Sanhedrin 86

Chapter 86

א אריב"ל כל הזובח את יצרו ומתודה עליו מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו כיבדו להקב"ה בשני עולמים העולם הזה והעולם הבא דכתיב (תהלים נ, כג) זובח תודה יכבדנני
1 R. Joshua b. Levi said; He whosacrifices<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., resists, or conquers. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> his [evil] inclinationand<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' After having been induced to sin. ');"><sup>2</sup></span> confesses [his sin] overit,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Cf. e.g. Lev. XVI, 21. Ms. M. omits 'over it'.] ');"><sup>3</sup></span>
ב ואריב"ל בזמן שבית המקדש קיים אדם מקריב עולה שכר עולה בידו מנחה שכר מנחה בידו אבל מי שדעתו שפלה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו הקריב כל הקרבנות כולן שנאמר (תהלים נא, יט) זבחי אלהים רוח נשברה ולא עוד אלא שאין תפלתו נמאסת שנאמר (תהלים נא, יט) לב נשבר ונדכה אלהים לא תבזה:
2 Scripture imputes it to him asthough he had honoured the Holy One, blessed be He, in both worlds, thisworld and the next; for it is written, Whoso offereth the sacrifice of confessionhonoureth me.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] Ps. L, 23. This is probably deduced from the nun energicum inserted between the suffix and the verbal stem for the sake of emphasis. ');"><sup>4</sup></span> R. Joshua b. Levi also said: When the Temple was in existence, if a man broughta burnt offering, he received credit for a burnt offering; if a meal offering,he received credit for a meal offering; but he who was humble in spirit,Scripture regarded him as though he had brought all the offerings, for itis said, The sacrifices of God are a brokenspirit.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ps. LI, 19. ');"><sup>5</sup></span> And furthermore, his prayersare not despised, for it is written, A broken and contrite heart, O God,Thou wilt not despise.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. ');"><sup>6</sup></span>
ג <big><strong>מתני׳</strong></big> היה רחוק מבית הסקילה כעשר אמות אומרים לו התודה שכן דרך כל המומתין מתודין שכל המתודה יש לו חלק לעוה"ב שכן מצינו בעכן שאמר לו יהושע (יהושע ז, יט) בני שים נא כבוד [לה'] אלהי ישראל ותן לו תודה (יהושע ז, כ) ויען עכן את יהושע ויאמר אמנה אנכי חטאתי וכזאת וכזאת וגו' ומנין שכיפר לו וידויו שנאמר (יהושע ז, כה) ויאמר יהושע מה עכרתנו יעכרך ה' ביום הזה ביום הזה אתה עכור ואי אתה עכור לעולם הבא
3 &nbsp; &nbsp; <b><i>MISHNAH</i></b>. WHEN HE IS ABOUT TEN CUBITS AWAY FROM THE PLACE OF STONING, THEYSAY TO HIM, 'CONFESS',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This and any other sins you may have committed. ');"><sup>7</sup></span> FOR SUCH ISTHE PRACTICE OF ALL WHO ARE EXECUTED, THAT THEY [FIRST] CONFESS, FOR HE WHOCONFESSES HAS A PORTION IN THE WORLD TO COME. EVEN SO WE FIND IN THE CASEOF ACHAN, THAT JOSHUA SAID UNTO HIM, MY SON, GIVE, I PRAY THEE, GLORY TOTHE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL, AND MAKE CONFESSION UNTOHIM.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. VII, 19. ');"><sup>8</sup></span> AND ACHAN ANSWERED JOSHUA ANDSAID, OF A TRUTH, I HAVE SINNED AGAINST THE LORD THE GOD OF ISRAEL, AND THUSAND THUS HAVE I DONE.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 20. ');"><sup>9</sup></span>
ד ואם אינו יודע להתוודות אומרים לו אמור תהא מיתתי כפרה על כל עונותי ר' יהודה אומר אם היה יודע שהוא מזומם אומר תהא מיתתי כפרה על כל עונותי חוץ מעון זה אמרו לו א"כ יהו כל אדם אומר כן כדי לנקות עצמו:
4 AND WHENCE DOWE KNOW THAT HIS CONFESSIONS MADE ATONEMENT FOR HIM? — FROM THE WORDS, ANDJOSHUA SAID: WHY HAST THOU TROUBLED US? THE LORD SHALL TROUBLE THEE THISDAY,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. 25. ');"><sup>10</sup></span> I.E., THIS DAY ART THOU TOBE TROUBLED, BUT THOU SHALT NOT BE TROUBLED IN THE NEXT WORLD. AND IF HE KNOWS NOT WHAT TOCONFESS,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., he cannot remember his other sins. ');"><sup>11</sup></span>
ה <big><strong>גמ׳</strong></big> ת"ר נא אין נא אלא לשון בקשה
5 THEY INSTRUCT HIM, 'SAY,MAY MY DEATH BE AN EXPIATION FOR ALL MY SINS.' R. JUDAH SAID: IF HE KNOWSTHAT HE IS A VICTIM OF FALSE EVIDENCE, HE CAN SAY: MAY MY DEATH BE AN EXPIATIONFOR ALL MY SINS BUT THIS. THEY [THE SAGES] SAID TO HIM: IF SO, EVERYONE WILLSPEAK LIKEWISE IN ORDER TO CLEARHIMSELF.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Everyone would say this in order to clear himself in the eyes of men, and the court would acquire a bad reputation. ');"><sup>12</sup></span> <b><i>GEMARA</i></b>. Our Rabbis taught: The wordna<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] (I pray thee) in Josh. VII, 19. quoted in the Mishnah. ');"><sup>13</sup></span> is none other than a form ofsupplication. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Joshua, Israel hathsinned,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. VII, 11. ');"><sup>14</sup></span>
ו בשעה שאמר הקב"ה ליהושע (יהושע ז, יא) חטא ישראל אמר לפניו רבש"ע מי חטא אמר ליה וכי דילטור אני לך הפל גורלות הלך והפיל גורלות ונפל הגורל על עכן אמר לו יהושע בגורל אתה בא עלי אתה ואלעזר הכהן שני גדולי הדור אתם אם אני מפיל עליכם גורל על אחד מכם הוא נופל אמר לו בבקשה ממך אל תוציא לעז על הגורלות שעתידה ארץ ישראל שתתחלק בגורל שנאמר (במדבר כו, נה) אך בגורל יחלק את הארץ
6 he asked Him, 'Sovereignof the Universe, who hath sinned?' 'Am I an informer?' He answered, 'Go andcast lots.' Thereupon he went and cast lots, and the lot fell upon Achan.Said he to him; 'Joshua, dost thou convict me by a merelot?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Without the testimony of witnesses. ');"><sup>15</sup></span> Thou and Eleazar the Priestare the two greatest men of the generation, yet were I to cast lots uponyou, the lot might fall on one ofyou.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Surely, a lot is a thing of chance and can in no way be taken as decisive evidence; it might fall on the least likely people. ');"><sup>16</sup></span> I beg thee,'<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Expressed in the word [H] (I pray thee) in the verse. Hence its meaning of 'supplication'. ');"><sup>17</sup></span>
ז תן תודה אמר רבינא שחודי שחדיה במילי כלום נבקש ממך אלא הודאה תן לו תודה והיפטר מיד ויען עכן את יהושע ויאמר אמנה אנכי חטאתי לה' אלהי ישראל וכזאת וכזאת עשיתי
7 he replied,'cast no aspersions on [the efficacy of] lots, for Eretz Yisrael is yet tobe divided by means of lots, as it is written, The land shall be dividedby lot.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Num. XXVI, 55. ');"><sup>18</sup></span> [Therefore,] make confession.'Rabina said: He bribed him with words, saying, Do we seek aught from theebut a confession? confess unto Him and be free. Straightway, Achan answeredJoshua and said: Of a truth, I have sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel,and thus have I done.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Josh. VII, 20. ');"><sup>19</sup></span> R. Assi saidin R. Hanina's name: This teaches that Achan had thrice violated the ban,twice in the days of Moses,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Once in the war with the king of Arad, where it is written, And Israel vowed a vow unto the Lord and said&nbsp;… then I will utterly destroy their cities (Num. XXI, 2); and a second time in the war between Israel and Sihon, though a ban in that connection is not specifically mentioned, v. J. Sanh. VI, 3. ');"><sup>20</sup></span>
ח אמר רב אסי אמר רבי חנינא מלמד שמעל עכן בשלשה חרמים שנים בימי משה ואחד בימי יהושע שנאמר כזאת וכזאת עשיתי רבי יוחנן אמר משום ר' אלעזר בר' שמעון חמשה ארבעה בימי משה ואחד בימי יהושע שנאמר אנכי חטאתי וכזאת וכזאת עשיתי
8 andonce in the days of Joshua, for it is written, I havesinned,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., this time. ');"><sup>21</sup></span> and thus and thus have Idone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., earlier, 'thus' and 'thus' implying twice apart from this instance. ');"><sup>22</sup></span> R. Johanan said on the authority of R. Eleazar b. Simeon: He did so fivetimes, four times in the days ofMoses,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' In the wars with Arad, Sihon, Og and Midian, (Maharsha and Me'iri). ');"><sup>23</sup></span>
ט ועד השתא מאי טעמא לא איענוש א"ר יוחנן משום ר' אלעזר בר' שמעון לפי שלא ענש על הנסתרות עד שעברו ישראל את הירדן
9 and once in the days of Joshua,for it is written, I have sinned and thus and thus have Idone.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' This view is based on the number of words in the Hebrew text, five in all. ');"><sup>24</sup></span> And why were they [the Israelites]not punished until this occasion? R. Johanan answered on the authority ofR. Eleazar b. Simeon: Because [God] did not punish for secret transgressionsuntil the Israelites had crossed the Jordan. This point is disputed by Tannaim: The secret things belong unto the Lordour God, but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our childrenfor ever.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XXIX, 28. ');"><sup>25</sup></span>
י כתנאי (דברים כט, כח) הנסתרות לה' אלהינו והנגלות לנו ולבנינו עד עולם למה נקוד על לנו ולבנינו ועל עי"ן שבעד מלמד שלא ענש על הנסתרות עד שעברו ישראל את הירדן דברי ר' יהודה
10 Why are the words: Lanuu-lebanenu, [unto us and to our children] and the 'ayin of the word 'ad,[for ever] dotted?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' [H] Fifteen passages in the Bible contain dotted words. Many meanings have been attached to such dots, but the most probable is that they were a device to indicate homiletical explanations which the Rabbis had connected with the words. Cf. C. D. Ginsburg, Introduction to the Massoretic Critical Edition of the Hebrew Bible, p. 331. ');"><sup>26</sup></span> — To teach thatGod did not punish for transgression committed in secret, until the Israeliteshad crossed the Jordan:<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The dots on the words, To us and to our children, denote that corporate responsibility holds good only for revealed or open transgressions, whilst secret offenders have responsibility individually to God alone. But as one might then have inferred that it was so for all time, the [H] of the word [H] (until) is therefore dotted, indicating that it was so only until, i.e., up to the crossing of the Jordan, but not after it, when corporate responsibility was involved also in secret transgressions. ');"><sup>27</sup></span> this isthe view of R. Judah. Said R. Nehemia to him; Did Godever<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' I.e., even after they crossed the Jordan. ');"><sup>28</sup></span>
יא א"ל ר' נחמיה וכי ענש על הנסתרות לעולם והלא כבר נאמר עד עולם אלא כשם שלא ענש על הנסתרות כך לא ענש על עונשין שבגלוי עד שעברו ישראל את הירדן אלא
11 punish [all Israel] for crimescommitted in secret; does not Scripture say forever?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Translating, To us and our children belong only the revealed or open things; but the secret offender will 'for ever' be alone responsible to God, and will not implicate the whole people. ');"><sup>29</sup></span> But just as God did not punish[all Israel] for secret transgressions [at any time], so too did He not punishthem [corporately] for open transgressions until they had crossed theJordan.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' According to R. Nehemia the absence of corporate responsibility for secret sins, irrespective of peril, is expressly stated in the words for ever. The dot on the [H] in [H] however, indicates a change of responsibility for revealed transgressions in the time they crossed the Jordan. ');"><sup>30</sup></span> Then
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