upon their word exempt. How so? If they erred and ruled that it is permitted to bow down to an idol, or that it is permitted to carry from one domain to another on the Sabbath, or that it is permitted to have intercourse with a woman who observes a day for a day — these are as though they had said that there is no Sabbath in the Torah, or that there is no idolatry in the Torah, or that there is no menstruant in the Torah, for they have uprooted the whole principle; and this and the like are not an error in ruling but forgetfulness. Therefore they are exempt from the offering, and everyone who acts upon their word is liable to a sin-offering on his own account. But if they erred and ruled and said that only one who carries from one domain to another is liable, as it is said (Exodus 16:29), "let no man go out from his place," but one who throws or passes an object is permitted; or if they uprooted one of the primary categories of work and ruled that it is not work — these are liable. So too if they erred and said that only one who bows down to an idol by spreading out hands and feet is liable, as it is said of it (Exodus 34:14), "You shall not bow down to another god," but one who kneels upon the ground without spreading out his hands and feet is permitted — these are liable. So too if they erred and said that one who has intercourse with a woman who observes a day for a day is liable when she saw blood by day, as it is said (Leviticus 15:26), "all the days of her flow," but that if she saw at night it is permitted to have intercourse with her — these are liable. So too if they ruled and said that one whose wife told him at the time of intercourse that she is a menstruant is permitted to withdraw from her while he is still aroused — these are liable. So too if they erred and said that only one who eats blood that came out at the time of slaughtering is liable, but one who eats the blood of the heart is permitted — these are liable. And so in every like error: if they ruled in it and the majority of the assembly acted upon their word, those who acted are exempt, and the court brings an offering for their unintentional error.

Halacha 3ג׳

הוֹרוּ בֵּית דִּין שֶׁיָּצָא הַשַּׁבָּת לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְכַּסֵּית הַחַמָּה וְדִמּוּ שֶׁשָּׁקְעָה חַמָּה וְאַחַר כָּךְ זָרְחָה אֵין זוֹ הוֹרָאָה אֶלָּא טָעוּת וְכָל שֶׁעָשָׂה מְלָאכָה חַיָּב אֲבָל בֵּית דִּין פְּטוּרִין. וְכֵן אִם הִתִּירוּ בֵּית דִּין אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ לְהִנָּשֵׂא לְפִי שֶׁהֵעִידוּ בִּפְנֵיהֶם שֶׁמֵּת בַּעְלָהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ בָּא בַּעְלָהּ אֵין זוֹ הוֹרָאָה אֶלָּא טָעוּת וְהָאִשָּׁה וּבַעְלָהּ הָאַחֲרוֹן חַיָּבִין חַטָּאת עַל שִׁגְגָתָן. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:

If the court ruled that the Sabbath had gone out because the sun had been covered and they supposed that it had set, and afterwards it shone — this is no ruling but a mistake, and everyone who did work is liable, and the court is exempt. So too if the court permitted a married woman to marry because witnesses had testified before them that her husband had died, and afterwards her husband came — this is no ruling but a mistake, and the woman and her last husband are liable to a sin-offering for their unintentional transgression. And so in all like cases.