Study Keritot folio 3B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
אלא באומר מותר, דעד כאן לא קבעי מיניה רבא מרב נחמן אלא אי חדא מחייב אי תרתי מחייב, אבל מיפטר לגמרי לא בעא מיניה.
Rather, it is referring to a case where one says to himself that this is permitted. He is under the impression that idol worship is permitted, and his unwitting act was the result of ignorance, not forgetfulness. As, Rava raised a dilemma before Rav Naḥman with regard to Shabbat only so it could be determined whether to deem one who is unaware of both the essence of Shabbat and the specific prohibited labors liable to bring one sin offering, or whether to deem him liable to bring two sin offerings. But as for the possibility to exempt him completely, he did not raise such a dilemma before him.
רב פפא אמר: משכחת לה בתינוק שנשבה לבין הגוים, דידע דאסירא עבודה זרה, והני עבודה זרה לא ידע דאסירן.
Rav Pappa says: You find an act performed unwittingly with regard to idol worship in the case of a child who was taken captive among the non-Jews and never taught about the Torah, as he knows that idol worship in general is prohibited, but with regard to these particular objects of idol worship that he is worshipping, he does not know that they are prohibited.
ואי בעית אימא: אפילו תימא בגדול – כגון דקא טעי בהדין קרא: ״לא תעשון אתי אלהי כסף ואלהי זהב וגו׳״ סבר: כי אסירא השתחואה לעבודה זרה דכסף וזהב, אבל דמיני אחריני שריא, דהיינו שגגת עבודה זרה וזדון עבודות.
And if you wish, say instead: You may even say this ruling is stated with regard to an adult, i.e., one who was not captured by non-Jews as a child, and it is speaking of a case where he erred with regard to this verse: “You should not make with Me gods of silver and gods of gold, you should not make for yourselves” (Exodus 20:20). This person thinks that when bowing to an idol is prohibited it applies only to an object of idol worship fashioned of silver or gold; but with regard to objects fashioned of other substances, such as wood or stone, it is permitted. And that is a case of an action that is unwitting with regard to idol worship but intentional with regard to the prohibited rites.