Yoma 86a

יומא פ״ו ע״א

Learn Yoma 86a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

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Topic

תשובה and כפרה: which sins need יום הכפורים, the ladder of atonement, חילול השם, and the greatness of תשובה

Overview

The amud opens by asking whether תשובה alone atones for an ordinary לא תעשה, or whether it also needs יום הכפורים. Two sources seem to say that only לא תשא is severe, and the גמרא answers that this means 'לא תשא and everything like it.' A third source, from the verse at חורב, says outright that all other לאוין are cleared, so the גמרא concludes this is a dispute between תנאים. רבי אלעזר then shows from 'ונקה לא ינקה' that God clears those who do תשובה. Next comes רבי ישמעאל's ladder of כפרה. For an עשה, תשובה alone works. For a לאו, יום הכפורים is also needed. For כרת and מיתות בית דין, יסורין are also needed. For חילול השם, only death completes the כפרה. The גמרא then gives examples of חילול השם, such as a great person who delays paying or is seen without תורה and תפילין. It ends with אביי's ברייתא contrasting a learned person who makes ה׳'s name beloved with one whose dishonesty desecrates it. The amud closes with sayings on the greatness of תשובה, including the levels of תשובה out of love, out of fear, and through suffering.

Opening lines

The steps (33)

1. ChallengeA source says only לא תשא is excluded from the light sins
2. Resolution'לא תשא' means לא תשא and everything like it
3. Challengeרבי יהודה's ranking from לא תשא down and up
4. RejectionThe same answer: לא תשא and everything like it
5. ChallengeThe verse at חורב: God clears all other לאוין
6. ResolutionIt is a dispute between תנאים
7. QuestionWhere do we see that 'ונקה' at חורב is about תשובה?
8. Responseרבי אלעזר: God clears those who repent
9. Questionרבי מתיא בן חרש asks about four levels of atonement
10. ResponseThree levels, with repentance in each
11. StatementLevel one: a positive commandment
12. StatementLevel two: a negative prohibition
13. StatementLevel three: כרת and מיתות בית דין
14. StatementThe special case of desecrating God's name
15. QuestionWhat does desecrating ה׳'s name look like?
16. Responseרב: taking meat without paying right away
17. Statementאביי limits רב's case to places where sellers don't come collect
18. Statementרבינא: מתא מחסיא is a place where sellers collect
19. Statementאביי's careful way of paying two partners
20. Responseרבי יוחנן: walking without תורה and תפילין
21. Responseיצחק דבי רבי ינאי: when friends are embarrassed by one's reputation
22. Responseרב נחמן בר יצחק: when people say 'May his Master forgive him'
23. Responseאביי: the ברייתא on making ה׳'s name beloved
24. StatementWhat people say about such a person
25. StatementThe verse: 'Israel, in whom I will be glorified'
26. StatementThe learned person who behaves badly
27. ConclusionThe פסוק about desecrating ה׳'s name
28. Statementתשובה brings healing to the world
29. ChallengeContradiction: are the sins wiped away or only healed?
30. ResolutionAnswer: love versus fear
31. ChallengeContradiction: can everyone return, or only a few?
32. ResolutionAnswer: love or fear versus suffering
33. Statementתשובה reaches the כסא הכבוד