דָּרַשׁ בַּר קַפָּרָא: אֵיזוֹהִי פָּרָשָׁה קְטַנָּה שֶׁכָּל גּוּפֵי תוֹרָה תְּלוּיִין בָּהּ — ״בְּכָל דְּרָכֶיךָ דָעֵהוּ וְהוּא יְיַשֵּׁר אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ״. אָמַר רָבָא: אֲפִילּוּ לִדְבַר עֲבֵירָה.
Bar Kappara taught: Which is a brief passage upon which all fundamental principles of Torah are dependent? “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). Rava said: One must apply this principle even to acts of transgression, as even then one must adhere to God and refrain from sinning excessively.
(יד) וְֽ֭יָשְׁבָה לְפֶ֣תַח בֵּיתָ֑הּ עַל־כִּ֝סֵּ֗א מְרֹ֣מֵי קָֽרֶת׃ (טו) לִקְרֹ֥א לְעֹֽבְרֵי־דָ֑רֶךְ הַֽ֝מְיַשְּׁרִ֗ים אֹֽרְחוֹתָֽם׃ (טז) מִי־פֶ֭תִי יָסֻ֣ר הֵ֑נָּה וַחֲסַר־לֵ֝֗ב וְאָ֣מְרָה לּֽוֹ׃ (יז) מַֽיִם־גְּנוּבִ֥ים יִמְתָּ֑קוּ וְלֶ֖חֶם סְתָרִ֣ים יִנְעָֽם׃ (יח) וְֽלֹא־יָ֭דַע כִּֽי־רְפָאִ֣ים שָׁ֑ם בְּעִמְקֵ֖י שְׁא֣וֹל קְרֻאֶֽיהָ׃ {פ}
(14) She sits in the doorway of her house, Or on a chair at the heights of the town, (15) Calling to all the wayfarers Who go about their own affairs, (16) “Let the simple enter here”; And to those devoid of sense she says, (17) “Stolen waters are sweet, And bread eaten furtively is tasty.” (18) He does not know that the shades are there, That her guests are in the depths of Sheol.
אמר רב יהודה אמר רב מעשה באדם אחד שנתן עיניו באשה אחת והעלה לבו טינא ובאו ושאלו לרופאים ואמרו אין לו תקנה עד שתבעל אמרו חכמים ימות ואל תבעל לו תעמוד לפניו ערומה ימות ואל תעמוד לפניו ערומה תספר עמו מאחורי הגדר ימות ולא תספר עמו מאחורי הגדר פליגי בה ר' יעקב בר אידי ור' שמואל בר נחמני חד אמר אשת איש היתה וחד אמר פנויה היתה בשלמא למאן דאמר אשת איש היתה שפיר אלא למ"ד פנויה היתה מאי כולי האי רב פפא אמר משום פגם משפחה רב אחא בריה דרב איקא אמר כדי שלא יהו בנות ישראל פרוצות בעריות ולינסבה מינסב לא מייתבה דעתיה כדר' יצחק דא"ר יצחק מיום שחרב בית המקדש ניטלה טעם ביאה וניתנה לעוברי עבירה שנאמר (משלי ט, יז) מים גנובים ימתקו ולחם סתרים ינעם:
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: a certain man set his eyes upon a woman to the point that he became deathly ill. And they asked doctors who said: His only cure is to have sexual intercourse with her. The Sages said: Let him die instead. The doctors said: She should at least stand naked before him. The Sages said: Let him die instead. The doctors suggested: The woman should at least converse with him behind a fence. The Sages insisted: Let him die instead. Rabbi Ya’akov bar Idi and Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani disagree about this issue. One says: The woman in question was a married woman, and the other says: She was unmarried. If she was a married woman, the matter is properly understood. But if she was unmarried, what is the reason for all this opposition? Rav Pappa says: due to the potential family flaw. Rav Aḥa, son of Rav Ika, says: so that the daughters of Israel should not be promiscuous. But if unmarried, let the man marry her. It would not have helped as Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Since the day the Temple was destroyed, sexual pleasure was taken away and given to transgressors, as it is stated: “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant” (Proverbs 9:17).
דְּתַנְיָא, רַבִּי אִילְעַאי אוֹמֵר: אִם רוֹאֶה אָדָם שֶׁיִּצְרוֹ מִתְגַּבֵּר עָלָיו — יֵלֵךְ לְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין מַכִּירִין אוֹתוֹ, וְיִלְבַּשׁ שְׁחוֹרִים וְיִתְעַטֵּף שְׁחוֹרִים, וְיַעֲשֶׂה מַה שֶּׁלִּבּוֹ חָפֵץ, וְאַל יְחַלֵּל שֵׁם שָׁמַיִם בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא.
Rabbi Ilai says: If a person sees that his evil inclination is gaining control over him, he should go to a place where he is not known, and wear black, and he should wrap his head in black. Even if these actions do not help, he should at least do as his heart desires in private and not desecrate the name of Heaven in public.
§ Yalta said to her husband Rav Naḥman: for any item prohibited to us, He permitted to us a similar item. He prohibited eating blood, yet He permitted to us eating liver. He a menstruating woman, but permitted one’s wife while she discharges the blood of purity. He prohibit Helev of a domesticated animal, but permitted the fat of an undomesticated animal. Pork is prohibited bit the brain of a shibuta fish (which tastes the same) is not. One may not eat a giruta, a non-kosher fish, but one may eat the tongue of a fish, which tastes similar. The Torah prohibits a married woman but not a divorced woman in her previous husband’s lifetime. The Torah prohibits one’s brother’s wife, but not a yevama. A gentile woman is prohibited but not a yefat to'ar. Yalta desired to taste meat cooked in milk. Rav Naḥman said to his cooks: Roast udders on a spit for her. The Gemara asks: But didn’t we learn in the mishna that one must tear the udder first? Rav Naḥman did not tell his cooks to tear the udders. The Gemara answers: That requirement was stated only with regard to cooking in a pot, not roasting.
חַיָּיב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁמְּבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ בְּכׇל לְבָבְךָ וְגוֹ׳״. ״בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ״ — בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר הָרָע. ״וּבְכׇל נַפְשְׁךָ״ — אֲפִילּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשְׁךָ. ״וּבְכׇל מְאֹדֶךָ״ — בְּכָל מָמוֹנְךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר: ״בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ״ — בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ.
The mishna articulates a general principle: One is obligated to recite a blessing for the bad that befalls him just as he recites a blessing for the good that befalls him, as it is stated: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). The mishna explains this verse as follows: “With all your heart” means with your two inclinations, with your good inclination and your evil inclination, both of which must be subjugated to the love of God. “With all your soul” means even if God takes your soul. “And with all your might” means with all your money, as money is referred to in the Bible as might. Alternatively, it may be explained that “with all your might” means with every measure that He metes out to you; whether it is good or troublesome, thank Him.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּיא בַּר אַבָּא אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל הַנְּבִיאִים כּוּלָּן לֹא נִתְנַבְּאוּ אֶלָּא לְבַעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה, אֲבָל צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים ״עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹקִים זוּלָתְךָ״. וּפְלִיגָא דְּרַבִּי אֲבָהוּ, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִין — צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים אֵינָם עוֹמְדִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם לָרָחוֹק וְלַקָּרוֹב״. ״לָרָחוֹק״ בְּרֵישָׁא, וַהֲדַר ״לַקָּרוֹב״. וְרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר לְךָ: מַאי ״רָחוֹק״ — שֶׁהָיָה רָחוֹק מִדְּבַר עֲבֵירָה מֵעִיקָּרָא. וּמַאי ״קָרוֹב״ — שֶׁהָיָה קָרוֹב לִדְבַר עֲבֵירָה, וְנִתְרַחֵק מִמֶּנּוּ הַשְׁתָּא.
And Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said: All of the prophets only prophesied their prophecies of consolation with regard to penitents but with regard to the full-fledged righteous it is stated: “No eye has seen it, God, aside from You.” And the Gemara notes that this statement disagrees with the opinion of Rabbi Abbahu. As Rabbi Abbahu said: In the place where penitents stand, even the full-fledged righteous do not stand, as it is stated: “Peace, peace upon him who is far and him who is near.” (Isaiah 57:19). Peace first to him who is far, the penitent, and only thereafter is peace extended to him who is near, the full-fledged righteous. And Rabbi Yoḥanan could have said to you: What is the meaning of him who is far? one who was distant from an act of transgression from the outset. Near, refers to the penitent who was close to an act of transgression but has now distanced himself from it.