Schwüre (Schewuot) — Rambam

Schwüre (Schewuot)

Schwüre (Schewuot) — Rambam auf Beth HaMidrash: der hebräische Text und seine deutsche Übersetzung, mit Raschi und den großen Kommentatoren. Kostenlos, online.

אַרְבָּעָה מִינֵי שְׁבוּעוֹת הֵן. שְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי וּשְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא וּשְׁבוּעַת הַפִּקָּדוֹן וּשְׁבוּעַת הָעֵדוּת. שְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בַּתּוֹרָה (ויקרא ה ד) "אוֹ נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תִשָּׁבַע לְבַטֵּא בִשְׂפָתַיִם לְהָרַע אוֹ לְהֵיטִיב". וְהִיא נֶחְלֶקֶת לְאַרְבָּעָה חֲלָקִים. שְׁתַּיִם לְהַבָּא. וּשְׁתַּיִם לְשֶׁעָבַר. כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא נַעֲשָׂה. וְעַל דָּבָר שֶׁעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת שֶׁיֵּעָשֶׂה וְשֶׁלֹּא יֵעָשֶׂה:There are four types of oaths [for which one may be liable]: sh'vuat bitui, sh'vuat shav, sh'vuat hapikadon, and sh'vuat ha'edut.Sh'vuat bitui literally means "expression." I.e., this oath is taken expressing statements concerning the past or the future. See Chapters 4 and 5 where this subject is discussed in detail. is referred to in the Torah [by Leviticus 5:4]: "When a soul will take an oath, expressing with his lips, whether he will do harm or do good." [This category] subdivides into four groupings: two has both these forms is derived from the prooftext cited which states: "Whether he will do harm or do good." See Chapter 9, Halachah 18. [involving statements made] concerning the future and two [involving statements made] concerning the past. For example, he took an oath concerning a past event that it occurred or did not occur, or concerning a future event, that he will do it or that he will not do it.

וְאֵין שְׁבוּעַת בִּטּוּי נוֹהֶגֶת אֶלָּא בִּדְבָרִים שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתָן בֵּין לְהַבָּא בֵּין לְשֶׁעָבַר. כֵּיצַד לְשֶׁעָבַר. שֶׁאָכַלְתִּי. אוֹ שֶׁזָּרַקְתִּי אֶבֶן לַיָּם. אוֹ שֶׁדִּבֵּר פְּלוֹנִי עִם פְּלוֹנִי. אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא אָכַלְתִּי. אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא זָרַק אֶבֶן לַיָּם. אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא דִּבֵּר פְּלוֹנִי עִם פְּלוֹנִי. כֵּיצַד לְהַבָּא. שֶׁאֹכַל אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא אֹכַל. אוֹ שֶׁאֶזְרֹק אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא אֶזְרֹק אֶבֶן לַיָּם. הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ שְׁתַּיִם לְשֶׁעָבַר וּשְׁתַּיִם לְהַבָּא:[The concept of] a sh'vuat bitui applies with regard to deeds that a person could perform whether in the past or in the future.What is implied? With regard to the past: "I ate," "I cast a stone into the sea," or "So-and-so spoke with so-and-so"; "I did not eat," "I did not cast a stone into the sea," or "So-and-so did not speak with so-and-so." With regard to the future: "I will eat" or "I will not eat," "I will..." or "I will not cast a stone into the sea." Thus there are two groupings concerning the past and two groupings concerning the future.

נִשְׁבַּע אַחַת מֵאַרְבַּע מַחֲלוֹקוֹת אֵלּוּ וְהֶחְלִיף כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע שֶׁלֹּא יֹאכַל וְאָכַל אוֹ שֶׁיֹּאכַל וְלֹא אָכַל אוֹ שֶׁאָכַלְתִּי וְהוּא לֹא אָכַל שֶׁלֹּא אָכַלְתִּי וְאָכַל הֲרֵי זוֹ שְׁבוּעַת שֶׁקֶר. וְעַל זֶה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא יט יב) "לֹא תִשָּׁבְעוּ בִשְׁמִי לַשָּׁקֶר". וְאִם נִשְׁבַּע לַשֶּׁקֶר בְּמֵזִיד לוֹקֶה. בְּשׁוֹגֵג מֵבִיא קָרְבַּן עוֹלֶה וְיוֹרֵד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא ה ד) "וְנֶעְלַם מִמֶּנּוּ וְהוּא יָדַע וְאָשֵׁם" וְגוֹ':If a person takes an oath concerning one of these four categories and does the opposite, he has taken a false oath. For example, he took an oath not to eat and he ate, that he would eat and he did not eat, that he ate, when he did not or that he did not eat, when he had eaten. With regard to these matters, [Leviticus 19:12] states: "Do not swear falsely in My name." (negative commandment 61) and Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 227) include this prohibition among the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. If he willfully swears falsely, he is liable for lashes. 21a interprets that to mean that a person who takes an oath in vain is liable for lashes. See also Chapter 4, Halachot 20-21 for more factors concerning this concept. If he does so inadvertently, he must bring an adjustable guilt offering, as [ibid. 5:4] states: "And it became concealed from him and he did not know and became guilty."

שְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא נֶחְלֶקֶת לְאַרְבַּע מַחֲלוֹקוֹת. הָאַחַת שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל דָּבָר הַיָּדוּעַ שֶׁאֵין כֵּן. כֵּיצַד. כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל הָאִישׁ שֶׁהוּא אִשָּׁה. וְעַל הָאִשָּׁה שֶׁהוּא אִישׁ. וְעַל עַמּוּד שֶׁל שַׁיִשׁ שֶׁהוּא שֶׁל זָהָב. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה:[The prohibition against taking] a sh'vuat shav, an oath taken in vain, also subdivides into four categories: the first, a person took an oath concerning a known matter that was not true, e.g., he took an oath that a man was a woman, a woman was a man, that a marble pillar was gold, or concerning other similar factors.

הַשְּׁנִיָּה שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל דָּבָר יָדוּעַ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ סָפֵק לְאָדָם שֶׁהוּא כֵּן. כְּגוֹן שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּע עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם שֶׁהוּא שָׁמַיִם. וְעַל הָאֶבֶן זוֹ שֶׁהִיא אֶבֶן. וְעַל הַשְּׁנַיִם שֶׁהֵם שְׁנַיִם. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה. שֶׁזֶּה הַדָּבָר אֵין בּוֹ סָפֵק לְאָדָם שָׁלֵם כְּדֵי לְצַדֵּק הַדָּבָר בִּשְׁבוּעָה:The second: that one takes an oath on a known matter concerning which no one has a doubt, e.g., one took an oath that the sky was the sky, that a stone is a stone, on two [objects] that they are two, and the like. Even though there is no doubt about the matter for a person of sound mind, one takes an oath to strengthen [the appreciation of] the matter.

Mishneh Torah, Oaths.1