Commentary for Avodah Zarah 14:1
בפרהסיא אין מקבלין אותן ר"ש ור' יהושע בן קרחה אומרים בין כך ובין כך מקבלין שנאמר (ירמיהו ג, יד) שובו בנים שובבים א"ר יצחק איש כפר עכו א"ר יוחנן הלכתא כאותו הזוג:
in public they are not accepted. Shimon and R. Joshua b. Korha say: Whether in the one case or in the other they should be accepted, for it is said, “Return, O backsliding children” (Jeremiah 3:14). Yitzchak, a man of Kefar Acco, in the name of R. Yohanan: The halakhah is according to the latter pair.
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
The context of this baraita is not exactly clear. Rashi says that it refers to robbers and ignoramuses who do teshuvah. According to R. Meir, if after doing teshuvah, they go back to their previous ways, they have lost the ability to be accepted again. In this view, backsliding is an unforgivable sin.
Judah says that if they go back to their previous way of acting with regard to secret matters, then we can no longer trust them. They are in essence acting one way in the public sphere and in another way in private. Such a person has lost all semblance of trustworthiness. But if they reverted in public, then they still have the opportunity to do teshuvah.
There is a second version of R. Judah’s statement. If when they did teshuvah, they observed even secret things, then they are accepted. But if when they did teshuvah, they only observed things in public, they are not accepted. Observing the laws in public and not in private is clearly hypocritical behavior.
Shimon and R. Joshua b. Korha say that those who do teshuvah are always accepted. And you will probably be glad to know, the halakhah follows this opinion.
Judah says that if they go back to their previous way of acting with regard to secret matters, then we can no longer trust them. They are in essence acting one way in the public sphere and in another way in private. Such a person has lost all semblance of trustworthiness. But if they reverted in public, then they still have the opportunity to do teshuvah.
There is a second version of R. Judah’s statement. If when they did teshuvah, they observed even secret things, then they are accepted. But if when they did teshuvah, they only observed things in public, they are not accepted. Observing the laws in public and not in private is clearly hypocritical behavior.
Shimon and R. Joshua b. Korha say that those who do teshuvah are always accepted. And you will probably be glad to know, the halakhah follows this opinion.
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