הלכות ממרים
8 halachot · Hebrew + English
מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹדֶה בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה אֵינוֹ זָקֵן מַמְרֵא הָאָמוּר בַּתּוֹרָה. אֶלָּא הֲרֵי זֶה בִּכְלַל הָאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹסִין [וּמִיתָתוֹ בְּכָל אָדָם]:
A person who does not acknowledge validity of the Oral Law is not the rebellious elder mentioned in the Torah. Instead, he is one of the heretics and he should be put to death by any person.
מֵאַחַר שֶׁנִּתְפַּרְסֵם שֶׁהוּא כּוֹפֵר בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה [מוֹרִידִין אוֹתוֹ] וְלֹא מַעֲלִין וַהֲרֵי הוּא כִּשְׁאָר כָּל הָאֶפִּיקוֹרוֹסִין וְהָאוֹמְרִין אֵין תּוֹרָה מִן הַשָּׁמַיִם וְהַמּוֹסְרִין וְהַמּוּמָרִין. שֶׁכָּל אֵלּוּ אֵינָם בִּכְלַל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לֹא לְעֵדִים וְלֹא הַתְרָאָה וְלֹא דַּיָּנִים [אֶלָּא כָּל הַהוֹרֵג אֶחָד מֵהֶן עָשָׂה מִצְוָה גְּדוֹלָה וְהֵסִיר הַמִּכְשׁוֹל]:
Since it has become known that such a person denies the Oral Law, he may be pushed into a pit and may not be helped out. He is like all the rest of the heretics who say that the Torah is not Divine in origin, those who inform on their fellow Jews, and the apostates. All of these are not considered as members of the Jewish people. There is no need for witnesses, a warning, or judges for them to be executed. Instead, whoever kills them performs a great mitzvah and removes an obstacle from people at large.
בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּאִישׁ שֶׁכָּפַר בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה בְּמַחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וּבִדְבָרִים שֶׁנִּרְאוּ לוֹ. וְהָלַךְ אַחַר דַּעְתּוֹ הַקַּלָּה וְאַחַר שְׁרִירוּת לִבּוֹ וְכוֹפֵר בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל פֶּה תְּחִלָּה כְּצָדוֹק וּבַיְתּוֹס וְכֵן כָּל הַתּוֹעִים אַחֲרָיו. אֲבָל בְּנֵי הַתּוֹעִים הָאֵלֶּה וּבְנֵי בְּנֵיהֶם שֶׁהִדִּיחוּ אוֹתָם אֲבוֹתָם וְנוֹלְדוּ בֵּין הַקָּרָאִים וְגִדְּלוּ אוֹתָם עַל דַּעְתָּם. הֲרֵי הוּא כְּתִינוֹק שֶׁנִּשְׁבָּה בֵּינֵיהֶם וְגִדְּלוּהוּ וְאֵינוֹ זָרִיז לֶאֱחֹז בְּדַרְכֵי הַמִּצְוֹת שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא כְּאָנוּס וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשָּׁמַע אַחַר כָּךְ [שֶׁהוּא יְהוּדִי וְרָאָה הַיְהוּדִים וְדָתָם הֲרֵי הוּא כְּאָנוּס שֶׁהֲרֵי גִּדְּלוּהוּ עַל טָעוּתָם] כָּךְ אֵלּוּ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ הָאוֹחֲזִים בְּדַרְכֵי אֲבוֹתָם הַקָּרָאִים שֶׁטָּעוּ. לְפִיכָךְ רָאוּי לְהַחְזִירָן בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּלְמָשְׁכָם בְּדִבְרֵי שָׁלוֹם עַד שֶׁיַּחְזְרוּ לְאֵיתָן הַתּוֹרָה:
To whom does the above apply? To a person who denied the Oral Law consciously, according to his perception of things. He follows after his frivolous thoughts and his capricious heart and denies the Oral Law first, as did Tzadok and Beitus and those who erred in following them. The children of these errant people and their grandchildren whose parents led them away and they were born among these Karaities and raised according to their conception, they are considered as a children captured and raised by them. Such a child may not be eager to follow the path of mitzvot, for it is as if he was compelled not to. Even if later, he hears that he is Jewish and saw Jews and their faith, he is still considered as one who was compelled against observance, for he was raised according to their mistaken path. This applies to those who we mentioned who follow the erroneous Karaite path of their ancestors. Therefore it is appropriate to motivate them to repent and draw them to the power of the Torah with words of peace.
אֲבָל זָקֵן מַמְרֵא הָאָמוּר בַּתּוֹרָה הוּא חָכָם אֶחָד מֵחַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדוֹ קַבָּלָה וְדָן וּמוֹרֶה בְּדִבְרֵי תּוֹרָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁיָּדוּנוּ וְיוֹרוּ כָּל חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. שֶׁבָּאת לוֹ מַחְלֹקֶת בְּדִין מִן הַדִּינִים עִם בֵּית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל וְלֹא חָזַר לְדִבְרֵיהֶם אֶלָּא חָלַק עֲלֵיהֶם וְהוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת שֶׁלֹּא כְּהוֹרָאָתָן. גָּזְרָה עָלָיו תּוֹרָה מִיתָה וּמִתְוַדֶּה וְיֵשׁ לוֹ חֵלֶק לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא דָּן וְהֵן דָּנִים הוּא קִבֵּל וְהֵם קִבְּלוּ הֲרֵי הַתּוֹרָה חָלְקָה לָהֶם כָּבוֹד. וְאִם רָצוּ בֵּית דִּין לִמְחל עַל כְּבוֹדָן וּלְהַנִּיחוֹ אֵינָן יְכוֹלִין כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַרְבּוּ מַחְלֹקֶת בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל:
However, the rebellious elder that is spoken of in the Torah is a wise man from the sages of Israel that has received the tradition, adjudicates and teaches Torah, just like the other sages adjudicate and teach. When he disputes any law of the laws with the large beit din, and does not rescind his words in favor of the decision of the beit din, rather he continues to argue against them and continues to teach and to act against their decision, the Torah has decreed upon him death. If he confesses, he has a place in the World to Come. Even though he is a judge and they are judges and he has received the tradition just as they have, the Torah has given them the measure of honor. If the beit din wanted to forego their honor and let him live, they may not, so that disputes will not be plentiful among the people Israel.
אֵין זָקֵן מַמְרֵא חַיָּב מִיתָה עַד שֶׁיְּהֵא חָכָם שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְהוֹרָאָה סָמוּךְ בַּסַּנְהֶדְרִין וְיַחְלֹק עַל בֵּית דִּין בְּדָבָר שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹ כָּרֵת וְשִׁגְגָתוֹ חַטָּאת אוֹ בִּתְפִלִּין וְיוֹרֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּהוֹרָאָתוֹ. אוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה הוּא עַל פִּי הוֹרָאָתוֹ וְיַחְלֹק עֲלֵיהֶן וְהֵן יוֹשְׁבִין בְּלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה תַּלְמִיד שֶׁלֹּא הִגִּיעַ לְהוֹרָאָה וְהוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת פָּטוּר. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ח) "כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט" מִי שֶׁלֹּא יִפָּלֵא מִמֶּנּוּ אֶלָּא דָּבָר מֻפְלָא:
A "rebellious elder" is not liable for execution unless he is a sage, erudite enough to issue halachic judgments who has received semichah from the Sanhedrin and who differs with that court with regard to a matter whose willful violation is punishable by kerait and whose inadvertent violation requires a sin offering or with regard to tefillin. He must direct others to act according to his ruling or act according to his ruling himself, and differ with the Sanhedrin while they hold session in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. When, by contrast, a student who has not attained a level of erudition that enables him to issue halachic rulings, but, nevertheless, issues a ruling, he is not liable. This is derived from Deuteronomy 17:8 which states: "If a matter of judgment exceeds your grasp...." Implied is that the passage concerns only a scholar who is unable to grasp something which is exceedingly difficult to comprehend.
הָיָה חָכָם מֻפְלָא שֶׁל בֵּית דִּין וְחָלַק וְשָׁנָה וְלִמֵּד לַאֲחֵרִים כִּדְבָרָיו אֲבָל לֹא הוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת פָּטוּר. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז יב) "וְהָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה בְזָדוֹן" לֹא שֶׁיֹּאמַר בְּזָדוֹן אֶלָּא יוֹרֶה לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹ יַעֲשֶׂה הוּא בְּעַצְמוֹ:
If there were an outstanding sage, on of the court that disagreed and repeated his own position and taught it to others, but did not teach them to do as he says, he is exempt; As it says "the man that does it on purpose" It does not say 'the man that says it on purpose' rather it emphasizes that he must instruct it to be done or do it himself.
מְצָאָן חוּץ לִמְקוֹמָן וְהִמְרָה עֲלֵיהֶן פָּטוּר. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז ח) "וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם" מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַמָּקוֹם גּוֹרֵם לוֹ מִיתָה. וְכָל אֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן שֶׁהֵן פְּטוּרִין מִן הַמִּיתָה יֵשׁ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל לְנַדּוֹתָם וּלְהַפְרִישָׁן וּלְהַכּוֹתָן וּלְמָנְעָן מִלְּלַמֵּד כְּפִי מַה שֶּׁיֵּרָאֶה לָהֶן שֶׁהַדָּבָר צָרִיךְ לְכָךְ:
If he found the Supreme Sanhedrin outside their place and rebelled against their ruling, he is not liable. This is derived from ibid.:8 which states: "And you shall arise and ascend to that place," implied is that the place is the cause for capital punishment. All of the individuals mentioned above who are not executed and anyone who acts in a similar manner, although they are not liable for execution, the Supreme Sanhedrin should place them under a ban of ostracism, separate them from the community, subject them to corporal punishment, and prevent them from teaching their interpretation of the matter.
וְכֵיצַד דָּנִין זָקֵן מַמְרֵא. בְּעֵת שֶׁיִּפָּלֵא דָּבָר וְיוֹרֶה בּוֹ חָכָם הַמַּגִּיעַ לְהוֹרָאָה בֵּין בְּדָבָר שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה בְּעֵינָיו בֵּין בְּדָבָר שֶׁקִּבֵּל מֵרַבּוֹתָיו. הֲרֵי הוּא וְהַחוֹלְקִין עִמּוֹ עוֹלִין לִירוּשָׁלַיִם וּבָאִין לְבֵית דִּין שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הַר הַבַּיִת. אוֹמְרִים לָהֶן בֵּית דִּין כָּךְ הוּא הַדִּין. אִם שָׁמַע וְקִבֵּל מוּטָב וְאִם לָאו בָּאִין כֻּלָּן לְבֵית דִּין שֶׁעַל פֶּתַח הָעֲזָרָה וְאוֹמְרִים לָהֶם גַּם הֵם כָּךְ הוּא הַדִּין. אִם קִבְּלוּ יֵלְכוּ לָהֶן וְאִם לָאו כֻּלָּן בָּאִין לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל לְלִשְׁכַּת הַגָּזִית שֶׁמִּשָּׁם תּוֹרָה יוֹצֵאת לְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז י) "מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר ה'". וּבֵית דִּין אוֹמֵר לָהֶם כָּךְ הוּא הַדִּין וְיוֹצְאִין כֻּלָּן. חָזַר זֶה הֶחָכָם לְעִירוֹ וְשָׁנָה וְלִמֵּד כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁהוּא לָמוּד הֲרֵי זֶה פָּטוּר. הוֹרָה לַעֲשׂוֹת אוֹ שֶׁעָשָׂה כְּהוֹרָאָתוֹ חַיָּב מִיתָה וְאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ הַתְרָאָה. אֲפִלּוּ נָתַן טַעַם לִדְבָרָיו אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ אֶלָּא כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּאוּ עֵדִים שֶׁעָשָׂה כְּהוֹרָאָתוֹ אוֹ שֶׁהוֹרָה לַאֲחֵרִים לַעֲשׂוֹת גּוֹמְרִין דִּינוֹ לְמִיתָה בְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁבְּעִירוֹ. וְתוֹפְסִין אוֹתוֹ וּמַעֲלִין אוֹתוֹ מִשָּׁם לִירוּשָׁלַיִם. וְאֵין מְמִיתִין אוֹתוֹ בְּבֵית דִּין שֶׁבְּעִירוֹ וְלֹא בְּבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁיָּצָא חוּץ לִירוּשָׁלַיִם אֶלָּא מַעֲלִין אוֹתוֹ לְבֵית דִּין הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבִּירוּשָׁלַיִם. וְעַד הָרֶגֶל מְשַׁמְּרִין אוֹתוֹ וְחוֹנְקִין אוֹתוֹ בָּרֶגֶל. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יג יב) "וְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ" מִכְּלָל שֶׁצָּרִיךְ הַכְרָזָה. וְאַרְבָּעָה צְרִיכִין הַכְרָזָה. זָקֵן מַמְרֵא. וְעֵדִים זוֹמְמִין. וְהַמֵּסִית. וּבֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה. שֶׁהֲרֵי בְּכֻלָּן נֶאֱמַר יִשְׁמְעוּ וְיִרָאוּ:
How is the law applying to a rebellious elder adjudicated? When a matter is undecided because of its difficulty and a sage who is erudite enough to issue rulings whether with regard to a matter which he arrived at through his own reasoning or which he received from his teachers. He and the sages who differ with him ascend to Jerusalem and come to the court which holds sessions at the entrance to the Temple Mount. The court tells them: "This is the law." If the elder listens and accepts the ruling, it is desirable. If not, they all go to the court which holds sessions at the entrance to the Temple Courtyard. They also say: "This is the law." If the elder listens and accepts the ruling, they go their ways. If not, they all go to the Supreme Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stone from which the Torah emanates to the entire Jewish people, as Deuteronomy 17:10 states: "From that place which G-d has chosen." The Supreme Sanhedrin tell them: "This is the law" and they all depart. If the elder returns to his city and continues to interpret the law as he did previously and teaches this interpretation to others, he is not liable. If he gave a directive for action or acted according to his conception himself, he is liable for execution. There is no need for a warning. Even if he offers a rationale to explain his conduct, we do not heed him. Instead, once witnesses come and testify that he acted according to his own directive or that he directed others to perform a deed, we sentence him to death in his local court. We take hold of him and bring him from that place to Jerusalem. For we do not execute him in the presence of his local court, nor in the presence of the Supreme Sanhedrin who left Jerusalem, but instead, bring him to the Supreme Sanhedrin in Jerusalem. Until the next pilgrimage festival, he is kept under watch. During the pilgrimage festival, he is executed by strangulation, as implied by ibid.:13: "And all Israel shall hear and become fearful." This indicates that his execution must be announced. There are four transgressors whose execution must be announced publicly: a rebellious elder, lying witnesses, a person who entices others to worship idols, and a wayward and rebellious son. For with regard to all of them, the Torah states: "so that they will hear and become afraid."