Jerusalem Talmud Nazir 9.5

משנה: הַמַּכֶּה אֶת חֲבֵירוֹ וַאֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה הֵיקֵל מִמַּה שֶׁהָיָה וּלְאַחַר מִיכֵּן הִכְבִּיד וָמֵת חַיָיב. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר פָּטוּר שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר.

MISHNAH: If somebody injured another person who was judged dying and then this person’s state improved but later he died, he is guilty. Rebbi Neḥemiah says, he cannot be prosecuted since it is not unsubstantiated.

הלכה: מָנֵי מַתְנִיתָה. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה פּוֹטֵר וַחֲכָמִים מְחַיְיבִין שֶׁרַגְלַיִים לַדָּבָר. רַבָּנִין אָמְרִין. שְׁנֵי עוֹמָדִין רָבִים עַל עוֹמֶד אֶחָד. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר. עוֹמֶד הָאֶמְצָעִי רָבָה עַל שְׁנֵיהֶם. מַה טַעֲמָא דְּרִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה. אִם יָקוּם וְהִתְהַלֵּך בַּחוּץ עַל מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ וְנִקָּה הַמַּכֶּה. וְכִי עָלַת עַל דַּעְתָּךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא זֶה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּשּׁוּק וַהֲלָהּ נֶהֱרַג עַל יָדָיו. אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ מֵת מַחְמַת עֲמָדָה רִאשׁוֹנָה פָּטוּר. מַה טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנִין. וְלֹא יָמוּת וְנָפַל לַמִּשְׁכָּב. וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁאִם אֵינוֹ מֵת שֶׁהוּא נוֹפֵל לַמִּשְׁכָּב. אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁאֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה. אִם בְּשֶׁאֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה הָדָא הִיא דִּכְתִיב אִם יָקוּם וְהִתְהַלֵּך בַּחוּץ עַל מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ. הָא אִם לֹא קָם חַיָיב. אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁלֹּא אֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה. אִם בְּשֶׁלֹּא אֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה הָדָא הִיא דִּכְתִיב רַק שִׁבְתּוֹ יִתֵּן. רִבִּי אִילָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָה. עֹמֶד שֶׁלְּטָעוּת הָיָה. מַה נְפַק מִבֵּינֵיהוֹן. הֵקַל מִמַּה שֶׁהָיָה. מָאן דְּאָמַר. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. אִם נָתַן נָתַן. לֹא נָתַן מִקְרָא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. מַתְנִיתָא מְסַייעָא לְדֵין וּמַתְנִיתָא מְסַייעָא לְדֵין. מַתְנִיתָא מְסַייעָא לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָה. עֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה וְחָיָה. מֵאֵימָתַי נוֹתְנִין לוֹ. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁיָּקֵל. מָאן דְּאָמַר. עוֹמֶד שֶׁלְּטָעוּת הוּא. לֹא נָתַן אֵין אוֹמְרִין לוֹ שֶׁיִּתֵּן. נָתַן מָהוּ שֶׁיִּטּוֹל. מְסַיְיעָא לֵיהּ לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. אֲמָדוּהוּ לְחַיִים וָמֵת. מֵאֵימָתַי נוֹתְנִין לוֹ. מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁיַּכְבִּיד. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי. לֵית כָּאן מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁיַּכְבִּיד אֶלָּא מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁיָּקֵל.

HALAKHAH: So is the Mishnah: Rebbi Neḥemia declares him not prosecutable but the Sages declare him guilty since it is not unsubstantiated. The Sages say, two estimations have precedence over one estimation; Rebbi Neḥemiah says, the intermediate estimation has precedence over the two. What is Rebbi Neḥemiah’s reason? “ ‘If he gets up and walks outside on his cane, the attacker is exonerated.’ Could you think that this one walks in the market and the other is executed because of him? But even if he died according to the first estimation he cannot be prosecuted.” What is the rabbi’s reason? “If he does not die but is bedridden.” Would we not know that even if he does not die that he will be bedridden? But if they estimated that he would die. If they estimated that he would die, that is what is written: “If he gets up and walks outside on his cane.” Therefore, if he does not get up, [the attacker] is guilty. But if they did not estimate that he would die? If they did not estimate that he would die, that is what is written: “But he has to pay for his disability.” Rebbi Ila in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: It is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he has to pay. Rebbi Abbahu in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: It was an erroneous estimation. What is the difference between them? If his state improved. For him who says, it is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he has to pay; if he paid, he paid. If he did not pay, the verse makes him pay. A baraita supports one and a baraita supports the other. A baraita supports Rebbi Yose ben Ḥanina: If they estimated that he would die, when does he have to pay him? From the moment he improves. For him who says, it was an erroneous estimation; if he did not pay one does not order him to pay. If he paid, can he take it back? This supports Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: If they estimated that he would live but he died. From when does one have to pay him? From the moment he turns worse. Rebbi Yose said, it does not say here, “from the moment he turns worse” but “from the moment he turns better.”

הִכָּהוּ עַל יָדוֹ וְצָמְתָה. אָמְרִין אַסָּיָיא. אִין מִקְטְעָה הִיא חַיָיה הוּא. מָהוּ שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי העבד. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מִן הָדָא. וְכִי יִנָּצוּ. וְכִי יְרִיבוּן. וַהֲלֹא הִיא מַצּוּת הִיא מְרִיבָה. הִיא מְרִיבָה הִיא מַצּוּת. מַה תַלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְכִי יִנָּצוּ וְכִי יְרִיבוּן. אֶלָּא לִיתֵּן אֶת הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין וְאֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין עַל הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין. אִם בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין הוּא חַיָיב לֹא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן בַּמִּתְכַּוֵּין. אֶלָּא כֵינִי. הִכָּהוּ עַל יָדוֹ וְצָמְתָה. אָמְרִין אַסָּיָיא. אִין מִקְטְעָה הִיא חַיָה הוּא. מָהוּ שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי הַיָּד. כְּמַה דְאַתְּ אָמַר תַּמָּן. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי העבד. וָכָא חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי הַיָּד.

If he hit him on his hand and it withered. The physicians said, if it is amputated he will live. Does he have to pay for the [hand]? Let us hear from the following: “If people quarrel,” “if people brawl.” Is not quarrel brawl and brawl quarrel? Why does the verse say, “if people quarrel, if people brawl”? To apply the rules of the unintended to the intended and of the intended to the unintended. It must be the following: If he hit him on his hand and it withered. The physicians said, if it is amputated he will live. Does he have to pay for the [hand]? Since you say there, it is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he pay for the hand, so here it is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he pay for the hand.