Avera

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Avera (alternate spelling, averah) is a sin against man or God in Judaism. It comes from the Hebrew root ayin-bet-resh, meaning to pass over or cross over with the implied meaning of transgressing from a moral boundary. An avera may be trivial or serious and is the opposite of mitzva (commandment). The major averas which many Rabbinic sources say a person should let themselves be killed before transgressing them are idolatry, injury or killing of innocents, and behavior that is incestuous.

There are three categories of a person who commits an avera. The first one is someone who does an avera intentionally, or "B'mezid." This is the most serious category. The second is one who did an avera by accident. This is called "B'shogeg," and while the person is still responsible for their action it is considered less serious. The third category is someone who is a "Tinok Shenishba," which is a person who was raised in an environment that was assimilated or non-Jewish, and is not aware of the proper Jewish laws, or halacha. This person is not held accountable for their actions.

In addition to the categories of people who commit an avera, there are also two categories of the kinds of averot. These same categorization also apply to the mitzvot. The first category is called "Bayn Adam LaMakom" which translates as "Between a man and God". These transgressions are those that involve acts of defiance to God, whether they are not following the commandments that God has laid out for us, acts of apostasy, etc. The second category is called "Bayn Adam LaChaveiro" which translates as "Between a man and his friend." These are acts that are done between a man and another human being. Examples include harming another person, shaming them, misleading them, etc.