Kiddushin, Daf Lammed Tet, Part 5

 

Introduction

Today s section is a fascinating and important dispute about the view of the mishnah, that when a person does good deeds (mitzvoth) he is rewarded. Is there really a reward, at least in this world, for the performance of mitzvoth?

 

וכל העושה מצוה אחת יתירה על זכיותיו מטיבין לו

ורמינהו כל שזכיותיו מרובין מעונותיו מריעין לו ודומה כמי ששרף כל התורה כולה ולא שייר ממנה אפילו אות אחת וכל שעונותיו מרובין מזכיותיו מטיבין לו ודומה כמי שקיים כל התורה כולה ולא חיסר אות אחת ממנה

 

And one who performs one mitzvah beyond his merits is rewarded?

But against this they raised the following difficulty: One whose merits outnumber his sins is punished, and it is as though he had burnt the whole Torah, not leaving even a single letter. And one whose sins outnumber his good merits is rewarded, and it is as though he had fulfilled the whole Torah, not omitting even a single letter!

 

The baraita quoted here seems absolutely absurd at face value if one has more merits than sins he is punished severely, and if one has more sins than merits he is rewarded. How can we even begin to make sense out of this utterly strange baraita, especially in light of the Mishnah which offers a much more positive view of the world?

 

אמר אביי מתניתין דעבדין ליה יום טב ויום ביש

 

Abaye said: Our Mishnah means that they prepare for him a good day and a bad day.

 

According to Abaye, the Mishnah does not mean that life will always be good for one who does more good things than bad. It means that some days will be good and some days will not. The bad days serve as punishments to cleanse him of his sins.

 

רבא אמר הא מני רבי יעקב היא דאמר שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא ליכא דתניא רבי יעקב אומר אין לך כל מצוה ומצוה שכתובה בתורה שמתן שכרה בצדה שאין תחיית המתים תלויה בה בכיבוד אב ואם כתיב (דברים ה, טו) למען יאריכון ימיך ולמען ייטב לך בשילוח הקן כתיב (דברים כב, ז) למען ייטב לך והארכת ימים הרי שאמר לו אביו עלה לבירה והבא לי גוזלות ועלה לבירה ושלח את האם ונטל את הבנים ובחזירתו נפל ומת היכן טובת ימיו של זה והיכן אריכות ימיו של זה אלא למען ייטב לך לעולם שכולו טוב ולמען יאריכון ימיך לעולם שכולו ארוך

 

Rava said: With whom does this agree? With R. Ya akov, who said: There is no reward for mitzvot in this world. For it was taught: R. Ya akov said: There is not a single mitzvah in the Torah whose reward is [stated] at its side which is not dependent on the resurrection of the dead.

[Thus:] in connection with honoring parents it is written, That your days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with you (Deuteronomy 5:15). And in reference to shooing away the mother bird it is written, That it may go well with you, and that you may live a long life (Deuteronomy 22:7). Now, if one’s father said to him, Go up to the top of the building and bring me young birds, and he ascends to the top of the building, sends away the mother bird and takes the young, and on his return falls and is killed where is this goodness of this one s days? And where is the lengthening of this one s days? Rather, that it may go well with you in a world that is wholly good; and that you may live a long life, in a world that is entirely long.

Rava brings in the view of R. Ya akov rewards are reserved for the world to come. In this world, people who perform good deeds can die, as is illustrated by the tragic story of the boy who performs the very two mitzvoth that promises a long life and yet nevertheless dies.

 

ודלמא לאו הכי הוה ר’ יעקב מעשה חזא ודלמא מהרהר בעבירה הוה מחשבה רעה אין הקב"ה מצרפה למעשה

ודלמא מהרהר בעבודת כוכבים הוה וכתיב (יחזקאל יד, ה) למען תפוש את בית ישראל בלבם

 

Yet perhaps this never happened?

R. Jacob saw an actual occurrence.

Then perhaps he was thinking about [doing] transgressions?

The Holy One, blessed be He, does not combine an evil thought with an [evil] act.

Yet perhaps he was thinking about idolatry, and it is written, That I may trap the house of Israel in their own heart (Ezekiel 14:5)?

 

The Talmud tries to find some justice in the world, but is ultimately unsuccessful.

Perhaps such things do not really happen. Nope, this really happened.

Perhaps the person had bad thoughts, and was being punished for them. Nope God does not punish for bad thoughts.

Perhaps he was thinking about idolatry, and there is a verse in which God seems to say that he will trap (meaning punish) Israel even for thinking about idolatry.

 

איהו נמי הכי קאמר אי סלקא דעתך שכר מצוה בהאי עלמא אמאי לא אגין מצות עליה כי היכי דלא ליתי לידי הרהור

 

That too was what he said: should you think that there is a reward for mitzvoth in this world, why did these mitzvoth not shield him from being led to [such] thoughts?

 

If there was a reward for observing mitzvoth in this world, than at a minimum they should have protected him from thinking about idolatry. So even if this man was thinking about idolatry, his death is still proof that there is no reward in this world.

 

והא א"ר אלעזר שלוחי מצוה אין נזוקין

התם בהליכתן שאני

והא אמר רבי אלעזר שלוחי מצוה אינן נזוקין לא בהליכתן ולא בחזירתן סולם רעוע הוה דקביע היזיקא וכל היכא דקביע היזיקא לא סמכינן אניסא דכתיב (שמואל א טז, ב) ויאמר שמואל איך אלך ושמע שאול והרגני

 

But didn t R. Elazar say: Those on their way to perform a mitzvah are not injured?

There, when they are going [to fulfill the mitzvah], it is different.

But R. Elazar said: Those on their way to perform a mitzvah are not injured, neither when going nor when returning?

It was a rickety ladder, so that its damage was likely, and where damage is likely one must not rely on a miracle, for it is written, and Shmuel said: How can I go? If Shaul hears it, he will kill me (I Samuel 16:2).

 

In general, those going to perform a mitzvah are not injured. However, if there is human negligence involved, meaning the ladder was rickety, then one cannot rely on divine intervention.

Note that this resolution still resolves the notion that the world makes sense while we cannot rely on a miracle, we might be able to rely on our own abilities to make sure that our ladders are safe. Theoretically, if the ladder had been checked, this damage could have been prevented.

אמר רב יוסף אילמלי דרשיה אחר להאי קרא כרבי יעקב בר ברתיה לא חטא ואחר מאי הוא איכא דאמרי כי האי גוונא חזא

ואיכא דאמרי לישנא דחוצפית המתורגמן חזא דהוה גריר ליה דבר אחר אמר פה שהפיק מרגליות ילחך עפר נפק חטא

 

R. Joseph said: Had Aher interpreted this verse as R. Jacob, his daughter’s son, he would not have sinned.

Now, what happened with Aher? Some say, he saw something like this.

Others say, he saw the tongue of Huzpith the Interpreter dragged along by a swine.

He said, The mouth that uttered pearls licks the dust!

He went out and sinned.

 

Aher which means the other one refers to Elisha ben Abuya, the famous rabbi who left rabbinic Judaism to lead a life of sin. According to our sugya, what lead him to sin was the problem of theodicy. He saw good people s lives ended in tragic death. He did not realize, as R. Ya akov would have told him, that the reward for leading a good life was waiting for the world to come.