אֵין שָׁלִיחַ לִדְבַר עֲבֵירָה

ביטוי (אנגלית)

There is no agent for transgression

הגדרה (אנגלית)

There is no agency for committing a transgression. The agent himself is also guilty and responsible for his actions. The agent who carried out the transgression cannot excuse himself by claiming that he was merely an agent following the sender’s instructions.

("If he sent it by the hand of a competent person—the competent person is liable... there is no agent for transgression"—Kiddushin 42b, and also: "The rule among us is that there is no agent for transgression. The one who actually performs the transgression is the one whom the court punishes"—Maimonides, Commentary on the Mishnah, Tractate Terumot 6:3)