(לה) יִתַּ֤מּוּ חַטָּאִ֨ים ׀ מִן־הָאָ֡רֶץ וּרְשָׁעִ֤ים ׀ ע֤וֹד אֵינָ֗ם בָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת־ה' הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
NJPS Translation:
May sinners disappear from the earth, and the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah.
Translation from Siddur Sim Shalom:
Let sins disappear from the earth and the wicked will be no more
יתמו חטאים. חוטאים:
חטאים means חוטאים, sinners
(ברכות י ע"א)
With regard to the statement of Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Shimon ben Pazi, that David did not say Halleluya until he saw the downfall of the wicked, the Gemara relates: There were these hooligans in Rabbi Meir’s neighborhood who caused him a great deal of anguish. Rabbi Meir prayed for God to have mercy on them, that they should die. Rabbi Meir’s wife, Berurya, said to him: What is your thinking? On what basis do you pray for the death of these hooligans? Do you base yourself on the verse, as it is written: “Let sins cease from the land” (Psalms 104:35), which you interpret to mean that the world would be better if the wicked were destroyed? But is it written, let sinners cease?” Let sins cease, is written. One should pray for an end to their transgressions, not for the demise of the transgressors themselves.
Rabbi Meir saw that Berurya was correct and he prayed for God to have mercy on them, and they repented.
הנהו בריוני דהוו בשבבותיה דר"מ והוו קא מצערו ליה טובא הוה קא בעי ר' מאיר רחמי עלויהו כי היכי דלימותו אמרה לי' ברוריא דביתהו מאי דעתך משום דכתיב (תהלים קד, לה) יתמו חטאים מי כתיב חוטאים חטאים כתיב ועוד שפיל לסיפיה דקרא ורשעים עוד אינם כיון דיתמו חטאים ורשעים עוד אינם אלא בעי רחמי עלויהו דלהדרו בתשובה ורשעים עוד אינם בעא רחמי עלויהו והדרו בתשובה:
d.
There were some lawless men living in the neighborhood of R. Meir, and they used to cause him pain. Once R. Meir asked of God that they should die. His wife, Beruriah, asked, "What are you thinking? Is it because it is written (in the book of Psalms), 'Let sinners cease out of the earth'? But has the text hoteim (sinners)? It is written hata'im (sins). Glance also at the end of the verse, 'And let the wicked be no more' — i.e. when 'sins will cease,' then 'the wicked will be no more.' Rather you should ask God that they repent and stop being evil." R. Meir asked God on their behalf and they repented
Nothing is more dangerous to society than zeal inspired by honest conviction, whether based on religion or on secular ideologies. How can we control the overflowing energy of honest conviction that may become morally as well as materially destructive? Let us examine the example of B’rooryah, the wife of Rabbi Meir. The Talmud recounts that some hoodlums lived in Rabbi Meir’s neighborhood and caused him a great deal of trouble. Finally, in despair, he prayed that they might die. (This is the same Rabbi Meir who -- as we saw earlier -- taught: “No matter how sinful they might be they are still the children of God!”) At this, B’rooryah intervened. “What’s the idea?” she asked. “You think, because it is written: ‘Let sinners cease’ [such indeed is the authorized translation of Ps. 104:35]? But does it really say ‘sinners’? ‘Sins’ is written. [“Let sins cease out of the earth.”] And also pay attention to the conclusion of that verse: ‘And let the wicked be no more.’ Once sins will cease, there will be no more wicked. Therefore,” she said, “ask for God’s mercies to help them repent. Then, indeed, the wicked will be no more.” He prayed for them and they “returned” in repentance (Berakhot 10a).