Berakhot 5b (ה:) — the Talmud in English

And one who buries his sons, all his sins are forgiven.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to

that amora:

Granted that

one who engages in

Torah and acts of kindness

is forgiven, as we find

as it is written

Proverbs 16:6]:

“Through kindness

and truth iniquity is atoned for”; “kindness” refers to acts of kindness, as it is stated

Proverbs 21:21]:

“One who pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”

“Truth” refers to Torah,

as

it is stated

there, 23:23]:

“Buy truth and do not sell it,”

and the reference is to Torah . And if so, we find that Torah and acts of kindness atone for sin.

But concerning “one who buries his sons,” from where

do we know that this matter atones for sins?

A certain elder taught him

an elder taught him ]

in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai: It follows;

it is derived by means of a gzera shava,

“iniquity,” “iniquity.” Here it is written

in the verse cited,

“Through kindness and truth iniquity is atoned for,” and there it is written

Jeremiah 32:18, concerning the death of children,

“And He repays the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children.”

That is, children die because of the iniquity of their fathers. And they expound: Just as “iniquity” is stated here and it entails forgiveness of sins, so too, regarding the “iniquity” mentioned in connection with the death of children, it entails forgiveness of sins.

And further concerning this matter:

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Leprosy lesions,

the lesions of tzara’at that come upon a person,

and children

who died during his lifetime,

are not afflictions of love.

The Gemara asks:

But are lesions not

afflictions of love?

Was it not taught in a beraita: Anyone who has one of these four appearances of lesions

se’et and baheret, and their derivatives,

has nothing other than an altar of atonement

to atone for his sins. And if they atone for sins, surely they are afflictions of love!

The Gemara answers:

They are an altar of atonement;

indeed, the lesions atone for his sins, but

they are not afflictions of love.

And if you wish, say: This applies to us

to us, the residents of Babylonia,

and that applies to them

to them, the residents of Eretz Yisrael. What Rabbi Yoḥanan said—that they are not afflictions of love—refers to the residents of Eretz Yisrael, where a metzora must be sent outside the three camps. Since his humiliation is great, his afflictions are not considered afflictions of love. And what we find in the beraita—that they are considered an altar of atonement and afflictions of love—refers to a metzora in Babylonia [outside Eretz Yisrael], who does not have to be sent outside the camp.

And if you wish, say: This applies in private —

lesions found in a place that is not visible, such as beneath his clothing, are considered afflictions of love.

That applies in public —

lesions found in an exposed place, since they cause him humiliation, are not considered afflictions of love.

The Gemara asks about Rabbi Yoḥanan’s statement:

And are “children” not

afflictions of love?

What are the circumstances?

What is the case?

If you say

that

he had them and they died

in his presence, this is difficult:

But Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “This is the bone of my tenth son” —

“This is a bone of my tenth son.”

Ten sons died in Rabbi Yoḥanan’s presence, and he would regularly carry with him a bone of his tenth son, and would console with it one whose son had died. And if the sons of a great man such as Rabbi Yoḥanan died in his presence, certainly the death of children is an affliction of love.

The Gemara answers:

Rather, this

that they said that “children” are not afflictions of love applies specifically when

he never had

children

at all. And

whereas

that

which we find—that their death is considered an affliction of love—refers to the case

that he had them and they died

in his presence.

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba became ill

and fell sick.

Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to him

to visit him,

Rabbi Yoḥanan

to visit him, and

said to him: “Are

the

afflictions dear to you,

so that you will receive reward on their account?”

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said to him:

Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba:

“Neither they nor their reward!”

It is preferable that the afflictions not come upon me, even if I consequently do not receive their reward.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him:

Rabbi Yoḥanan:

“Give me your hand”

give me your hand].

Rabbi Ḥiyya gave him

Rabbi Ḥiyya

his hand, and Rabbi Yoḥanan raised him,

and he recovered.

A similar incident occurred with Rabbi Yoḥanan himself:

Rabbi Yoḥanan became ill

and fell sick.

Rabbi Ḥanina entered to him

to visit him.

Rabbi Ḥanina

to visit him.

He said to him: “Are afflictions dear to you?”

Rabbi Yoḥanan

Rabbi Yoḥanan

said to him: “Neither they nor their reward!” Rabbi Ḥanina

Rabbi Ḥanina

said to him: “Give me your hand!” Rabbi Yoḥanan gave him

Rabbi Yoḥanan

his hand, and he raised him,

and he recovered.

The Gemara asks:

And why

did Rabbi Yoḥanan need Rabbi Ḥanina to raise him?

Let Rabbi Yoḥanan raise himself,

as he had done for Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba?

The Gemara answers:

They said: “A prisoner cannot free himself from prison.”

For he needs the assistance of someone outside. Likewise, a righteous person who has afflictions cannot save himself; rather, he requires the assistance of others .

Another incident concerning this matter:

Rabbi Elazar

son of Pedat

became ill. Rabbi Yoḥanan entered to him. He saw that he was lying in a dark house,

Rabbi Yoḥanan saw that he was lying in a dark house.

He bared his arm,

Rabbi Yoḥanan bared his arm,

and light fell

and the house became illuminated.

He saw

Rabbi Yoḥanan saw

that Rabbi Elazar was crying,

that Rabbi Elazar was crying.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him

to Rabbi Elazar:

“Why are you crying?”

Why are you crying?

“If it is because you did not increase your Torah study,

if it is because you did not study as much Torah as you wished, we learned in the Mishna [Menaḥot 110a]:

“Whether one offers much

in sacrifices

and whether one offers little, both

are equally precious before the Holy One, blessed be He,

provided that he directs his heart toward Heaven.”

The same applies to Torah study: Even if you did not study as much as you wished, you labored in Torah and directed your intention toward Heaven, and you have no reason to grieve .

And if

your crying is

because of sustenance,

because you are not wealthy, then

not every person merits two tables,

both Torah and wealth together. And since you merited Torah, why should you grieve?

And if it is because of children,

because you had children and they died, here before you is

“This is the bone of my tenth son!”

This is the bone of my tenth son.

Rabbi Elazar said to him

Rabbi Elazar:

“I am crying over this beauty, which will decay in the dust!”

I am not crying over my own fate; rather, I am crying over this beauty [of Rabbi Yoḥanan], which is destined to decay in the dust.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him

Rabbi Yoḥanan:

“Over this, certainly you should cry!”

Over this, certainly one should cry.

And both of them cried.

Meanwhile,

in the meantime

Rabbi Yoḥanan

Rabbi Yoḥanan

said to him: “Are your afflictions dear to you?”

Rabbi Elazar

Rabbi Elazar

said to him: “Neither they nor their reward!” Rabbi Yoḥanan

Rabbi Yoḥanan

said to him: “Give me your hand!” Rabbi Elazar gave him

Rabbi Elazar

his hand, and he raised him,

and he recovered.

Another incident concerning afflictions:

Four hundred wine barrels of Rav Huna

turned sour

for him

wine barrels],

Rav Yehuda, brother of Rav Sala Ḥasida, and the Sages entered to him. And some say

that the ones who entered him were

Rav Adda bar Ahava and the Sages, and they said to him

that they entered to him

and said to him

to Rav Huna:

“Let the master examine his deeds!”

Let him scrutinize his actions to see what he must rectify!

He said to them

Rav Huna and the Sages:

“Am I suspected in your eyes

of having sinned?”

The Sages said to him

:

“Is the Holy One, blessed be He, suspected of administering justice without justice!?

of executing judgment without righteousness and justice?”

Rav Huna said to them

:

“If there is anyone among you who has heard something about me that I must rectify, let him say it!”

If there is anyone among you who has heard something concerning me that I must correct, let him tell me.

They said to him: “This is what we have heard: that the Master does not give his sharecropper the vine branches.”

That you did not give the sharecropper who worked for you a portion of the vine branches, as you had stipulated with him.

Rav Huna said to them

:

“Does he leave anything of it for me?”

Does he leave me anything of the branches?

“He steals all of it!”

That is to say, he had already stolen from my portion more than was due to him, and therefore I did not give him his portion from what remained in my possession.

The Sages said to him

:

“This is what people say,

this is the familiar saying among people:

‘After a thief, steal, and taste the flavor.’

One who steals from a thief also tastes the flavor of theft.”

Rav Huna said to them

:

“I accept upon myself that I will give it to him,”

I undertake to give the sharecropper what I had stipulated for him from what remains.

Some say: The vinegar reverted and became wine.

Some say that the vinegar changed back into wine.

And some

say: “The vinegar increased in value and was sold for the price of wine.”

Some say that the vinegar became more expensive and was sold at the price of wine, and thus he was spared the loss.

It was taught

in a beraita:

Abba Binyamin says:

“Regarding two matters I was always greatly concerned,

I was exceedingly careful

all my days: regarding my prayer, that it should be before my bed, and regarding my bed, that it should be placed between north and south,”

so that the head of the bed would be toward the north and its foot toward the south, and not that it be placed between east and west.

The Gemara discusses the meaning of his statement:

“Regarding my prayer, that it should be before my bed.”

What

does

“before my bed”

mean?

If we say it means literally before my bed,

that he stood before his bed and prayed, but

Rav Yehuda said that Rav said—and some say

that it was

Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi who said: From where do we derive that one who prays should have nothing intervening between him and the wall?

As it is stated

(Isaiah 38:2):

“And Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed.”

It is thus a mitzva to pray before a wall, without an intervening object, and if so, it certainly cannot mean that he was careful to pray before his bed, which intervened between him and the wall.

And the Gemara explains:

Do not say

that

“before my bed”

means that he prayed while standing beside his bed,

but rather say

that he meant: I prayed

“immediately beside my bed.”

As soon as he rose from his bed, he was careful not to engage in anything until after he had recited the Shema and prayed.

“My bed shall be placed between north and south”—

For Rav Hama bar Rabbi Hanina said that Rabbi Yitzhak said: Anyone who places his bed between north and south will have male children, as it is stated

(Psalms 17:14):

“And with Your hidden things You fill their bellies; they are satisfied with sons,”

and it is expounded: “Your hidden things” is understood as referring to the north; one who places his bed on the northern side will be satisfied with sons.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzhak said

: He merits

also

that

his wife will not miscarry,

for

it is written here

in the verse cited:

“And with Your hidden things You fill their bellies,”

and it is written there (Genesis 25:24):

“And her days were fulfilled for her to give birth, and behold, there were twins in her womb.”

Just as the wording “her days were fulfilled” indicates that the days of her pregnancy were completed and she gave birth on time, so “You fill” means that the days of her pregnancy will be completed and she will give birth at the proper time.

It was taught: Abba Binyamin says

further, concerning the laws of prayer:

“Two people who entered

at night

to pray

the evening prayer in the synagogue [which in their time was outside the city],

and one of them prayed first and did not wait for his fellow

to finish his prayer, but left the synagogue and left his fellow alone,

they tear apart for him

for the one who left

his prayer before him

and it is not accepted before the Holy One, blessed be He.

As it is stated

(Job 18:4):

‘You who tear yourself apart in your anger, shall the earth be forsaken for your sake?’” "

This “soul” is prayer, and this is the meaning of the verse: You, who caused your prayer to be torn apart before you—“shall the earth be forsaken for your sake?” Did you think that because you left your fellow alone, the Divine Presence would also abandon him?

And moreover, he causes the Divine Presence to depart from Israel, as it is stated

there:

“And the Rock has moved from His place,” and “Rock” refers only to the Holy One, blessed be He,

as

it is stated

(Deuteronomy 32:18):

“You have neglected the Rock who gave birth to you.”

That is, the Holy One, blessed be He. Here too, “Rock,” meaning the Holy One, blessed be He, is moved from His place among Israel.

And

the friend who finished first

waited for him

until his fellow finished,

what is his reward?