Kiddushin

regard himself as though he were half guilty and half meritorious: if he performs one precept, happy is he for weighting himself down in the scale of merit; if he commits one transgression, woe to him for weighting himself down in the scale of guilt, for it is said, but one sinner destroyeth much good:1 [i.e.,] on account of a single sin which he commits much good is lost to him.2 R. Eleazar son of R. Simeon said: Because the world is judged by its majority, and an individual [too] is judged by his majority [of deeds, good or bad], if he performs one good deed, happy is he for turning the scale both for3 himself and for the whole world on the side of merit; if he commits one transgression, woe to him for weighting himself and the whole world in the scale of guilt, for it is said: ‘but one sinner, etc.’ — on account of the single sin which this man commits he and the whole world lose much good. R. Simeon b. Yohai said: Even if he is perfectly righteous all his life but rebels at the end, he destroys his former [good deeds], for it is said: The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression.4 And even if one is completely wicked all his life but repents5 at the end, he is not reproached with his wickedness,6 for it is said, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness.7 Yet let it be regarded8 as half transgressions and half meritorious deeds! — Said Resh Lakish: It means that he regretted his former deeds.9 MISHNAH. HE WHO IS VERSED IN BIBLE, MISHNAH, AND SECULAR PURSUITS10 WILL NOT EASILY11 SIN, FOR IT IS SAID, AND A THREEFOLD CORD IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN.12 BUT HE WHO LACKS BIBLE, MISHNAH AND SECULAR PURSUITS DOES NOT BELONG TO CIVILISATION. GEMARA. R. Eleazar son of R. Zadok said: To what are the righteous compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly in a place of cleanness, but its bough overhangs to a place of uncleanness; when the bough is lopped off, it stands entirely in a place of cleanness. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, brings suffering upon the righteous in this world,13 in order that they may inherit the future world, as it is said, and though thy beginning is small, yet thy latter end shall greatly increase.14 And to what are the wicked compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly in a place of uncleanness, but a branch thereof overhangs a place of cleanness: when the bough is lopped off, it stands entirely in a place of uncleanness. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, makes them prosper15 in this world,16 in order to destroy and consign them to the nethermost rung, for it is said: There is a way which seemeth right unto man, But at the end thereof are the ways of death.17 R. Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper storey of Nithza's house, in Lydda,18 when this question was raised before them: Is study greater, or practice? R. Tarfon answered, saying: Practice is greater. R. Akiba answered, saying: Study is greater, for it leads to practice. Then they all answered and said:19 Study is greater, for it leads to action.20 It was taught: R. Jose said: Great is learning, since it preceded hallah21 by forty years, terumoth21 and tithes by fifty-four years, shemittin22 by sixty-one, and jubilees by one hundred and three.23 A hundred and three? but it was a hundred and four!24 — He maintains that jubilee effects a release25 at the beginning thereof. And just as learning preceded practice, so does the judgment thereof [in the next world] take precedence over that of practice,26 in accordance with R. Hamnuna. For R. Hamnuna said: The beginning of man's judgment is in respect of study27 alone, for it is said: The rejection28 of water29 is the beginning of judgment.30 And just as the judgment thereof takes precedence over that of practice, so does the reward thereof, for it is said: And he gave them the lands and nations; and they took the labour of the people in possession: that they might keep [yishmeru] his statutes, and observe his laws.31 BUT HE WHO LACKS BIBLE, MISHNAH [etc.]. R. Johanan said: And he is unfit to testify.32 Our Rabbis taught: He who eats in the market-place is like a dog; and some say that he is unfit to testify.33 R. Idi b. Abin said: The halachah agrees with the latter. 34 Bar Kappara lectured: A bad tempered man committed. disregarded in the next world. forbidden, and the question was for which risks should sooner be taken. — Weiss. Dor., II, 125, Graetz, Geschichte, IV, p. 429. forty years later, when they entered Palestine; terumoth and tithes fourteen years later after Palestine was conquered and allotted to the tribes; shemittah and jubilee seven and forty-nine years respectively after that. became operative only at the end of that year. study is mentioned before observance.