[א] 'נפש תחטא; אחת תחטא; בעשותה תחטא' – הרי אלו מיעוטים; העושה על פי עצמו חייב ולא העושה על פי הוראת בית דין. 1) (Vayikra 4:27): ("And if a single soul sin unwittingly of the people of the land in doing it …"): "soul," "single," "in doing it": These (expressions are redundant [in the Hebrew] and) signal (three) exclusions. (One exclusion:) One who acts on his own is liable (for a sin-offering), and not one who acts on the ruling of beth-din.
[ב] כיצד? הורו בית דין לעבור על אחת מכל מצות האמורות בתורה והלך היחיד ועשה שוגג על פיהם – בין שעשו ועשה עמהם, בין שעשו ועשה אחריהם, בין שלא עשו ועשה – יכול יהא חייב? תלמוד לומר 'נפש תחטא; אחת תחטא; בעשותה תחטא' – הרי אלו מיעוטים; העושה על פי עצמו חייב ולא העושה על פי הוראת בית דין. 2) How so? If beth-din (mistakenly) ruled (that it is permitted) to transgress one of all the mitzvoth mentioned in the Torah, and an individual went and acted on their ruling — whether they themselves acted (on their ruling) and he acted with them, whether they acted and he acted after them, whether they did not act and he acted — I might think he is liable; it is, therefore, written: "soul," "single," "in doing it" — these are exclusions, (one of which relates to such an instance.) One who acts on his own is liable, and not one who acts on the ruling of beth-din.
[ג] ור' שמעון מוסיף: הורו בית דין וידעו שטעו וחזרו בהן – בין משהביאו כפרתן, בין שלא הביאו כפרתן – והלך היחיד ועשה על פיהם – הרי זה פטור. ר' מאיר מחייב. ור' אלעזר אומר ספק. סומכוס אומר תלוי. "בעשותה" – התולה בעצמו חייב, התולה בבית דין פטור. כיצד? הורו בית דין, וידע אחד מהם שטעו או שהיה תלמיד ותיק יושב לפניהם וראוי להוראה כשמעון בן עזאי; והלך ועשה על פיהם. יכול יהא פטור? תלמוד לומר "בעשותה" – התולה בעצמו חייב. 3) And R. Shimon adds: If beth-din erred (and most of the congregation sinned unwittingly on the basis of their ruling), and then they found that they had erred and they retracted their ruling — whether they had brought their atonement or had not yet brought it — and an individual (not having heard of their retraction) sinned on the basis of their ruling, he is not liable, (R. Shimon regarding him as "depending" upon beth-din). R. Meir says that he is liable, (regarding him [after beth-din's retraction] as "depending" upon himself.) R. Eliezer says that it is not clear (whether he is regarded as one or the other [so that he brings an asham talui (a "suspended" guilt-offering.)] Sumachos says: He (himself) is "suspended" (i.e., he is regarded as having brought an asham talui and need not fear afflictions). If one "depends" upon himself he is liable (for a sin-offering); if he "depends" upon beth-din he is not liable. How so? If beth-din ruled, and one of them (one of the judges) knew that they had erred — or if a "seasoned" disciple were sitting before them, who was himself fit to judge, one like Shimon ben Azzai — and he went and acted on their ruling — I might think he is not liable, (being regarded as "depending" on beth-din); it is, therefore, written: "in doing it": if one depends on himself ([as in the above instance, assuming that it is permitted to act on a mistaken ruling of beth-din], he is reckoned as "doing it" and) he is liable.
[ד] אתה אומר לכך נאמרו מעוטים הללו 'נפש תחטא; אחת תחטא; בעשותה תחטא' או אינו אומר אלא יחיד שעשה חייב, שנים שלשה שעשו פטורים? תלמוד לומר 'עם הארץ' – אפילו הם מרובים. 4) You say that the exclusions — "soul," "single," "in doing it" — were stated for the above. But perhaps they were stated to affirm that only one individual who sinned unwittingly is liable, but two or three who did so are not liable. It is, therefore, written (to negate this): "the people of the land" — even if they are many.
[ה] עדיין אני אומר מיעוט הקהל שעשו – חיייבין, שאין בית דין מביאין עליהם פר; אבל רוב הקהל שעשו יהיו פטורים שכן בית דין מביאין עליהם פר… תלמוד לומר 'עם הארץ' – אפילו רובו ואפילו כולו. 5) But I would still say that (only) if a minority of the congregation sin unwittingly, then they are liable (for individual sin-offerings); for beth-din does not bring a bullock for them (in the instance of an erroneous ruling). But if most of the congregation sinned, I would say that they are not liable; for (in the instance of beth-din ruling erroneously and most of the congregation sinning), beth-din brings a bullock for them. It is, therefore, written: "the people of the land" — even (if) most of them (sin), even (if) all of them (sin, they are liable for individual sin-offerings).
[ו] "מעם הארץ" – פרט לנשיא; "מעם הארץ" – פרט למשיח. אם תאמר "כבר יצא משיח לידון בפר! והנשיא בשעיר!" – שיכול על העלם דבר עם שגגת המעשה – יביא פר, ועל שגגת המעשה יביא כשבה ושעירה! תלמוד לומר "מעם הארץ" – פרט לנשיא; "מעם הארץ" – פרט למשיח. 6) "the people of the land": to exclude a nassi and to exclude a high-priest. If you would ask: But a high-priest has already been excluded (from bringing a she-lamb or a she-goat), for he brings a bullock; and a nassi has already been excluded, for he brings a he-goat — (the answer:) I might think (without the exclusion) that he brings a bullock (only) for error in ruling and unwittingness in act, but that for unwittingness in act alone he brings a she-lamb or a she-goat; it is, therefore, written: "the people of the land" — to exclude nassi and high-priest.
[ז] "מעם הארץ" – פרט למומר. ר' שמעון בן יוסי אומר משום ר' שמעון: מה תלמוד לומר (שם ד, כב) "אשר לא תעשינה בשגגה"? – היושב לו מידיעתה חייב קרבן על שגגתה; ויצא מומר שאין יושב לו מידיעתה. 7) "of the people of the land": to exclude a heretic (vis-à-vis the act in which [in this instance] he has sinned unwittingly, a sin-offering not being accepted from him.) R. Shimon b. Yossi said in the name of R. Shimon: What is the intent of ("And if a single soul sin unwittingly … in doing it, one of the mitzvoth of the L–rd) which may not be done" "unwittingly"? If he would abstain (from the act) if he knew (that it were sinful, and he sinned unwittingly), he is liable (for a sin-offering) for his unwitting sin — to exclude a heretic, who would not abstain (from the act) if he knew (that it were sinful).
[ח] "בעשותה אחת" – העושה את כולה ולא העושה מקצתה. כיצד? שנים אוחזים במלגז ולוגזים, בכרכר ושובטים, בקולמוס וכותבים, בקנה והוציאוהו לרשות הרבים – יכול יהיו חייבים? תלמוד לומר "בעשותה אחת" – העושה את כולה ולא העושה את מקצתה. 8) "in doing it," one (of the mitzvoth of the L–rd") — one who does all of it, and not one who does part of it. How so? If (on the Sabbath) two took hold of a pitchfork and stacked, of a shuttle and pressed (the weaving rod), of a pen and wrote, of a cane and took it out to the public domain — I might think they were liable (for a sin-offering); it is, therefore, written: "in doing it, one …" — one who does all of it (the forbidden labor), and not one who does part.
[ט] בעיגול של דבלה והוציאוהו לרשות הרבים; בקורה והוציאוהו לרשות הרבים – ר' יהודה אומר אם אין אחד יכול להוציאו והוציאוהו שנים – חייבים. ר' שמעון אומר אף על פי שאין אחד מהם יכול להוציאו והוציאו שנים – פטורים. תלמוד לומר "בעשותה אחת" – יחיד שעשה חייב, שנים שלשה שעשו פטורים. 9) (If two took hold) of a (large) cake of figs and took it out to the public domain, or of a (large) beam, and took it out to the public domain — R. Yehudah says: If one cannot take it out (by himself), and two took it out, they are liable, (each one being regarded as doing a "whole" labor). R. Shimon says: Even if one of them cannot take it out (by himself), and two took it out, they are not liable, it being written: "in doing it, one" — one who did (all of it) is liable; two or three who did it (together) are not liable.
[י] 'מצות השם' – לא מצות המלך; לא מצות בית דין. ("מצות" האמורות בעדה ובמשיח ובנשיא – הן "מצות" האמורות כאן.) "מִמִּצְוֹת השם" – לא כל מצות השם; פרט לשמיעת קול ולביטוי שפתים ולטומאת מקדש וקדשיו. "אֲשֶׁר לֹא תֵעָשֶׂינָה וְאָשֵׁם" – מלמד שמביא אשם תלוי. 10) "the mitzvoth of the L–rd": and not the mitzvoth of the king and not the mitzvoth of beth-din. The "mitzvoth" stated in respect to high-priest, congregation, and nassi are the "mitzvoth" referred to here (i.e., the criteria for "mitzvoth" are the same.) "of the mitzvoth of the L–rd," and not all of the mitzvoth of the L–rd: to exclude(the bringing of a sin-offering for) "hearing the voice of an oath" (see Ibid. 5:1), and "pronouncing with the lips" (see 5:4), and defilement of the sanctuary and its sacred things (see 5:2). "which are not to be done, and he be guilty": We are hereby taught that he brings a suspended guilt-offering (see 5:18).