Nazir - Daf 23
- וה' יסלח לה – Needing atonement for intent for an aveirah
The next Mishnah teaches that a nezirah whose husband was meifir without her knowledge, and she transgressed nezirus prohibitions, is not liable to malkos since she was not a nezirah. A Baraisa explains the passuk which says: אישה הפרם וה' יסלח לה - “Her husband revoked [her nedarim] and Hashem will forgive her,” that it refers to a woman who violated her nedarim without knowing they were revoked, and the passuk indicates that she requires forgiveness. Rebbe Akiva would weep when reaching this passuk and say, ומה מי שנתכוון לעלות בידו בשר חזיר ועלה בידו בשר טלה – “If someone intended for pork to come to his hand, and lamb’s meat came to his hand (i.e., he intended to eat non-kosher but mistakenly ate kosher), טעון כפרה וסליחה – requires atonement and forgiveness (as seen by the woman whose nedarim were revoked), המתכוון לעלות בידו בשר חזיר ועלה בידו בשר חזיר על אחת כמה וכמה – then someone who intended for pork to come to his hand and it did, all the more so! A similar comment is made regarding an asham talui, a korban brought for a doubtful aveirah, about which the Torah says: ונשא עונו – “he shall bear his iniquity.” If one who possibly transgressed an aveirah, thinking it was permitted, “bears his iniquity,” then all the more so one who sins willfully!
- צדיקים ילכו בם ופושעים יכשלו בם
Rabbah bar bar Channah said in the name of Rebbe Yochanan about the passuk: כי ישרים דרכי ה' וצדיקים ילכו בם ופושעים יכשלו בם – “Because Hashem’s paths are straight, the righteous walk in them and the wicked stumble in them,” that an example for this would be two people eating korban pesach, where one ate for the mitzvah and the other ate gluttonously (after being full). The first personifies the righteous walking, and the second, the wicked stumbling. Reish Lakish objected that although the gluttonous eater did not perform the mitzvah in the best way, he did do it, and cannot be called “wicked.” Instead, it can refer to two people whose respective wives and sisters were with them, where one had relations with his wife, and the other, with his sister. The Gemara rejects this as well, because the passuk is describing a single path that can be followed righteously or wickedly, and this case is akin to two paths. Rather, it refers to Lot and his daughters: הן שנתכוונו לשם מצוה וצדיקים ילכו בם – They, who intended for a mitzvah, personify “the righteous walk in them,” הוא שנתכוין לשם עבירה ופושעים יכשלו בם – but [Lot], who intended for sin, personifies “and the wicked stumble in them.”
- עבירה לשמה and מצוה שלא לשמה
Rav Nachman bar Yitzchok said: גדולה עבירה לשמה ממצוה שלא לשמה – An aveirah committed for the sake of Heaven is greater than a mitzvah performed for ulterior motives. The Gemara objects, but Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: לעולם יעסוק אדם בתורה ובמצות אפילו שלא לשמן – A person should always occupy himself with Torah and mitzvos, even for ulterior motives, שמתוך שלא לשמן בא לשמן – because from doing them for ulterior motives, he will come to do them for their own sake. We see, then, that mitzvos done for ulterior motives are of great virtue! The Gemara therefore revises his statement to be that an aveirah done for the sake of Heaven is כמצוה שלא לשמה – as great as a mitzvah done for ulterior motives. The Gemara sources this to a passuk that compares Yael favorably with the אמהות.
