Kiddushin, Daf Mem, Part 5
Introduction
The Talmud continues to discuss rewards and punishments for sins and good deeds.
ת"ר לעולם 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
Our Rabbis taught: A person should always regard himself as though he were half guilty and half meritorious: if he performs one mitzvah, happy is he for tilting himself down on the scale of merit; if he commits one transgression, woe to him for tilting himself down on the scale of guilt, as it is said, But one sinner destroys much good (Ecclesiastes 9:18): on account of a single sin which he commits he loses many of the [merits] for the good things [he has done].
Sound advice on how to approach one s life.
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
R. Elazar son of R. Shimon 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 tilting the scale both for himself and for the whole world on the side of merit; if he commits one transgression, woe to him for tilting the scale for himself and the whole world on the side 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.
Wow R. Elazar son of R. Shimon is really laying it on thick here. And you think your parents put a guilt trip on you!
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
R. Shimon b. Yohai said: Even if he is perfectly righteous all his life but rebels at the end, he loses his former [good deeds], for it is said: The righteousness of the righteous shall not save him one the day of his transgression (Ezekiel 33:12).
And even if one is completely wicked all his life but repents at the end, he is not reminded again of his wickedness, for it is said, And as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turns from his wickedness (ibid).
The message here is both comforting and scary. It is comforting, for there is always the chance to repent. It is frightening, for one wrong deed can destroy one s entire life. Unfortunately, I think I ve seen too many cases that fall into the latter.
וניהוי כמחצה עונות ומחצה זכיות אמר ריש לקיש בתוהא על הראשונות
Yet let it be regarded as half transgressions and half meritorious deeds!
Resh Lakish said: It means that he regretted his former deeds.
Resh Lakish mollifies a bit the harshness of R. Shimon b. Yohai s statement. Simply performing one bad act does not destroy all the good things one has done. The baraita refers to one who regrets the good things he has done in the past. As such, he in a sense erases them, and is left only with his last, evil deed.
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