The Gemara recounts that when Rav Zutra would enter the synagogue on Shabbat of a holiday, he would be carried in his chair on the shoulders of others, a great honor. Rashi explains that this was because he was old and walked slowly, and by carrying him, the congregation would not have to stand for an extended period awaiting his arrival. To prevent this immense honor from leading to arrogance, Rav Zutra would recite a verse: "A person does not endure forever, and the crown does not last forever." This served as a reminder that worldly honor is temporary, fostering humility.
The Gemara continues by expounding upon other verses. Regarding the verse from Proverbs, "To show favor to the wicked is not good," the Gemara explains that this refers to the benefit and favor God grants the wicked in this world. For example, it was not good for Ahab, a wicked king, that God showed him favor by delaying his punishment. The verse states that because Ahab humbled himself, God declared that calamity would not befall him in his lifetime. While this delay was a benefit in this world, it was ultimately not good for Ahab, as an earlier punishment might have compelled him to repent, securing his portion in the World to Come. Thus, the worldly benefit of delayed punishment ultimately proved detrimental.
Conversely, the end of the same verse states, "but the righteous is tilted in justice." The Gemara explains that it is good for the righteous that God does not show them favor in this world. An example is Moshe, for whom it was beneficial that God was strict with him in this world by punishing him. Moshe was punished for striking the rock, and as a result, his life was shortened. The Gemara implies that had Moshe believed fully, he would have lived longer. This seemingly harsh treatment was for his benefit, as his shortened life in this world ensured he would receive his full reward in the World to Come. Thus, what appears bad for the righteous in this world is ultimately good for them, while worldly benefits for the wicked are ultimately detrimental.
The commentators raise a question: Moshe himself states in the Torah, "Today I am 120 years old," implying he lived a full life. This contradicts the Gemara's assertion that his life was curtailed due to sin. The commentators reconcile this by explaining that "full life" means he lived from day to day, being born and dying on the same date, the seventh of Adar. However, he could have lived for more years, but God was strict with him, as God is strict with the righteous in this world to benefit them in the World to Come.
The Gemara then discusses the merit of the righteous. Not only do the righteous benefit themselves, but they also benefit their children and all their descendants for generations. For instance, Aharon had children, Nadav and Avihu, who were worthy of being consumed by fire. The remaining children also should have been punished but were spared due to Aharon's merit. This demonstrates that the merit of the righteous protects their descendants.
Conversely, the guilt of the wicked can adversely affect future generations. Many descendants of Canaan were worthy of high status, such as Tobi, the servant of Rabban Gamliel, who was a Torah scholar. However, due to Canaan's iniquity and the curse he received, his descendants bore the guilt, preventing them from attaining their potential. This illustrates that while the merit of ancestors can benefit future generations, their guilt can be detrimental.
Anyone involved in inspiring the public to perform good deeds and observe mitzvot receives divine protection from sin. The commentators explain that a person engaged in public outreach often interacts with people beneath their spiritual level, creating a risk of negative influence. However, the Gemara guarantees that such a person receives special protection from God, preventing them from falling into sin.
In contrast, someone who causes others to sin is not given the opportunity to repent. As Rambam explains, this does not mean they lose their free will, but God does not provide them with additional divine assistance to repent. They are left to their own devices, unlike others who receive inspiration from Heaven. The Gemara proves this concept, stating that it would be unjust for the one who caused others to sin to go to the World to Come while their students, whom they corrupted, go to Gehenna. Therefore, God protects the one who inspires others to do good from sin, so they can join their students in the World to Come. Conversely, the one who causes the public to sin will not be allowed to repent, so they will not be in the World to Come while their corrupted students are in Gehenna.
The Gemara quotes a verse: "A man guilty of bloodshed will flee unto the pit; they will not support him." Rashi explains that "guilty of bloodshed" refers to one who causes another soul to be lost by leading them to sin. "They will not support him" means they will not prevent him from falling into the pit of Gehenna; rather, they will let him fall because he caused others to sin.
The Gemara discusses a person who repeatedly says, "I will sin and repent, I will sin and repent," relying on repentance as an excuse to sin. The Gemara asks why the phrase is repeated twice. It explains that when a person repeats a sin, it becomes permissible in their mind. By repeating it twice, the sin becomes so ingrained that they no longer genuinely intend to repent, as they perceive it as permissible. Consequently, their repentance is not accepted. According to Rav Huna, once a person adopts the attitude that a transgression is permissible, God declares that He will no longer forgive them. If a person sins but knows they did wrong, there is hope for forgiveness. But if they reach a level where they commit a sin and believe there is nothing wrong with it, they lose divine assistance for repentance.
Similarly, a person who says, "I will sin, and Yom Kippur will atone," relying on Yom Kippur for atonement, will find that Yom Kippur does not atone for them. The Mishnah states that Yom Kippur atones for all sins, whether one repents or not. This seems to contradict the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi, who holds that Yom Kippur atones for all sins. The Gemara clarifies that while Yom Kippur atones for those who do not repent, it does not atone for those who intentionally sin with the explicit reliance that Yom Kippur will cover it. Even Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi agrees that such a person is not atoned for.
Rabbi Yosef bar Abba raised a contradiction to Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi. He noted that transgressions between a person and another person are not atoned for by Yom Kippur. However, a verse in Samuel, where Eli the High Priest rebukes his children, states: "If a person sins man to man, God will appease him." This implies that God will forgive such a sin, contradicting the rule that Yom Kippur does not atone for interpersonal transgressions. The Gemara resolves this by explaining that "God" in this verse refers to judges. Thus, the verse means that if a person sins against another, they must go to court to be judged and settle the matter. For example, if someone stole from a friend, they must go to court and pay back the money; it is not a matter for divine appeasement without human intervention.
The Gemara then challenges this interpretation: if "God" means judges, then the verse continues, "But if a person commits a sin to God, who will judge him?" This would imply that God judges Himself, which makes no sense. Therefore, the Gemara concludes that the word "appease" must be understood differently. The verse should be read as: "If a person sins man to man, and you appease your friend, then God will forgive you. But if a person commits a sin to God, who will appease for you?" This means that for sins between people, one must appease the offended party, and then God will forgive. For sins against God, there is no one to appease Him but through repentance and good deeds. Thus, the Gemara confirms that interpersonal transgressions can only be atoned for by first appeasing the offended party.
The Gemara then discusses how to appease an offended person. The book of Proverbs advises: "Do this, my son, and save yourself, for you have come into your friend's power. Go, humble yourself and press your friend." Rashi explains that if one has guaranteed a friend money or verbally harmed them, they are obligated to their friend. If it's a monetary issue, one must pay the money. If it's a verbal offense, one must gather many friends to go and seek appeasement. The word "many" is derived from the spelling of the Hebrew word in the verse. This implies that one must make a significant effort to appease the offended party.
Amar bar Hamduri states that one must appease the offended person three times, each time with three people in a row. This is derived from a verse that speaks of bringing a "row" of people and saying "I have sinned," then a second time saying "I corrupted the straight path," and a third time saying "I gained nothing by doing this." Rashi clarifies that "row" implies at least three people, and these three statements correspond to three distinct attempts at appeasement. The Ben Ish Chai explains that these three attempts correspond to the three parts of the soul: the Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah, as harming a friend affects their entire being.
Rabbi Hanina bar Hama teaches that if someone asks for forgiveness from a friend, they should not ask more than three times. This is derived from the story of Yosef and his brothers, where Yaakov requested three times that Yosef forgive his brothers. The word "Na" (please) in the verse indicates a request for forgiveness, and it appears three times. The commentators explain that even though Yosef forgave them immediately, the Torah's use of "Na" three times indicates the maximum number of times one should ask. The Ben Ish Chai explains that if the offended person remains stubborn after three requests, further attempts would only compound their sin, as they are refusing to forgive. At that point, it is better to desist.
However, there is an exception. If the offended person dies before granting forgiveness, and one had already asked them three times while they were alive, one should bring ten people to their grave and declare: "I have sinned against God and against this person." This act of publicly acknowledging the sin in front of the deceased's grave and the divine presence is believed to prompt the deceased to forgive.
The Gemara recounts a story about Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Yirmiyah. Rabbi Yirmiyah had offended Rabbi Yehudah. Rabbi Yirmiyah went to Rabbi Yehudah's house to ask for forgiveness. As he sat at the threshold, a maidservant poured out dirty water, and some of it splashed on Rabbi Yirmiyah's head. He then recited a verse about God raising the poor from the garbage heap, interpreting it as a self-chastisement. The Benayahu explains that he felt he was being punished for his mouth (Ashpa, from Esh Peh), and now, through this humiliation, he would be elevated. When Rabbi Yehudah heard what happened, he came out to greet Rabbi Yirmiyah and said, "Now I must forgive you." Rabbi Yirmiyah had come to ask for forgiveness, but in the end, Rabbi Yehudah asked for forgiveness from him because of the maidservant's accidental act.
Rabbi Zeira, when he had an issue with someone, would make himself accessible by walking in their vicinity, making it easier for the offended party to approach him and ask for forgiveness. He would say, "Perhaps I was eager to grant him forgiveness," implying he put himself in a position to be found and reconcile.
The Gemara tells another story about Rav. Rav had an issue with a butcher, who had offended him and did not come to ask for forgiveness, even on Erev Yom Kippur. Rav decided to go to the butcher shop to facilitate reconciliation. On his way, Rav met Rav Huna, who asked where he was going. Rav replied that he was going to appease the butcher. Rav Huna then remarked, "You are going to kill the butcher." When Rav stood in front of the shop, the butcher was cracking animal bones with an axe. The butcher looked up, called Rav by his common name, "Abba," and rudely dismissed him, saying, "Go, I have nothing to tell you." The butcher had committed two sins: disrespecting Rav by not using his rabbinical title and refusing to ask for forgiveness. As the butcher continued to cut the animal's head, a bone dislodged and became lodged in his throat, killing him. He was punished for the sin of his throat. Rav Huna, knowing the butcher's nature, had foreseen that the butcher would not ask for forgiveness and would only bring trouble upon himself.
This story offers a deeper understanding of the prophetic verse: "Seek God out when He is accessible; call to Him when He is close." This verse is often understood as advice to take advantage of the days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, when God is particularly accessible for repentance. However, based on the story of Rav and the butcher, the Gemara suggests a more severe warning. Just as Rav made himself accessible to the butcher, God makes Himself accessible during the Ten Days of Repentance. If a person fails to seize this opportunity to repent, they are held doubly guilty, and their sin is compounded. It is a greater transgression to ignore God's accessibility during this time than to merely neglect repentance throughout the year. It is akin to telling God, "I have nothing to tell you, keep on walking," when He stands at one's door, waiting for an apology.
The Gemara continues with another story. Rav was reciting verses before Rabbi. When Rabbi Chiya entered, they restarted the reading from the beginning to honor him. Then Bar Kappara entered, and again, they restarted. When Rabbi Chanina bar Hama entered, Rav exclaimed, "Are we going to keep repeating this?" and did not restart. Rabbi Chanina became angry, feeling personally slighted. Rav went to him for thirteen years, on the eve of Yom Kippur, to ask for forgiveness, but Rabbi Chanina refused to accept his appeasement. The Gemara questions how Rabbi Chanina could refuse, given the teaching that one should not ask for forgiveness more than three times. The Gemara clarifies that the rule of three times applies to offenses against an ordinary person. However, when one offends a rabbi, especially a head of a yeshiva like Rabbi Chanina, there is no limit to the number of times one must ask for forgiveness; it can be a hundred or even a thousand times.
The Gemara then asks how Rabbi Chanina could be so unyielding, given that anyone who forgives and does not insist on their honor will have God forgive all their sins. The Gemara explains Rabbi Chanina's motivation: he had a dream in which he saw Rav hanging from a palm tree, which is a sign that one will become a Rosh Yeshiva. Rabbi Chanina was then the Rosh Yeshiva and knew that upon his passing, Rav would succeed him. To prolong his own life, as "kingship does not tolerate a rival," he refused to forgive Rav, hoping to force Rav to leave for Babylonia. This would allow Rabbi Chanina to retain his position and life longer, as Rav would become the Rosh Yeshiva in Babylonia instead.
The Mishnah teaches that the obligation of confession (Vidui) on Yom Kippur is after the evening meal. Rashi explains this means after the last meal before the fast, as it begins to get dark. However, the Sages say one should perform Vidui before eating and drinking, lest one become intoxicated during the meal and be unable to confess properly. Even if one confesses before the meal, one should confess again after eating and drinking, in case a sin was committed during the meal. Furthermore, even if one has confessed many times throughout the year, one should confess again during the Shacharit, Musaf, Mincha, and Neilah prayers on Yom Kippur. The Vidui is inserted after the Amidah for an individual, but the cantor recites it in the middle of the Amidah during the repetition.
What is the essence of the Vidui? Rav Huna, in the name of Rav, says it is the paragraph "You know the secrets of the world," as found in our prayer books. Shmuel says it is "From the depths I call to You." Rabbi Yochanan says it is "Our sins are too great to count." Rabbi Yehuda bar Hama recites a specific prayer: "My God, before I was created, I was unworthy of being created. Now that I have been created, it is as if I was not created." This reflects the debate among the Sages whether it would have been better for man not to be created, concluding that it would have been, due to the greater number of negative commandments. However, since man was created to fulfill positive commandments, and often fails, it is as if he was not created. The prayer continues: "I am dust in my life, and all the more so in my death. I stand before You like a vessel full of shame and humiliation from my sins. May it be Your will that I do not sin again. Cleanse me of my previous sins with Your abundant mercy, but not through affliction." This prayer, which Rav Huna would recite all year and Rabbi Chanina bar Hama on Yom Kippur, is interpreted by some commentators as a request for God to use the humiliations and embarrassments one experiences throughout the year as atonement for sins, recognizing that such experiences are divinely ordained to cleanse a person.
Rav Zutra states that all these additional prayers are only necessary if one has not said "But we have sinned" (Ashamnu). However, if one has recited Ashamnu, that is the main Vidui. Bar Hamduri recounts that he was before Shmuel on Yom Kippur, and Shmuel was sitting. When the cantor rose to say Ashamnu, Shmuel also stood up, indicating that this was the primary Vidui.
The Gemara discusses the priestly blessing (Nesi'at Kapayim). It states that the priests perform Nesi'at Kapayim three times a year, four times a day. Rashi clarifies that this refers to fast days declared due to drought, the Ma'amadot (groups of Israelites who represented the nation during the Temple service and observed fasts), and Yom Kippur. On these days, the priests would give the blessing during all the prayers. The Gemara notes that on fast days and Ma'amadot, there was no Musaf prayer, so the statement "four times a day" needs clarification. Rashi explains that on Ma'amadot and fast days, the Nesi'at Kapayim was performed even during Mincha, which was not normally done. On Yom Kippur, it was done four times. Normally, Nesi'at Kapayim is not performed during the evening prayer because of concern that the priests might have become intoxicated. However, on fast days and Yom Kippur, no one eats, so there is no concern of intoxication, allowing the Nesi'at Kapayim in all prayers.
The Gemara then discusses the Neilah prayer on Yom Kippur. Rav says it is an extra prayer, a fifth prayer for Yom Kippur, starting from Arvit. Rashi explains it has seven blessings, like other prayers. Shmuel says it is merely a certain paragraph, "What are we, what is our life," as found in our prayer books. This is a dispute: Rav holds Neilah is a full Amidah with seven blessings, while Shmuel holds it is just an added paragraph. The name Neilah, "closing of the gates," refers either to the closing of the gates of Heaven at the end of the day or the closing of the gates of the Temple in ancient times.
The Gemara challenges Shmuel's opinion by citing a Baraita: "On Yom Kippur, one recites seven blessings in the Amidah and performs Vidui." This clearly indicates that Neilah is a full prayer, not just a paragraph. The Gemara then clarifies the closing blessing of the middle section of the Amidah. Rabbi Meir says one concludes with a blessing that mentions Vidui. The Sages say one recites seven blessings and has the option to conclude with "the God who forgives" or "Who sanctifies Israel and Yom Kippur." Rashi offers two interpretations: either this applies to all Yom Kippur prayers, or specifically to Neilah. In any case, the Baraita refutes Shmuel's view.
The Gemara recounts that Rav Huna went down before Rabbi to lead the prayers as cantor. In ancient times, the cantor's platform was recessed and low, based on the verse "From the depths I call to You." Thus, one would "go down" to the platform. Rav Huna began the Neilah Amidah with the middle blessing, "You have chosen us from all nations," and concluded it by inserting the paragraph "What are we, what is our life," praising God. This shows that the Neilah Amidah is a full prayer with an added Vidui paragraph. This applies to the cantor; for an individual, the Vidui is recited after the Amidah. The individual recites the seven blessings of the Amidah, and after the middle blessing, says their Vidui.
Rav held that praying Neilah covers the obligation for the Arvit prayer on Motza'ei Yom Kippur (the night after Yom Kippur). This is consistent with Rav's view that Neilah is a full prayer of seven blessings, and since it is prayed after dark, it can substitute for Arvit. This also aligns with Rav's opinion that the Arvit prayer is voluntary. The Gemara clarifies that even if Arvit is obligatory, Neilah would still cover it. The Tosafot in Massechet Berachot explain that even when Arvit is considered voluntary, it means that if there is another mitzvah to be performed, one can engage in that mitzvah instead of praying Arvit. Thus, on Motza'ei Yom Kippur, the festive meal and breaking the fast are considered a mitzvah, allowing Neilah to cover the Arvit obligation.
The Gemara raises a question from a Baraita: "On the night of Yom Kippur, one prays seven blessings and confesses. On Shacharit, seven blessings and confesses. On Musaf, seven blessings and confesses. On Neilah, one prays seven blessings and confesses. On Arvit, one prays seven blessings." This Baraita explicitly mentions an Arvit prayer on Motza'ei Yom Kippur, contradicting Rav's view that Neilah covers it. The Baraita then presents a dispute: one opinion says to pray an abridged version of the Amidah with seven blessings, while another says to pray the full eighteen blessings. The reason for the full eighteen is concern that one might get confused and not insert the Havdalah blessing (Ata Chonantanu) in the abridged version. Therefore, one must pray the full Amidah to ensure Ata Chonantanu is said. In any case, the Baraita clearly states that Arvit is prayed, refuting Rav's position. The Gemara concludes that this is indeed a dispute regarding whether Arvit is necessary after Neilah.