Mishnayos Horayos Perek 2 Mishnah 3
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הוריות פרק ב׳ משנה ג׳
The court is liable only for absence of awareness of the matter, leading to an erroneous ruling, together with unwitting performance of the action by the general public on the basis of that ruling. And likewise, the anointed priest is liable only for an erroneous ruling and his unwitting performance of an action on the basis of that ruling. And the court and the priest are liable for a ruling with regard to idol worship only for absence of awareness of the matter, leading to an erroneous ruling, together with unwitting performance of the action on the basis of that ruling. The court is not liable to bring an offering for absence of awareness of the matter unless they issue a ruling with regard to a matter for whose intentional violation one is liable to receive karet and for whose unwitting violation one is liable to bring a sin-offering. And likewise the anointed priest is liable only for such a ruling. Neither is the court liable to bring a sin-offering for idol worship unless the judges issue a ruling with regard to a matter for whose intentional violation one is liable to receive karet, and for whose unwitting violation one is liable to bring a sin-offering.
אֵין חַיָּבִין אֶלָּא עַל הֶעְלֵם דָּבָר עִם שִׁגְגַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה, וְכֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וְלֹא בַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אֵין חַיָּבִין אֶלָּא עַל הֶעְלֵם דָּבָר עִם שִׁגְגַת הַמַּעֲשֶׂה. אֵין בֵּית דִּין חַיָּבִין עַד שֶׁיּוֹרוּ בְדָבָר שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹ כָרֵת וְשִׁגְגָתוֹ חַטָּאת. וְכֵן הַמָּשִׁיחַ. וְלֹא בַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, עַד שֶׁיּוֹרוּ עַל דָּבָר שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹ כָרֵת וְשִׁגְגָתוֹ חַטָּאת:
Bartenura
אין חייבין אלא על העלם דבר. בית דין שהורו לצבור על אחת מכל המצות, אין חייבין להביא פר העלם דבר של צבור אלא על העלם דבר ששגגו בהוראה ונעלם מהן הדין:
עם שגגת מעשה. ושגגו רוב הצבור ועשו מעשה על פיהם. דכתיב ישגו ונעלם דבר, שגגת מעשה ונעלם דבר:
וכן המשיח. וכן כהן גדול המשוח בשמן המשחה אינו חייב קרבן עד שיעלם ממנו הדין ויעשה הוא עצמו מעשה בשוגג על פי הוראה שחשב, דכתיב (ויקרא ד׳:ג׳) לאשמת העם, מלמד שהמשיח כעם:
ובעבודה זרה אין חייבין. (ובעבודה זרה) שבית דין ששגגו בהוראה בעבודה זרה חייבין פר ושעיר:
אין חייבין אלא על העלם יבר עם שגגת מעשה. כשאר כל המצות. דילפינן עבודה זרה משאר מצות מגזירה שוה דמעיני מעיני, כדכתבינן לעיל:
אין חייבין אלא על דבר שזדונו כרת ועל שגגתו חטאת. שכל הכריתות שבתורה הן ל״ו, ועל כולן חייבין על שגגתן חטאת, חוץ מחמשה שבהן שאין חייבין על שגגתן חטאת, והן מילה וקרבן פסח, לפי שהן מצות עשה, אע״פ שיש על זדונן כרת אין חייבין על שגגתן חטאת, דבחטאת כתיב (ויקרא ד׳:י״ג) אחת מכל מצות ה׳ אשר לא תעשינה. ומגדף, מפני שאין בו מעשה, והכתוב אומר בחטאת, לעושה בשגגה, יצא מגדף שאין בו מעשה. וטומאת מקדש וקדשיו אין חייבין על שגגתן אלא קרבן עולה ויורד האמור בויקרא. וכל הנך אין בית דין מביאין חטאת על שגגתן, ולא המשיח. נמצאו כל המצות שבית דין וכהן המשיח מביאין עליהן קרבן, שלשים ואחת מצות שחייבין על זדונן כרת ועל שגגתן חטאת קבועה:
.The [court] is not obligated [to bring a sacrifice] except where ignorance of the law – A beit din that ruled for the community on one of all the commandments does not need to bring a bull for a communal error-in-judgment (para ha’elem davar) sacrifice for the community but only for the ignorance of the matter in which it ruled in error and because they did not realize that they were transgressing.
Was accompanied by an unwitting action – The majority of the community erred and acted according to their ruling, as it is written, “they erred and the thing was hidden,” an act in error and the matter was hidden.
So it is with the anointed priest – The high priest that was anointed with the anointing oil is not obligated to bring a sacrifice unless he forgets the law and he acts and rules in error, as it is written (Leviticus 4), “to bring guilt on the people,” which comes to teach that the anointed priest is like the people.
Nor [is obligation incurred] in the case of idolatry – The beit din issued a mistaken ruling regarding idol worship and they are obligated to bring a bull and a goat.
Nor [is obligation incurred] in the case of idolatry unless ignorance of the law was accompanied by an unwitting action – Like all the other commandments. We learn about idol worship from the other commandments from a g’zeira shava (“equivalent form”) of “eyes” and “eyes”, as written above.
The court is not obligated unless they ruled concerning a prohibition the punishment for which is karet, if it was transgressed intentionally, and a sin offering if transgressed unwittingly – There are 36 commandments in the Torah for which the punishment is “karet” and for each one a sin offering is required if the commandment was transgressed unwittingly, except for five that do not require a sin offering if transgressed in error: brit mila and the Passover sacrifice, since they are positive commandments. Even though wilfully transgressing them has a punishment of “karet” no sin offering is required if they are transgressed in error, as it is written about a sin offering (Leviticus 4), “do any of the things which the LORD hath commanded not to be done.” And making an oath, because there is no action and the Torah says about a sin offering to transgress in error: if an oath was uttered there was no action. And impurity in the Temple and of its contents create no obligation if transgressed in error, but rather a sliding scale sacrifice (oleh ve’yored), as said in Leviticus. And a beit din does not have to bring a sin offering if these are transgressed in error and neither does a high priest. There are 31 commandments for which the punishment is wilful transgression is “karet” and for erroneous transgression is a sin-offering, for which a beit din and a high priest have to bring a sacrifice.