משנה: וְאֵילּוּ הֵן הַנֶּהֱרָגִין הָרוֹצֵחַ וְאַנְשֵׁי עִיר הַנִּדַּחַת. רוֹצֵחַ שֶׁהִכָּה אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בָאֶבֶן אוֹ בַבַּרְזֶל וְכָבַשׁ עָלָיו לְתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם אוֹ לְתוֹךְ הָאוּר וְאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לַעֲלוֹת מִשָּׁם וָמֵת חַייָב. דְּחָפוֹ לְתוֹךְ הַמַּיִם אוֹ לְתוֹךְ הָאוּר וְיָכוֹל הוּא לַעֲלוֹת מִשָּׁם וָמֵת פָּטוּר. שִׁיסָּה בוֹ אֶת הַכֶּלֶב שִׁיסָּה בוֹ אֶת הַנָּחָשׁ פָּטוּר. הִשִּׁיךְ בּוֹ אֶת הַנָּחָשׁ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה מְחַייֵב וַחֲכָמִים פּוֹטְרִין. MISHNAH: A murderer who attacked someone with a stone or an iron17These are the cases described in the Torah, Numbers.35.16">Num. 35:16,Numbers.35.17">17., or forced him under water or into fire so he could not escape from there and died, is [criminally] liable. If he pushed him into water or fire and he could have escaped from there by himself but died, he is not [criminally] liable18This is a case of indirect causation, not covered by biblical law.. If he provoked a dog or a snake against him, he is not [criminally] liable18This is a case of indirect causation, not covered by biblical law.. If he let a snake bite him19The murderer held the poisonous snake until it started to bite the victim. For R. Jehudah it is a case of murder, for the Sages one of indirect causation., Rebbi Jehudah declares him [criminally] liable but for the Sages he is not [criminally] liable.
הלכה: רוֹצֵחַ שֶׁהִכָּה אֶת רֵעֵהוּ כול׳. כְּתִיב וְאִ֡ם בְּאֶ֣בֶן יָד֩ אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת בָּהּ הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת מוֹת־יוּמַ֥ת הַמַּכֶּה֭ רוֹצֵחַ ה֑וּא מ֥וֹת יוּמַת֭ הָרוֹצֵחַ׃ א֡וֹ בִּכְלִ֣י עֵץ־יָד֩ אֲשֶׁר־יָמ֨וּת בָּהּ הִכָּ֛הוּ וַיָּמֹ֖ת רוֹצֵחַ ה֑וּא מ֥וֹת יוּמַת֭ הָרוֹצֵחַ׃ כְּשֶׁהוּא בָא אֶצֶל הַבַּרְזֶל אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר לֹא שֶׁיָּמוּת בּוֹ וְלֹא שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּת בּוֹ. אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ צִינּוֹרָה קָטַנָּה דְהִיא יָֽכְלָה מֵקִים גַּו ווֶשְׁטָא וּמִיקְטְלִינֵיהּ. וְהוּא שֶׁיְּהֵא בָאֶבֶן כְּדֵי לַהֲמִיתוֹ. בָּעֵץ כְּדֵי לַהֲמִיתוֹ. כִּיווְנוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הַסּוּס. כִּיווְנוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הַחֵץ. כִּיווְנוֹ כְּנֶגֶד הָרוֹמַח. הֶעֱמִידוֹ בַצִּינָּה. הִשְׁקָה אוֹתוֹ מַיִם רָעִים. הֶעֱבִיר אֶת הַתִּקְרָה מֵעָלָיו וְיָרְֽדוּ עָלָיו גְּשָׁמִים וַהֲרָגוּהוּ. פָּתַק אַמַּת הַמַּיִם עָלָיו וּבָאוּ עָלָיו הַמַּיִם וּשְׁטָפוּהוּ. HALAKHAH: “A murderer who attacked someone,” etc. It is written20Numbers.35.17">Num. 35:17.: If he hit him with a lethal stone in his hand so that he died, (the hitter shall die, he is a murderer,)21Numbers.35.21">Num. 35:21; the quote is not appropriatethe murderer shall be put to death. Or he hit him with a lethal wooden implement in his hand so that he died, the murderer shall be put to death22Numbers.35.18">Num. 35:18.. When He comes to iron23Numbers.35.16">Num. 35:16. Sanhedrin.76b">Babli 76b., He does not speak of lethal or not lethal, but even a small hook when applied to the esophagus could kill him; but a stone must be lethal, wood must be lethal24Prosecution of murder with a stone or wood is possible only if the stone or wood can be classified as lethal; otherwise the murderer can claim that the slain person was the victim of an accident.. If he put him in front of a horse25In the following cases, it is presumed that the murderer somehow immobilized his victim. In these cases, the murderer is guilty if the horse already was galloping, or the arrow or spear already flying, etc. Then the action of the murderer is murder. But according to the Mishnah, tying a person as a target for other people’s future shots is indirect causation. Sanhedrin.77a">Babli 77a., in front of an arrow, in front of a spear, put him out in the cold, gave him bad water to drink, removed the ceiling over him and the rains came down and killed him, or he opened a water canal whose waters swept over him26It is murder if the first wave of water is lethal..
מַה טַעֲמָא דְרִבִּי יוּדָה. מִפְּנֵי הָאֶרֶס הַנָּתוּן בֵּין הַנְּקָבִים. מַה טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנִין. לְעוֹלָם אֵין הָאֵֶירֶס נָתוּן בֵּין הַנְּקָבִים עַד שֶׁיַּחֲזוֹר וְיָקִיא. What is Rebbi Jehudah’s reason? Because of the poison in the hollow teeth27For R. Jehudah, the moment when the snake starts biting, the poison starts to flow. Therefore holding a snake is no different from holding a dagger. The rabbis hold that the snake has to push out the poison by the action of some of its muscles; this makes the action of the murderer indirect causation; Sanhedrin.78a">Babli 78a.. What is the reason of the rabbis? There is no poison in the hollow teeth until it excretes it.