312. He opened the discussion by quoting: "For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me" (Tehilim 51:5). People should be staunchly on guard against sinning before the Holy One, blessed be He, because after a person has sinned, his sin is recorded in the upper world and may only be blotted out through the power of great repentance. This is as it is written: "For though you wash yourself with nitre, and take yourself much soap, yet the stain of your iniquity is before Me" (Yirmeyah 2:22).

313. Come and behold: The first time a person sins before the Holy One, blessed be He, he leaves a mark. If he sins a second time, the mark is darkened. If he sins a third time, the stain spreads to all sides. This is suggested by the words: "The stain of your iniquity is before Me" (Yirmeyah 2:22).

314. Come and behold: When King David sinned with Bathsheba before the Holy One, blessed be He, King David thought that the stain of this sin would last forever. But what is written? "Hashem also has put away your sin, you shall not die" (II Shmuel 12:13), MEANING THAT the stain was blotted out.

315. Rabbi Aba then asked him: If Bathsheba belonged to King David from the day the world was created, why did the Holy One, blessed be He, give her first to Uriah the Hittite?

316. Rabbi Shimon told him that these are the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He. Although a woman may be destined to become a certain man's wife, another man may marry her first. But as soon as the time has come for the destined man to marry her, the latter is removed from this world, because of the other that comes after him. And it is very hard and for the Holy One, blessed be He, to remove that person from the world before his time has come, for someone else's sake.

317. The secret of why Bathsheba was given first to Uriah the Hittite lies in the answer to the question of why the Holy Land was given first to Canaan, before Yisrael existed. From this, you shall understand WHY BATHSHEBA WAS GIVEN FIRST TO URIAH. Both questions are connected to one secret and one matter.

318. Come and behold: Even though David confessed his sins and repented, he was not able to completely forget and extirpate them from his heart, especially the sin related to Bathsheba. Because he always feared that one of his sins might reappear and persecute him in time of danger, he never forgot them or blotted them out of his memory. HE SAID, "FOR I AKNOWLEDGE MY TRANSGRESSION, AND MY SIN IS EVER BEFORE ME ALWAYS."

319. Another interpretation of the verse, "For I acknowledge my transgression" is, 'I am familiar with all the levels whence the sins of humankind originate.' IN OTHER WORDS, HE HAD ALREADY CORRECTED THEM. On the other hand, "my sin is ever before me" refers to the defect of the moon, WHICH HE DID NOT CORRECT. The moon's defect was not corrected until Solomon appeared. AT THAT POINT, IT SHONE FLAWLESS AND FULL. Then, the world was joyful (lit. 'perfumed') and Yisrael dwelled in security. As it is written: "And Judah and Yisrael dwelled safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree" (I Melachim 5:5). "My sin is ever before me" SIGNIFIES THAT EVEN IN THE DAYS OF KING SOLOMON, THE MOON'S DEFECT WAS NOT COMPLETELY CORRECTED. FOR THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED A SECOND TIME, AND THE MOON, WHICH IS THE FEMALE PRINCIPLE, RETURNED TO ITS UNCORRECTED STATE. THIS DEFECT shall not be removed from the world until the King Messiah appears, as is described in the verse: "and also I will cause...the unclean spirit to pass out of the land" (Zecharyah 13:2).