(יח) לֹֽא־תִקֹּ֤ם וְלֹֽא־תִטֹּר֙ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י עַמֶּ֔ךָ וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ אֲנִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃
(18) You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against your countrymen. Love your fellow as yourself: I am the LORD.
היכי דמי בעל תשובה אמר רב יהודה כגון שבאת לידו דבר עבירה פעם ראשונה ושניה וניצל הימנה מחוי רב יהודה באותה אשה באותו פרק באותו מקום
§ With regard to repentance, the Gemara asks: What are the circumstances that demonstrate that one has completely repented? Rav Yehuda said: For example, the prohibited matter came to his hand a first time and a second time, and he was saved from it, thereby proving that he has completely repented. Rav Yehuda demonstrated what he meant: If one has the opportunity to sin with the same woman he sinned with previously, at the same time and the same place, and everything is aligned as it was that first time when he sinned, but this time he overcomes his inclination, it proves his repentance is complete, and he is forgiven.
תניא ר' יוסי בר יהודה אומר אדם עובר עבירה פעם ראשונה מוחלין לו שניה מוחלין לו שלישית מוחלין לו רביעית אין מוחלין לו שנאמר (עמוס ב, ו) כה אמר ה' על שלשה פשעי ישראל ועל ארבעה לא אשיבנו (ונאמר) (איוב לג, כט) הן כל אלה יפעל אל פעמים שלש עם גבר
§ It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei bar Yehuda says: When a person commits a transgression the first time, he is forgiven; a second time, he is forgiven; a third time, he is forgiven; but the fourth time, he is not forgiven, as it is stated: “Thus said the Lord: For three transgressions of Israel, but for four I will not reverse it” (Amos 2:6). And it says: “All these things does God do twice or three times with a man” (Job 33:29).
וצריך לפרוט את החטא שנאמר (שמות לב, לא) אנא חטא העם הזה חטאה גדולה ויעשו להם אלהי זהב דברי ר' יהודה בן בבא רבי עקיבא אומר אשרי נשוי פשע כסוי חטאה אלא מהו שאמר משה ויעשו להם אלהי זהב כדר' ינאי דאמר ר' ינאי אמר משה לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא רבש"ע כסף וזהב שהרבית להם לישראל עד שאמרו די גרם להם שיעשו אלהי זהב
Furthermore, during confession, one must detail the sin he committed and not suffice with a general admission of sin, as it is stated: “And Moses returned to the Lord and said: Please, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves a god of gold” (Exodus 32:31); this is the statement of Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava. Rabbi Akiva says that the verse states: “Fortunate is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is hidden” (Psalms 32:1), which teaches that one need not detail his sins. But what is the meaning of that which Moses said: “And have made themselves a god of gold” (Exodus 32:31)? It should be understood in accordance with the statement of Rabbi Yannai, as Rabbi Yannai said: Moses said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the universe, it is the silver and gold that you gave to the Jewish people in abundance, until they said: Enough, which caused them to make a god of gold. Consequently, the phrase: “And have made themselves a god of gold,” is not a description of the sin but an explanation and justification of it.
The Story of the Feather Pillows - A Chasidic Tale
In a small town, somewhere in Eastern Europe, lived a man who loved to gossip. He loved the attention he received and if the tale wasn’t interesting he would often embellish it just enough to make it interesting. One day he heard a scandalous story about another man in town and peddled this tale to all that would hear it. Eventually, the man who the story was about heard it, and although it was false he knew his life was ruined.
Mortified at the damage his tale had caused, the gossiper went to the local Rabbi and asked how he could repent. The Rabbi said to the Gossiper “Take 3 feather pillows and climb up the mountain just outside of the town. When you reach the peak, cut it open and scatter the feathers to the winds then return for your final instructions”. So the gossiper took 3 pillows from his house, climbed up the mountain and cut the pillows allowing the thousands of feathers to be scattered to the wind. When he returned, the gossiper asked the Rabbi what was the final instruction to which the Rabbi replied “Go and collect every single feather that you allowed to be scattered to the wind and you will be forgiven.” The gossiper shocked shouted at the Rabbi “Such a task is impossible!” “Exactly” said the Rabbi, “It’s impossible.”
In a small town, somewhere in Eastern Europe, lived a man who loved to gossip. He loved the attention he received and if the tale wasn’t interesting he would often embellish it just enough to make it interesting. One day he heard a scandalous story about another man in town and peddled this tale to all that would hear it. Eventually, the man who the story was about heard it, and although it was false he knew his life was ruined.
Mortified at the damage his tale had caused, the gossiper went to the local Rabbi and asked how he could repent. The Rabbi said to the Gossiper “Take 3 feather pillows and climb up the mountain just outside of the town. When you reach the peak, cut it open and scatter the feathers to the winds then return for your final instructions”. So the gossiper took 3 pillows from his house, climbed up the mountain and cut the pillows allowing the thousands of feathers to be scattered to the wind. When he returned, the gossiper asked the Rabbi what was the final instruction to which the Rabbi replied “Go and collect every single feather that you allowed to be scattered to the wind and you will be forgiven.” The gossiper shocked shouted at the Rabbi “Such a task is impossible!” “Exactly” said the Rabbi, “It’s impossible.”