Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 5:17/אבן עזרא על ויקרא ה׳:י״ז
אואם נפש כי תחטא. ועשה אחת ממצות לא תעשה ולא ידע אם הוא אסור יביא איל ודעת רבים שזה אשם תלוי לא ידע אם עשה אם לא עשה והחטאת שבתחלה לא ידע ואחר כן ידע והנה החטאת שלא ידע שהוא אסור עד שהודע והאשם ידע שהוא אסור ושכח ואחר כן נזכר או אשם תלוי:
1AND IF ANY ONE SIN.35 And violates one of the negative commandments and does not know that what he did is prohibited,36 he shall bring a ram.37 Many believe38 23a. that the ram is brought as a “doubt guilt offering.” He brings a ram if he does not know whether he violated the law or not.39) and permitted fat (shuman) lay before him, and he believed that both were permissible fat and he ate one of them. Afterwards, however he was informed that one of these was forbidden fat, and he does not know whether he has eaten the forbidden fat. Such a person has to bring a guilt-offering in doubt” (Rashi). A sin offering is brought if he did not know that he sinned and then became aware of it. Observe,40 a sin offering is brought if he did not know that a certain act is prohibited until he was informed of it. A guilt offering is brought if he knew that it is prohibited but forgot, and then reminded himself. On the other hand, our verse might be speaking of a “doubt guilt offering.”41