הלכות שגגות

There are six individuals who are commanded to bring an adjustable guilt-offering. They are: one who becomes purified from tzara'at, a woman who gives birth, a person who takes an oath denying the knowledge of testimony whether intentionally or inadvertently, one who takes a false sh'vuat bitu'i inadvertently, an impure person who partook of consecrated food inadvertently and an impure person who entered the Temple inadvertently.

With regard to the sacrifice brought by a woman after childbirth: If she is wealthy, she brings a sheep in its first year of life as a burnt-offering and a young dove or a turtle dove for a sin-offering. If she does not have the means, her obligation for a sacrifice is reduced and she must bring merely two turtle doves or two young doves, one as a burnt-offering and one, as a sin-offering. Even if she has the means to bring a sheep, but does not have the means to bring its accompanying offerings, she should bring the offering of a poor woman.

When a person afflicted by tazara'at becomes purified, he must bring three animals as sacrifices: two sheep, one, as a burnt-offering and one, as a guilt-offering, and a ewe, as a sin-offering. If he does not have the means, he must bring two turtle doves or two young doves, one, as a burnt-offering and one, as a sin-offering, and a sheep, as a guilt-offering.

One who takes a false sh'vuah concerning testimony, inadvertently takes a false sh'vuat habitu'i, or inadvertently enters the Temple or partakes of consecrated food while in a state of ritual impurity must bring a ewe or a she-goat, like other fixed sin-offerings. If he does not have the means, he must bring two turtle doves or two young doves, one, as a burnt-offering and one, as a sin-offering. If he does not have the means to purchase the fowl, he should bring a tenth of an ephah of flour. This is referred to as "the meal-offering of a sinner." The manner in which it is offered has been described in Hilchot Ma'aseh HaKorbanot.

All of these sacrifices are explicitly mentioned in the Torah and it is explicitly mentioned that these individuals are obligated to bring them with the exception of an impure person who inadvertently entered the Temple or partook of consecrated food. For it is written in Leviticus 5:1-5: "When a soul will sin and hear a voice of adjuration... or a soul that will touch any impure thing.... or a soul that will take an oath, explicitly stating it with his lips,... and one will be guilty with regard to one of these." According to the Oral Tradition, it was taught that the obligation for an impure person to bring a sacrifice refers to a person who became impure and then entered the Temple or partook of consecrated food without knowing of the prohibition. Although this interpretation was conveyed by the Oral tradition, it is as if it was stated explicitly, for the Torah explicitly obligated an impure person who partook of consecrated food or who entered the Temple for karet. With regard to an impure person who partakes of consecrated food, Leviticus 7:20 states: "And a soul that will partake of meat from a peace-offering brought to God while he is impure will be cut off." And with regard to one who entered the Temple, Numbers 19:20 states: "And the soul shall be cut off from the congregation, because he made the Sanctuary of God impure." Since the Torah obligated one who entered the Temple or partook of consecrated food while impure for karet, it is understood that here it stated the sacrifice that must be brought because of the inadvertent violation of these prohibitions.

Whenever a woman is obligated to bring a sacrifice, her husband is obligated to bring it on her behalf. If he is poor, he brings the offering of a poor person. If he is wealthy, he brings the sacrifice of a wealthy person on her behalf. A person may bring an offering of a poor person on behalf of his son, his daughter, his servant and his maid-servant and have them partake of the offerings.

A king and an anointed priest must bring the same sacrifices for a false oath regarding testimony, a false sh'vuat bitu'i, and for entering the Temple or partaking of sacrificial food while ritually impure as others. For the Torah did not distinguish between the sacrifices brought by a king or an anointed priest and ordinary individuals except with regard to those commandments for which one is obligated to bring a fixed sin-offering for their inadvertent transgression, as we explained. With regard to an adjustable guilt-offering, by contrast, all are equal.We already explained in Hilchot Sh'vuot, when one is liable for a sacrifice for a false oath concerning testimony and a false sh'vuat bitu'i and when one is exempt, in which instances he would be liable for many sacrifices according to the number of oaths he took and in which instances, he would be liable for only one sacrifice. In Hilchot Mechusrei Kaparah, I will explain in which instances a woman who gave birth and a person becoming purified from tzara'at will be liable for many sacrifices and in which instance, they will be liable for only one sacrifice.

With regard to all sins that one must bring a sacrifice whether he transgressed willfully or inadvertently, if a person violates them due to factors under duress, he is exempt from bringing a sacrifice. Needless to say, this applies with regard to other sins for which he is liable for a sin-offering only when he transgresses inadvertently. If he sins under duress, he is exempt.

When a person set aside money for a ewe for a sin-offering and then needed it for another purpose, he may bring a she-goat and transfer the holiness of the money to the she-goat and derive benefit from the money. Similarly, if he set aside money for a she-goat and purchased a ewe, he may derive benefit from the money.

When a person set aside money for an animal and then became poor, he should take two turtledoves or two young doves and transfer the holiness of the money to them. Then he may benefit from the remainder.If one set aside money for young doves or turtledoves and became poor, he should take an tenth of an ephah and transfer the holiness of the money to it. Then he may benefit from the money. Conversely, if he was poor and set aside money for a tenth of an ephah and became wealthier, he should add to that amount and bring a fowl. If he set aside money for a fowl and became wealthy, he should add to it and bring a ewe or a she-goat.Even if a person was fit to inherit money and the testator was on his deathbed, he is still considered as poor until the testator dies and he inherits his estate.

When a wealthy person set aside a ewe or a she-goat and it contracted a blemish and then he became poor, if he desires, he may bring a fowl with the proceeds of its sale. If, however, he set aside a fowl and it was disqualified, he may not bring a tenth of an ephah of meal with the proceeds of its sale. It may not be sold, since there is no concept of redeeming a fowl.

When a person set aside a tenth of an ephah and then became wealthy before the meal was consecrated by placing it in a sacred utensil, it is like all other meal offerings and may be redeemed and eaten. Once it has been consecrated in a sacred utensil, it cannot be redeemed. Instead, it should be left overnight and then taken to the place where sacrifices are burnt.

When a wealthy person set aside a pair of doves to be sold with the intent of using the proceeds of the sale as part of the funds for a ewe or a she-goat and then became poor, he may bring this pair of doves even though they were consecrated only for their worth and thus originally disqualified as sacrifices.Why are these doves not disqualified forever? Because when they were disqualified originally, they were not disqualified in an ultimate sense. For this pair of doves is now fit for sacrifice.When a poor person brings the sacrifice of a rich person, he fulfills his obligation. Conversely, when a rich person brings the sacrifice of a poor person, he does not fulfill his obligation.