Can we escape past deeds that bring us shame? Is changing the way we live our lives the same as consciously doing tshuva? Is the essence of tshuva forgiving ourselves or being forgiven by others?
יוֹמָא חַד הֲוָה קָא סָחֵי רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בְּיַרְדְּנָא. חַזְיֵיהּ רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ וּשְׁוַור לְיַרְדְּנָא אַבָּתְרֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ חֵילָךְ לְאוֹרָיְיתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ שׁוּפְרָךְ לְנָשֵׁי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ אִי הָדְרַתְּ בָּךְ יָהֵיבְנָא לָךְ אֲחוֹתִי, דְּשַׁפִּירָא מִינַּאי. קַבֵּיל עֲלֵיהּ. בָּעֵי לְמִיהְדַּר לְאֵתוֹיֵי מָאנֵיהּ וְלָא מָצֵי הָדַר.
The Gemara relates: One day, Rabbi Yoḥanan was bathing in the Jordan River. Reish Lakish saw him and jumped into the Jordan, pursuing him. At that time, Reish Lakish was the leader of a band of marauders. Rabbi Yoḥanansaid toReish Lakish: Your strength is fit for Torah study. Reish Lakishsaid to him: Your beauty is fit for women.Rabbi Yoḥanansaid 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 Lakishaccepted upon himself to study Torah. Subsequently, Reish Lakishwanted 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 (RL) is described as a maurader. Synonyms for maurder include pillager and raider. Take a moment to imagine his crimes and sins. Rabbi Yochanan (RY) was bathing. Take a moment to imagine his vulnerability in that moment. What do you think RL's intentions were when he jumped into the river?
RY faces his attacker and declares, "Your strength is fit for Torah!" What would you yell if a brigand attacked you? What do you think RY's words show about his character?
RY offers his sister in marriage to RL. Determining who one's sister married may have been acceptable behavior in the time of the Talmud, but was it acceptable if the groom was a violent criminal? What does this tell us about RY's character?
The Talmud tells us that that RL lost his strength and couldn't return to shore. He is changed by his encounter in the river. How might this loss of strength be a sign of tshuva or change in RL?
RY faces his attacker and declares, "Your strength is fit for Torah!" What would you yell if a brigand attacked you? What do you think RY's words show about his character?
RY offers his sister in marriage to RL. Determining who one's sister married may have been acceptable behavior in the time of the Talmud, but was it acceptable if the groom was a violent criminal? What does this tell us about RY's character?
The Talmud tells us that that RL lost his strength and couldn't return to shore. He is changed by his encounter in the river. How might this loss of strength be a sign of tshuva or change in RL?
אַקְרְיֵיהּ וְאַתְנְיֵיהּ וְשַׁוְּיֵיהּ גַּבְרָא רַבָּא. יוֹמָא חַד הֲווֹ מִפַּלְגִי בֵּי מִדְרְשָׁא: הַסַּיִיף וְהַסַּכִּין וְהַפִּגְיוֹן וְהָרוֹמַח וּמַגַּל יָד וּמַגַּל קָצִיר מְקַבְּלִין טוּמְאָה – מִשְּׁעַת גְּמַר מְלַאכְתָּן. מֵאֵימָתַי וּמֵאֵימָתַי גְּמַר מְלַאכְתָּן? רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אוֹמֵר: מִשֶּׁיְּצָרְפֵם בַּכִּבְשָׁן. רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ אָמַר: מִשֶּׁיְּצַחְצְחֵן בְּמַיִם. אֲמַר לֵיהּ לִסְטָאָה בְּלִסְטְיוּתֵיהּ יָדַע. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: וּמַאי אַהֲנֵית לִי? הָתָם ״רַבִּי״ קָרוּ לִי, הָכָא ״רַבִּי״ קָרוּ לִי! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַהֲנַאי לָךְ דַּאֲקָרְבִינָּךְ תַּחַת כַּנְפֵי הַשְּׁכִינָה. חֲלַשׁ דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, חֲלַשׁ רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ. אֲתַאי אֲחָתֵיהּ קָא בָכְיָא. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: עֲשֵׂה בִּשְׁבִיל בָּנַי! אֲמַר לַהּ: ״עׇזְבָה יְתֹמֶיךָ אֲנִי אֲחַיֶּה״. עֲשֵׂה בִּשְׁבִיל אַלְמְנוּתִי! אֲמַר לַהּ: ״וְאַלְמְנוֹתֶיךָ עָלַי תִּבְטָחוּ״. נָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, וַהֲוָה קָא מִצְטַעַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן בָּתְרֵיהּ טוּבָא. אֲמַרוּ רַבָּנַן: מַאן לֵיזִיל לְיַתֹּבֵיהּ לְדַעְתֵּיהּ? נֵיזִיל רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן פְּדָת, דִּמְחַדְּדָין שְׁמַעְתָּתֵיהּ.
Rabbi Yoḥanan taught Reish Lakish Bible, and taught him Mishna, and turned him into a great man. Eventually, Reish Lakish became one of the outstanding Torah scholars of his generation. One day the Sages of the study hall were engaging in a dispute concerning the following baraita: With regard to the sword, the knife, the dagger [vehapigyon], the spear, a hand sickle, and a harvest sickle, from when are they susceptible to ritual impurity? The baraita answers: It is from the time of the completion of their manufacture, which is the halakha with regard to metal vessels in general.
These Sages inquired: And when is the completion of their manufacture? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is from when one fires these items in the furnace. Reish Lakish said: It is from when one scours them in water, after they have been fired in the furnace. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: A bandit knows about his banditry, i.e., you are an expert in weaponry because you were a bandit in your youth. Reish Lakish said toRabbi Yoḥanan: What benefit did you provide me by bringing me close to Torah? There, among the bandits, they called me: Leader of the bandits, and here, too, they call me: Leader of the bandits. Rabbi Yoḥanansaid to him: I provided benefit to you, as I brought you close to God, under the wings of the Divine Presence.As a result of the quarrel, Rabbi Yoḥanan was offended, which in turn affected Reish Lakish, who fell ill.Rabbi Yoḥanan’s sister, who was Reish Lakish’s wife, came crying to Rabbi Yoḥanan, begging that he pray for Reish Lakish’s recovery. She said to him: Do this for the sake of my children, so that they should have a father. Rabbi Yoḥanansaid to her the verse: “Leave your fatherless children, I will rear them” (Jeremiah 49:11), i.e., I will take care of them. She said to him: Do so for the sake of my widowhood. He said to her the rest of the verse: “And let your widows trust in Me.”Ultimately, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish,Reish Lakish, died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was sorely pained over losing him. The Rabbis said: Who will go to calmRabbi Yoḥanan’s mind and comfort him over his loss? They said: Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat go, as his statements are sharp, i.e., he is clever and will be able to serve as a substitute for Reish Lakish.
These Sages inquired: And when is the completion of their manufacture? Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is from when one fires these items in the furnace. Reish Lakish said: It is from when one scours them in water, after they have been fired in the furnace. Rabbi Yoḥanan said to Reish Lakish: A bandit knows about his banditry, i.e., you are an expert in weaponry because you were a bandit in your youth. Reish Lakish said toRabbi Yoḥanan: What benefit did you provide me by bringing me close to Torah? There, among the bandits, they called me: Leader of the bandits, and here, too, they call me: Leader of the bandits. Rabbi Yoḥanansaid to him: I provided benefit to you, as I brought you close to God, under the wings of the Divine Presence.As a result of the quarrel, Rabbi Yoḥanan was offended, which in turn affected Reish Lakish, who fell ill.Rabbi Yoḥanan’s sister, who was Reish Lakish’s wife, came crying to Rabbi Yoḥanan, begging that he pray for Reish Lakish’s recovery. She said to him: Do this for the sake of my children, so that they should have a father. Rabbi Yoḥanansaid to her the verse: “Leave your fatherless children, I will rear them” (Jeremiah 49:11), i.e., I will take care of them. She said to him: Do so for the sake of my widowhood. He said to her the rest of the verse: “And let your widows trust in Me.”Ultimately, Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish,Reish Lakish, died. Rabbi Yoḥanan was sorely pained over losing him. The Rabbis said: Who will go to calmRabbi Yoḥanan’s mind and comfort him over his loss? They said: Let Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat go, as his statements are sharp, i.e., he is clever and will be able to serve as a substitute for Reish Lakish.
RL becomes a Torah scholar. Does that mean he's done tshuva for sins he committed as a marauder? Later in the Jewish timeline, Rambam lays out steps for tshuva and RL doesn't follow any of them. Is Rambam's way the only way to do tshuva? Clearly, RL has changed but is change the same as tshuva?
When the scholars studied weapons RL shared his insights and RY said, "A bandit knows about his banditry." What was RY's motivation for saying this? What did he mean by these words?
In response to RY's disrespect RL falls ill. Was he haunted by his past? Was he heartbroken by his chavruta's treatment? Was it something else?
אֲזַל יְתֵיב קַמֵּיהּ. כֹּל מִילְּתָא דַּהֲוָה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֲמַר לֵיהּ: תַּנְיָא דִּמְסַיְּיעָא לָךְ. אֲמַר: אַתְּ כְּבַר לְקִישָׁא?! בַּר לְקִישָׁא, כִּי הֲוָה אָמֵינָא מִילְּתָא, הֲוָה מַקְשֵׁי לִי עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבַּע קוּשְׁיָיתָא, וּמְפָרְקִינָא לֵיהּ עֶשְׂרִין וְאַרְבְּעָה פֵּרוּקֵי, וּמִמֵּילָא רָוְוחָא שְׁמַעְתָּא. וְאַתְּ אָמְרַתְּ: ״תַּנְיָא דִּמְסַיַּיע לָךְ״, אַטּוּ לָא יָדַעְנָא דְּשַׁפִּיר קָאָמֵינָא? הֲוָה קָא אָזֵיל וְקָרַע מָאנֵיהּ וְקָא בָכֵי וְאָמַר: ״הֵיכָא אַתְּ בַּר לָקִישָׁא, הֵיכָא אַתְּ בַּר לָקִישָׁא״! וַהֲוָה קָא צָוַח עַד דְּשָׁף דַּעְתֵּיהּ מִינֵּיהּ. בְּעוֹ רַבָּנַן רַחֲמֵי עֲלֵיהּ וְנָח נַפְשֵׁיהּ.
Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat went and sat beforeRabbi Yoḥanan. With regard to every matter that Rabbi Yoḥanan would say, Rabbi Elazar ben Pedat would say to him: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraitathat supports your opinion. Rabbi Yoḥanansaid to him: Are you comparable to the son of Lakish? In my discussions with the son of Lakish, when I would state a matter, he would raise twenty-four difficulties against me in an attempt to disprove my claim, and I would answer him with twenty-four answers, and the halakha by itself would become broadened and clarified. And yet you say to me: There is a ruling which is taught in a baraita that supports your opinion. Do I not know that what I say is good? Being rebutted by Reish Lakish served a purpose; your bringing proof to my statements does not. Rabbi Yoḥanan went around, rending his clothing, weeping and saying: Where are you, son of Lakish? Where are you, son of Lakish?Rabbi Yoḥanan screamed until his mind was taken from him, i.e., he went insane. The Rabbis prayed and requested for God to have mercy on him and take his soul, and Rabbi Yoḥanan died.
Is RY responsible for RL's death? In what ways yes and in what ways no?
Are RY's sorrow and madness signs that he's done tshuva?
Are RY's sorrow and madness signs that he's done tshuva?
At the beginning of the story, RL is described as a thug. Who does that word fit at the end of the story, RL or RY? Which character in the story had the greater need to do tshuva?