Q&A: Guilt Offering
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Guilt Offering
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi,
After reading the Rabbi’s article (in “To Do Your Commandments,” Vayechi portion), I asked myself whether there is room to obligate someone with criminal intent that ultimately materialized in a permitted act to bring a guilt offering.
Answer
Interesting. And what did you answer yourself?
🙂
I don’t see a basis for that.
Discussion on Answer
On the contrary, the whole problem is that there is no flaw in reality here, only bad intent. A guilt offering is only for a flaw in reality, and that is why it is usually brought even for an intentional act. It’s almost the opposite of the definition of a guilt offering.
Since it did not materialize in a forbidden act, there is no way to identify him with an intentional sinner who succeeded, but there is an indication that a flaw exists in reality: criminal intent that tries to carry out an act (especially according to the Brisker Rav).