Study Shabbat folio 69A with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
״וכי תשגו ולא תעשו את כל המצות האלה״, וכתיב: ״והנפש אשר תעשה ביד רמה״. הוקשו כולם לעבודה זרה: מה להלן דבר שחייבים על זדונו כרת ושגגתו חטאת, אף כל דבר שחייבין על זדונו כרת ועל שגגתו חטאת.
“And if you err, and do not perform all these commandments that God spoke to Moses” (Numbers 15:22). The rabbis understood this verse as referring specifically to the laws of idolatry. And it is written: “And the person who acts with a high hand, he blasphemes God and that soul should be cut off from the midst of his people” (Numbers 15:30), from which we learn that all the mitzvot are derived from this juxtaposition to idolatry. Just as there, with regard to idolatry, the reference is to a matter which, for its intentional violation, one is liable to be punished with karet, as it is stated: “And that soul should be cut off,” and for its unwitting violation one is liable to bring a sin-offering; so too, any matter that for its intentional violation one is liable to be punished with karet, for its unwitting violation one is liable to bring a sin-offering.
ואלא מונבז, שגגה במאי? כגון ששגג בקרבן. ורבנן: שגגת קרבן לא שמה שגגה.
The Talmud asks: However, according to Munbaz, who holds that included in the category of an unwitting sinner is one who at the time of action was aware that it was prohibited; if he were fully aware, in what sense was his action unwitting? The Talmud answers: It is referring to a case where he was unwitting with regard to the sacrifice. He was aware that he was committing a transgression for which one is liable to be punished with karet when performed intentionally; however, he was unaware that he would be liable to bring a sin-offering if he performed the transgression unwittingly. Since he was not aware of all punishments and forms of atonement associated with that transgression, he is considered an unwitting sinner and is liable to bring a sin-offering. The Talmud asks: And what do the Rabbis who disagree with Munbaz hold? They hold: Unwitting with regard to a sacrifice is not considered unwitting.