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Text Excerpt
היו שניהם כהנים וכו׳. תנו רבנן: הכה זה וחזר והכה זה, קלל זה וחזר וקלל זה, קלל שניהם בבת אחת, הכה שניהם בבת אחת — חייב. רבי יהודה אומר: בבת אחת — חייב, בזה אחר זה — פטור.
§ It is stated in the Mishnah that if both uncertain fathers were priests, the son is exempt from punishment for striking and for cursing them. A baraita states: If he struck this uncertain father, and then struck that one, or if he cursed this one and then cursed that one, or if he cursed both of them simultaneously or struck both of them simultaneously, in all these cases he is liable to receive capital punishment, as one of them is certainly his father. R' Yehuda says: Although if he struck or cursed both of them simultaneously he is liable, if he struck or cursed them one after the other, he is exempt.
והתניא, רבי יהודה אומר: פטור בבת אחת! תרי תנאי אליבא דרבי יהודה.
The Talmud asks: But isn’t it taught in a baraita that R' Yehuda says: He is exempt even if he struck or cursed them simultaneously? The Talmud answers: These are the opinions of two tanna’im, and they each expressed their opinion in accordance with that of R' Yehuda.
מאי טעמא דמאן דפטר? אמר רבי חנינא: נאמרה ברכה למטה, ונאמרה ברכה למעלה. מה למעלה שאין בה שותפות — אף למטה שאין בה שותפות. ואיתקש הכאה לקללה.
The Talmud asks: What is the reasoning of the one who exempts the son from punishment? R' Ḥanina said: Blessing is stated below (Leviticus 20:9), with regard to cursing parents, and blessing is stated above (Exodus 22:27), with regard to cursing God. The rabbis used the word blessing as a euphemism for cursing, as it was their custom to avoid uncouth language. Just as the statement above, in Exodus, is referring to a curse that does not involve partnership, as God is One, so too the statement below, in Leviticus, is referring exclusively to a curse of a parent that does not involve partnership, i.e., when there is no doubt with regard to his identity. And striking is juxtaposed with cursing. Just as one is not liable for cursing when it is unclear who his father is, the same applies to striking.