Question:
First off I would like to be makier tov the amazing work all of you rabbis are doing, may God give you the strength to continue to help Klal Yisroel have a better understanding of His torah and its ways. Chazak veamatz!
My question is regarding a Aruch Hashulchan in Hilchos Shabbat 242:18. He is explaining the topic of gufim muchlakin. Can you please explain this piece of Aruch Hashulchan in depth, it would be a great help.
Thank you, and God bless you.
Answer:
Thank you for the chizuk, it is greatly appreciated!
The Aruch Hashulchan is explaining the laws of a person who forgot that it was Shabbos or forgot that a certain action is prohibited on Shabbos, and therefore he mistakenly did melacha, numerous times. When do we consider it as separate actions and he would be liable to bring two “chatas” sacrifices in the Bais Hamikdash, and when they would be considered “one long forgetting” and he is obligated to being only one sacrifice.
He says that a person who did an av melacha, (i.e. he planted a seed), and one of its toldos, (watering the ground), would be obligated to bring only one chatas. This however would only apply if both actions were done on the same Shabbos. However, if he planted the seed on one Shabbos and the next week he watered it, of even if he planted another seed the next week, he now has to bring two chatas. Although it can be argued that he still forgot about the melacha of planting, which is only “one forgetting”, and he should be obligated to bring only one chatas? The reason is because each Shabbos is considered to be its own “unit”, and each one was transgressed independently, therefore each one has its own chatas. He forgot meleches zoreiah on this Shabbos and on the next Shabbos. Similar to a person who forgot about the prohibition of relations with a nida, and mistakenly had relations with two nida women. Each woman is a sin in of itself, and requires a separate chatas, even though the person forgot only one prohibition, since each woman is her own body and unit. The same is with transgressing the same melacha on different Shabbosos: each one is a unit for itself.
This applies even if the person didn’t forget the individual melacha, rather he forgot about the concept of Shabbos altogether. We might argue that it is still “one forgetting”, and even if he planted on two Shabbosos he would bring only one chatas? Nevertheless, he still has to bring two offerings. The reason is, since a whole week went by, it is impossible that he didn’t hear of Shabbos at sometime during the week. Therefore, it is considered as if he remembered between the two transgressions, and each Shabbos is considered like a separate forgetting, and requires a separate chatas.
Best wishes
