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יומא 87
Soncino English Talmud · Berean Standard Bible
Out of his own will he goes towards death, the wishes of his household he is unable to fulfil, for he returned empty to his house. Would that the coming forth be like the going in). And when he [Rab] saw a crowd escorting him, he would say: Though his excellency mount up to heaven, and his head reach unto the clouds, yet shall he perish forever like his own dung, they that have seen him shall say: ‘Where is he?’ When R. Zutra was carried shoulder-high on the Sabbath before the Pilgrimage festivals, he would say: For riches are not forever; and doth the crown endure unto all generations? It is not good to respect the person of the wicked. It is not good for the wicked that they are being favoured [by the Holy One, blessed be He] in this world. It was not good for Ahab that he was favoured in this world, as it is said: Because he humbled himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days. So as to turn aside the righteous in judgment — it is good for the righteous that they are not favoured in this world. It was good for Moses that he was not favoured in this world, as it is said: Because ye believed not in Me, to sanctify Me [etc.]. But had you believed in Me your time to depart this world would not yet have come. Happy are the righteous! Not only do they acquire merit, but they bestow merit upon their children and children's children to the end of all generations, for Aaron had several sons who deserved to be burnt like Nadab and Abihu, as it is said: ‘That were left’; but the merit of their father helped them. Woe unto the wicked! Not alone that they render themselves guilty, but they bestow guilt upon their children and children's children unto the end of all generations. Many sons did Canaan have, who were worthy to be ordained like Tabi, the slave of R. Gamaliel, but the guilt of their ancestor caused them [to lose their chance]. Whosoever causes a community to do good, no sin will come through him, and whosoever causes the community to sin, no opportunity will be granted him to become repentant. Whosoever causes a community to do good, no sin will come through him’. Why? Lest he be in Gehinnom, and his disciples in Gan Eden [Paradise], as it is said: For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the nether world, neither wilt Thou suffer thy godly one to see the pit. ‘And whosoever causes the community to sin, no opportunity will be granted him for repentance’, lest he be in Gan Eden and his disciples in Gehinnom, as it is said: A man, that is laden with the blood of any person shall hasten his steps unto the pit; none will help him. IF ONE SAYS: I SHALL SIN, AND REPENT, SIN AND REPENT. Why is it necessary to state I SHALL SIN AND I SHALL REPENT twice? — That is in accord with what R. Huna said in the name of Rab; for R. Huna said in the name of Rab: Once a man has committed a transgression once or twice, it becomes permitted to him. ‘Permitted ‘? How could that come into your mind — Rather, it appears to him like something permitted. I SHALL SIN AND THE DAY OF ATONEMENT SHALL PROCURE ATONEMENT; THEN THE DAY OF ATONEMENT DOES NOT PROCURE ATONEMENT. Shall we say that our Mishnah is not in accord with Rabbi, for Rabbi said: It was taught, For all transgressions of Biblical commandments, whether he repented or not, whether positive or negative, does the Day of Atonement procure atonement? — You may even say it will be in agreement with Rabbi. It is different when he relies on it. FOR TRANSGRESSIONS COMMITTED BY MAN AGAINST THE OMNIPRESENT. R. Joseph b. Helbe pointed out to R. Abbahu the following contradiction: [We learned]: FOR TRANSGRESSIONS COMMITTED BY MAN AGAINST HIS FELLOWMAN THE DAY OF ATONEMENT PROCURES NO ATONEMENT, but it is written: If one man sin against his fellow-man, God [Elohim] will pacify him? ‘Elohim’ here means ‘the Judge’. But how then is the second half of the clause to be understood, ‘But if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him’? — This is what he means to say: ‘If a man sins against his fellow-man, the judge will judge him, he [his fellow] will forgive him’; ‘but if a man sins against the Lord God, who shall entreat for him’? Only repentance and good deeds. R. Isaac said: Whosoever offends his neighbour, and he does it only through words, must pacify him, as it is written: My son, if thou art become surety for thy neighbour, If thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger — , thou art snared by the words of thy mouth. . . do this, now, my son, and deliver thyself, seeing thou art come into the hand of thy neighbour; go, humble thyself, and urge thy neighbour. If he has a claim of money upon you, open the palm of your hand to him, and if not, send many friends to him. R. Hisda said: He should endeavour to pacify him through three groups of three people each, as it is said: He cometh before me and saith: I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not. R. Jose b. Hanina said: One who asks pardon of his neighbour need do so no more than three times, as it is said: Forgive. I pray thee now . . . and now we pray thee. And if he [against whom he had sinned] had died, he should bring ten persons and make them stand by his grave and say: I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and against this one, whom I have hurt. R. Abba had a complaint against R. Jeremiah. He [R. Jeremiah] went and sat down at the door of R. Abba and as the maid poured out water, some drops fell upon his head. Then he said: They have made a dung-heap of me, and he cited this passage about himself: He raiseth up the poor out of the dust. R. Abba heard that and came out towards him, saying: Now, I must come forth to appease you, as it is written: ‘Go, humble thyself and urge thy neighbour’. When R. Zera had any complaint against any man, he would repeatedly pass by him, showing himself to him, so that he may come forth to [pacify] him. Rab once had a complaint against a certain butcher, and when on the eve of the Day of Atonement he [the butcher] did not come to him, he said: l shall go to him to pacify him. R. Huna met him and asked: Whither are you going, Sir? He said, To pacify So-and-so. He thought: Abba is about to cause one's death. He went there and remained standing before him [the butcher], who was sitting and chopping an [animal's] head. He raised his eyes and saw him [Rab], then said: You are Abba, go away. I will have nothing to do with you. Whilst he was chopping the head, a bone flew off, struck his throat, and killed him. Once Rab was expounding portions of the Bible before Rabbis, and there entered
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R. Hiyya, whereupon Rab started again from the beginning; as Bar Kappara entered, he started again from the beginning; as R. Simeon, the son of Rabbi entered, he started again from the beginning. But when R. Hanina b. Hama entered, he said: So often shall I go back? And he did not go over it again. R. Hanina took that amiss. Rab went to him on thirteen eves of the Day of Atonement, but he would not be pacified. But how could he do so, did not R. Jose b. Hanina Say: One who asks pardon of his neighbour need not do so more than three times? — It is different with Rab. But how could R. Hanina act so [unforgivingly]? Had not Raba said that if one passes over his rights, all his transgressions are passed over [forgiven]? — Rather: R. Hanina had seen in a dream that Rab was being hanged on a palm tree, and since the tradition is that one who in a dream is hanged on a palm tree will become head [of an Academy] he concluded that authority will be given to him, and so he would not be pacified, to the end that he departed to teach Torah in Babylon. Our Rabbis taught: The obligation of confession of sins comes on the eve of the Day of Atonement, as it grows dark. But the Sages said: Let one confess before one has eaten and drunk, lest one become upset in the course of the meal. And although one has confessed before eating and drinking, he should confess again after having eaten and drunk, because perchance some wrong has happened in the course of the meal, And although he has confessed during the evening prayer, he should confess again during the morning prayer; [and although he has confessed] during the morning prayer, he should do so again during the Musaf [additional prayer]. And although he had confessed during the Musaf, he should do so again during the afternoon prayer; and although he had done so in the afternoon prayer, he should confess again in the Ne'ilah [concluding prayer]. And when shall he say [the confession]? The individual after his ‘Amidah Prayer’, the public reader in the middle thereof. What is it [the confession]? — Rab said: ‘Thou knowest the secrets of eternity’. Samuel said: From the depths of the heart. Levi said: And in thy Torah it is said . . . R. Johanan said: Lord of the Universe, [etc.]. Rab Judah: ‘Our iniquities are too many to count, and our sins too numerous to be counted’. R. Hamnuna said: ‘My God, before I was formed, I was of no worth, and now that I have been formed, it is as if I had not been formed. I am dust in my life, how much more in my death. Behold I am before Thee like a vessel full of shame and reproach. May it be thy will that I sin no more, and what I have sinned wipe away in Thy mercy, but not through suffering’. That was the confession [of sins] used by Rab all the year round, and by R. Hamnuna the younger, on the Day of Atonement. Mar Zutra said: All that [is necessary only] when he did not say: ‘Truly, we have sinned’. but if he had said: ‘Truly, we have sinned’, no more is necessary, for Bar Hamdudi said: Once I stood before Samuel, who was sitting, and when the public reader came up and said: ‘Truly, we have sinned’, he rose. Hence he inferred that this was the main confession. We learned elsewhere: On three occasions of the year the priests raise their hands [in benediction] four times during the day; at the morning prayer, at Musaf, at Minhah [afternoon prayer] and at the closing of the [Temple] gates. Viz., on fast days, at the ma'amads and on the Day of Atonement. What [is the prayer at] ‘the closing of the [Temple] gates’? — Rab said: An extra prayer. Samuel said: ‘Who are we, what is our life, etc.’? The following objection was raised: On the evening of the Day of Atonement one reads seven [benedictions] and then makes the confession, in the morning prayer one reads seven [benedictions] and makes confession, at Musaf one reads the seven [benedictions] and makes confession, at Minhah one reads the seven [benedictions] and makes confession, and at Ne'ilah one reads the seven [benedictions] and makes confession? [And further was] it taught: On the Day of Atonement as it becomes dark one reads the seven benedictions and makes confession, and concludes with the confession — that is the view of R. Meir, whereas the Sages say: He should read the seven [benedictions], and if he wishes to conclude with the confession, he may do so. That would be a refutation of Samuel? — It is a refutation. ‘Ulla b. Rab came down [to the reader's desk] before Raba, commencing the Ne'ilah prayer with ‘Thou hast chosen us and concluding with ‘What are we, what is our life’, and he praised him. R. Huna b. Nathan said: The individual should say it after his prayer. Rab said: The concluding prayer exempts from evening prayer [to follow]. Rab goes according to his idea that it is all extra prayer, and since one has said it already [at dusk] it is not required any more. But did Rab say so? Did not Rab say: The halachah is according to the view that the evening Prayer is not obligatory? He said this on the view that it is obligatory. An objection was raised: On the evening of the Day of Atonement he should read seven [benedictions] and make confession, in the morning also seven and make confession, at Musaf also seven and make confession, at Minah also seven and make confession, at Ne'ilah also seven and make confession, at the evening Prayer he reads seven benedictions [the seventh consisting of] the substance of the eighteen benedictions. R. Hanina b. Gamaliel said in the name of his ancestors: One must read the complete prayer of eighteen benedictions,
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