הלכות תלמוד תורה ז׳Torah Study 7

Halacha 1א׳

חָכָם זָקֵן בְּחָכְמָה וְכֵן נָשִׂיא אוֹ אַב בֵּית דִּין שֶׁסָּרַח אֵין מְנַדִּין אוֹתוֹ בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא לְעוֹלָם. אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן עָשָׂה כְּיָרָבְעָם בֶּן נְבָט וַחֲבֵרָיו. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁחָטָא שְׁאָר חַטָּאוֹת מַלְקִין אוֹתוֹ בְּצִנְעָה. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (הושע ד ה) "וְכָשַׁלְתָּ הַיּוֹם וְכָשַׁל גַּם נָבִיא עִמְּךָ לָיְלָה" אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁכָּשַׁל כַּסֵּהוּ כְּלַיְלָה. וְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ הִכָּבֵד וְשֵׁב בְּבֵיתְךָ. וְכֵן כָּל תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁנִּתְחַיֵּב נִדּוּי אָסוּר לְבֵית דִּין לִקְפֹּץ וּלְנַדּוֹתוֹ בִּמְהֵרָה אֶלָּא בּוֹרְחִין מִדָּבָר זֶה וְנִשְׁמָטִין מִמֶּנּוּ. וַחֲסִידֵי הַחֲכָמִים הָיוּ מִשְׁתַּבְּחִים שֶׁלֹּא נִמְנוּ מֵעוֹלָם לְנַדּוֹת תַּלְמִיד חָכָם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנִּמְנִין לְהַלְקוֹתוֹ אִם נִתְחַיֵּב מַלְקוֹת. וַאֲפִלּוּ מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת נִמְנִין עָלָיו לְהַכּוֹתוֹ:

If a sage grown old in wisdom, a Nasi, or Ab-beth-Din, committed a grave offence, he is, under no circumstances, to be publicly excommunicated, unless he acted like Jeroboam, the son of Nebat and his confederates. But if he committed other sins less heinous, he is punished with stripes privately, as it is said "Therefore shalt thou stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with thee in the night" (Hosea 4:5); this means that even if he stumbled, conceal it as in the darkness of the night. And we also say to him "Save your self-respect and stay at home" (II Kings 14:6). So too, if any scholar rendered himself liable to excommunication, the Court is forbidden to act precipitately and hastily put him under the ban. The members of the Court should flee from such a procedure, and take no part in it. The saints among the sages gloried in the fact that they never sat in a quorum of judges, to excommunicate a scholar, though they might sit as judges in a court that sentenced a scholar to be punished with stripes, if he had incurred that penalty, and even if the sentence was for contumacy.

Halacha 2ב׳

וְכֵיצַד הוּא הַנִּדּוּי, אוֹמֵר פְּלוֹנִי יְהֵא בְּשַׁמָּתָא. וְאִם נִדּוּהוּ בְּפָנָיו אוֹמֵר לוֹ פְּלוֹנִי זֶה בְּשַׁמָּתָא. וְהַחֵרֶם, אוֹמֵר לוֹ פְּלוֹנִי מֻחְרָם. וְאָרוּר בּוֹ אָלָה בּוֹ שְׁבוּעָה בּוֹ נִדּוּי:

What is the form used for Niddui (the lighter ban of excommunication)? (The authority who excommunicates) says "So-and-so (naming him) shall be under a ban". If the excommunication took place in the offender's presence, he says to him "This person, (naming him) is under a ban. For Cherem (the severer excommunication), he says to him "So-and-so (naming him) is under Cherem and accursed; he is under an imprecation with Oath and Ban".

Halacha 3ג׳

וְכֵיצַד מַתִּירִין הַנִּדּוּי אוֹ הַחֵרֶם. אוֹמֵר לוֹ שָׁרוּי לְךָ וּמָחוּל לְךָ. וְאִם הִתִּירוּהוּ שֶׁלֹּא בְּפָנָיו אוֹמֵר לוֹ פְּלוֹנִי שָׁרוּי לוֹ וּמָחוּל לוֹ:

How is the lighter or severer excommunication removed ? The authority says to the person excommunicated "Thou art released; thou art forgiven". If the person is released in his absence, the formula is "So-and-so (naming him) is released and forgiven".