Or if he struck him with enmity, why is it stated "by his hand"? Because it states "or if he struck him with an iron tool" etc., "or with a stone" etc., "or with a wooden tool" etc. I only know that if he killed him with those, he is liable. How do I know that if he choked him, strangled him, or kicked him, he is also liable? It is stated "by his hand" from any manner of killing. And if it happened suddenly, excluding the case of a cornered animal. Without enmity, excluding a hater. A person who pushed another with his body, or one who threw something on him with the intention of causing a descending object that serves a purpose. Without intent, excluding one who intended to throw on one side and it landed on the other side. And one who did not intend, excluding one who intended to throw two and ended up throwing four. And if one brings harm to his fellow in a forest, just as a forest grants permission for one to be harmed and cause harm to enter it, so too any place grants permission for one to be harmed and cause harm to enter it. The Sages taught: A blind person is not exiled, as it is stated "without seeing" to exclude the blind according to Rabbi Yehuda. Rabbi Meir says "without seeing" to include the blind. What is the reasoning of Rabbi Yehuda? As it is written, "And if one brings harm to his fellow in a forest," which even includes a blind person who comes without seeing its full extent. And Rabbi Meir says "without seeing" to exclude intentional action. "Without seeing" means not bringing the one who throws at night. It was taught in a braita that Rabbi Yehuda says: A blind person has no shame. What is the reasoning of Rabbi Yehuda? As Rabbi Yehuda derived from the verse "Do not favor him, and your eye shall pronounce guilt." Just as there the blind are excluded as witnesses, so too here the blind are excluded. And Rabbi Yehuda exempts them from cases of capital punishment by the court. Similarly, he exempts them from cases of lashes. This is derived from the principle that one wicked person exempts another wicked person from cases of capital punishment by the court. And Rabbi Yehuda exempted him from all the laws of the Torah, as he said: "And the congregation shall judge between the smiter and the redeemer of blood." Whoever is included in the case of a smiter and a redeemer of blood is included in matters of judgment, and whoever is not included in the case of a smiter and a redeemer of blood is not included in matters of judgment. Rav Yosef said, initially, I used to say that if someone tells me that the halacha follows Rabbi Yehuda, I would observe an extra day of Yom Tov in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, as I did not take it into account and I performed a mitzvah. Since I heard that which Rabbi Chanina said: "Greater is the one who is commanded and performs than one who is not commanded and performs," if someone tells me that the halacha does not follow Rabbi Yehuda, I would observe only one day of Yom Tov in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis. And Rabbi Yehuda exempted him from all the commandments of the Torah, as he said: "These are the commandments and the statutes and the ordinances." Whoever is included in matters of judgment is included in the commandments, statutes, and ordinances, and whoever is not included in matters of judgment is not included in the commandments, statutes, and ordinances. "Without seeing" excludes the blind. These are the words of Rabbi Yehuda, and so on. Apparently, Rabbi Yehuda held that partial knowledge is not considered the same as complete knowledge, while Rabbi Meir held the opposite view. And we raise a contradiction: I know that there are vows but I do not know that there are ways to annul them, [one who acts as if he did not hear at all], I know that there are ways to annul them [but] I do not know that this is a vow. Rabbi Meir says: One should never annul a vow unless he knows within the same day that it is a vow, and we do not say that partial hearing is like complete hearing. And Rabbi Yehuda says: One may annul it within the same day even if he does not know that it is a vow, as we say that partial hearing is like complete hearing. Rava said: Here we have an issue related to the verse, and there we have an issue related to the verse. Rabbi Yehuda holds that regarding a case of a murderer, it is written: "And if someone brings harm to his neighbor in the forest," anything that is included in the term "forest" applies, and a blind person also falls within the category of "forest." And if you say that "without seeing" includes the blind person, it is unnecessary, but rather we learn that it excludes the blind person. And Rabbi Meir holds that in matters of vows, it is written: "And her husband heard it and remained silent," Rabbi Yehuda holds that partial hearing is like complete hearing, and Rabbi Meir holds the opposite.
Rabbi Yehuda and Divine Judgment
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 788:1
(במדבר לה כב-כח) וְאִם בְּפֶתַע. פְּרָט לְקֶרֶן זָוִית. "בְּלֹא אֵיבָה", פְּרָט לְשׂוֹנֵא. "הֲדָפוֹ", שֶׁדְּחָפוֹ בְּגוּפוֹ. "אוֹ הִשְׁלִיךָ עָלָיו", לְהָבִיא יְרִידָה שֶׁהִיא צֹרֶךְ עֲלִיָּה. "בְּלֹא צְדִיָּה", פְּרָט לְמִתְכַּוֵּן לְצַד זֶה וְהָלְכָה לָהּ לְצַד אַחֵר. (שמות כא, יג) "וַאֲשֶׁר לֹא צָדָה", פְּרָט לְמִתְכַּוֵּן לִזְרֹק שְׁתַּיִם וְזָרַק אַרְבַּע. "וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בַּיַּעַר", מַה יַּעַר רְשׁוּת לַנִּזָּק וְלַמַּזִּיק לִכָּנֵס לְשָׁם, אַף כָּל רְשׁוּת לַנִּזָּק וְלַמַּזִּיק לִכָּנֵס לְשָׁם. תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן הַסּוּמָא אֵינוֹ גוֹלֶה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "בְּלֹא רְאוֹת", לְמַעֵט אֶת הַסּוּמָא דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה. [רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר בְּלֹא רְאוֹת, לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּמָא], מַאי טַעֲמָא דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, דִּכְתִיב (דברים יט, ה) "וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בַּיַּעַר", אֲפִלּוּ סוּמָא, אָתָא בְּלֹא רְאוֹת מִעֲטֵיהּ, וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר, בְּלֹא רְאוֹת לְמַעֵט, וּ"בִּבְלִי דַּעַת" לְמַעֵט, הָוֵי מִעוּט אַחַר מִעוּט וְאֵין מִעוּט אַחַר מִעוּט אֶלָּא לְרַבּוֹת. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, "בִּבְלִי דַּעַת" פְּרָט לְמִתְכַּוֵּן הוּא דְּאָתָא. בְּלֹא רְאוֹת, לְהָבִיא אֶת הַזּוֹרֵק בַּלַּיְלָה. תַּנְיָא רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר סוּמָא אֵין לוֹ בֹּשֶׁת. מַאי טַעֲמָא דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה. דִּכְתִיב (דברים כה, יב) "לֹא תָחוֹס עֵינֶךָ", וּגְמַר "עֵינֶךָ" "עֵינֶךָ" מֵעֵדִים זוֹמְמִים, מַה הָתָם סוּמִין לָא, אַף הָכָא סוּמִין לָא. וְכֵן הָיָה רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פּוֹטְרוֹ מֵחַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין, אָתְיָא "רֹצֵחַ" "רֹצֵחַ" מְחַיָּבֵי גָּלֻיּוֹת. וְכֵן מֵחַיָּבֵי מַלְקִיּוֹת, אָתְיָא "רָשָׁע" "רָשָׁע" מֵחַיָּבֵי מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין. וְכֵן הָיָה רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פּוֹטְרוֹ מִכָּל דִּינִין שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, דַּאֲמַר קְרָא (להלן פסוק כד) וְשָׁפְטוּ הָעֵדָה בֵּין הַמַּכֶּה וּבֵין גֹּאֵל הַדָּם, כָּל שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ בְּמַכֶּה וּבְגוֹאֵל הַדָּם יֶשְׁנוֹ בְמִשְׁפָּטִים, וְכָל שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּמַכֶּה וְגוֹאֵל הַדָּם אֵינוֹ בְמִשְׁפָּטִים. אֲמַר רַב יוֹסֵף מֵרֵישׁ הֲוָה אָמֵינָא מָאן דַּאֲמַר לִי הֲלָכָה כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה עָבִידְנָא יוֹמָא טָבָא לְרַבָּנָן, דְּאֲמִינָא לָא מִפְקַדְנָא וְעָבִידְנָא מִצְוָה, כֵּיוָן דִּשְׁמָעִית לְהָא דַּאֲמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא גָּדוֹל הַמְצֻוֶּה וְעוֹשֶׂה מִמִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצֻוֶּה וְעוֹשֶׂה, מָאן דְּאָמַר לִי לֵית הִלְכָתָא כְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה עָבִידְנָא יוֹמָא טָבָא לְרַבָּנָן. וְכֵן הָיָה רַבִּי יְהוּדָה פּוֹטְרוֹ מִכֹּל הַמִצְוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, דַאֲמַר קְרָא, ("אֵלֶּה הַמִּצְוֹת) [וְזֹאת הַמִצְוָה] וְהַחֻקִּים וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִים", כָּל שֶׁיֶּשְׁנוֹ בְּמִשְׁפָּטִים יֶשְׁנוֹ בְּמִצְווֹת וְחֻקִּים, וְכֹל שֶׁאֵינוֹ בְּמִשְׁפָּטִים אֵינוֹ בְּמִצְווֹת וְחֻקִּים. בְּלֹא רְאוֹת. פְּרָט לְסוּמָא דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְכוּ'. אַלְמָא קָסְבַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה מִקְצַת יְדִיעָה לָאו כְּכָל יְדִיעָה, וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר אִפְּכָא. וְרָמִינְהוּ יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ נְדָרִים אֲבָל אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁיֵּשׁ מְפֵרִים, (נַעֲשֶׂה כְּמִי שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַע כְּלָל) [יָפֵר]. יוֹדֵעַ אֲנִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ מְפֵרִים [אֲבָל] אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁזֶּה נֶדֶר, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר לְעוֹלָם לֹא יָפֵר אֶלָּא אִם הוּא יוֹדֵעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַיּוֹם שֶׁהוּא נֶדֶר, וְלָא אָמְרִינָן מִקְצַת שְׁמִיעָה כְּכָל שְׁמִיעָה. וְרַבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר יָפֵר בְּתוֹךְ הַיּוֹם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא נֶדֶר, דְּאָמְרִינָן מִקְצַת שְׁמִיעָה כְּכָל שְׁמִיעָה. אֲמַר רָבָא הָכָא מֵעִנְיָנָא דִּקְרָא וְהָכָא מֵעִנְיָנָא דִּקְרָא, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה סְבַר גַּבֵּי רוֹצֵחַ כְּתִיב (דברים יט, ה) "וַאֲשֶׁר יָבֹא אֶת רֵעֵהוּ בַּיַּעַר" כָּל דְבַּר מֵיעַל יַעַר וְסוּמָא נַמֵּי בַּר מֵיעַל יַעַר, וְאִי אֲמַרְתְּ בְּלֹא רְאוֹת לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּמָא מִיַּעַר נָפְקָא לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא שְׁמַע מִ(י)נָהּ לְמַעֵט אֶת הַסּוּמָא. וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר סָבַר (שם, ד) "בִּבְלִי דַּעַת" כְּתִיב, כֹּל דְּבַר מֵידַע, וְסוּמָא לָאו בַּר מֵידַע הוּא, וְאִי אֲמַרְתְּ בְּלֹא רְאוֹת פְּרָט לְסוּמָא "מִבְּלִי דַּעַת" נָפְקָא לֵיהּ, אֶלָּא שְׁמַע מִ(י)נָהּ לְרַבּוֹת אֶת הַסּוּמָא, אֲבָל גַּבֵּי נְדָרִים כְּתִיב (במדבר ל, ח) "וְשָׁמַע אִישָׁהּ" "וְשָׁמַע אָבִיהָ", רַבִּי יְהוּדָה סָבַר מִקְצַת שְׁמִיעָה כְּכָל שְׁמִיעָה וְרַבִּי מֵאִיר סָבַר אִפְּכָא.