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Horayot

Rulings

The heart of Horayot in about 2 minutes: 4 passages from 4 chapters, in its own words.

By
The Sages of the Mishnah and Talmud
When
Mishnah c. 200; Babylonian Talmud c. 500
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In its own words

הוֹרָה כֹהֵן מָשִׁיחַ לְעַצְמוֹ, שׁוֹגֵג וְעָשָׂה שׁוֹגֵג, מֵבִיא פָר. שׁוֹגֵג וְעָשָׂה מֵזִיד, מֵזִיד וְעָשָׂה שׁוֹגֵג, פָּטוּר, שֶׁהוֹרָאַת כֹּהֵן מָשִׁיחַ לְעַצְמוֹ, כְהוֹרָאַת בֵּית דִּין לַצִּבּוּר:

An anointed priest who rendered a decision for himself in error and acted unwittingly accordingly, must bring a bull. If he rendered the decision in error but acted upon it willfully, or made it willfully but acted upon it unwittingly, he is exempt; for a decision a high priest made for himself is like a ruling issued by the court to the community.
Mishnah Horayot 2:1 · Mishnah Yomit, Dr. Joshua KulpRead on

Every word below is the text itself, as written, with its translator named. Texts from Sefaria. Nothing is paraphrased.

Chapter 1

  1. הוֹרוּ בֵית דִּין לַעֲבֹר עַל אַחַת מִכָּל מִצְוֹת הָאֲמוּרוֹת בַּתּוֹרָה, וְהָלַךְ הַיָּחִיד וְעָשָׂה שׁוֹגֵג עַל פִּיהֶם, בֵּין שֶׁעָשׂוּ וְעָשָׂה עִמָּהֶן, בֵּין שֶׁעָשׂוּ וְעָשָׂה אַחֲרֵיהֶן, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ וְעָשָׂה, פָּטוּר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁתָּלָה בְבֵית דִּין. הוֹרוּ בֵית דִּין וְיָדַע אֶחָד מֵהֶן שֶׁטָּעוּ, אוֹ תַלְמִיד וְהוּא רָאוּי לְהוֹרָאָה, וְהָלַךְ וְעָשָׂה עַל פִּיהֶן, בֵּין שֶׁעָשׂוּ וְעָשָׂה עִמָּהֶן, בֵּין שֶׁעָשׂוּ וְעָשָׂה אַחֲרֵיהֶן, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא עָשׂוּ וְעָשָׂה, הֲרֵי זֶה חַיָּב, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלֹּא תָלָה בְּבֵית דִּין. זֶה הַכְּלָל, הַתּוֹלֶה בְעַצְמוֹ, חַיָּב. וְהַתּוֹלֶה בְּבֵית דִּין, פָּטוּר:

    If the court ruled that one of the commandments mentioned in the Torah may be transgressed, and an individual proceeded and acted through error in accordance with their ruling, whether they acted and he acted with them or they acted and he acted after them or even if they did not act and he acted, he is exempt, because he relied on the court. If the court ruled [in error], and one of them knew that they had erred, or a disciple who was himself fit to rule on matters of law, and [one of these] proceeded and acted in accordance with their ruling, whether they acted and he acted with them or they acted and he acted after them or even if they did not act and he acted, he is liable, since he did not rely upon the court. This is the general rule: he who is [in a position] to rely upon himself is liable, and he who relies upon the court is exempt.

    Mishnah Horayot 1:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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Chapter 2

  1. הוֹרָה כֹהֵן מָשִׁיחַ לְעַצְמוֹ, שׁוֹגֵג וְעָשָׂה שׁוֹגֵג, מֵבִיא פָר. שׁוֹגֵג וְעָשָׂה מֵזִיד, מֵזִיד וְעָשָׂה שׁוֹגֵג, פָּטוּר, שֶׁהוֹרָאַת כֹּהֵן מָשִׁיחַ לְעַצְמוֹ, כְהוֹרָאַת בֵּית דִּין לַצִּבּוּר:

    An anointed priest who rendered a decision for himself in error and acted unwittingly accordingly, must bring a bull. If he rendered the decision in error but acted upon it willfully, or made it willfully but acted upon it unwittingly, he is exempt; for a decision a high priest made for himself is like a ruling issued by the court to the community.

    Mishnah Horayot 2:1 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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Chapter 3

  1. כֹּהֵן קוֹדֵם לְלֵוִי, לֵוִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַמְזֵר, וּמַמְזֵר לְנָתִין, וְנָתִין לְגֵר, וְגֵר לְעֶבֶד מְשֻׁחְרָר. אֵימָתַי, בִּזְמַן שֶׁכֻּלָּן שָׁוִין. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה מַמְזֵר תַּלְמִיד חָכָם וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ, מַמְזֵר תַּלְמִיד חָכָם קוֹדֵם לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ:

    A priest takes precedence over a levite, a levite over an israelite, an israelite over a mamzer, a mamzer over a natin, a natin over a convert, and a convert over a freed slave. When is this so? When all these were in other respects equal. However, if the mamzer was a scholar and the high priest an ignoramus, the scholar mamzer takes precedence over the ignorant high priest.

    Mishnah Horayot 3:8 · Mishnah Yomit by Dr. Joshua Kulp

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From the Talmud: Horayot 13a

  1. מַתְנִי׳ כֹּהֵן קוֹדֵם לְלֵוִי, לֵוִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַמְזֵר, וּמַמְזֵר לְנָתִין, וְנָתִין לְגֵר, וְגֵר לְעֶבֶד מְשׁוּחְרָר. אֵימָתַי? בִּזְמַן שֶׁכּוּלָּם שָׁוִים. אֲבָל אִם הָיָה מַמְזֵר תַּלְמִיד חָכָם וְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ – מַמְזֵר תַּלְמִיד חָכָם קוֹדֵם לְכֹהֵן גָּדוֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ.

    MISHNA: A priest precedes a Levite. A Levite precedes an Israelite. An Israelite precedes a son born from an incestuous or adulterous relationship [mamzer], and a mamzer precedes a Gibeonite, …

    Horayot 13a:17 · William Davidson Edition - English · excerpt; the full text is on Sefaria