Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 9.3

משנה: הַמַּכֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ בֵּין בָּאֶבֶן בֵּין בָּאֶגְרוֹף וַאֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה וְהֵקַל מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה וּלְאַחַר מִכָּאן הִכְבִּיד וָמֵת חַיָיב. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר פָּטוּר שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר:

MISHNAH: If somebody injures another person by a stone or with his fist and they expected him to die, but he got better and only afterwards deteriorated and died; he is [criminally] liable. Rebbi Neḥemiah declares him not liable since it is not unsubstantiated.

הלכה: הַמַּכֶּה אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ כול׳. כֵּינִי מַתְנִיתָא. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה פוֹטֵר וַחֲכָמִים מְחַיְיבִין. שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר. רַבָּנִין אָמְרִין. שְׁנֵי אֲמוּדִין רָבִים עַל עוֹמֶד אֶחָד. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר. עוֹמֶד הָאֶמְצָעִי רָבָה עַל שְׁנֵיהֶן. מַה טַעֲמָא דְּרִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה. אִם יָקוּם וְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּחוּץ עַל מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ וְנִקָּה הַמַּכֶּה. וְכִי עָלְתָה עַל דַּעְתָּךְ שֶׁיְּהֵא זֶה מְהַלֵּךְ בַּשּׁוּק וַהֲלָה נֶהֱרַג עַל יָדָיו. אֶלָּא אֲפִילוּ מֵת בָּעֲמִידָה רִאשׁוֹנָה פָּטוּר. מַה טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנִין. וְלֹא יָמוּת וְנָפַל לְמִשְׁכָּב. וְכִי אֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁאִם לֹא יָמוּת וְנָפַל לְמִשְׁכָּב. אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁלֹּא עֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה. אִם בְּשֶׁלֹּא עֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה בְדָא כְתִיב וְאִם יָקוּם וְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּחוּץ עַל מִשְׁעַנְתּוֹ וְנִקָּה הַמַּכֶּה. הָא אִם לֹא קָם חַיָיב. אֶלָּא בְּשֶׁעֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה. אִם בְּשֶׁעֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה בְדָא כְתִיב רַק שִׁבְתּוֹ יִתֵּן וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא. רִבִּי הִילָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. רִבִּי אַבָּהוּ בְשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן חֲנִינָה. עוֹמֶד שֶׁלְּטָעוּת הָיְיתָה. מַה מַפְקָה מִבֵּינֵיהוֹן. הֵיקַל מִמַּה שֶּׁהָיָה וְאַחַר כָּךְ הִכְבִּיד וָמֵת חַיָיב. רִבִּי נְחֶמְיָה פוֹטֵר. שֶׁרַגְלַיִם לַדָּבָר. מָאן דְּאָמַר. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. נָתַן נָתַן. לֹא נָתַן מָהוּ שֶׁיִּתֵּן. מָאן דְּאָמַר. עוֹמֶד שֶׁלְּטָעוּת הָיָה. לֹא נָתַן אֵין אוֹמְרִים לוֹ שֶׁיִּתֵּן. נָתַן מָהוּ שֶׁיִּטּוֹל. מַתְנִיתָא מְסַיְיעָה לְדֵין וּמַתְנִיתָא מְסַיְיעָה לְדֵין. מַתְנִיתָא מְסַיְיעָה לְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲנִינָה. אֲמָדוּהוּ לְחַיִים וָמֵת. מֵאֵימָתַי מוֹנִין לוֹ. מִשֶׁיַכְבִּיד. הָדָא אָמְרָה. עוֹמֶד שֶׁלְּטָעוּת הָיְתָה. וְאִין תֵּימַר. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. יִתֵּן מִשָּׁעָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה. מַתְנִיתָא מְסַיְיעָא לְרִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. עֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה וְחָיָה. מֵאֵימָתַי מוֹנִין לוֹ. מִשֶׁיַכְבִּיד. אָמַר רִבִּי יסֵי. לֵית כָּאן מִשֶׁיַכְבִּיד אֶלָּא מִשָּׁעָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה. הָדָא אָמְרָה. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן. וְאִין תֵּימַר. עוֹמֶד שֶׁלְּטָעוּת הָיָית. נוֹתֵן עַד שָׁעָה שֶׁיָּמוּת.

HALAKHAH: “If somebody injures another person,” etc. So is the Mishnah: “Rebbi Neḥemiah declares him not [criminally] liable but the Sages declare him [criminally] liable 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 one is executed because of him? But even if he dies 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 did not estimate that he would die. If they did not estimate that he would die, that is what is written: If he gets up and walks outside on his cane, the attacker is exonerated. Therefore, if he does not get up, [the attacker] is [criminally] liable. But if they estimated that he would die? If they estimated that he would die, that is what is written: But he has to pay for his disability and the medical costs. Rebbi Hila 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? “But he got better and only afterwards deteriorated and died; he is [criminally] liable. Rebbi Neḥemiah declares him not liable since it is not unsubstantiated.” For him who said, it is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he has to pay; if he paid, he paid. If he did not pay, does he have to pay? For him who said, 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? A baraita supports one and a baraita supports the other. A baraita supports Rebbi Yose bar Ḥanina: If they estimated that he would live but he died, from when does one count for him? From the moment he turns worse. This implies that the estimate was wrong. If you would say, it is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he has to pay, he should pay from the first moment. A baraita supports Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: If they estimated that he would die but he lived, from when does one count for 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.” That means, it is an extraordinary decree of Scripture that he has to pay. But if you say, it was an erroneous estimation, he has to pay until [the victim] dies.

הִכָּהוּ עַל יָדוֹ וְצָבָת. אָמְרִין אַסָּיָיא. אִין מִקְטְעָא יָדֵיהּ חַיי הוּא. מָהוּ שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי הַיָּד. נִישְׁמְעִינָהּ מִן הָדָא. כִּי יִנָּצוּ אֲנָשִׁים. וְכִי יְרִיבוּן אֲנָשִׁים. הִיא מְרִיבָה הִיא מַצּוּת. מַה תַלְמוּד לוֹמַר כִּי יִנָּצוּ כִּי יְרִיבוּן. כִּי יְרִיבוּן כִּי יִנָּצוּ. אֶלָּא לִיתֵּן הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין וְאֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין עַל הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין. נִיחָא אֶת הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין עַל שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין. וְאֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין עַל הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין. אִם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְכַּוֵּין הוּא מִתְחַיֵיב לֹא כָל שֶׁכֵּן עַל הַמִּתְכַּוֵּין. אֶלָּא כֵינִי. הִכָּהוּ עַל יָדוֹ וְצָבָת. אָמְרִין אַסָּיָיא. אִין מִקְטְעָה יָדֵיהּ חַיי הוּא. מָהוּ שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי הַיָּד. כְּמַה דַּתְּ אָמַר תַּמָּן. חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי הַיָּד. וּמַה חִידּוּשׁ מִקְרָא הוּא שֶׁיִּתֵּן דְּמֵי הַיָּד.

If he hit him on his hand and it withered. The physicians said, if his hand 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 brawl quarrel? Why does the verse say, if people quarrel, if people brawl? To apply the rules of the intended to the unintended and of the unintended to the intended. One understands from the intended to the unintended. Of the unintended to the intended? It must be the following: If he hit him on his hand and it withered. The physicians said, if his hand 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.

נִתְכַּוֵון לַהֲרוֹג אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה כול׳. רִבִּי יִצְחָק שָׁאַל. עֲמָדוּהוּ לְחַיִים וָמֵת. וְדֶרֶךְ הַחַיִים לָמוּת. מִכֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב רַק שִׁבְתּוֹ יִתֵּן וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא חַיָיב לִיתֵּן לוֹ שֶׁבֶת וְרִיפּוּי. רִבִּי יִצְחָק שָׁאַל. עֲמָדוּהוּ לְמִיתָה וְחָיָה. וְאֵין דֶּרֶךְ הַמֵּתִים לִחְיוֹת. מִכֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב רַק שִׁבְתּוֹ יִתֵּן וְרַפֹּא יְרַפֵּא חַיָיב לִיתֵּן לוֹ שֶׁבֶת וְרִיפּוּי.

“If one intended to kill an animal,” etc. Rebbi Isaac asked: If they estimated that he would survive but he died; is it not common for the living to die? Since it is written but he has to pay for his disability and the medical costs, he is liable to pay for disability and medical costs. Rebbi Isaac asked: If they estimated that he would die but he survived; is it not common for the dying to live. Since it is written but he has to pay for his disability and the medical costs, he is liable to pay for disability and medical costs.