Commentary for Avodah Zarah 33:12
ומעבירה לא והתניא אמרו עליו על ר"א בן דורדיא שלא הניח זונה אחת בעולם שלא בא עליה פעם אחת שמע שיש זונה אחת בכרכי הים והיתה נוטלת כיס דינרין בשכרה נטל כיס דינרין והלך ועבר עליה שבעה נהרות בשעת הרגל דבר הפיחה אמרה כשם שהפיחה זו אינה חוזרת למקומה כך אלעזר בן דורדיא אין מקבלין אותו בתשובה
And does not one die on renouncing sins other [than minut]? Surely it has been taught: It was said of R. Elazar b. Dordia that he did not leave leave any harlot in the world without coming to her. Once, on hearing that there was a certain harlot in one of the towns by the sea who accepted a purse of denarii for her hire, he took a purse of denarii and crossed seven rivers for her sake. As he was with her, she passed and said: As this passed gas will not return to its place, so Elazar b. Dordia never be received in repentance.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The answer is that his addiction to fornication is like minut, it is like apostasy. I think there is a deep sense of truth in this—being addicted to something like sex is to give one’s entire being over to it. It is “minut” if we take “minut” to mean a life devoted to purposes larger than mere gratification of one’s bodily senses.