Gemara Clarity

Yoma 87a

יומא פ״ז ע״א

Learn Yoma 87a step by step: Aramaic beside English, every question, answer and proof colour-coded.

Open Yoma 87a in Gemara Clarity

Topic

Humility, reward and punishment, the limits of יום הכפורים, and appeasing someone you have hurt

Overview

This amud opens with how great leaders kept themselves humble: רבא when he went out to judge, and רב זוטרא while he was carried in honor. The גמרא then explains the verse 'שאת פני רשע לא טוב'. It is bad for the wicked, like אחאב, to be spared in this world, and good for the righteous, like משה, to be punished here. The merit of צדיקים protects their descendants, while the guilt of רשעים harms theirs. One who brings the public to merit is protected from sin, but one who leads the public to sin can almost never do תשובה. Returning to the משנה, the גמרא explains why 'אחטא ואשוב' is said twice: a repeated sin comes to feel permitted. It also shows that even רבי agrees יום הכפורים does not atone for someone who sinned while relying on it. Sins against another person need the victim to be appeased, and the amud gives the rules: even for words, up to three times, and at the grave if he has died. Stories about רבי ירמיה, רבי זירא and רב show this in practice, and a new story about רב reading before רבי begins and continues on the next amud.

Opening lines

בִּצְבוּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ לִקְטָלָא נָפֵיק,

Of his own will he goes out to death,

וּצְבוּ בֵּיתֵיהּ לֵית הוּא עָבֵיד,

and he does not do the will (needs) of his household,

וְרֵיקָן לְבֵיתֵיהּ אָזֵיל,

and he goes back to his house empty-handed,

וּלְוַאי שֶׁתְּהֵא בִּיאָה כִּיצִיאָה.

and if only the coming in would be like the going out.

The steps (36)

  1. Statementרבא's humble words when going out to judge
  2. Statementרבא quotes איוב when a crowd follows him
  3. Statementרב זוטרא's verse while being carried in honor
  4. StatementIt is bad for the wicked to be favored in this world: אחאב
  5. StatementIt is good for the righteous not to be favored in this world: משה
  6. StatementThe merit of the righteous protects their descendants
  7. ProofProof from אהרן's surviving sons
  8. StatementWoe to the wicked: their guilt harms their descendants
  9. Proofכנען's children lost greatness because of their father
  10. StatementBringing the public to merit versus leading them to sin
  11. QuestionWhy is one who brings merit to the public protected from sin?
  12. ResponseSo the teacher will not be in גיהנם while his students are in גן עדן
  13. ResponseSo the sinner will not be in גן עדן while his students are in גיהנם
  14. QuestionWhy does the משנה repeat 'I will sin and repent' twice?
  15. ResponseAfter repeating a sin, it becomes 'permitted' to him
  16. ChallengeCould a sin really become permitted?
  17. ResolutionIt only feels permitted to him
  18. ChallengeDoes the משנה go against רבי?
  19. Proofרבי: יום הכפורים atones even without תשובה
  20. ResolutionRelying on יום הכפורים is different, even for רבי
  21. StatementQuoting the משנה on sins against God
  22. ChallengeA verse suggests God forgives sins against people
  23. ResolutionThe word אלהים here means a judge
  24. ChallengeThe second half of the verse doesn't fit that reading
  25. ResolutionThe verse is about forgiveness, not judgment
  26. StatementYou must appease someone you hurt, even with words
  27. StatementHow to appease: pay money, or send many friends
  28. StatementAppease him with three rows of three people
  29. StatementDo not ask forgiveness more than three times
  30. StatementIf the hurt person has died, confess at his grave
  31. Statementרבי ירמיה waits at רבי אבא's door and gets splashed
  32. Statementרבי אבא goes out to appease רבי ירמיה
  33. Statementרבי זירא makes it easy for people to apologize
  34. Statementרב goes to appease the butcher, and רב הונא warns of danger
  35. ConclusionThe butcher refuses and is killed
  36. Statementרב reads the Torah portion before רבי, and someone enters