Shevuot 13a (יג.) — the Talmud in English

As it is taught in a baraita: If one violated a positive mitzva and repented, -

he does not move from there until they forgive him!?

And we answer:

Rabbi Zeira said:

This is dealing with one who did not repent, but rather

persisted in his rebellion, and nevertheless he achieves atonement on Yom Kippur,

and it is Rabbi's opinion,

who holds that the deficiency expressed by the verse “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination” applies every day, except on Yom Kippur, which brings atonement even for those who do not repent.

As it is taught in a beraita, Rabbi says: For all transgressions in the Torah, whether one repented or did not repent, the Day of Atonement atones. Except

As it is taught in a baraita: Rabbi says: For all transgressions in the Torah, whether one repented or did not repent, Yom Kippur brings atonement. Except

for one who

casts off

the yoke,

denying the fundamental principle,

and interprets the Torah improperly,

insolently displaying his contempt when he comes to expound the words of Torah and speaking against it in a contemptuous manner,

and violates the covenant in the flesh,

the covenant of circumcision.

For in these three cases, only

if he repented does Yom Kippur bring atonement,

but if not, Yom Kippur does not bring atonement.

And the Gemara explains:

What is Rabbi's reason?

As it is taught in a baraita: “Because he has despised the word of the Lord” -

this is one who casts off the yoke and interprets the Torah improperly.

The explanation is lacking; see Rashi.

“And he has annulled His commandment” - this is one who violates the covenant in the flesh.

“He shall surely be cut off” -

“He shall be cut off” before Yom Kippur; “he shall surely be cut off” after Yom Kippur.

One might have thought that

the soul shall be cut off

even if he repented. The verse therefore states: “His iniquity is upon him” -

I said

that he shall be cut off

only when his iniquity is upon him!

And from the fact that the Torah reveals that with regard to these three transgressions Yom Kippur brings atonement only if one repented, it follows that with regard to other transgressions, Yom Kippur brings atonement even if one did not repent.

And the Rabbis,

how do they expound this verse?

“He shall be cut off” -

in this world; “he shall surely be cut off” -

in the World-to-Come; “his iniquity is upon him” -

that if he repented

with regard to these three transgressions

and died

after he repented, “his iniquity is upon him” can no longer be said of him,

death cleanses [

completely erases] his sin. But if he dies without repenting for these three transgressions, death does not cleanse him. With regard to other transgressions, Yom Kippur together with the death that follows it cleanses him if he did not repent, but Yom Kippur alone does not cleanse even other transgressions.

And we challenge this:

Can you indeed establish

the Mishna

in accordance with Rabbi?

But since the latter clause

of the Mishna

is Rabbi Yehuda's opinion, the first clause is also Rabbi Yehuda's opinion!

As it teaches in the latter clause: Both an Israelite, both priests, and both a priest anointed

achieve atonement, with regard to other transgressions, through the goat sent away!

And who holds this opinion

that priests achieve atonement through the goat sent away? -

Rabbi Yehuda,

later in this chapter.

By inference, the first clause is also Rabbi Yehuda's opinion

as well. And according to Rabbi Yehuda, Yom Kippur does not bring atonement if one did not repent!?

And we answer:

Rav Yosef said:

The first clause is

Rabbi's opinion,

who holds that Yom Kippur brings atonement even without repentance,

and he agrees with Rabbi Yehuda

that priests too achieve atonement through the goat sent away.

Abaye said

to Rav Yosef:

Did the Master say specifically, “Rabbi agrees with Rabbi Yehuda”

that priests too achieve atonement through the goat sent away,

but Rabbi Yehuda

does not agree with Rabbi

that Yom Kippur brings atonement without repentance, and the Mishna follows Rabbi alone and not Rabbi Yehuda?

Or perhaps, since Rabbi agrees with Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Yehuda also agrees with Rabbi.

And the Mishna can therefore also be understood according to Rabbi Yehuda.

However,

the reason you did not tell us that the Mishna is Rabbi Yehuda's opinion and that he agrees with Rabbi, who holds that Yom Kippur brings atonement without repentance, is because

it is the normal manner of stating the matter, to say that a student [

of Rabbi]

agreed with his teacher [

Rabbi Yehuda], but not to say that the teacher agreed with his student.

He said to him

Rav Yosef to Abaye:

Yes. I said it specifically,

that the Mishna is

Rabbi's

opinion, who

agrees with Rabbi Yehuda,

his teacher, with regard to the law of the goat sent away, which brings atonement for other transgressions even for the priests.

But Rabbi Yehuda

himself

does not agree with Rabbi,

his student; rather, he holds that Yom Kippur brings atonement only together with repentance.

As it is taught in a baraita: One might have thought that Yom Kippur brings atonement

both

for those who repent

and

for those who do not repent?

And it is a logical inference

that it should not bring atonement for those who do not repent:

Since a sin-offering and a guilt-offering bring atonement, and Yom Kippur brings atonement -

just as a sin-offering and a guilt-offering bring atonement only for those who repent,

as it is written with regard to a guilt-offering: “And they shall confess their sin,” and with regard to a sin-offering it is written: “And he shall confess the sin for which he sinned,”

so too, Yom Kippur brings atonement only for those who repent.

And if you would say:

What can be said about a sin-offering and a guilt-offering, which do not bring atonement for intentional sin as they do for unintentional sin? Shall you say the same with regard to Yom Kippur, which brings atonement for intentional sin as it does for unintentional sin; and since it brings atonement for intentional sin as it does for unintentional sin, it should bring atonement

both

for those who repent

and

for those who do not repent? The verse states: “But on the tenth day of this seventh month it is Yom Kippur.”

And we expound:

“But” -

it divides,

for the verse comes to divide and say that Yom Kippur does not bring atonement for everyone; rather, it brings atonement for those who repent but does not bring atonement for those who do not repent!

And Rav Yosef infers:

The anonymous Sifra, [

the Torat Kohanim on Leviticus], where this baraita is stated,

whose opinion is it? -

Rabbi Yehuda's! And it says: For those who repent, yes; for those who do not repent, no!

And he raises

a contradiction between this

anonymous Sifra,

which we established as Rabbi Yehuda's opinion, holding that Yom Kippur brings atonement only for those who repent,

and another anonymous Sifra:

As it is taught in a beraita: One might have thought that the Day of Atonement would atone only if one fasted on it, proclaimed it as a sacred occasion

As it is taught in a baraita: One might have thought that Yom Kippur would bring atonement only if one fasted on it, recited it as a sacred occasion

in the blessings, blessing “Who sanctifies Israel and Yom Kippur,”

and did not perform labor on it.

From where is it derived that even if

he did not fast on it, did not recite it as a sacred occasion, and performed labor on it, from where

is it derived that nevertheless Yom Kippur brings atonement for him? -

The verse states: “It is a day of Yom Kippur,” in any event!?

Abaye said: This is not difficult. This

anonymous Sifra, which says that Yom Kippur brings atonement for everyone,

is Rabbi's

opinion,

and that

earlier, which says that it brings atonement only for those who repent,

is Rabbi Yehuda's

opinion.

Rava said: Both this and that -

are Rabbi's

opinions

! And Rabbi concedes

that Yom Kippur does not bring atonement

for the karet of the day itself.

With regard to sins committed on Yom Kippur itself [eating and failing to fast], Yom Kippur does not bring atonement without repentance.

For if you do not say this -

is it conceivable that

Rabbi does not accept the karet of Yom Kippur

itself

!?

For if Rabbi held that Yom Kippur brings atonement without repentance even for one who eats or performs labor on Yom Kippur, it would emerge that he would never be liable for karet for it; and why, then, was the law of karet on Yom Kippur written in the Torah?

Accordingly, the earlier baraita, which says that Yom Kippur does not bring atonement for those who do not repent, is dealing with one who eats or performs labor on Yom Kippur itself, while the second baraita, which says that it brings atonement even if one ate or performed labor on Yom Kippur, is dealing with other transgressions: Yom Kippur brings atonement for other transgressions even when one desecrates Yom Kippur through eating and labor [for which Yom Kippur does not bring atonement!].

And we challenge what was said, that Rabbi must necessarily concede that with regard to karet for Yom Kippur itself, Yom Kippur does not bring atonement without repentance, since otherwise the karet of Yom Kippur itself could never be found -

Why not?

How could it be found? But

it can be found, for example, if he performed labor at night

on Yom Kippur

and died

that same night,

before the day came to bring him atonement,

for Yom Kippur brings atonement only during the day, as it is written: “For on this day He shall make atonement for you.” And it is possible to say that if he remains alive until the morning of Yom Kippur, he achieves atonement even for the karet of the day itself?