יומא חד הוה קא סחי ר' יוחנן בירדנא. חזייה ריש לקיש ושוור לירדנא אבתריה.
אמר ליה חילך לאורייתא!
אמר ליה שופרך לנשי!
א"ל אי הדרת בך יהיבנא לך אחותי דשפירא מינאי!
קביל עליה בעי למיהדר לאתויי מאניה ולא מצי הדר.
One day, Rabbi Yoḥanan was bathing in the Jordan. Reish Lakish saw him and jumped into the Jordan, pursuing him.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: Your strength is fit for Torah study.
Reish Lakish said to him: Your beauty is fit for women.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said to him: If you return to the pursuit of Torah, I will give you my sister in marriage, who is more beautiful than I am.
Reish Lakish accepted upon himself to study Torah. Subsequently, Reish Lakish wanted to jump back out of the river to bring back his clothes, but he was unable to return, as he had lost his physical strength as soon as he accepted the responsibility to study Torah upon himself.
Reish Lakish saw him: He was a highwayman.
אי הדרת בך כו' - מכאן אמר ר"ת דר"ל מתחלה ידע הרבה אלא שפרק עול תורה ונעשה עם הארץ ועסק בלסטיות מדקאמר אי הדרת בך משמע להיות כבתחלה ולא תפרוק עול תורה מעליך.
If you return: From this, Rabbenu Tam said that Reish Lakish knew much at first, except that he removed the yoke of Torah [from himself], became an ignoramus and occupied himself with brigandry. Since he said, "If you return" - it implies, being like [you were] at first, and not to remove the yoke of Torah from upon you.
רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אוֹמֵר אֲפִילּוּ צַדִּיק גָּמוּר כׇּל יָמָיו וּמָרַד בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה אִיבֵּד אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״צִדְקַת הַצַּדִּיק לֹא תַצִּילֶנּוּ בְּיוֹם פִּשְׁעוֹ״.
וַאֲפִילּוּ רָשָׁע גָּמוּר כׇּל יָמָיו וְעָשָׂה תְּשׁוּבָה בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה אֵין מַזְכִּירִים לוֹ שׁוּב רִשְׁעוֹ. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְרִשְׁעַת הָרָשָׁע לֹא יִכָּשֶׁל בָּהּ בְּיוֹם שׁוּבוֹ מֵרִשְׁעוֹ״.
וְנִיהְוֵי כְּמֶחֱצָה עֲוֹנוֹת וּמֶחֱצָה זְכִיּוֹת?
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ בְּתוֹהֶא עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנוֹת.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Even if one was completely righteous all his life and he rebelled by sinning at the end of his life, he loses his early merit, as it is stated: “The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him on the day of his transgression”.
And similarly, even if one was completely wicked all his life and repented in the end, he is no longer reminded of his wickedness, as it is stated in the continuation of the verse: “And as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not stumble over it on the day that he turns from his wickedness.”
But let him be like someone with half sins and half merits?
Reish Lakish said: This is referring to somone who regrets all the initial mitzvot.
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 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 this disagrees with 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.” Him who is far and then to him who is near.
But Rabbi Yoḥanan would say to you: What is the meaning of him who is far? This refers to the full-fledged righteous who was distant from an act of transgression from the outset, and to whom peace is extended first. What is meant by him who is near? This refers to the penitent who was close to an act of transgression but has now distanced himself from it.
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּשְׁגָגוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד ה׳ אֱלֹקֶיךָ כִּי כָשַׁלְתָּ בַּעֲוֹנֶךָ״, הָא ״עָוֹן״ — מֵזִיד הוּא, וְקָא קָרֵי לֵיהּ מִכְשׁוֹל.
אִינִי?! וְהָאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּזְכִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְשׁוּב רָשָׁע מֵרִשְׁעָתוֹ וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה עֲלֵיהֶם יִחְיֶה״!
לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן מֵאַהֲבָה, כָּאן מִיִּרְאָה.
Reish Lakish said: Great is Teshuva, as the penitent’s intentional sins are counted for him as unintentional transgressions, as it is stated: “Return, Israel, to Hashem your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity”. Doesn’t “iniquity” mean an intentional sin? Yet the prophet calls it stumbling.
Is that so? Didn’t Reish Lakish himself say: Great is repentance, as one’s intentional sins are counted for him as merits, as it is stated: “And when the wicked person returns from his wickedness and does justice and righteousness, on them he shall live”.
This is not difficult: Here, is teshuva out of love, and there, is teshuva out of fear.
תלמוד ירושלמי מסכת תרומות פרק ח
רבי איסי איתציד בספסופה אמר רבי יונתן יכרך המת בסדינו.
אמר רבי שמעון בן לקיש עד דאנא קטיל ואנא מיתקטיל אנא איזיל ומשיזיב ליה בחיילא. אזל ופייסון ויהבוניה ליה.
Jerusalem Talmud Masechet Terumot
Rav Isi was captured by a gang. Rav Yochanan said, “Wrap the dead in his shrouds” [there is no hope for him].
Rav Shimon ben Lakish said, “I will kill or be killed, I will go and return him with my strength.” He went and negotiated and brought him back.
פרקי דרבי אליעזר פרק מב
בן עזאי אומר תדע לך כח התשובה, בא וראה מרבי שמעון בן לקיש. שהיה הוא ושני ריעיו בהרים גוזלין וחומסין כל אשר יעבור עליהם בדרך. מה עשה רבי שמעון? הניח לשני ריעיו שודדין בהרים ושב לאלקי אבותיו בכל לבו בצום ובתפלה והיה משכים ומעריב לבית הכנסת לפני הב"ה והיה עוסק בתורה כל ימיו ובמתנות עניים ולא שב על מעשיו הרעים עוד, ונתרצית תשובתו.
וביום שמת מתו שני רעיו השודדים בהרים ונתנו לר' שמעון באוצר החיים ולשני רעיו בשאול התחתונה. ואמרו שני רעיו לפני הב"ה רבון כל העולמים יש לפניך משוא פנים?! זה היה עמנו שודד בהרים והוא באוצר החיים, ואנו בשאול תחתית!
אמר להם זה עשה תשובה בחייו ואתם לא עשיתם תשובה, הנח לנו ואנו עושים תשובה גדולה! אמר להם אין תשובה אלא עד יום המיתה.
Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer Chapter 42
Ben Azzai said: In order to understand the power of teshuva come and see from Rav Shimon Lakish; he and his two companions [lived] in the hills and robbed and abused anyone who passed their way. What did Rav Shimon do? He left his companions to rob [by themselves] and returned to the God of his fathers with a full heart, with fasting and prayer. He would arrive early every morning and evening spending his time in the house of prayer in front of the Holy One blessed be He. And spent all his days involved in learning Torah and gave gifts to the poor. And he never returned to his previous nefarious ways, and his teshuva was accepted.
And on the day that he died, so did his former associates from the mountains, and R’ Shimon was placed in the chamber of life while his two friends were sent to the lower depths. And his friends said before the Almighty, “Is there favoritism before You? He was with us as a bandit in the highlands, and he is sent to Heaven while we are punished in the depths?!
He said to them – “this one repented during his lifetime and you did not”. They responded, “please allow us now to repent.” But He replied to them, “one may only repent up until the day of his death”
וְאַל יְדַמֶּה אָדָם בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁהוּא מְרֻחָק מִמַּעֲלַת הַצַּדִּיקִים מִפְּנֵי הָעֲוֹנוֹת וְהַחֲטָאוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה. אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן אֶלָּא אָהוּב וְנֶחְמָד הוּא לִפְנֵי הַבּוֹרֵא כְּאִלּוּ לֹא חָטָא מֵעוֹלָם.
וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁשְּׂכָרוֹ הַרְבֵּה שֶׁהֲרֵי טָעַם טַעַם הַחֵטְא וּפֵרַשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ וְכָבַשׁ יִצְרוֹ.
אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִין אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹד בּוֹ. כְּלוֹמַר מַעֲלָתָן גְּדוֹלָה מִמַּעֲלַת אֵלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא חָטְאוּ מֵעוֹלָם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן כּוֹבְשִׁים יִצְרָם יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם:
A Baal-Teshuvah should not consider himself distant from the level of the righteous because of the sins and transgressions that he committed. This is not true. He is beloved and desirable before the Creator as if he never sinned.
Furthermore, he has a great reward for he has tasted sin and yet, separated himself from it, conquering his [evil] inclination. Our Sages declared: "In the place where Baalei Teshuvah stand, even the completely righteous are not able to stand." The level of Baalei Teshuvah transcends the level of those who never sinned at all, for they overcome their [evil] inclination more.