Daf 46a (דַּף מ״ו ע״א)

As they were walking (עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי), they encountered a certain man (אִעֲרָעוּ בְּחַד בַּר נָשׁ), and his face was full of bruises (וְאַנְפּוֹי מַלְיָין מַכְתְּשִׁין), and he was standing beneath a certain tree (וַהֲוָה קָם מִתְּחוֹת אִילָנָא חַד). They looked at him (אִסְתְּכָּלוּ בֵּיהּ), and saw (וְחָמוּ) his face was reddened with those bruises (אַנְפּוֹי סוּמָקִין בְּאִינּוּן מַכְתְּשִׁין). Rabbi Ḥiyya said: Who are you? (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא: מַאן אַנְתְּ). He said to him: I am Yehudai (אָמַר לֵיהּ: יוּדָאי אֲנָא).

Rabbi Yosei said: He is a sinner (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי: חַטָּאָה הוּא), for if not so, his face would not have been marked with these evil afflictions (דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי, לָא אִתְרְשִׁימוּ אַנְפּוֹי בְּאִלֵּין מַרְעִין בִּישִׁין), and these are not called sufferings of love (וְאִלֵּין לָא אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה). Rabbi Ḥiyya said: It is indeed so (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא: הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי), for sufferings of love are hidden from human beings (דְּיִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה מִתְחַפְּיָין אִינּוּן מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), as it is written: “If a person has on the skin of his flesh a swelling, or a scab, or a bright spot…” (Leviticus 13) (דִּכְתִּיב: אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת). Behold, three kinds are mentioned here (הָא ג׳ זִינִין הָכָא), and all of them are called a plague of tzara‘at (וְכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן נֶגַע צָרַעַת), as it is written: “And it shall be in the skin of his flesh for a plague of tzara‘at” (Leviticus 13) (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וְהָיָה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרַעַת). What is a plague of tzara‘at? (מַאי נֶגַע צָרַעַת), It is closure — sealed in everything (סְגִירוּ. סְגִירוּ בְּכֹלָּא), and it is written: “And he shall be brought to Aharon the Kohen…” (Leviticus 13) (וּכְתִיב: וְהוּבָא אֶל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ׳). But regarding those which appear outwardly it is written: “And the Kohen shall see him and declare him impure” (Leviticus 13) (אֲבָל אִינּוּן דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לְבַר, כְּתִיב: וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וְטִמֵּא אוֹתוֹ). For indeed, those which are visible externally in human beings (דְּהָא וַדַּאי אִינּוּן דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לְבַר בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), come from the side of impurity (מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא קָא אַתְיָין), and they are not sufferings of love (וְלָאו יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה נִינְהוּ).

Rabbi Yosei said: From where do we learn this? (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי: מְנָא לָן). Rabbi Ḥiyya said: For it is written (אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא: דִּכְתִיב): “Open rebuke is better than hidden love” (Proverbs 27) (טוֹבָה תּוֹכַחַת מְגוּלָה מֵאַהֲבָה מְסוּתָּרֶת). If that rebuke is from love (Some say: they are rebuke from love when it is) — hidden from human beings (אֵי הַהִיא תּוֹכַחַת מֵאַהֲבָה [נ״א: אינהו תּוֹכַחַת מֵאַהֲבָה כַּד אִיהִי] מְסוּתָּרֶת מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא). In this manner, one who rebukes his fellow with love (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: מַאן דְּאוֹכַח לְחַבְרֵיהּ בִּרְחִימוּתָא), must conceal his words from people (בָּעֵי לְאַסְתְּרָא מִלּוֹי מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא), so that his friend not be shamed before them (דְּלָא יִכְסוֹף מִנַּיְיהוּ חַבְרֵיהּ). But if his words are revealed before people (וְאִי מִלּוֹי אִינּוּן בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא קָמֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא), they are not from love (לָאו אִינּוּן בִּרְחִימוּתָא).

So too Kudsha Berikh Hu, when He rebukes a person (כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד אוֹכַח לְבַר נָשׁ), in all things He rebukes him with love (בְּכֹלָּא אוֹכַח בִּרְחִימוּתָא). First, He strikes him in his own limb (בְּקַדְמִיתָא מָחֵי לֵיהּ בְּגַרְמֵיהּ דִּלְגוֹ). If he turns back — good (אִי הָדָר בֵּיהּ, מוּטָב); and if not, He strikes him beneath his garments (וְאִי לָאו, מָחֵי לֵיהּ תַּחוֹת תּוֹתְבֵיהּ). And these [strikes] in his skin (וְאִלֵּין [בְּעוֹרוֹ]) are called sufferings of love (אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה). If he turns back — good (אִי הָדָר בֵּיהּ, מוּטָב); and if not, He strikes him openly, in his face, in front of all (וְאִי לָאו, מָחֵי לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא בְּאַנְפּוֹי קָמֵי כֹּלָּא), so that they may look at him and know (בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּכְּלוּן בֵּיהּ וְיִנְדְּעוּן) that he is a sinner (דְּהָא חַטָּאָה אִיהוּ), and not beloved of his Master (וְלָאו רְחִימָא דְּמָארֵיהּ הוּא).

That man said to them (אָמַר לוֹן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ): In the storm of wrath you have come upon me (בְּקִיטְרָא דְּעֵיטָא חַד אֲתִיתוּן גַּבַּי); surely you are none other than from those who dwell in the house of Rabbi Shim‘on ben Yochai (וַדַּאי לָאו אַתּוּן אֶלָּא מֵאִינּוּן דְּדִיּוּרֵיהוֹן בְּבֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי), who fear nothing (דְּלָא דַּחֲלִין מִכֹּלָּא). If sons who come after me bring accusations against you (אִי בָּנַי דְּאַתְיָין אֲבַתְרָאי יְקַטְּרְגוּ בְּכוּ), how are your words [spoken] openly? (אֵיךְ מִלַּיְיכוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא). He said to him: So it is with the Orayta, for it is written (Proverbs 1) (אָמַר לֵיהּ: אוֹרַיְתָא הָכִי הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב): “In the head of the noisy places she cries, at the openings of the gates in the city she utters her words” (Proverbs 1) (בְּרֹאשׁ הוֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא, בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹּאמֵר). And if in matters of Orayta we are afraid before you (וּמַה אִי בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְתָא אֲנַן דַּחֲלֵי מִקַּמָּךְ), behold — we are found ashamed before Kudsha Berikh Hu (הָא נִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכִסּוּפָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא). And furthermore, the Orayta requires clarity (וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא בָּעֵי צָחוּתָא).

That man opened and said: “Who is a God like You, forgiving iniquity…” (Micah 7) (פָּתַח הַהוּא גַּבְרָא וְאָמַר: מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ נוֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וְגוֹ׳). He lifted his hands and wept (אָרִים יְדוֹי וּבָכָה). Meanwhile, his sons arrived (אַדְּהָכִי מָטוּן בְּנוֹי). His small son said: “This is Help from Heaven here!” (אָמַר בְּרֵיהּ זְעֵירָא: סִיַּיעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּיא הָכָא).

He opened and said: “All this have I seen in the days of my vanity — there is a righteous one who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked one who prolongs in his evil” (Ecclesiastes 7) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר: אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי — יֵשׁ צַדִּיק אוֹבֵד בְּצִדְקוֹ וְיֵשׁ רָשָׁע מַאֲרִיךְ בְּרָעָתוֹ).

This verse I learned in the academy of Rabbi Dostai Sava (הַאי קְרָא אוֹלִיפְנָא בֵּי רִבִּי דּוֹסְתַּאי סָבָא), who said in the name of Rabbi Yissa Sava (דְּהֲוָה אָמַר מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרִבִּי יֵיסָא סָבָא): “All this I saw in the days of my vanity” — did King Shlomo, who was wise above all (אֶת הַכֹּל רָאִיתִי בִּימֵי הֶבְלִי, וְכִי שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא דְּהֲוָה חַכִּים עַל כֹּלָּא), how could he say such a thing, that he saw everything? (אֵיךְ אָמַר הָכִי דְּאִיהוּ חָמָא כֹּלָּא). At the time when he was going in the darkness of the world (בְּזִמְנָא דְּאִיהוּ אָזִיל בַּחֲשׁוֹכֵי עָלְמָא), for whoever engages in the darkness of the world (דְּהָא כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתְּדַל בַּחֲשׁוֹכֵי עָלְמָא), sees nothing (לָא חָמֵי מִדִּי), and knows nothing (וְלָא יָדַע מִדִּי).