Wenn Beth-Din regierte und einer von ihnen wusste, dass sie sich geirrt hatten, und er zu ihnen sagte: "Sie irren sich", oder wenn der Mufla von Beth-Din [der oberste Richter, der Rosh Yeshiva] nicht da war oder wenn Einer von ihnen war ein Proselyte oder ein Mamzer (ein Bastard) oder ein Nathin (nämlich Joshua 9:27) oder ein alter Mann, der keine Kinder gesehen hatte [(und der überhaupt nicht in der Lage ist, Kapitalfälle zu beurteilen) Wahrscheinlichkeit ist ein Fremder des Mitgefühls)], sie sind befreit (von einem Opfer), es wird hier "Gemeinde" geschrieben, nämlich. (3. Mose 4:13): "Und wenn sich die ganze Gemeinde Israels (der Sanhedrin) irrt" und anderswo "Gemeinde", nämlich. (Numeri 35:24): "Dann wird die Gemeinde richten." Genau wie bei der dort geschriebenen "Gemeinde" müssen alle regierungsfähig sein, nämlich. (Ebd. 11:16): "Und sie (die Richter) werden dort mit dir (Moses) stehen" ("mit dir" :)—sie müssen wie Sie sein), ausgenommen ein Proselyte, ein Nathin und ein Mamzer, die nicht geeignet sind, zum Sanhedrin ernannt zu werden], auch hier müssen alle regierungsfähig sein. Wenn Beth-Din unabsichtlich regierte und die ganze Gemeinde unabsichtlich übertrat, brachten sie einen Ochsen. Wenn absichtlich (dh wenn Beth-Din wusste, dass es verboten ist) und sie (das Volk) unabsichtlich übertreten, bringen sie (das Volk) eine Lammfrau und eine Ziege mit. Wenn (Beth-Din regierte) unabsichtlich und sie (das Volk) witzig übertreten, sind beide davon ausgenommen: Beth-Din, weil das Volk aufgrund seiner Entscheidung nicht übertreten hat, sich nicht auf Beth-Din verlassen hat und weiß, dass sie sich geirrt haben; und die Leute, die übertreten haben, sind befreit, weil sie witzig sind, und alle, die witzig sind, unterliegen keinem Opfer.]
Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
.And one of them knew that they had erred, etc. – As it is written (Leviticus 4) “And if the whole congregation of Israel shall err, until they will all agree that they acted in error.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
Introduction
This mishnah really contains two totally separate mishnayoth. We will therefore explain each separately.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
Mufla of the beit din – the most important/knowledgeable, the head of a yeshiva.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
This mishnah teaches three principles. First of all, if even one judge on the court knew that the court had erred in its ruling and told the rest of the court so, and yet his advice was overrode, the court is not liable to bring an offering if people transgress by obeying their ruling. For the special law of the erring court to be in effect, the entire court must err. If the mufla was absent when the errant decision was made, the court is not liable. The mufla was evidently the person who sat on the court and had many, many halakhot memorized. He was like a human archive who could recite orally from the tradition. His absence would have impeded the court’s ability to make the correct decision, and therefore they are not liable. The third rule is that all of the members of the court must be “fit” to issue rulings. Our mishnah lists several categories of people who are not fit for this type of court. Converts, netinim (Temple slaves) and mamzerim (children born of illicit marriages) cannot act as judges in capital cases (see Sanhedrin 4:2). The innovation of our mishnah is that an elder who does not have children can also not act as a judge. This is because we are concerned that he will not have pity on others when it comes to adjudicating capital cases. In other words having children makes a person more compassionate. Personally, I can say that when my first child was born I began to look at other human beings differently; everybody is somebody’s child. Having children can certainly increase a person’s sense of the suffering of others. [I don’t mean to say that one who doesn’t have children is necessarily not sympathetic to others suffering. When the mishnah sets qualities for judges it bases itself on the most likely norm and not on the range of possibilities for human characteristics]. This third rule is learned through a midrashic technique called a gezerah shavah, which is a linguistic comparison. The word “congregation” (edah) is mentioned here in Lev 4 and in Num 35, which discusses capital cases brought before a court. From those verses the rabbis learn that capital cases are tried before a court of 23 (see Sanhedrin 1:6). Just as in capital cases, if there are not 23 qualified judges, the judgment is invalid, so too here, in order for the law that requires an offering for an unwitting errant ruling to be applicable, there must be only qualified judges.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
An elder who did not have children – He is not fit to judge in capital cases because he is cruel and will not be compassionate.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
If the court ruled and one of them knew that they had erred and said to the others, “You are making a mistake”, or if the mufla of the court was not there, or if one of them was a proselyte or a mamzer or a nathin or an elder who did not have children, they are exempt, for it says here (Lev 4:13) “congregation” and it says later on (Num 35:24) “congregation”; just as the “congregation” further on must be fit to issue rulings, so too the “congregation” mentioned here must be fit to issue rulings If the court issued a [wrong] decision unwittingly and all the people acted unwittingly, they bring a bull. This first section is the classic case in which the court must bring the bull as a sin-offering (mentioned in Lev 4:14).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
It says later on “congregation” – the congregation was judged.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
[If the court ruled wrong] intentionally and [the people] acted unwillingly, they bring a lamb or a goat. In this case the court intentionally made the wrong ruling. They therefore cannot bring the bull as a sin-offering because intentional sinners are not allowed to bring offerings to atone for their sins. Sin-offerings are an opportunity for atonement, and not a punishment. Only one who sinned accidentally is given this opportunity to atone through sacrifice. [Intentional sinners can possibly achieve atonement in other ways]. Since the court cannot bring an offering, the people are considered as individual unwitting sinners, and they bring the typical sacrifice for a person in such a category: a lamb or goat (Lev 4:28, 32).
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
Just as the “congregation” further on, etc. – As it is said that in the Sanhedrin (Numbers 11) “that they may stand there with you,” meaning like you, with a distinguished lineage like you. Except for a convert, a nateen (variously translated as “subject” and “Temple slave”) and a mamzer (child of an illicit marriage) who are not fit to judge in capital cases.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Horayot
[If the court ruled] unwittingly and [the people] acted willingly accordingly, they are exempt. If the court unwittingly ruled in error but the congregation knowingly sinned, the court does not bring the bull offering because the congregation did not act based on the court’s ruling. The congregation knew that the act was wrong, even though the court said it was permitted. Since they did not act upon the court’s ruling, the court is not held responsible for their transgressions. The congregation cannot bring an offering since they transgressed intentionally. As we learned in the previous section, intentional sinners cannot achieve atonement through sacrifice.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
Intentionally – The beit din knew that the matter was forbidden and is exempt from bringing a communal sacrifice because one who wilfully transgresses does not bring a sacrifice. Those who transgress in error bring a ewe or a female goat as an individual sin-offering.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Horayot
[If the court ruled] unwittingly and [the people] acted willingly accordingly, they are exempt – The beit din is exempt because they did not act, the people acted according to the ruling and not did not make their actions dependent on the beit din because they knew the beit din ruled wrongly. Everyone who acted is exempt because they acted willfully and those who sin wilfully do not bring a sacrifice.
