First, we’ll talk about a case where the sinners make up both a majority of the Jewish people and a majority of the 12 tribes. The community does not bring any offering. Then Rabbi Shimon says that the court brings a bull as an olah (offering) and one male goat as a chatat (offering) for each tribe. If they committed that forbidden act based on the ruling of the Beit Din (court), they bring seven bulls as a par he'elem davar (communal error offering). Even those who did not sin have to bring korbanot (offerings) on account of those who did sin, and the court brings another bull and a goat.
Here we’ll talk about a machloket (dispute). The Chachamim (Sages) disagree and say no, as the pasuk (verse) tells us: The Jewish people are divided into 12 different tribes. The majority of each tribe committed that act based on their words; then a par he'elem davar is brought as a kapara (atonement). Horu Beit Din (the court ruled): if the court made a mistake, then other korbanot are brought instead of the par he'elem davar. Each tribe has to bring its own par he'elem davar. The ruling was about idol worship. They gave an erroneous ruling. In these cases, the community would not have to bring any offering. So they have to bring an extra for each one of them. Eight bulls and eight male goats are brought. So they were broken up in different ways: that tribe is obligated to bring the par he'elem davar, but not for following an incorrect ruling of any of the smaller courts.
The sinners make up a majority of the total Jewish population, and they said that something is permitted even though it was really forbidden. We’ll talk about who brings these korbanot. Then those tribes have to bring twelve bulls and twelve male goats. Thirteen bulls have to be brought, and thirteen male goats have to be brought. A majority of the Jewish people. Rabbi Yehuda gives his opinion. Because even when the majority of the people sin, the tribes that did not sin do not have to bring anything. With a high court of one of the tribes, even the tribes that don’t sin have to bring a par he'elem davar. That implication here tells us that only the great Sanhedrin. Therefore, a majority could be composed of three different components. We should also note, like we'll say right now, and a male goat as a chatat offering, for the regular sins that were mistaken about, not idol worship.
Now I’ll present the opinions of the three Tannaim (early rabbinic sages). The court brings a par as a par he'elem davar, because each tribe is responsible to bring its own korban (offering): seven for the tribes who sinned. But in addition to that, the great Sanhedrin is now obligated to bring a par he'elem davar. That tribe is the one who has to bring it, and not the other tribes, which is the Adat Yisrael, the assembly of all Israel. So you have seven tribes, but they are not considered to be a majority of the Jewish people numerically. And the court brings a bull as a par he'elem davar. If the mistaken ruling was about idol worship, one bull and one male goat for each tribe. Par he'elem davar. Or a majority of the Jewish people by population. This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir. An extra par he'elem davar has to be brought on account of the tribes who did sin. A bull and a goat for each tribe, by city and then also by tribe. That’s only when the ruling of the great Sanhedrin was being followed. If they create the obligation to bring the par he'elem davar, as well as a majority of the 12 tribes—so, six of the larger tribes. The entire Jewish community or most of the Jewish people. This is the opinion of Rabbi Meir. And if the mistaken ruling was about idol worship, in cases where the sinners are not the majority of all twelve tribes. The majority of the tribes, even if they’re not population-wise. They have to bring each one individually. So therefore, a total of 12 bulls are brought.
Usually the par he'elem davar is brought for a mistake, and they permitted something that was forbidden. This is the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda. By the court of that particular individual tribe. And thirdly, the sinners are numbers-wise, population-wise. If the court’s ruling was about idol worship, rather, the twelve tribes would have to bring twelve bulls. And the court brings one as well for the par he'elem davar. Or, acting according to the court's ruling in either seven tribes, and if the ruling was by idol worship, one more tribe per shevet (tribe) is also brought, and the court has to bring one as well. There were smaller courts in all the cities in Eretz Yisrael, and the majority of that tribe did that act based on the word of the court, only by following the erroneous ruling of the great Sanhedrin, a majority percentage of the Jewish people.
Number two, the sinners are the majority of the tribes. The court would not have to bring the korbanot over here. They said that you’re allowed to, that a certain form of an idol is permitted, for normal sins that are violated. Each tribe has to bring one. Let’s say the court made a mistake. Then the court brings a bull as an olah and a male goat as a chatat. Even for those tribes who did not sin. The ruling was about Avodah Zarah (idol worship). And each tribe had a court that oversaw all the courts in that tribe, but the other tribes are exempt from any korban. People would only be obligated to bring the par he'elem davar, but likewise here the community would not have to bring any korban. Third opinion: one bull as an olah, but they’re not the majority of the tribes. Not the court. Also, as Rabbi Yehuda said in the last Mishnah. Brought forth by the great Sanhedrin in Yerushalayim. Thirteen bulls are brought, and then the additional one, the bull and the goat, for the court. They bring a bull. Rabbi Yehuda says, “If seven of those tribes sin.” Rabbi Shimon says, “Eight bulls are brought as a par he'elem davar.”
So in each of these cases, where, let’s say, one of these erroneous rulings was given, even though Rabbi Yehuda in the last part of the Mishnah said the entire court of the Jewish people makes an error. If the high court of one of the tribes gave a mistaken ruling. But here, since it’s only the ruling of an individual tribe, and not the ruling made by the assembly, we learned that if a majority of the Jewish people follows a mistaken ruling of the Beit Din, but they don’t come from a majority of the tribes. It’s five of the bigger tribes or six tribes that are larger in number than the other six tribes. That’s considered to be a majority. So we’ll talk about who’s actually bringing the par he'elem davar. Is it the courts? Is it the members of the community who followed the ruling? We’ll see how it plays out in each of the three scenarios.