Kiddushin 80

Chapter 80

א יראה אדם עצמו כאילו חציו חייב וחציו זכאי עשה מצוה אחת אשריו שהכריע עצמו לכף זכות עבר עבירה אחת אוי לו שהכריע את עצמו לכף חובה שנאמר (קהלת ט, יח) וחוטא אחד יאבד טובה הרבה בשביל חטא יחידי שחטא אובד ממנו טובות הרבה
1 regard himself as though he were half guilty and half meritorious: if he performs one precept, happy is he for weighting himself down in the scale of merit; if he commits one transgression, woe to him for weighting himself down in the scale of guilt, for it is said, but one sinner destroyeth much good:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ecc, IX, 18.');"><sup>1</sup></span> [i.e.,] on account of single sin which he commits much good is lost to him.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Viz., his meritorious deeds, being now outbalanced.');"><sup>2</sup></span> R'Eleazar son of R'Simeon said: Because the world is judged by its majority, and an individual [too] is judged by his majority [of deeds, good or bad], if he performs one good deed, happy is he for turning the scale both for<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'of.');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ב ר' אלעזר בר' שמעון אומר לפי שהעולם נידון אחר רובו והיחיד נידון אחר רובו עשה מצוה אחת אשריו שהכריע את עצמו ואת כל העולם לכף זכות עבר עבירה אחת אוי לו שהכריע את עצמו ואת כל העולם לכף חובה שנאמר וחוטא אחד כו' בשביל חטא יחידי שעשה זה אבד ממנו ומכל העולם טובה הרבה
2 himself and for the whole world on the side of merit; if he commits one transgression, woe to him for weighting himself and the whole world in the scale of guilt, for it is said: 'but one sinner, etc.' - on account of the single sin which this man commits he and the whole world lose much good. R'Simeon B'Yohai said: Even if he is perfectly righteous all his life but rebels at the end, he destroys h former [good deeds], for it is said: The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ezek. XXXIII, 12.');"><sup>4</sup></span>
ג ר"ש בן יוחי אומר אפילו צדיק גמור כל ימיו ומרד באחרונה איבד את הראשונות שנאמר (יחזקאל לג, יב) צדקת הצדיק לא תצילנו ביום פשעו ואפילו רשע גמור כל ימיו ועשה תשובה באחרונה אין מזכירים לו שוב רשעו שנאמר (יחזקאל לג, יב) ורשעת הרשע לא יכשל בה ביום שובו מרשעו
3 And even if one is completely wicked all his life but repents<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Heb. lit., means, 'but performs repentance, which demands more than mere regret but actual righting of wrongs committed.');"><sup>5</sup></span> at the end, he is not reproached with his wickedness,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he is not reminded of his wickedness'.');"><sup>6</sup></span> for it is said, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in th day that he turneth from his wickedness.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid.');"><sup>7</sup></span>
ד וניהוי כמחצה עונות ומחצה זכיות אמר ריש לקיש בתוהא על הראשונות
4 Yet let it be regarded<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Where the righteous rebels at the end.');"><sup>8</sup></span> as half transgressions and half meritorious deeds! - Said Resh Lakish: It means that he regretted his former deeds.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In that case his righteous past is completely disregarded.');"><sup>9</sup></span> <big><b>MISHNAH: </b></big>HE WHO IS VERSED IN BIBLE, MISHNAH, AND SECULAR PURSUITS<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Heb. derek erez, lit., 'the way of the earth,' i.e., industry or commerce.');"><sup>10</sup></span>
ה <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> כל שישנו במקרא ובמשנה ובדרך ארץ לא במהרה הוא חוטא שנאמר (קהלת ד, יב) והחוט המשולש לא במהרה ינתק וכל שאינו לא במקרא ולא במשנה ולא בדרך ארץ אינו מן היישוב
5 WILL NOT EASILY<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'quickly'.');"><sup>11</sup></span> SIN, FOR IT IS SAID, AND A THREEFOLD CORD IS NOT QUICKLY BROKEN.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ecc. IV, 12.');"><sup>12</sup></span> BUT HE WHO LACKS BIBLE, MISHNAH AND SECULAR PURSUITS DOES NOT BELONG TO CIVILISATION.
ו <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> אמר רבי אלעזר ברבי צדוק למה צדיקים נמשלים בעולם הזה לאילן שכולו עומד במקום טהרה ונופו נוטה למקום טומאה נקצץ נופו כולו עומד במקום טהרה כך הקב"ה מביא יסורים על צדיקים בעולם הזה כדי שיירשו העולם הבא שנאמר (איוב ח, ז) והיה ראשיתך מצער ואחריתך ישגה מאד
6 <big><b>GEMARA: </b></big>R'Eleazar son of R'Zadok said: To what are the righteous compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly in a place of cleanness, but its bough overhangs to a place of uncleanness; when the bough is lopped off, it stands entirely in a place of cleanness. Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, brings suffering upon the righteous in this world,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus purging them of the little sin they do commit lopping off the branch inclining to an unclean place.');"><sup>13</sup></span>
ז ולמה רשעים דומים בעולם הזה לאילן שכולו עומד במקום טומאה ונופו נוטה למקום טהרה נקצץ נופו כולו עומד במקום טומאה כך הקב"ה משפיע להן טובה לרשעים בעולם הזה כדי לטורדן ולהורישן למדריגה התחתונה שנאמר (משלי יד, יב) יש דרך ישר לפני איש ואחריתה דרכי מות
7 in order that they may inherit the future world, as it is said, and though thy beginning is small, yet thy latter end shall greatly increase.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Job VIII, 7.');"><sup>14</sup></span> And to what are the wicked compared in this world? To a tree standing wholly in a place of uncleanness, but a branch thereof overhangs a place of cleanness: when the bough is lopped off, it stands entirely in a place of uncleanness.
ח וכבר היה רבי טרפון וזקנים מסובין בעלית בית נתזה בלוד נשאלה שאילה זו בפניהם תלמוד גדול או מעשה גדול נענה רבי טרפון ואמר מעשה גדול נענה ר"ע ואמר תלמוד גדול נענו כולם ואמרו תלמוד גדול שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה
8 Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, makes them prosper<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'furnishes them with goodness'.');"><sup>15</sup></span> in this world,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Thus rewarding them for the little good they perform-lopping off the branch inclining to the place, that it may be disregarded in the next world.');"><sup>16</sup></span> in order to destroy and consign them to the nethermost rung, for it is said: There is a way which seemeth right unto man, But at the end thereof are the ways of death.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XIV, 12. - An attempt to answer the eternal question, why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer.');"><sup>17</sup></span>
ט תניא רבי יוסי אומר גדול תלמוד שקדם לחלה ארבעים שנה לתרומות ולמעשרות חמשים וארבע לשמיטים ששים ואחת ליובלות מאה ושלש
9 R'Tarfon and the Elders were once reclining in the upper storey of Nithza's house, in Lydda,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) p. 502, n. 3.');"><sup>18</sup></span> when this question was raised before them: Is study greater, or practice? R'Tarfon answered, saying: Practice is greater.
י מאה ושלש מאה וארבע הויין קסבר יובל מתחילתו הוא משמט
10 R'Akiba answered, saying: Study is greater, for it leads to practice. Then they all answered and said:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Probably, that was their final decision.');"><sup>19</sup></span> Study is greater, for it leads to action.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This was a practical problem during the Hadrianic persecution, when both study and practical observance were forbidden, and the question was for which risks should sooner be taken. - Weiss. Dor., II, 125, Graetz, Geschichte, IV, p. 429.');"><sup>20</sup></span>
יא וכשם שהלימוד קודם למעשה כך דינו קודם למעשה כדרב המנונא דאמר רב המנונא אין תחילת דינו של אדם אלא על דברי תורה שנאמר (משלי יז, יד) פוטר מים ראשית מדון
11 It was taught: R'Jose said: Great is learning, since it preceded hallah<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');"><sup>21</sup></span> by forty years, terumoth<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' V. Glos.');"><sup>21</sup></span> and tithes by fifty-four years, shemittin<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Plural of shemittah, q.v. Glos.');"><sup>22</sup></span>
יב וכשם שדינו קודם למעשה כך שכרו קודם למעשה שנאמר (תהלים קה, מד) ויתן להם ארצות גוים ועמל לאומים יירשו בעבור ישמרו חקיו ותורותיו ינצורו
12 by sixty-one, and jubilees by one hundred and three.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Torah was given to Israel two months after the Exodus from Egypt, whereas liability to hallah came into force forty years later, when they entered Palestine; terumoth and tithes fourteen years later after Palestine was conquered and allotted to the tribes; shemittah and jubilee seven and forty-nine years respectively after that.');"><sup>23</sup></span> A hundred and three? but it was a hundred and four!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The jubilee is the fiftieth year, and it is assumed that its provisions (q.v. Lev. XXV, 8-13, 28, 33, 39-42, 47, 55) became operative only at the end of that year.');"><sup>24</sup></span>
יג כל שאינו לא במקרא ולא במשנה א"ר יוחנן ופסול לעדות ת"ר האוכל בשוק הרי זה דומה לכלב ויש אומרים פסול לעדות אמר רב אידי בר אבין הלכה כיש אומרים
13 - He maintains that jubilee effects a release<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., its laws, which generally speaking effected the release of slaves and land, came into force.');"><sup>25</sup></span> at the beginning thereof. And just as learning preceded practice, so does the judgment thereof [in the next world] take precedence over that of practice,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., one is first judged for learning, and then in respect to the fulfilment of precepts.');"><sup>26</sup></span>
יד דרש בר קפרא רגזן
14 in accordance with R'Hamnuna. For R'Hamnuna said: The beginning of man's judgment is in respect of study<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'words of the Torah'.');"><sup>27</sup></span> alone, for it is said: The rejection<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'he who frees himself.');"><sup>28</sup></span> of water<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., the Torah; cf. Isa. LV, 1.');"><sup>29</sup></span> is the beginning of judgment.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Prov. XVII, 14; it is here so translated.');"><sup>30</sup></span> And just as the judgment thereof takes precedence over that of practice, so does the reward thereof, for it is said: And he gave them the lands and nations; and they took the labour of the people in possession: that they might keep [yishmeru] his statutes, and observe his laws.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. CV, 44f.; v. supra 37a, where it is stated that 'ye shall keep' (tishmeru) refers to the study of the MISHNAH: Thus study is mentioned before observance.');"><sup>31</sup></span> BUT HE WHO LACKS BIBLE, MISHNAH [etc.]. R'Johanan said: And he is unfit to testify.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Being so uncultivated he has no self-respect and is ready to testify falsely.');"><sup>32</sup></span> Our Rabbis taught: He who eats in the market-place is like a dog; and some say that he is unfit to testify.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' He too lacks self-respect.');"><sup>33</sup></span> R'Idi B'Abin said: The halachah agrees with the latter.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., with the 'some say'.');"><sup>34</sup></span> Bar Kappara lectured: A bad tempered man
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