Mishnayos Avos Perek 3 Mishnah 8
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אבות פרק ג׳ משנה ח׳
Rabbi Dostai ben Rabbi Yannai said in the name of Rabbi Meir: whoever forgets one word of his study, scripture accounts it to him as if he were mortally guilty, as it is said, “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes” (Deuteronomy 4:9). One could [have inferred that this is the case] even when his study proved [too] hard for him, therefore scripture says, “that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live” (ibid.). Thus, he is not mortally guilty unless he deliberately removes them from his heart.
רַבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי בְּרַבִּי יַנַּאי מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַשּׁוֹכֵחַ דָּבָר אֶחָד מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ד) רַק הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ וּשְׁמֹר נַפְשְׁךָ מְאֹד פֶּן תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ. יָכוֹל אֲפִלּוּ תָקְפָה עָלָיו מִשְׁנָתוֹ, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (שם) וּפֶן יָסוּרוּ מִלְּבָבְךָ כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ, הָא אֵינוֹ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ עַד שֶׁיֵּשֵׁב וִיסִירֵם מִלִּבּוֹ:
Bartenura
כָּל הַשּׁוֹכֵחַ דָּבָר אֶחָד מִמִּשְׁנָתוֹ. בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁלֹּא חָזַר עָלֶיהָ, מַעֲלִין עָלָיו כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ. שֶׁמִּתּוֹךְ שִׁכְחָתוֹ הוּא בָּא לְהַתִּיר אֶת הָאָסוּר וְנִמְצֵאת תַּקָּלָה בָּאָה עַל יָדוֹ, וְשִׁגְגָתוֹ עוֹלָה זָדוֹן. אִי נַמִּי כְּאִלּוּ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּנַפְשׁוֹ, לְפִי שֶׁאוֹתָהּ מִשְׁנָה הָיְתָה מְשַׁמַּרְתּוֹ וְעַכְשָׁיו שֶׁשְּׁכָחָהּ אֵינָהּ מְשַׁמַּרְתּוֹ:
תָּקְפָה עָלָיו מִשְׁנָתוֹ. שֶׁהָיְתָה קָשָׁה עָלָיו וּמִתּוֹךְ הַקֹּשִׁי שֶׁבָּהּ שְׁכָחָהּ:
Rashi
תקפה. ששכחה בעל כרחו מפני שחמורה עליו:
"Anyone who forgets one matter from his studies": Since he did not review it, it is considered "as if he is liable for his life;" as from his forgetting, he will come to permit the forbidden. And it will come out that a calamity will come through him and his mistake will be counted as a willful transgression. And also (another explanation is), it is "as if he is liable for his life" - since that teaching was guarding him and now he forgot it, it no [longer] guards him.
"whose studies have overpowered him": As it was difficult for him, and on account of the difficulty in it, he forgot it.