Vayikra: Chapter 62

"Or if his sin, wherein he has sinned, come to his knowledge"

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon says that God ordered the Congregation of Yisrael to inform a man with their judgments of any sin that he has committed. Whenever a man sins but does not repent before God, his very soul rises and testifies before God. When the Congregation of Yisrael judges a man, his spirit awakens to do penance before God, and so he is humbled and brings an offering. Rabbi Shimon offers the additional explanation that a man who rises up at night to study the Torah is informed of his sin by the Torah, as a mother who tells her child with soothing words; then he repents on his own. We are also informed why David was punished through his son, Absalom.

Congregation Earth Heaven Judgment Sin

401. RabbiYehuda opened the discussion with the verse: "Or if his sin, wherein he has sinned, comes to his knowledge (lit. 'cause him to know his sin')" (Vayikra 4:23). HE ASKS, "cause him" from which side, WHO SHOULD CAUSE HIM TO KNOW? It should have said, 'or if he knew his sin,' why "cause him to know?" HE ANSWERS, The Holy One, blessed be He, ordered the Congregation of Yisrael to inform a man of the sin he committed. With what does she inform him? With her punishment, as written, "The heaven shall reveal his iniquity; and the earth shall rise up against him" (Iyov 20:27). THE MEANING OF "cause him to know" is like that of someone ordering another TO INFORM HIM, AS IT IS WRITTEN IN THE IMPERATIVE; NAMELY, HE ORDERS MALCHUT TO INFORM HIM.

401. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, אוֹ הוֹדַע אֵלָיו חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא. הוֹדַע אֵלָיו, מִסִּטְרָא דְּמַאן, אוֹ יָדַע חַטָּאתוֹ מִבָּעֵי לֵיהּ, מַהוּ הוֹדַע אֵלָיו. אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּקִיד לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְאוֹדָעָא לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, הַהוּא חוֹבָא דְּהוּא חָב, וּבַמָּה מוּדַע לֵיהּ, בְּדִינָהָא. כד"א יְגַלּוּ שָׁמַיִם עֲוֹנוֹ וְאֶרֶץ מִתְקוֹמָמָה לוֹ. הוֹדַע אֵלָיו, כְּמַאן דְּפָקִיד לְאָחֳרָא.

Congregation Jerusalem Judgment Repentance Sin Soul, The

402. We learned that when a man sins before the Holy One, blessed be He, yet does not care for his sin to repent about it before the Holy One, blessed be He, but throws it behind his shoulder, his very soul rises and testifies before the Holy One, blessed be He. The King commands the Congregation of Yisrael, saying, "cause him to know his sin, wherein he has sinned" NAMELY send him punishments and let him know his sin, as in the verse: "Cause Jerusalem to know her abominations" (Yechezkel 16:2). IN WHICH 'CAUSE TO KNOW' IS IN THE IMPERATIVE.

402. דְּתָנֵינָן בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּב"נ חָב קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח בַּחֲטָאֵיהּ לְאָהַדְרָא בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, וְאַשְׁדֵּי לֵיהּ בָּתַר כִּתְפֵיהּ, נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ סַלְקַת וְאַסְהִידַת קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כְּדֵין, פָּקִיד מַלְכָּא לִכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַר אוֹ הוֹדַע אֵלָיו חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא, אוֹשִׁיט דִּינָא עָלֵיהּ, וְאוֹדַע לֵיהּ חוֹבֵיהּ, כד"א הוֹדַע אֶת יְרוּשָׁלַםִ אֶת תּוֹעֲבוֹתֶיהָ.

Judgment Offering Sin

403. When Judgment reaches him, his spirit awakes to do penance before his Master. He is humbled and brings an offering, for he of a proud heart sins and forgets his sin and does not mind it. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore is ready for him and orders to cause him to know his sin, so that he shall not forget it.

403. בָּתַר דְּמָטֵי עָלֵיהּ דִּינָא, כְּדֵין אִתְּעַר רוּחָא לְמֶהֲדָר בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, וְאִתְכַּנָּע לְמִקְרַב קָרְבְּנָא, דְּהָא מַאן דְּלִבֵּיהּ גַּס בֵּיהּ, חָטֵי, וְאַנְשֵׁי חֲטָאֵיהּ, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח עָלֵיהּ, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא זַמִּין לָקֳבְלֵיהּ, וּפָקִיד לְאוֹדָעָא לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא חוֹבָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְנְשֵׁי מִנֵּיהּ.

Bathsheba David Deeds Judgment Sin

404. Rabbi Yosi said, Assuredly this is so. We have seen in David that after he did the deed by Bathseba, he did not pay attention to it. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have forgotten it, I shall remind you of it. Straight away, it is written, "You are the man. Thus, says Hashem the El of Yisrael" (II Shmuel 12:7). You are the man who did not remember the sin, you are the man who forgot it. With what did he inform him? Using Judgment.

404. א"ר יוֹסֵי, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי וְהָכִי אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּדָוִד, דְּכֵיוָן דְּעָבֵד הַהוּא עוֹבָדָא דְּבַת שֶׁבַע, לָא אַשְׁגַּח בֵּיהּ. אָ"ל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אַתְּ אַנְשִׁית לֵיהּ, אֲנָא אַדְכַּרְנָא לָךְ. מִיַּד מַה כְּתִיב, אַתָּה הָאִישׁ כֹּה אָמַר ה,' אַתָּה הָאִישׁ דְּלָא דָּכְרִת לֵיהּ, אַתָּה הָאִישׁ דְּאַנְשִׁית לֵיהּ, וּבְמָּה אוֹדַע לֵיהּ בְּדִינָא.

Children Judgment Ox Repentance Sin Torah

405. The Holy One, blessed be He, also said, "Cause him to know his sin, wherein he has sinned" (Vayikra 4:23). These words are true and it is so, for it is not written, 'Or if it be known to him,' as in "or if it be known that the ox has long been in the habit of goring" (Shemot 21:36). Whoever rises up at night to study the Torah, the Torah informs him of his sin. It is not harsh punishment, but as a mother who tells her child with soothing words. And he does not forget but repents before his Master.

405. אוּף הָכָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָאָמַר, הוֹדַע אֵלָיו חַטָּאתוֹ אֲשֶׁר חָטָא וְשַׁפִּיר מִלָּה, וְהָכִי הוּא, דְּלָא כְּתִיב אוֹ נוֹדַע אֵלָיו, כְּמָה דִּכְתִּיב אוֹ נוֹדַע כִּי שׁוֹר נַגָּח הוּא, וּמַאן דְּקָאֵים בְּלֵילְיָא לְמִלְעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אוֹרַיְיתָא קָא מוֹדְעָא לֵיהּ חוֹבֵיהּ, וְלָא בְּאוֹרַח דִּינָא אֶלָּא כְּאִימָּא דְּאוֹדָעָא לִבְרָהּ, בְּמִלָּה רָכִיךְ, וְהוּא לָא אַנְשֵׁי לֵיהּ, וְתָב בְּתִיּוּבְתָּא קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ.

Chariot David Jerusalem Judgment Midnight Sin

406. You may say that David used to rise at midnight. Why did they come on him? TO LET HIM KNOW HIS SIN through punishment? HE ANSWERS, David is different because he sinned against that to which he was attached, NAMELY MALCHUT, and which required punishment. So he was judged according to his sin. For he sinned against the holy Malchut TO WHICH HE WAS ATTACHED, BEING HER CHARIOT, and holy Jerusalem, WHICH CORRESPONDS TO MALCHUT. He was therefore expelled from Jerusalem and his kingdom was taken from him, until he made amends AND properly REPENTED.

406. וְאִי תֵּימָא דָּוִד, דַּהֲוָה קָם בְּפַלְגּוּ לֵילְיָא, אֲמַאי אַתְּעֲרוּ עָלֵיהּ בְּדִינָא, אֶלָּא שָׁאנֵי דָּוִד, דְּאִיהוּ עָבַר בְּמָּה דְּאִתְקְשַׁר, וּבָעָא דִּינָא, וּבְמָּה דְּעָבַר אִתְּדָּן. הוּא חָטָא לָקֳבְלֵיהּ דְּמַלְכוּתָא קַדִּישָׁא וּלְגַבֵּי יְרוּשְׁלֵם קַדִּישָׁא, ובג"ד אִתְתָּרַךְ מִירוּשְׁלֵם, וּמַלְכוּתָא אַעְדִּיוּ מִנֵּיהּ, עַד דְּאִתְתְּקַן כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת.

Absalom, Son of David David Evil

407. Rabbi Yehuda said, Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, punish David through his son, as written, "Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house" (II Shmuel 12:11)? Rabbi Yosi said, We explained that the reason for this is when another man will rise against him, he will take no pity on him. He said to him: But Absalom wished to kill his father with evil counsels more than any other man. He said to him: I have not heard this.

407. אָמַר ר' יְהוּדָה, מַהוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַעְנִישׁ לֵיהּ לְדָוִד עַל יְדָא דִּבְרֵיהּ, דִּכְתִּיב הִנְנִי מֵקִים עָלֶיךָ רָעָה מִבֵּיתֶךָ. אָמַר ר' יוֹסֵי, הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, בְּגִין דְּאִי יְקוּם עָלֵיהּ ב"נ אָחֳרָא, לָא יְרַחֵם עָלֵיהּ. אָ"ל, וְהָא אַבְשָׁלוֹם בָּעָא לְקָטְלָא לְאָבוּי בְּכַמָּה עֵיטִין בִּישִׁין עָלֵיהּ, יַתִּיר מב"נ אָחֳרָא. אָ"ל לָא שְׁמַעְנָא.

Absalom, Son of David Bathsheba Children Daughter David Revenge War Women

408. He said to him: I heard that David sinned with a Bathseba, THE SECRET OF MALCHUT. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, Let a son of a daughter of a foreign El come and take revenge. Who is this? It is Absalom, who was the son of a good-looking woman taken prisoner during the war. From this, we learned that whoever takes such a woman at war and covets her, a disloyal and defiant child issues from her in the end. Why? Because the filth has not yet been stopped from him, as we have already explained.

408. אָ"ל, אֲנָא שְׁמַעְנָא, דָּוִד חָטָא בְּבַת שֶׁבַע סְתָם. אָמַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לֵיתֵי בְּרָא דְּבַת אֵל נֵכָר, וְיִנְקוֹם נוּקְמָתָא, וּמַאן אִיהוּ. דָּא אַבְשָׁלוֹם, דִּבְרָהּ דִּיְפַת תּוֹאַר הֲוָה, מִקְּרָבָא. מִכָּאן אוֹלִיפְנָא, מַאן דְּנָטִיל אִתְּתָא דָּא בִּקְרָבָא, וְחָמִיד בָּה, לְסוֹף נָפִיק מִנָּהּ בֵּן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה. מ"ט בְּגִין דְּעַד כְּעַן, לָא סְפֵקָא מִנָּהּ זוּהֲמָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.

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