Yoma 86a — the Talmud in English

except for

the severe prohibition of [Exodus 20] a false oath,

“You shall not take

the Name of the Lord your God in vain.”

And it might have entered our minds that repentance is not effective for this prohibition because of its severity, as the verse said concerning it: “For the Lord will not acquit whoever takes His Name in vain.”

And we answer: The intention of the tanna is to say that repentance atones only for a positive commandment and for a prohibition that is remedied by a positive commandment. And when he says, “except for You shall not take,” his intention is the prohibition of

“You shall not take”

and

every

full prohibition that is not remedied by a positive commandment, and for which one is flogged,

which is similar to it.

Come and hear,

not in accordance with Rav Yehuda: From that which was taught:

Rabbi Yehuda says: Every

prohibition that is lenient, because

it is

at a level of severity

from “You shall not take” and below—

repentance atones

for it.

And every severe prohibition, whose level of severity is

from “You shall not take” and above—

repentance

only

suspends

it, to protect him from sufferings,

and Yom Kippur atones.

And the Gemara assumed that all ordinary prohibitions concerning which the severity “the Lord will not acquit” was not stated are included among the lenient prohibitions, for which repentance alone atones, and this is not in accordance with Rav Yehuda.

And we answer: Rabbi Yehuda’s intention in the beraita is to say that the prohibition of

“You shall not take,”

which involves lashes,

and every

prohibition

that is similar to it

in that it involves lashes, are not atoned for by repentance alone, and this is in accordance with Rav Yehuda’s words.

Come and hear,

another proof against Rav Yehuda:

For it was taught:

Since it was said at

the ascent of Moses our teacher to Mount

Horeb

that atonement is through

repentance

alone, as it is written among the Thirteen Attributes that were said to Moses on Mount Horeb:

“And acquit”

whose meaning is atonement through repentance alone.

One might have thought that even

the prohibition

“You shall not take”

is included

with them,

that it is atoned for through repentance alone.

The verse therefore says

concerning it:

“He will not acquit.”

One might have thought that the other persons liable for prohibitions are also so?

The verse therefore says:

“For the Lord will not acquit whoever takes

His Name

in vain.”

For one who takes

His Name

in vain,

it is he whom He does not acquit

through repentance alone.

But He acquits

through repentance alone

the other persons liable for prohibitions!

And we say: Whether repentance atones for persons liable for prohibitions for which one is flogged—it is a dispute

of the tannaim

that is taught.

For it was taught

in another beraita that persons liable for prohibitions are not atoned for through repentance alone:

For what does repentance atone—

for a positive commandment and for a prohibition that is remedied by a positive commandment.

And for what does repentance suspend and Yom Kippur atone—

for sins punishable by excision, and for deaths imposed by the court, and for a full prohibition.

The Master said

in the earlier beraita: Repentance alone atones

since it was said at Horeb, “And acquit.”

And we raise an objection to it:

From where do we know

that “and acquit” means atonement through repentance?

And we answer: From this,

for it was taught: Rabbi Elazar says: It is impossible to say “acquit”

alone, because

it was already said, “He will not acquit.”

And it is impossible to say “He will not acquit”

alone, because

it was already said, “acquit.”

How so?

He acquits those who repent, but He does not acquit those who do not repent.

And the Gemara now brings a beraita dealing with the principles of repentance:

Rabbi Matya ben חרש asked Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya in Rome:

Did you

hear

of

the four divisions of atonement that Rabbi Yishmael used to expound?

He said

to him:

There are three, and repentance—

with each and every one.

1.

If one transgressed a positive commandment and repented—he

does not move from there until

they forgive him.

As it is said [Jeremiah 3]

“Return, wayward children.”

“Return, faithless children.”

And afterward it is written immediately: “I will heal their faithlessness.” And it is reasonable that this verse refers to positive commandments, which are the most lenient.

2.

If one transgressed a prohibition and repented—

repentance suspends, and Yom Kippur atones.

As it is said [Leviticus 16]

“For on this day He shall make atonement for you, to cleanse you from all your sins.”

“For on this day He shall atone for you, to cleanse you from all your sins.”

And from here we learned that there are more severe transgressions, which require the atonement of Yom Kippur, and it is reasonable that these are the prohibitions, which are more severe than positive commandments.

3.

If one transgressed offenses punishable by excision and deaths imposed by the court and repented—

repentance and Yom Kippur suspend, and sufferings cleanse.

As it is said [Psalms 89]

“I will punish their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with plagues.”

“I will punish their transgression with a rod, and their iniquity with afflictions.”

But one who has profanation of the Name in his hands,

who sins and causes the many to sin—he

has no [A0128]]power

power

through repentance to suspend

for him,

nor through Yom Kippur to atone

for him,

nor through sufferings to cleanse

him.

Rather, all of them

together

suspend, and

only

death cleanses,

acquits him.

As it is said [Isaiah 22]

“It was revealed in the ears of the Lord of Hosts: Surely this iniquity shall not be atoned for

“And it was revealed in the ears of the Lord of Hosts: Surely this iniquity shall not be atoned for

of profanation of the Name

for you—

until you die.”

And from here we learned that there is a severe transgression that is atoned for only through death, and it is reasonable that this refers to profanation of the Name, which is the most severe transgression.

And the Gemara explains:

What are the circumstances of profanation of the Name?

Rav said: For example, in my case, if I take meat from a butcher

if I take meat from the butcher

and I do not give the money

and do not pay him

immediately,

at once—for if I delay, he thinks that I am a robber and have come to treat the prohibition against robbery lightly, and this is the transgression of profanation of the Name, as people learn from him to sin.

Abaye said: They taught

that delayed payment to a butcher is profanation of the Name

only in a place

where

where they do not demand payment,

where it is not customary for the butcher to go and collect his debts, but each person brings it to him himself.

But in a place where they demand payment,

where it is customary for the butcher to come and demand his debts—

we have no concern,

we need not be concerned about profanation of the Name, since that is the practice in that place.

Ravina said: And

in my place, called

Mata Meḥasya—

it is a place where they demand payment.

When Abaye would take

when he would purchase

meat from two partners,

which belonged to two partners,

he would give one zuz to this one and one zuz to that one,

and he would not give two zuz to one partner, so that the other would not suspect him that he had not paid.

And afterward,

and afterward,

he would bring them close

he would summon them

to each other

together,

and he would make an accounting.

Rabbi Yohanan said:

What are the circumstances of profanation of the Name?

For example, in my case, when I walk

when I walk

four cubits without Torah and without tefillin.

And they will learn from me to refrain from Torah study and from putting on tefillin.

Yitzhak, of the school of Rabbi Yannai, said:

Profanation of the Name applies to

every

person

whose companions are embarrassed

by him

because of his reputation,

the bad name that goes out concerning him.

What are the circumstances?

Rav Naḥman said: For example, when people say

about him:

May he be forgiven

may he forgive him

his Master

the Lord

for so-and-so,

for his evil deeds.

Abaye said: As it was taught: “And you shall love the Lord your God.”

That the Name of Heaven should become beloved through you.

That

a person

reads

Scripture,

and studies

Mishna,

and serves Torah scholars.

And his business dealings should be conducted gently with people.

And then,

what do people say about him?

“Fortunate is his father who taught him Torah; fortunate is his teacher who taught him Torah.”

“Woe to the people who did not study Torah.”

For

so-and-so who studied Torah—

“See how fine are his ways, how improved are his deeds!” Concerning him the verse says [Isaiah 49]

“And He said to me: You are My servant, Israel, through whom I will be glorified.”

“And He said to me: You are My servant, Israel, through whom I will be glorified.”

But one who reads and studies, and serves Torah scholars, but his business dealings are not conducted faithfully, and his speech is not gentle with people.

What do people say about him—

“Woe to so-and-so who studied Torah; woe to his father who taught him Torah; woe to his teacher who taught him Torah.”

“So-and-so who studied Torah—

“See how corrupt are his deeds and how repulsive are his ways!”

And concerning him the verse says: [Ezekiel 36] “And they profaned My holy Name,

by saying

when they said

the nations concerning them:

“These are the people of the Lord, yet they have gone out from His land,”

and the Lord was unable to save them from exile.

Rabbi Ḥama son of Rabbi Ḥanina said: Great is repentance, for it brings healing to the world.

As it is said [Hosea 14]

“I will heal their waywardness; I will love them freely.”

“I will heal their faithlessness; I will love them freely.”

Rabbi Ḥama son of Rabbi Ḥanina raised a contradiction

between two verses that appear, at first glance, to contradict one another:

It is written, “Return, faithless children.”

And it implies that when you repent, it will be considered for you as though

from the outset,

at the time of the sin,

you were faithless

and as though you had not sinned, for this was nothing but faithlessness.

And

on the other hand,

it is written, “I will heal your faithlessness,”

which implies that only from now onward are they healed, but there still remains a record of the sins previously committed, which were not erased as though they had never existed.

And we answer:

It is not difficult.

Here

they are erased from the outset, when they return

out of love.

к Всевышнему.

Here

they are erased only from now onward, when they return

out of fear.

Rav Yehuda raised a contradiction:

It is written [Jeremiah 3]

“Return, wayward children; I will heal your waywardness.”

“Return, faithless children; I will heal your faithlessness.”

For they are called children of the Lord.

And

on the other hand,

it is written [Jeremiah 3]:

“For I have taken possession of you, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family.”

“For I have taken possession of you, and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family.”

For this is language of ownership of slaves.

It is not difficult.

Here—

when they return

out of love or out of fear.

Here—

when they return

through sufferings.

Rabbi Levi said: Great is repentance, for it reaches the Throne of Glory.

As it is said [Hosea 14]

“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.”

“Return, Israel, to the Lord your God.”