1. Septuagint, Numbers, 14.19 (10th cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
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2. Hebrew Bible, Deuteronomy, 9.25-9.29 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 9.25. וָאֶתְנַפַּל לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֵת אַרְבָּעִים הַיּוֹם וְאֶת־אַרְבָּעִים הַלַּיְלָה אֲשֶׁר הִתְנַפָּלְתִּי כִּי־אָמַר יְהוָה לְהַשְׁמִיד אֶתְכֶם׃ 9.26. וָאֶתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־יְהוָה וָאֹמַר אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה אַל־תַּשְׁחֵת עַמְּךָ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר פָּדִיתָ בְּגָדְלֶךָ אֲשֶׁר־הוֹצֵאתָ מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה׃ 9.27. זְכֹר לַעֲבָדֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב אַל־תֵּפֶן אֶל־קְשִׁי הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאֶל־רִשְׁעוֹ וְאֶל־חַטָּאתוֹ׃ 9.28. פֶּן־יֹאמְרוּ הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָנוּ מִשָּׁם מִבְּלִי יְכֹלֶת יְהוָה לַהֲבִיאָם אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר לָהֶם וּמִשִּׂנְאָתוֹ אוֹתָם הוֹצִיאָם לַהֲמִתָם בַּמִּדְבָּר׃ 9.29. וְהֵם עַמְּךָ וְנַחֲלָתֶךָ אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵאתָ בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדֹל וּבִזְרֹעֲךָ הַנְּטוּיָה׃ | 9.25. So I fell down before the LORD the forty days and forty nights that I fell down; because the LORD had said He would destroy you." 9.26. And I prayed unto the LORD, and said: ‘O Lord GOD, destroy not Thy people and Thine inheritance, that Thou hast redeemed through Thy greatness, that Thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand." 9.27. Remember Thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin;" 9.28. lest the land whence Thou broughtest us out say: Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which He promised unto them, and because He hated them, He hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness." 9.29. Yet they are Thy people and Thine inheritance, that Thou didst bring out by Thy great power and by Thy outstretched arm.’" |
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3. Hebrew Bible, Exodus, 32.32 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 32.32. וְעַתָּה אִם־תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְאִם־אַיִן מְחֵנִי נָא מִסִּפְרְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּתָבְתָּ׃ | 32.32. Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin—; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.’" |
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4. Hebrew Bible, Leviticus, 4.31, 4.35, 19.18 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 4.31. וְאֶת־כָּל־חֶלְבָּהּ יָסִיר כַּאֲשֶׁר הוּסַר חֵלֶב מֵעַל זֶבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן הַמִּזְבֵּחָה לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ לַיהוָה וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו הַכֹּהֵן וְנִסְלַח לוֹ׃ 4.35. וְאֶת־כָּל־חֶלְבָּה יָסִיר כַּאֲשֶׁר יוּסַר חֵלֶב־הַכֶּשֶׂב מִזֶּבַח הַשְּׁלָמִים וְהִקְטִיר הַכֹּהֵן אֹתָם הַמִּזְבֵּחָה עַל אִשֵּׁי יְהוָה וְכִפֶּר עָלָיו הַכֹּהֵן עַל־חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר־חָטָא וְנִסְלַח לוֹ׃ 19.18. לֹא־תִקֹּם וְלֹא־תִטֹּר אֶת־בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי יְהוָה׃ | 4.31. And all the fat thereof shall he take away, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make it smoke upon the altar for a sweet savour unto the LORD; and the priest shall make atonement for him, and he shall be forgiven." 4.35. And all the fat thereof shall he take away, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of peace-offerings; and the priest shall make them smoke on the altar, upon the offerings of the LORD made by fire; and the priest shall make atonement for him as touching his sin that he hath sinned, and he shall be forgiven." 19.18. Thou shalt not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD." |
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5. Hebrew Bible, Numbers, 15.25 (9th cent. BCE - 3rd cent. BCE)
| 15.25. וְכִפֶּר הַכֹּהֵן עַל־כָּל־עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְנִסְלַח לָהֶם כִּי־שְׁגָגָה הִוא וְהֵם הֵבִיאוּ אֶת־קָרְבָּנָם אִשֶּׁה לַיהוָה וְחַטָּאתָם לִפְנֵי יְהוָה עַל־שִׁגְגָתָם׃ | 15.25. And the priest shall make atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and they shall be forgiven; for it was an error, and they have brought their offering, an offering made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin-offering before the LORD, for their error." |
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6. Hebrew Bible, Isaiah, 62.1 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 62.1. לְמַעַן צִיּוֹן לֹא אֶחֱשֶׁה וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֹא אֶשְׁקוֹט עַד־יֵצֵא כַנֹּגַהּ צִדְקָהּ וִישׁוּעָתָהּ כְּלַפִּיד יִבְעָר׃ 62.1. עִבְרוּ עִבְרוּ בַּשְּׁעָרִים פַּנּוּ דֶּרֶךְ הָעָם סֹלּוּ סֹלּוּ הַמְסִלָּה סַקְּלוּ מֵאֶבֶן הָרִימוּ נֵס עַל־הָעַמִּים׃ | 62.1. For Zion’s sake will I not hold My peace, And for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, Until her triumph go forth as brightness, And her salvation as a torch that burneth." |
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7. Hebrew Bible, Jeremiah, 7.16, 11.14, 15.1, 50.40 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 7.16. וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַל־תִּשָּׂא בַעֲדָם רִנָּה וּתְפִלָּה וְאַל־תִּפְגַּע־בִּי כִּי־אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ אֹתָךְ׃ 11.14. וְאַתָּה אַל־תִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעַד־הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאַל־תִּשָּׂא בַעֲדָם רִנָּה וּתְפִלָּה כִּי אֵינֶנִּי שֹׁמֵעַ בְּעֵת קָרְאָם אֵלַי בְּעַד רָעָתָם׃ 15.1. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֵלַי אִם־יַעֲמֹד מֹשֶׁה וּשְׁמוּאֵל לְפָנַי אֵין נַפְשִׁי אֶל־הָעָם הַזֶּה שַׁלַּח מֵעַל־פָּנַי וְיֵצֵאוּ׃ 15.1. אוֹי־לִי אִמִּי כִּי יְלִדְתִּנִי אִישׁ רִיב וְאִישׁ מָדוֹן לְכָל־הָאָרֶץ לֹא־נָשִׁיתִי וְלֹא־נָשׁוּ־בִי כֻּלֹּה מְקַלְלַונִי׃ | 7.16. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me; for I will not hear thee." 11.14. Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto Me for their trouble.’" 15.1. Then said the LORD unto me: ‘Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people; cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth." 50.40. As when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah And the neighbour cities thereof, saith the LORD; So shall no man abide there, Neither shall any son of man dwell therein." |
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8. Hebrew Bible, Lamentations, 3.49 (8th cent. BCE - 5th cent. BCE)
| 3.49. עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגוֹת׃ | 3.49. Mine eye is poured out, and ceaseth not, Without any intermission," |
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9. Anon., Testament of Gad, 6.1-6.7 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE)
| 6.1. AND now, my children, I exhort you, love ye each one his brother, and put away hatred from your hearts, love one another in deed, and in word, and in the inclination of the soul. 6.2. For in the presence of my father I spake peaceably to Joseph; and when I had gone out, the spirit of hatred darkened my mind, and stirred up my soul to slay him. 6.3. Love ye one another from the heart; and if a man sin against thee, speak peaceably to him, and in thy soul hold not guile; and if he repent and confess, forgive him. 6.4. But if he deny it, do not get into a passion with him, lest catching the poison from thee he take to swearing and so thou sin doubly. 6.5. Let not another man hear thy secrets when engaged in legal strife, lest he come to hate thee and become thy enemy, and commit a great sin against thee; for ofttimes he addresseth thee guilefully or busieth himself about thee with wicked intent. 6.6. And though he deny it and yet have a sense of shame when reproved, give over reproving him. For be who denieth may repent so as not again to wrong thee; yea, he may also honour thee, and fear and be at peace with thee. 6.7. And if he be shameless and persist in his wrong-doing, even so forgive him from the heart, and leave to God the avenging. |
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10. Anon., Testament of Zebulun, 8.1-8.2 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. CE)
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11. Septuagint, Ecclesiasticus (Siracides), 8.5 (2nd cent. BCE - 2nd cent. BCE)
| 8.5. Do not reproach a man who is turning away from sin;remember that we all deserve punishment. |
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12. Anon., Didache, 11.7 (1st cent. CE - 2nd cent. CE)
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13. Mishnah, Yoma, 8.9 (1st cent. CE - 3rd cent. CE)
| 8.9. One who says: I shall sin and repent, sin and repent, they do not afford him the opportunity to repent. [If one says]: I shall sin and Yom HaKippurim will atone for me, Yom HaKippurim does not effect atonement. For transgressions between man and God Yom HaKippurim effects atonement, but for transgressions between man and his fellow Yom HaKippurim does not effect atonement, until he has pacified his fellow. This was expounded by Rabbi Elazar b. Azariah: “From all your sins before the Lord you shall be clean” (Leviticus 16:30) for transgressions between man and God Yom HaKippurim effects atonement, but for transgressions between man and his fellow Yom HaKippurim does not effect atonement, until he has pacified his fellow.. Rabbi Akiva said: Happy are you, Israel! Who is it before whom you become pure? And who is it that purifies you? Your Father who is in heaven, as it is said: “And I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean” (Ezekiel 36:25). And it further says: “O hope (mikveh) of Israel, O Lord” (Jeremiah 17:1--just as a mikveh purifies the unclean, so too does he Holy One, blessed be He, purify Israel." |
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14. New Testament, James, 5.15-5.16 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.15. and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 5.16. Confess your offenses to one another, and pray one for another, that you may be healed. The effective, earnest prayer of a righteous man is powerfully effective. |
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15. New Testament, Hebrews, 5.1, 7.27 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.1. For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 7.27. who doesn't need, like those high priests, to daily offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. For this he did once for all, when he offered up himself. |
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16. New Testament, Luke, 5.26, 23.34 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.26. Amazement took hold on all, and they glorified God. They were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today. 23.34. Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing."Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots. |
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17. New Testament, Mark, 2.5-2.10, 2.12, 2.23-2.28, 11.24-11.25 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 2.5. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven you. 2.6. But there were some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts 2.7. Why does this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God alone? 2.8. Immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in your hearts? 2.9. Which is easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say, 'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?' 2.10. But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins" -- he said to the paralytic -- 2.12. He arose, and immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this! 2.23. It happened that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain. 2.24. The Pharisees said to him, "Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on the Sabbath day? 2.25. He said to them, "Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and was hungry -- he, and they who were with him? 2.26. How he entered into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show bread, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave also to those who were with him? 2.27. He said to them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 2.28. Therefore the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath. 11.24. Therefore I tell you, all things whatever you pray and ask for, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. 11.25. Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father, who is in heaven, may also forgive you your transgressions. |
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18. New Testament, Matthew, 5.23-5.26, 5.43-5.48, 6.12-6.15, 9.2, 9.8 (1st cent. CE - 1st cent. CE)
| 5.23. If therefore you are offering your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has anything against you 5.24. leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. 5.25. Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him in the way; lest perhaps the prosecutor deliver you to the judge, and the judge deliver you to the officer, and you be cast into prison. 5.26. Most assuredly I tell you, you shall by no means get out of there, until you have paid the last penny. 5.43. You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor, and hate your enemy.' 5.44. But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you 5.45. that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. 5.46. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5.47. If you only greet your friends, what more do you do than others? Don't even the tax collectors do the same? 5.48. Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. 6.12. Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. 6.13. Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.' 6.14. For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6.15. But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 9.2. Behold, they brought to him a man who was paralyzed, lying on a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, cheer up! Your sins are forgiven you. 9.8. But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such authority to men. |
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19. Babylonian Talmud, Betzah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 32b. דקמתקן מנא באור נמי קא מתקן מנא תני ר' חייא חותכה באור בפי שתי נרות אמר רב נתן בר אבא אמר רב מוחטין את הפתילה ביום טוב מאי מוחטין אמר רב חנינא בר שלמיא (משמיה דרב) לעדויי חושכא,תני בר קפרא ו' דברים נאמרו בפתילה ג' להחמיר וג' להקל להחמיר אין גודלין אותה לכתחלה ביו"ט ואין מהבהבין אותה באור ואין חותכין אותה לשנים להקל ממעכה ביד ושורה בשמן וחותכה באור בפי שתי נרות,ואמר רב נתן בר אבא אמר רב עתירי בבל יורדי גיהנם הם כי הא דשבתאי בר מרינוס אקלע לבבל בעא מנייהו עסקא ולא יהבו ליה מזוני מיזן נמי לא זינוהו,אמר הני מערב רב קא אתו דכתיב (דברים יג, יח) ונתן לך רחמים ורחמך כל המרחם על הבריות בידוע שהוא מזרעו של אברהם אבינו וכל מי שאינו מרחם על הבריות בידוע שאינו מזרעו של אברהם אבינו,ואמר רב נתן בר אבא אמר רב כל המצפה על שלחן אחרים עולם חשך בעדו שנאמר (איוב טו, כג) נודד הוא ללחם איה ידע כי נכון בידו יום חשך רב חסדא אמר אף חייו אינן חיים,ת"ר ג' חייהן אינם חיים ואלו הן המצפה לשלחן חבירו ומי שאשתו מושלת עליו ומי שיסורין מושלין בגופו ויש אומרים אף מי שאין לו אלא חלוק אחד ות"ק אפשר דמעיין במניה:, big strongמתני׳ /strong /big אין שוברין את החרס ואין חותכין הנייר לצלות בו מליח,ואין גורפין תנור וכירים אבל מכבשין,ואין מקיפין שתי חביות לשפות עליהן את הקדרה ואין סומכין את הקדרה בבקעת וכן בדלת ואין מנהיגין את הבהמה במקל ביום טוב ורבי אלעזר בר' שמעון מתיר:, big strongגמ׳ /strong /big מ"ט משם דקא מתקן מנא,ואין גורפין תנור וכירים תני רב חייא בר יוסף קמיה דרב נחמן ואם אי אפשר לאפות אלא אם כן גורפו מותר דביתהו דר' חייא נפל לה אריחא בתנורא ביומא טבא אמר לה ר' חייא חזי דאנא רפתא מעלייתא בעינא א"ל רבא לשמעיה טוי לי בר אווזא ואזדהר מחרוכא,א"ל רבינא לרב אשי אמר לן רב אחא מהוצל דמר שרקין ליה תנורא ביומא טבא אמר ליה אנן ארקתא דפרת סמכינן והנ"מ הוא דצייריה מאתמול אמר רבינא וקטמא שרי:,ואין מקיפין שתי חביות: אמר רב נחמן אבנים של בית הכסא מותר לצדדן ביום טוב איתיביה רבה לרב נחמן אין מקיפין שתי חביות לשפות עליהן את הקדרה אמר ליה שאני התם משום דקא עביד אהלא,א"ל רבה זוטא לרב אשי אלא מעתה בנה אצטבא ביו"ט דלא עביד אהלא הכי נמי דשרי א"ל התם בנין קבע אסרה תורה בנין עראי לא אסרה תורה וגזרו רבנן על בנין עראי משום בנין קבע והכא משום כבודו לא גזרו ביה רבנן,אמר רב יהודה האי מדורתא מלמעלה למטה שרי מלמטה למעלה אסור | 32b. Is it because bhethereby bmends a vessel?If so, when one cuts it bin the fire, he is also preparing a vesselfor use. bRabbi Ḥiyya taughtin explanation: bHe cuts it by fire in the mouth of two candles.In other words, he does not simply cut a wick, but rather inserts a long wick into two lamps, which he subsequently lights in the middle. This indeed leads to the formation of two separate wicks, but only as a result of kindling two lamps. bRav Natan bar Abba saidthat bRav said: One may imoḥeta wick on a Festival.The term imoḥetwas unknown, and the Gemara therefore asks: bWhat isthe meaning of the word imoḥet /i? Rav Ḥanina bar Shelemya said in the name of Rav: To remove the dark;in other words, it is permitted to remove the burnt, charcoaled section to make the lamp shine more brightly., bBar Kappara taught: Six matters were stated with regard tothe ihalakhotof ba wickon a Festival, bthreeof which bare to be stringent and threeof which bare to be lenient.The three ihalakhot bto be stringentare: bOne may not spinor twist bit iab initioon a Festival, and one may not singe it in firebefore lighting it so that it will burn well, band one may not cut it into two.The three ihalakhot bto be lenientare: bOne may crush it by hand,as although it is prohibited to twist it into a wick, one may adjust its shape in an unusual manner; band one may soak it in oilso that it will later burn well; band one may cut it by fire in the mouth of two candles. /b,§ After citing one teaching in the name of Rav Natan bar Abba, the Gemara quotes a few more statements attributed to the same scholar. Since he is not mentioned often, Rav Natan’s teachings are arranged together, so that they can be remembered more easily. bRav Natan bar Abba saidthat bRav said: The wealthyJews bof Babylonia will descend to Gehennabecause they do not have compassion on others. This is illustrated by incidents bsuch as this: Shabbetai bar Marinus happened to come to Babylonia. He requestedtheir participation in ba business venture,to lend him money and receive half the profits in return, band they did not giveit to bhim.Furthermore, when he asked them bto sustain him with food, they likewise refused to sustain him. /b, bHe said: Thesewealthy people are not descendants of our forefathers, bbut they came from the mixed multitude, as it is written: “And show you compassion, and have compassion upon you,and multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 13:18), from which it is derived: bAnyone who has compassionfor God’s bcreatures, it is known that he is of the descendants of Abraham, our father, and anyone who does not have compassionfor God’s bcreatures, it is known that he is not of the descendants of Abraham, our father.Since these wealthy Babylonians do not have compassion on people, clearly they are not descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.,This is another teaching that bRav Natan bar Abba saidthat bRav said: Whoever looks to the table of othersfor his sustece, bthe world is dark for him.Everything looks bleak and hopeless to him, bfor it is stated: “He wanders abroad for bread: Where is it? He knows the day of darkness is ready at his hand”(Job 15:23). bRav Ḥisda said: Even his life is no life,as he receives no satisfaction from it.,In support of this last claim, the Gemara cites a ibaraitain which bthe Sages taught:There are bthreewhose blives are not lives, and they are as follows: One who looks to the table of othersfor his sustece; band one whose wife rulesover bhim; and one whose body is ruled by suffering. And some say: Even one who has only one robe.Since he cannot wash it properly, he suffers from lice and dirt. The Gemara comments: bAnd the first itanna /i,who did not include such a person, maintains: bIt is possiblefor him bto examine his clothesand remove the lice, which would alleviate his suffering., strongMISHNA: /strong bOne may not break earthenwareon a Festival. bAnd one may not cut paper in order to roast saltedfish bon it.Earthenware shards or pieces of paper that have been soaked in water were placed on the metal surface or in the oven in which the fish was roasted, so that it would not be burned by the heat., bAnd one may not sweep outanything that has fallen into ban oven or stovethat interferes with the baking, such as plaster. bBut one may press downand flatten any accumulated dust and ashes at the bottom of the oven, which might prevent it from lighting properly., bAnd one may not draw two barrels togetherin order bto place a pot on them,so that its contents will be cooked by a fire lit between the barrels. bAnd one may not prop a potthat does not stand straight bwith a piece of wood,in order to prevent it from falling. bAnd similarly, with a door. And one may not lead an animal with a stickin the public domain bon a Festival; and Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon, permitsit., strongGEMARA: /strong With regard to the issue of breaking earthenware and cutting paper, the Gemara explains: bWhat is the reasonfor this prohibition? bBecause oneis thereby bpreparing a vesselfor use.,It was taught in the mishna: bAnd one may not sweep out an oven or stove. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Yosef taught before Rav Naḥman: And if it is not possible to bake unless one sweeps it out, it is permitted.The Gemara relates an incident with regard bto the wife of Rabbi Ḥiyya: A part of a brick fell intoher boven on a Festival,preventing her from baking. bRav Ḥiyya said to her: See,you should know that bI want good-quality bread.He thereby stated that it would be impossible unless she removed the brick, making it permissible for her to do so. Similarly, bRava said to his attendant: Roast for me a duckin an oven, band be careful not to singeit. He thereby implied that the attendant may remove all impediments from the oven in order to fulfill this requirement because otherwise it would not be possible to cook without singeing.,In a related case, bRavina said to Rav Ashi: Rav Aḥa from Hutzal said to us that the master,Rav Ashi, allows his attendants bto plasterthe mouth of bthe oven for him on a Festival.This was done in order to ensure that the roasted or cooked dish would be fully prepared. Why does this not constitute the prohibited labor of kneading on a Festival? bHe said to him: We rely on the bank of the EuphratesRiver. We avoid the labor of kneading by taking sufficiently kneaded mud from the riverbank. The Gemara comments: bAnd this applies only when one wrappedor made some mark on the mud bthe day before,so that it not be imuktze /i. bRavina said: Andas for kneading with bashesfor this purpose, it is bpermitted,since the labor of kneading does not apply to ashes.,§ It was taught in the mishna: bOne may not draw two barrels togetherin order to place a pot on them. bRav Naḥman said:With regard to large bstones of a lavatory,upon which one sits to attend to his needs, bit is permitted to put them togetherin the proper manner, so that they may be used bon a Festival. Rabba raised an objection to Rav Naḥman:Wasn’t it taught that bone may not draw two barrels togetherin order bto place a pot on them?This seems to indicate that any arrangement resembling building is prohibited. bHe said to him: There,with regard to barrels, bit is different, because one makes a tent.It is not the drawing of the barrels close together that is prohibited. Rather, the placement of the pot over them forms a kind of covering, which is similar to building a tent., bRabba the Younger,so called to distinguish him from the more famous iamoraknown as Rabba, bsaid to Rav Ashi: However, ifthat is bso,then if, bon a Festival, one builta solid bbench [ iitztaba /i],without a gap below the seat, a situation in which bone does not make a tent, so too,will you say bthat it is permitted? He said to him:The two cases are not comparable: bThere,with regard to a proper construction, such as a bench, bthe Torah prohibitederecting ba permanent construction,but bthe Torah did not prohibiterecting ba temporary construction. The Sages,however, bdecreed againstcreating ba temporary constructionon a Festival bdue to a permanent construction.However, bhere,with regard to a lavatory, bdue to the dignityof the user, bthe Sages did not decree with regard to it. /b, bRav Yehuda said:With regard to bthis bonfire,in which the wood is arranged in the form of a house, if one arranges it bfrom above to below it is permitted,as this is not the regular manner of building. However, if one prepares it in the usual fashion, bfrom below to above, it is prohibited,for this is considered building. |
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20. Babylonian Talmud, Berachot, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 32a. דכתיב (מיכה ד, ו) ואשר הרעותי:,אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא אלמלא שלש מקראות הללו נתמוטטו רגליהם של שונאי ישראל,חד דכתיב ואשר הרעותי וחד דכתיב (ירמיהו יח, ו) הנה כחומר ביד היוצר כן אתם בידי בית ישראל וחד דכתיב (יחזקאל לו, כו) והסירותי את לב האבן מבשרכם ונתתי לכם לב בשר,רב פפא אמר מהכא (יחזקאל לו, כז) ואת רוחי אתן בקרבכם ועשיתי את אשר בחקי תלכו,ואמר רבי אלעזר משה הטיח דברים כלפי מעלה שנאמר (במדבר יא, ב) ויתפלל משה אל ה' אל תקרי אל ה' אלא על ה',שכן דבי רבי אליעזר בן יעקב קורין לאלפין עיינין ולעיינין אלפין,דבי רבי ינאי אמרי מהכא (דברים א, א) ודי זהב,מאי ודי זהב אמרי דבי ר' ינאי כך אמר משה לפני הקב"ה רבונו של עולם בשביל כסף וזהב שהשפעת להם לישראל עד שאמרו די הוא גרם שעשו את העגל,אמרי דבי ר' ינאי אין ארי נוהם מתוך קופה של תבן אלא מתוך קופה של בשר,אמר רבי אושעיא משל לאדם שהיתה לו פרה כחושה ובעלת אברים האכילה כרשינין והיתה מבעטת בו אמר לה מי גרם ליך שתהא מבעטת בי אלא כרשינין שהאכלתיך,אמר רבי חייא בר אבא אמר ר' יוחנן משל לאדם אחד שהיה לו בן הרחיצו וסכו והאכילו והשקהו ותלה לו כיס על צוארו והושיבו על פתח של זונות מה יעשה אותו הבן שלא יחטא,אמר רב אחא בריה דרב הונא אמר רב ששת היינו דאמרי אינשי מלי כריסיה זני בישי שנאמר (הושע יג, ו) כמרעיתם וישבעו שבעו וירם לבם על כן שכחוני רב נחמן אמר מהכא (דברים ח, יד) ורם לבבך ושכחת את ה' ורבנן אמרי מהכא (דברים לא, כ) ואכל ושבע ודשן ופנה,ואי בעית אימא מהכא (דברים לב, טו) וישמן ישרון ויבעט אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר רבי יונתן מנין שחזר הקדוש ברוך הוא והודה לו למשה שנאמר (הושע ב, י) וכסף הרביתי להם וזהב עשו לבעל:,(שמות לב, ז) וידבר ה' אל משה לך רד מאי לך רד אמר רבי אלעזר אמר לו הקדוש ב"ה למשה משה רד מגדולתך כלום נתתי לך גדולה אלא בשביל ישראל ועכשיו ישראל חטאו אתה למה לי מיד תשש כחו של משה ולא היה לו כח לדבר וכיון שאמר (דברים ט, יד) הרף ממני ואשמידם אמר משה דבר זה תלוי בי מיד עמד ונתחזק בתפלה ובקש רחמים,משל למלך שכעס על בנו והיה מכהו מכה גדולה והיה אוהבו יושב לפניו ומתירא לומר לו דבר אמר המלך אלמלא אוהבי זה שיושב לפני הרגתיך אמר דבר זה תלוי בי מיד עמד והצילו:,(שמות לב, י) ועתה הניחה לי ויחר אפי בהם ואכלם ואעשה אותך לגוי גדול וגו' אמר רבי אבהו אלמלא מקרא כתוב אי אפשר לאומרו מלמד שתפסו משה להקדוש ברוך הוא כאדם שהוא תופס את חבירו בבגדו ואמר לפניו רבונו של עולם אין אני מניחך עד שתמחול ותסלח להם:,(שמות לב, י) ואעשה אותך לגוי גדול וגו' אמר רבי אלעזר אמר משה לפני הקדוש ב"ה רבונו של עולם ומה כסא של שלש רגלים אינו יכול לעמוד לפניך בשעת כעסך כסא של רגל אחד על אחת כמה וכמה,ולא עוד אלא שיש בי בושת פנים מאבותי עכשיו יאמרו ראו פרנס שהעמיד עליהם בקש גדולה לעצמו ולא בקש עליהם רחמים:,(שמות לב, יא) ויחל משה את פני ה' אמר רבי אלעזר מלמד שעמד משה בתפלה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא עד שהחלהו ורבא אמר עד שהפר לו נדרו כתיב הכא ויחל וכתיב התם (במדבר ל, ג) לא יחל דברו ואמר מר הוא אינו מיחל אבל אחרים מחלין לו,ושמואל אמר מלמד שמסר עצמו למיתה עליהם שנאמר (שמות לב, לב) ואם אין מחני נא מספרך,אמר רבא אמר רב יצחק מלמד שהחלה עליהם מדת רחמים,ורבנן אמרי מלמד שאמר משה לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע חולין הוא לך מעשות כדבר הזה,ויחל משה את פני ה' תניא רבי אליעזר הגדול אומר מלמד שעמד משה בתפלה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא עד שאחזתו אחילו מאי אחילו אמר רבי אלעזר אש של עצמות מאי אש של עצמות אמר אביי אשתא דגרמי,(שמות לב, יג) זכור לאברהם ליצחק ולישראל עבדיך אשר נשבעת להם בך מאי בך אמר רבי אלעזר אמר משה לפני הקדוש ב"ה רבונו של עולם אלמלא נשבעת להם בשמים ובארץ הייתי אומר כשם ששמים וארץ בטלים כך שבועתך בטלה ועכשיו שנשבעת להם בשמך הגדול מה שמך הגדול חי וקיים לעולם ולעולמי עולמים כך שבועתך קיימת לעולם ולעולמי עולמים:,(שמות לב, יג) ותדבר אליהם ארבה את זרעכם ככוכבי השמים וכל הארץ הזאת אשר אמרתי האי אשר אמרתי אשר אמרת מיבעי ליה,אמר רבי אלעזר עד כאן דברי תלמיד מכאן ואילך דברי הרב ורבי שמואל בר נחמני אמר אלו ואלו דברי תלמיד אלא כך אמר משה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא רבונו של עולם דברים שאמרת לי לך אמור להם לישראל בשמי הלכתי ואמרתי להם בשמך עכשיו מה אני אומר להם:,(במדבר יד, טז) מבלתי יכולת ה' יכול ה' מיבעי ליה,אמר רבי אלעזר אמר משה לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע עכשיו יאמרו אומות העולם תשש כחו כנקבה ואינו יכול להציל אמר הקב"ה למשה והלא כבר ראו נסים וגבורות שעשיתי להם על הים אמר לפניו רבונו של עולם עדיין יש להם לומר למלך אחד יכול לעמוד לשלשים ואחד מלכים אינו יכול לעמוד,אמר ר' יוחנן מנין שחזר הקדוש ברוך הוא והודה לו למשה שנאמר (במדבר יד, כ) ויאמר ה' סלחתי כדברך תני דבי רבי ישמעאל כדבריך עתידים אוה"ע לומר כן,אשרי תלמיד שרבו מודה לו,(במדבר יד, כא) ואולם חי אני אמר רבא אמר רב יצחק מלמד שאמר לו הקדוש ב"ה למשה משה החייתני בדבריך:,דרש רבי שמלאי לעולם יסדר אדם שבחו של הקב"ה ואחר כך יתפלל מנלן ממשה דכתיב (דברים ג, כג) ואתחנן אל ה' בעת ההיא וכתיב ה' אלהים אתה החלות להראות את עבדך את גדלך ואת ידך החזקה אשר מי אל בשמים ובארץ אשר יעשה כמעשיך וכגבורותיך וכתיב בתריה אעברה נא ואראה את הארץ הטובה וגו':,(סימן מעשי"ם צדק"ה קרב"ן כה"ן תעני"ת מנע"ל ברז"ל): | 32a. bAs it is writtenin a future prophecy: “In that day, says the Lord, I will assemble the lame, and I will gather those who are abandoned and bthose with whom I have dealt in wickedness”(Micah 4:6). God states that He caused Israel to act wickedly.,Similarly, bRabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, said: Had it not been for these three verses, the legs of the enemies of Israel,a euphemism for Israel itself, bwould have collapsed, asIsrael would have been unable to withstand God’s judgment., bOneis the verse just mentioned in which bit is written: “Those whom I have dealt in wickedness.” And oneis the verse in which bit is written: “Behold, like clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, house of Israel”(Jeremiah 18:6). bAnd oneis the verse in which bit is written:“And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit I will place within you, band I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh”(Ezekiel 36:26). These three verses indicate that God influences a person’s decisions, and therefore one does not have sole responsibility for his actions., bRav Pappa saidthere is a clearer proof bfrom here: “And I will place My spirit within you and I will cause you to walk in My statutes,and you will observe My decrees and do them” (Ezekiel 36:27)., bAnd Rabbi Elazar said: Mosesalso bspoke impertinently towardGod bon High, as it is statedin the verse following the sin of those who murmured against God in the desert: b“And Moses prayed to the Lordand the fire subsided” (Numbers 11:2), and this verse is interpreted homiletically: bDo not read to [ iel /i] the Lord,but rather bonto [ ial /i] the Lord,which indicates that he spoke impertinently.,The Gemara explains the basis for this interpretation: bAsthe Sages bof the school of Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov wouldindiscriminately bread ialefas iayinand iayinas ialef /iand in this case transforming ielinto ial /i.,The Sages of bthe school of Rabbi Yannai,however, bsayproof that Moses spoke impertinently toward God on High is derived bfrom here,Moses’ rebuke at the beginning of Deuteronomy: b“And Di Zahav”(Deuteronomy 1:1). This is an entry in a list of places where Moses had spoken to Israel. As there was no place encountered by that name, it is interpreted as an allusion to another matter.,We must clarify: bWhat isthe meaning of band Di Zahav?The Sages of bthe school of Rabbi Yannai said that Moses said the following before the Holy One, Blessed be He,to atone for Israel after the sin of the Golden Calf: bMaster of the Universe, because of the gold and silver that you lavished upon Israelduring the exodus from Egypt buntil they said enough [ idai /i];it was this wealth bthat causedIsrael bto make theGolden bCalf. /b,Establishing a general moral principle, the Sages bthe school of Rabbi Yannai said: A lion does not roarstanding bover a basket of strawfrom which he derives no pleasure, bbuthe roars standing bover a basket of meat,as he only roars when satiated.,Similarly, bRabbi Oshaya said:This is bcomparable to a person who had a lean, but large-limbed cow.At one point, bhe fed it lupines,a choice food, bandsoon thereafter the cow bwas kicking him. He said tothe cow: bWho caused youto begin bkicking me if not the lupines I fed you?Here, too, the sin was caused by an abundance of good.,The Gemara offers another analogy: bRabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba saidthat bRabbi Yoḥa said:This is bcomparable to a person who had a son; he bathed him and anointed himwith oil, bfed him and gave him drink, and hung a purseof money baround his neck.Then, he bbroughthis son bto the entrance of a brothel. What could the son do to avoid sinning? /b,On a similar note, bRav Aḥa, son of Rav Huna, saidthat bRav Sheshet said: That is what people sayin a popular maxim: bFilling his stomach is a type of sin, as it is stated: “When they were fed and became full they were sated, and their hearts were lifted and they have forgotten Me”(Hosea 13:6). bRav Naḥman said:This principle is derived not from the verse in Hosea, but bfrom here: “And your heart is lifted and you forget the Lord”(Deuteronomy 8:14). bAnd the Rabbis saythat this principle is derived bfrom here: “And they will have eaten and been sated and fattened, and they will turnto other gods” (Deuteronomy 31:20)., bAnd if you wish, sayinstead that it is derived bfrom here: “And Jeshurun grew fat and kicked”(Deuteronomy 32:15). bRabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani saidthat bRabbi Yonatan said: From wherein the Torah is it derived that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, ultimately conceded to Mosesthat the reason for the sin of the Golden Calf was indeed the riches lavished upon Israel? bAs it is stated: “And I gave them an abundance of silver and gold, which they used for the Ba’al”(Hosea 2:10).,The Gemara elaborates upon additional aspects of the sin of the Golden Calf. It is stated: b“And the Lord said to Moses: Go and descend,for your people whom you have lifted out of the land of Egypt have been corrupted” (Exodus 32:7). bWhat isthe meaning of b“go and descend”? Rabbi Elazar said: The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, descend from your greatness. Isn’t it only for the sake of Israel,so that you may serve as an emissary, bthat I granted you prominence; and now that Israel has sinned, why do Ineed byou?There is no need for an emissary. bImmediately, Moses’ strength waned and he was powerless to speakin defense of Israel. bAnd onceGod bsaidto Moses: b“Leave Me be, that I may destroy them”(Deuteronomy 9:14), bMoses saidto himself: If God is telling me to let Him be, it must be because bthis matter is dependent upon me. Immediately Moses stood and was strengthened in prayer, and askedthat God have bmercyon the nation of Israel and forgive them for their transgression.,The Gemara says: This is bcomparable to a king who became angry at his sonwho had sinned against him, band beat him,administering ba severe beating.At that moment, ba well-wisherof the king bwas sitting before himand witnessed the entire event, band was afraid to say anything tothe king about the excessive beating. Meanwhile, bthe king saidto his son: bWere it not for this well-wisher of mine who is sitting before me, I would have killed you.Upon hearing this, the king’s friend bsaidto himself: This is clearly a sign that bthis matter,rescuing the son from the hands of his father, bis dependent upon me. Immediately he stood and rescued himfrom the king.,In an additional aspect of the sin of the Golden Calf, God told Moses: b“Now leave Me be, that My wrath will be enraged against them and I will consume them; and I will make of you a great nation”(Exodus 32:10). Explaining this verse, bRabbi Abbahu said: Were the verse not writtenin this manner, bit would be impossible to utterit, in deference to God. The phrase: Leave Me be, bteaches that Moses grabbed the Holy One, Blessed be He, as a person who grabs his friend by his garmentwould, band he said before Him: Master of the Universe, I will not leave You be until You forgive and pardon them. /b,In the same verse, God promised Moses: b“And I will make of you a great nation.”What was Moses’ response? bRabbi Elazar said: Moses said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, if a chair with three legs,the collective merit of the three forefathers, bis unable to stand before You in Your moment of wrath, all the more sothat ba chair with one leg,my merit alone, will be unable to withstand your wrath., bMoreover, but I havea sense of bshame before my forefathers. Nowthey will bsay: Seethis bleader thatGod bplaced overIsrael. bHe requested greatness for himself but did not pray forGod to have bmercy upon themin their troubled time.,The Torah continues: b“And Moses beseeched [ ivayḥal /i] before the Lord”(Exodus 32:11). Many interpretations were given for this uncommon term, ivayḥal /i: bRabbi Elazar said:It bteaches that Moses stood in prayer before the Holy One, Blessed be He, until it made him ill [iheḥelahub]from overexertion. bAnd Rava said:Moses stood in prayer buntil he nullified His vow,as the term ivayḥalalludes to nullification of an oath. bHere it is written ivayḥal /i, and therereferring to vows, bit is written: “He shall not nullify [ ilo yaḥel /i] his word”(Numbers 30:3). bAndwith regard to vows, bthe Master said: Hewho vowed bcannot nullifyhis vow, bbut others,the court, bcan nullifyhis vow bfor him.Here, it is as if Moses nullified the Lord’s vow to destroy Israel., bAnd Shmuel said:The term ivayḥal bteaches thatMoses bgave his life,from the term iḥalal /i, a dead person, bforIsrael, bas it is stated: “And if not, erase me, please, from Your book”(Exodus 32:32)., bRava,also interpreting this verse, bsaidthat bRav Yitzḥak said:The term ivayḥal bteaches that he caused the Divine Attribute of Mercy to take effect [ iheḥela /i] upon them. /b, bAnd the Rabbis saythat this term constitutes the essence of Moses’ claim: bIt teaches that Moses said before the Holy One Blessed be He: Master of the Universe! It is a sacrilege [ iḥullin /i] for You to do something like this. /b,And another interpretation of the verse, b“And Moses beseeched [ ivayḥal /i] before the Lord.” It was taughtin a ibaraita /i: bRabbi Eliezer the Great says: Thisterm bteaches that Moses stood in prayer before the Holy One, Blessed be He, until he was overcome by iaḥilu /i.Even the Sages were unfamiliar with this term. Therefore, the Gemara asks: bWhat isthe meaning of iaḥilu /i? Rabbi Elazar,an iamoraof Eretz Yisrael, bsaidthat iaḥiluis bfire in the bones.However, this expression was familiar in Eretz Yisrael but not in Babylonia. They asked in Babylonia: bWhat isthe disease that they called bfire of the bones? Abaye saidthat is a disease known in Babylonia as ieshta degarmei /i,which in Aramaic means bfire of the bones;in other words, a fever.,As Moses continues his prayer, he says: b“Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel Your servants, to whom You swore in Your name”(Exodus 32:13). bWhat isthe meaning of bin Your name? Rabbi Elazar said: Moses said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, had You sworn to them by the heavens and the earth, I would say: Just as the heavens and the earth willultimately bbe no more, so too Your oath will be null and void. Now that You swore to them by Your great name, just as Your name lives and stands for all eternity, so too does Your oath live and stand for all eternity. /b,In this verse, Moses continues: b“And You said to them: I will make your offspring as numerous as the stars of heaven, and all this land of which I have spokenI will give to your offspring that they shall inherit it forever.” The Gemara clarifies a puzzling phrase in this verse. bThatphrase bof which I have spoken, it shouldhave said: bof which You have spoken,as Moses is referring to God’s promise to the forefathers., bRabbi Elazar said: To thispoint, the verse cites bthe words of the student,Moses; bfrom this point,and all this land of which I have spoken, the verse cites bthe words of the Master,God. bAnd Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: These and those are the words of the student;Moses spoke the entire verse. bRather, Moses said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, those matters which You told me to go and say to Israel in My name, I went and toldit bto them in Your name.I have already told Israel of God’s promise to the forefathers. bNow what do I say to them? /b,The Gemara moves to a discussion of additional prayers offered by Moses. Moses said that if God fails to bring the Jewish people into Eretz Yisrael, the nations of the world will say: b“The Lord did not have the ability [ iyekholet /i]to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, and He killed them in the desert” (Numbers 14:16). The Gemara examines this verse closely: The verse should not have utilized the term iyekholet /i, an abstract feminine noun, but rather, bit should have said: “The Lordwas not bable [ iyakhol /i],”a masculine verb., bRabbi Elazar said: Mosesphrased it that way because he bsaid before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, now the nations of the world will say that His strength weakened like a female and He is unable to rescuethe nation of Israel. bThe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: And didthe nations of the world bnot already see the miracles and the mightyacts bthat I performed on behalf ofIsrael bat theRed bSea?Moses bsaid before Him: Master of the Universe, they can still say:The Lord bcan standup bto a single kinglike Pharaoh and defeat him, but bHe is unable to standup bto the thirty-one kingsin the land of Canaan., bRabbi Yoḥa said: From whereis it derived that bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, ultimately conceded to Moses? As it is said: “And the Lord said: I have forgiven according to your word”(Numbers 14:20). The Sages bof the school of Rabbi Yishmael taught: According to your word,it will be, as indeed bin the future the nations of the world will say this. /b,The Gemara concludes: bHappy is the student whose teacher concedes to himas the Lord conceded to Moses.,Explaining the next verse, b“Nevertheless, as I live,and the glory of the Lord fills the entire world” (Numbers 14:21), bRava saidthat bRav Yitzḥak said:This bteachesthat bthe Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, you have given Me life with your words.I am happy that on account of your arguments, I will forgive Israel.,Based on Moses’ prayers, bRabbi Simlai taught: One should always set forth praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and then prayfor his own needs. bFrom where do wederive that one should conduct himself in this manner? bFrom Moses, as it is writtenin his prayer: b“And I beseeched the Lord at that time”(Deuteronomy 3:23). bAndimmediately afterward in his prayer, bit is written: “Lord, God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness and Your strong hand, for what God is there in the heavens or on earth who can perform deeds such as Yours and Your might”(Deuteronomy 3:24)? Here, Moses began with praise of God, band it isonly bthereafterthat bit is written: “Please, let me pass over and see the good landthat is beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and the Lebanon” (Deuteronomy 3:25). Only after his praise did Moses make his personal request.,The Gemara prefaces the next discourse with ba mnemonic symbol: Deeds, charity, offering, priest, fast, shoe, iron. /b |
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21. Babylonian Talmud, Rosh Hashanah, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 17b. למי שמשים עצמו כשירים,רב הונא רמי כתיב (תהלים קמה, יז) צדיק ה' בכל דרכיו וכתיב וחסיד בכל מעשיו בתחלה צדיק ולבסוף חסיד,רבי אלעזר רמי כתיב (תהלים סב, יג) ולך ה' חסד וכתיב כי אתה תשלם לאיש כמעשהו בתחלה כי אתה תשלם כמעשהו ולבסוף ולך ה' חסד,אילפי ואמרי לה אילפא רמי כתיב (שמות לד, ו) ורב חסד וכתיב ואמת בתחלה ואמת ולבסוף ורב חסד,ויעבור ה' על פניו ויקרא א"ר יוחנן אלמלא מקרא כתוב אי אפשר לאומרו מלמד שנתעטף הקב"ה כשליח צבור והראה לו למשה סדר תפלה אמר לו כל זמן שישראל חוטאין יעשו לפני כסדר הזה ואני מוחל להם,ה' ה' אני הוא קודם שיחטא האדם ואני הוא לאחר שיחטא האדם ויעשה תשובה אל רחום וחנון,אמר רב יהודה ברית כרותה לי"ג מדות שאינן חוזרות ריקם שנאמר (שמות לד, י) הנה אנכי כורת ברית,אמר ר' יוחנן גדולה תשובה שמקרעת גזר דינו של אדם שנא' (ישעיהו ו, י) השמן לב העם הזה ואזניו הכבד ועיניו השע פן יראה בעיניו ובאזניו ישמע ולבבו יבין ושב ורפא לו,א"ל רב פפא לאביי ודלמא לפני גזר דין א"ל ורפא לו כתיב איזהו דבר שצריך רפואה הוי אומר זה גזר דין,מיתיבי השב בינתים מוחלין לו לא שב בינתים אפילו הביא כל אילי נביות שבעולם אין מוחלין לו לא קשיא הא ביחיד הא בצבור,מיתיבי (דברים יא, יב) עיני ה' אלהיך בה עתים לטובה עתים לרעה עתים לטובה כיצד הרי שהיו ישראל רשעים גמורין בראש השנה ופסקו להם גשמים מועטים לסוף חזרו בהן להוסיף עליהן אי אפשר שכבר נגזרה גזרה אלא הקב"ה מורידן בזמנן על הארץ הצריכה להן הכל לפי הארץ,עתים לרעה כיצד הרי שהיו ישראל צדיקים גמורין בר"ה ופסקו עליהן גשמים מרובין לסוף חזרו בהן לפחות מהן אי אפשר שכבר נגזרה גזרה אלא הקב"ה מורידן שלא בזמנן על הארץ שאינה צריכה להן,לטובה מיהא ליקרעיה לגזר דינייהו ולוסיף להו שאני התם דאפשר בהכי,ת"ש (תהלים קז, כג) יורדי הים באניות עושי מלאכה במים רבים המה ראו מעשי ה' וגו' ויאמר ויעמד רוח סערה ותרומם גליו יחוגו וינועו כשכור וגו' ויצעקו אל ה' בצר להם וגו' יודו לה' חסדו וגו',עשה להן סימניות כאכין ורקין שבתורה לומר לך צעקו קודם גזר דין נענין צעקו לאחר גזר דין אינן נענין,הני נמי כיחידין דמו,ת"ש שאלה בלוריא הגיורת את רבן גמליאל כתיב בתורתכם (דברים י, יז) אשר לא ישא פנים וכתיב (במדבר ו, כו) ישא ה' פניו אליך,נטפל לה רבי יוסי הכהן אמר לה אמשול לך משל למה הדבר דומה לאדם שנושה בחבירו מנה וקבע לו זמן בפני המלך ונשבע לו בחיי המלך הגיע זמן ולא פרעו בא לפייס את המלך ואמר לו עלבוני מחול לך לך ופייס את חבירך הכא נמי כאן בעבירות שבין אדם למקום כאן בעבירות שבין אדם לחבירו,עד שבא ר"ע ולימד | 17b. That is to say, God forgives sins only bfor one who regards himself as a remainder,i.e., of only secondary importance.,§ bRav Huna raised a contradictionbetween the two halves of a verse. bIt is written: “The Lord is righteous [ itzaddik /i] in all His ways”(Psalms 145:17), indicating that God acts in accordance with the attribute of strict justice [ itzedek /i], bandthen bit is writtenin the same verse: b“And kind [ iḥasid /i] in all His works,”implying that He acts with grace and loving-kindness [ iḥesed /i], going beyond the letter of the law. Rav Huna explained: bInitially,at the time of judgment, bHe is righteous, but in the end,at the time of punishment, bHe is gracious. /b, bRabbi Elazar raised asimilar bcontradiction: It is written: “But to you, O Lord, belongs kindness”(Psalms 62:13), implying that God acts beyond the letter of the law, bandthen bit is writtenin the same verse: b“For You render to a man according to his deeds,”implying that He rewards and punishes measure for measure. Rabbi Elazar answered: bInitially,at the time of judgment: b“For You render to a man according to his deeds”; but in the end,at the time of punishment: b“But to You, O Lord, belongs kindness.” /b, bIlfai, and some sayit was the Sage bIlfa,also braised a contradiction: It is writtenin the list of God’s attributes: b“And abundant in kindness”(Exodus 34:6), band it is writtenin the same verse: b“And truth,”which implies the attribute of justice. He answered: bInitially,at the time of judgment: b“And truth,”i.e., God employs strict justice, bbut in the end,when He sees that the world cannot survive on judgment based only on truth and justice: b“And abundant in kindness,”i.e., He is merciful.,§ The verse states: b“And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed”(Exodus 34:6). bRabbi Yoḥa said: Were it notexplicitly bwritten in the verse, it would be impossible to say this,as it would be insulting to God’s honor. The verse bteaches that the Holy One, Blessed be He, wrapped Himselfin a prayer shawl blike a prayer leader and showed Mosesthe structure of the border ofthe bprayer. He said to him: Whenever the Jewish people sin, let them act before Me in accordance with this order.Let the prayer leader wrap himself in a prayer shawl and publicly recite the thirteen attributes of mercy, band I will forgive them. /b,The verse continues: b“The Lord, the Lord,”and it should be understood as follows: bI am He before a person sins, and I am He after a person sins and performs repentance,as God does not recall for him his first sins, since He is always b“God, merciful and gracious”(Exodus 34:6)., bRav Yehuda said: A covet was made with the thirteen attributes that they will not return empty-handed,meaning that if one mentions them, he will certainly be answered, bas it is statedin this regard: b“Behold, I make a covet”(Exodus 34:10).,§ bRabbi Yoḥa said: Great is repentance, for it tears up the sentenceissued bagainst a person, as it is stated: “Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and smear over their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and they will return, and be healed”(Isaiah 6:10), implying that if indeed they return and repent, they will be healed from all their sins., bRav Pappa said to Abaye: But perhapsthis was said bbefore the sentencewas issued, but after one’s sentence has been decreed repentance no longer helps. Abaye bsaid to him: It is writtenhere: “And they will return band be healed”(Isaiah 6:10). bWhat requires healing?An illness does. Consequently, byou must saythat the reference here is to ba sentencethat has already been issued, and even so, after repentance, they will be healed.,The Gemara braises an objectionfrom a ibaraita /i: If bone repents in the meantime,between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, bhe is forgiven;if bhe does not repent in the meantime,then beven if helater bbringsas offerings ball the rams of Nebaioth in the world,which are of the best quality, bthey do not forgive himin the Heavenly court. This implies that once one’s sentence has been decreed, even repentance cannot alter it. The Gemara answers: bThisis bnot difficult: Here,where repentance is effective only before the sentence on Yom Kippur, the ibaraitais referring to repentance bof an individual; there,where forgiveness is granted even after a sentence is issued, it is referring to bcommunalrepentance.,The Gemara braises an objectionfrom another ibaraita /i: The verse states: “A land which the Lord your God cares for; bthe eyes of the Lord your God arealways bupon it”(Deuteronomy 11:12). God’s constant providence over Eretz Yisrael is bsometimes forthe bgoodand bsometimes forthe bbad. Sometimes forthe bgood; how so? If the Jews were wholly wicked on Rosh HaShana, so thatonly ba meageramount of brain was decreed for themfor the year, but bin the end they repented,what can be done? bTo addrain bis impossible, as the decree was already issued. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, causesthose sparse rains bto fall at theappropriate btimes on land that needs it,e.g., fields, vineyards, and gardens, ball according torequirements of bthe land,and those rains are just as effective as a lot of rain., bSometimes for bad; how so? If the Jewish people were wholly righteous on Rosh HaShana, so that much rain was decreed for themfor that year, but bin the end they regressedand sinned, what can be done? bTo reducethe amount of rain bis impossible, as the decree was already issued. Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, causesthe rain bto fall not at theappropriate btime,and bon land that does not need it,e.g., forests and deserts, and the ample rain is no more beneficial than meager rain.,The Gemara asks: When it is bfor good, however, let Him tear up their sentence and addto the rain that had originally been decreed for them. Since the ibaraitaexplains that God does not do so, it implies that an evil sentence cannot be rescinded, even if the entire community fully repents. The Gemara answers: bIt is different there, because it is possibleto achieve the same result bin thismanner, by causing the rain to fall at the proper time and in the proper place, without rescinding the original sentence., bComeand bheara proof from a different ibaraita /i: The psalm states: b“They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; these saw the works of the Lord,and His wonders in the deep” (Psalms 107:23–24). The psalm continues: b“For He commanded, and raised the stormy wind, which lifted up the waves thereof…They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man,and are at their wits’ end” (Psalms 107:25–27). It continues further: b“Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble,and He brings them out of their distresses” (Psalms 107:28). And finally, b“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His mercy,and for His wonderful works to the children of men” (Psalms 107:31)., bMarkers were inserted herebefore each one of verses 23 through 28. These markers, which are the letter inuninverted, bare similarin meaning bto thewords bbut and only in the Torah,to tell us that just as the Torah’s words are precise and cannot be changed, so too, these people cannot have their sentence changed. This btells youthat if bthey cried out before the sentencewas issued, bthey are answered,but if bthey cried outonly bafter the sentencewas issued, bthey are not answered. /b,The Gemara answers: This is not difficult, for bthosewho go down to the sea in ships bare also considered like individuals.Even if there are many such people, they do not constitute an entire community but only a small defined group within it.,The Gemara continues: bComeand bhear: Beloreya the convertonce basked Rabban Gamliel: It is written in your Torah:“The great, mighty, and awesome God bwho favors no one”(Deuteronomy 10:17), bandelsewhere bit is written: “The Lord shall show favor to youand give you peace” (Numbers 6: 26). How can this contradiction be resolved?, bRabbi Yosei the priest joinedthe conversation with bher and said: I will tell you a parable. To what is this matter comparable? To a person who lent his friend one hundreddinars band fixed a timefor repayment of the loan bbefore the king, andthe borrower btook an oath by the life of the kingthat he would repay the money. bThe time arrived, and he did not repaythe loan. The delinquent borrower bcame to appease the kingfor not fulfilling the oath that he had sworn by the life of the king, bandthe king bsaid to him:For bmy insult I forgive you,but byou muststill bgo and appease your friend. Here alsothe same is true: bHere,the verse that states: “The Lord shall show favor to you,” is referring to bsinscommitted bbetween man and God,which God will forgive; bthere,the verse that states: “God favors no one,” is referring to bsinscommitted bbetween a person and another,which God will not forgive until the offender appeases the one he hurt.,This is how the contradiction had at first been resolved, buntil Rabbi Akiva came and taughtas follows: |
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22. Babylonian Talmud, Yoma, None (3rd cent. CE - 6th cent. CE)
| 87a. בצבו נפשיה לקטלא נפיק וצבו ביתיה לית הוא עביד וריקן לביתיה אזיל ולואי שתהא ביאה כיציאה וכי הוי חזי אמבוהא אבתריה אמר (איוב כ, ו) אם יעלה לשמים שיאו וראשו לעב יגיע כגללו לנצח יאבד רואיו יאמרו איו רב זוטרא כי הוו מכתפי ליה בשבתא דריגלא הוה אמר (משלי כז, כד) כי לא לעולם חסן ואם נזר לדור ודור,(משלי יח, ה) שאת פני רשע לא טוב לא טוב להם לרשעים שנושאין להם פנים בעולם הזה לא טוב לו לאחאב שנשאו לו פנים בעוה"ז שנאמר (מלכים א כא, כט) יען כי נכנע (אחאב מלפני) לא אביא הרעה בימיו,(משלי יח, ה) להטות צדיק במשפט טוב להם לצדיקים שאין נושאין להם פנים בעוה"ז טוב לו למשה שלא נשאו לו פנים בעוה"ז שנאמר (במדבר כ, יב) יען לא האמנתם בי להקדישני הא אילו האמנתם בי עדיין לא הגיע זמנם ליפטר מן העולם,אשריהם לצדיקים לא דיין שהן זוכין אלא שמזכין לבניהם ולבני בניהם עד סוף כל הדורות שכמה בנים היו לו לאהרן שראויין לישרף כנדב ואביהוא שנאמר (ויקרא י, יב) הנותרים אלא שעמד להם זכות אביהם,אוי להם לרשעים לא דיין שמחייבין עצמן אלא שמחייבין לבניהם ולבני בניהם עד סוף כל הדורות הרבה בנים היו לו לכנען שראויין ליסמך כטבי עבדו של רבן גמליאל אלא שחובת אביהם גרמה להן,כל המזכה את הרבים אין חטא בא על ידו וכל המחטיא את הרבים כמעט אין מספיקין בידו לעשות תשובה כל המזכה את הרבים אין חטא בא על ידו מ"ט כדי שלא יהא הוא בגיהנם ותלמידיו בגן עדן שנאמר (תהלים טז, י) כי לא תעזוב נפשי לשאול לא תתן חסידך לראות שחת וכל המחטיא את הרבים אין מספיקין בידו לעשות תשובה שלא יהא הוא בגן עדן ותלמידיו בגיהנם שנאמר (משלי כח, יז) אדם עשוק בדם נפש עד בור ינוס אל יתמכו בו,האומר אחטא ואשוב אחטא ואשוב למה לי למימר אחטא ואשוב אחטא ואשוב תרי זימני כדרב הונא אמר רב דאמר רב הונא אמר רב כיון שעבר אדם עבירה ושנה בה הותרה לו הותרה לו סלקא דעתך אלא נעשית לו כהיתר,אחטא ויום הכפורים מכפר אין יום הכפורים מכפר לימא מתני' דלא כרבי דתניא רבי אומר על כל עבירות שבתורה בין עשה תשובה בין לא עשה תשובה יוה"כ מכפר אפילו תימא רבי אגב שאני,עבירות שבין אדם למקום וכו' רמי ליה רב יוסף בר חבו לרבי אבהו עבירות שבין אדם לחבירו אין יוה"כ מכפר והא כתיב (שמואל א ב, כה) אם יחטא איש לאיש ופללו אלהים מאן אלהים דיינא,אי הכי אימא סיפא ואם לה' יחטא איש מי יתפלל לו הכי קאמר אם יחטא איש לאיש ופללו אלהים ימחול לו ואם לה' יחטא איש מי יתפלל בעדו תשובה ומעשים טובים,אמר ר' יצחק כל המקניט את חבירו אפילו בדברים צריך לפייסו שנאמר (משלי ו, א) בני אם ערבת לרעך תקעת לזר כפיך נוקשת באמרי פיך עשה זאת אפוא בני והנצל כי באת בכף רעך לך התרפס ורהב רעיך אם ממון יש בידך התר לו פסת יד ואם לאו הרבה עליו ריעים,(ואמר) רב חסדא וצריך לפייסו בשלש שורות של שלשה בני אדם שנאמר (איוב לג, כז) ישור על אנשים ויאמר חטאתי וישר העויתי ולא שוה לי,(ואמר) ר' יוסי בר חנינא כל המבקש מטו מחבירו אל יבקש ממנו יותר משלש פעמים שנאמר (בראשית נ, יז) אנא שא נא ועתה שא נא ואם מת מביא עשרה בני אדם ומעמידן על קברו ואומר חטאתי לה' אלהי ישראל ולפלוני שחבלתי בו,ר' ירמיה הוה ליה מילתא לר' אבא בהדיה אזל איתיב אדשא דר' אבא בהדי דשדיא אמתיה מיא מטא זרזיפי דמיא ארישא אמר עשאוני כאשפה קרא אנפשיה (תהלים קיג, ז) מאשפות ירים אביון שמע ר' אבא ונפיק לאפיה אמר ליה השתא צריכנא למיפק אדעתך דכתיב לך התרפס ורהב רעיך,ר' זירא כי הוה ליה מילתא בהדי איניש הוה חליף ותני לקמיה וממציא ליה כי היכי דניתי וניפוק ליה מדעתיה,רב הוה ליה מילתא בהדי ההוא טבחא לא אתא לקמיה במעלי יומא דכפורי אמר איהו איזיל אנא ' לפיוסי ליה פגע ביה רב הונא אמר ליה להיכא קא אזיל מר אמר ליה לפיוסי לפלניא אמר אזיל אבא למיקטל נפשא אזל וקם עילויה הוה יתיב וקא פלי רישא דלי עיניה וחזייה אמר ליה אבא את זיל לית לי מילתא בהדך בהדי דקא פלי רישא אישתמיט גרמא ומחייה בקועיה וקטליה,רב הוה פסיק סידרא קמיה דרבי עייל | 87a. bof his own will, he goes to die; and he does not fulfill the will of his household, and he goes empty-handed to his household; and if only his entrance would be like his exit. And when he saw a line of people [ iambuha /i]following bafter himout of respect for him, bhe said: “Though his excellency ascends to the heavens, and his head reaches to the clouds, yet he shall perish forever like his own dung; they who have seen him will say: Where is he?”(Job 20:6–7). This teaches that when one achieves power, it can lead to his downfall. bWhen they would carry Rav Zutra on their shoulders during the Shabbat of the Festivalwhen he taught, bhe would recitethe following to avoid becoming arrogant: b“For power is not forever, and does the crown endure for all generations?”(Proverbs 27:24).,§ It was further taught: b“It is not good to respect the person of the wicked”(Proverbs 18:5), meaning, bit is not good for wicked people when they are respected in this worldand are not punished for their sins. For example, bitwas bnot good for Ahab to be respected in this world, as it is stated: “Because he humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days”(I Kings 21:29), and Ahab thereby lost his share in the World-to-Come.,The opposite is also true. The complete verse states: “It is not good to respect the person of the wicked, bto turn aside the righteous in judgment”(Proverbs 18:5), meaning: bIt is good for the righteous when they are not respected in this worldand are punished in this world for their sins. For example, bitwas bgood for Moses that he was not respected in this world, as it is stated: “Because you did not believe in Me, to sanctify Me”(Numbers 20:12). The Gemara analyzes this: bHad you believed in Me, your time still would not have come to depart the world. /b,They said: bFortunate are the righteousbecause bnot only do theyaccumulate bmeritfor themselves, bbut theyaccumulate bmerit for their children and their children’s children until the end of all generations; as there were several sons of Aaron whoessentially bdeserved to be burned like Nadav and Avihu, as it is stated:“The sons of Aaron bwho were left”(Leviticus 10:16), implying that others were left as well although they deserved to be burned with their brothers. bBut the merit of their father protected them,and they and their descendants were priests for all time.,On the other hand: bWoe to the wicked,as bnot only do they render themselves liable, but they also render their children and children’s children liable until the end of all generations.For example, bCanaan had many childrenwho bdeserved to be ordainedas rabbis and instructors of the public due to their great stature in Torah study, blike Tavi, the servant of Rabban Gamliel,who was famous for his wisdom; bbut their father’s liability caused themto remain as slaves.,Furthermore: bWhoeveraccumulates bmerit for the public will not have sin come to his hand,and God protects him from failing; bbut whoever causes the public to sin has almost no ability to repent.The Gemara explains: bWhat is the reasonthat bwhoeveraccumulates bmerit for the public will not have sin come to his hand?It is bso that he will not be in Gehenna while his students are in the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “For You will not abandon my soul to the nether-world; neither will You suffer Your godly one to see the pit”(Psalms 16:10). On the other hand, bwhoever causes the public to sin has almost no ability to repent,so that bhe will not be in the Garden of Eden while his students are in Gehenna, as it is stated: “A man who is laden with the blood of any person shall hasten his steps to the pit; none will support him”(Proverbs 28:17). Since he oppressed others and caused them to sin, he shall have no escape.,§ The Gemara returns to interpreting the mishna. It states there that bone who says: I will sin and I will repent, I will sin and I will repent,is not given the opportunity to repent.The Gemara asks: bWhy do Ineed the mishna bto say twice: I will sin and I will repent, I will sin and repent?The Gemara explains that this is bin accordance withthat bwhich Rav Hunasaid that bRav said,as bRav Huna saidthat bRav said: Once a person commits a transgression and repeats it, it becomes permitted to him.The Gemara is surprised at this: bCan it enter your mind that it becomes permitted to him? Rather,say that bit becomes to him asthough it were bpermitted.Consequently, the sinner who repeats his sin has difficulty abandoning his sin, and the repetition of his sin is reflected in the repetition of the phrase.,It is stated in the mishna that if one says: bI will sin and Yom Kippurwill batonefor my sins, bYom Kippur does not atonefor his sins. The Gemara comments: bLet us say that the mishna is not in accordance withthe opinion of bRabbiYehuda HaNasi, bas it was taughtin a ibaraitathat bRabbiYehuda HaNasi bsays: Yom Kippur atones for all transgressions of the Torah, whether one repented or did not repent.The Gemara answers: bEvenif byou saythat the mishna is in accordance with the opinion of bRabbiYehuda HaNasi, bit is differentwhen it is bon the basisof being permitted to sin. Even Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi agrees that Yom Kippur does not atone for the transgressions one commits only because he knows that Yom Kippur will atone for them.,§ It was taught in the mishna: Yom Kippur atones for bsins committed against Godbut does not atone for sins committed against another person. bRav Yosef bar Ḥavu raised a contradiction before Rabbi Abbahu:The mishna states that bYom Kippur does not atone for sins committed against a fellow person, but isn’t it written: “If one man sin against another, God [ iElohim /i] shall judge him [ iufilelo /i]”(I Samuel 2:25). The word iufilelo /i, which may also refer to prayer, implies that if he prays, God will grant the sinner forgiveness. He answered him: bWho is iElohim /imentioned in the verse? It is referring to ba judge [ ielohim /i]and not to God, and the word iufileloin the verse indicates judgment. Atonement occurs only after justice has been done toward the injured party by means of a court ruling.,Rav Yosef bar Ḥavu said to him: bIf so, saythe following with regard to bthe latter clauseof the verse: b“But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat [ iyitpallel /i] for him?”(I Samuel 2:25). This is difficult, since it has been established that the root ipllis interpreted in this verse as indicating judgment, and therefore the latter clause of the verse implies that if one sins toward God there is no one to judge him. Rabbi Abbahu answered him: bThis iswhat the verse bis saying: If one man sins against another, God [ iElohim /i] shall forgive him [ iufilelo /i];if the sinner appeases the person against whom he has sinned, he will be forgiven. bBut if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat [ iyitpallel /i] for him? Repentance and good deeds.The root ipllis to be interpreted as indicating forgiveness rather than judgment.,§ bRabbi Yitzḥak said: One who angers his friend, evenonly bverbally, must appease him, as it is stated: “My son, if you have become a guarantor for your neighbor, if you have struck your hands for a stranger, you are snared by the words of your mouth… Do this now, my son, and deliver yourself, seeing you have come into the hand of your neighbor. Go, humble yourself [ ihitrapes /i] and urge [ irehav /i] your neighbor”(Proverbs 6:1–3). This should be understood as follows: bIf you have moneythat you owe him, bopen the palm of [ ihater pisat /i]your bhand toyour neighbor and pay the money that you owe; band if not,if you have sinned against him verbally, bincrease [ iharbe /i] friends for him,i.e., send many people as your messengers to ask him for forgiveness., bRav Ḥisda said: And one must appease theone he has insulted bwith three rows of three people, as it is stated: “He comes [ iyashor /i] before men, and says: I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not”(Job 33:27). Rav Ḥisda interprets the word iyashoras related to the word ishura /i, row. The verse mentions sin three times: I have sinned, and perverted, and it profited me not. This implies that one should make three rows before the person from whom he is asking forgiveness., bRabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: Anyone who asks forgiveness of his friend should not ask more than three times, as it is stated: “Please, please forgivethe transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you. bAnd now, pleaseforgive” (Genesis 50:17). The verse uses the word please three times, which shows that one need not ask more than three times, after which the insulted friend must be appeased and forgive. bAnd ifthe insulted friend bdiesbefore he can be appeased, bone brings ten people, and stands them at the graveof the insulted friend, band saysin front of them: bI have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and against so-and-so whom I wounded. /b,The Gemara relates that bRabbi Yirmeyainsulted bRabbi Abba,causing the latter to bhave a complaint against him.Rabbi Yirmeya bwent and sat at the thresholdof bRabbi Abba’shouse to beg him for forgiveness. bWhenRabbi Abba’s bmaid poured out thedirty bwaterfrom the house, bthe stream of water landed onRabbi Yirmeya’s bhead. He saidabout himself: bThey have made me into a trash heap,as they are pouring dirty water on me. bHe recitedthis verse babout himself: “Who lifts up the needy out of the trash heap”(Psalms 113:7). bRabbi Abba heardwhat happened band went out to greet him.Rabbi Abba bsaid to him: Now I must go out to appease youfor this insult, bas it is written: “Go, humble yourself [ ihitrapes /i] and urge your neighbor”(Proverbs 6:3).,It is related that bwhen Rabbi Zeira had a complaint against a personwho insulted him, bhe wouldpace bback and forth before him and present himself, so thatthe person bcould come and appease him.Rabbi Zeira made himself available so that it would be easy for the other person to apologize to him.,It is further related that bRav had a complaint against a certain butcherwho insulted him. bThe butcher did not come before himto apologize. bOn Yom Kippur eve,Rav bsaid: I will goand bappease him. He methis student bRav Huna,who bsaid to him: Where is my Master going? He said to him:I am going bto appease so-and-so.Rav Huna called Rav by his name and bsaid: Abba is going to kill a person,for surely that person’s end will not be good. Rav bwent and stood by him.He found the butcher bsitting and splitting the headof an animal. The butcher braised his eyes and saw him. He saidto him: bAre you Abba? Go, I have nothingto say bto you. While he was splitting the head, one of the bonesof the head bflew out and struck him in the throat and killed him,thereby fulfilling Rav Huna’s prediction.,The Gemara further relates: bRav was reciting theTorah bportion before RabbiYehuda HaNasi. |
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23. Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, 2.23.6 (3rd cent. CE - 4th cent. CE)
| 2.23.6. He alone was permitted to enter into the holy place; for he wore not woolen but linen garments. And he was in the habit of entering alone into the temple, and was frequently found upon his knees begging forgiveness for the people, so that his knees became hard like those of a camel, in consequence of his constantly bending them in his worship of God, and asking forgiveness for the people. |
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24. Anon., 4 Baruch, 9.5
| 9.5. And may Michael, archangel of righteousness, who opens the gates to the righteous, be my guardian (?) until he causes the righteous to enter. |
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