Talmud for Makkot 3:15

כָּל חַיָּבֵי כְרֵתוֹת שֶׁלָּקוּ, נִפְטְרוּ יְדֵי כְרֵתָתָן, שֶׁנֶאֱמַר (דברים כה) וְנִקְלָה אָחִיךָ לְעֵינֶיךָ, כְּשֶׁלָּקָה הֲרֵי הוּא כְאָחִיךָ, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל. אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל, מָה אִם הָעוֹבֵר עֲבֵרָה אַחַת, נוֹטֵל נַפְשׁוֹ עָלֶיהָ, הָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁתִּנָּתֵן לוֹ נַפְשׁוֹ. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אוֹמֵר, מִמְּקוֹמוֹ הוּא לָמֵד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יח) וְנִכְרְתוּ הַנְּפָשׁוֹת הָעֹשֹׂת וְגוֹ', וְאוֹמֵר (שם) אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם. הָא, כָּל הַיּוֹשֵׁב וְלֹא עָבַר עֲבֵרָה, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ שָׂכָר כְּעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, הֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים יב) רַק חֲזַק לְבִלְתִּי אֲכֹל הַדָּם כִּי הַדָּם הוּא הַנָּפֶשׁ וְגוֹ', וּמָה אִם הַדָּם שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם קָצָה מִמֶּנּוּ, הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ מְקַבֵּל שָׂכָר, גָּזֵל וַעֲרָיוֹת שֶׁנַּפְשׁוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם מִתְאַוָּה לָהֶן וּמְחַמַּדְתָּן, הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מֵהֶן עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה שֶׁיִּזְכֶּה לוֹ וּלְדוֹרוֹתָיו וּלְדוֹרוֹת דּוֹרוֹתָיו עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת:

All those liable to kareth (cutting-off), who have received stripes, are absolved of their kareth [if they have repented], it being written (Deuteronomy 25:3): "…and your brother be demeaned before your eyes" — Once he has been demeaned, he is as your brother. These are the words of R. Chanania b. Gamliel. R. Chanina b. Gamliel said: Now if one who commits one (kareth) transgression has his soul taken from him, then one who performs one mitzvah, how much more so (does it follow) that his soul will be "granted" unto him! [Some understand this as referring to those liable to kareth, who were smitten, viz.: "…then one who accepts his judgment and does a mitzvah in being smitten, how much more so (does it follow) that his soul will be "granted" unto him and he will be absolved of kareth!" For "His measure for reward is greater than His measure for punishment." And others understand it as an independent statement to apprise us of the reward for mitvoth, a fortiori, from the punishment for transgressions.] R. Shimon says: It is derived from its place [i.e., from kareth liability, that we are dealing with, that if one sits and does not transgress, he receives reward as if he had done a mitzvah], it being written [in respect to illicit relations], (Leviticus 18:29): "And the souls who do it shall be cut off," and (Ibid. 5): "…and he (who observes the statutes against illicit relations) shall live in them" [followed by (6): "A man, a man, to all the kin of his flesh shall not draw near to uncover nakedness"], whereby it is derived that if one sits and does not transgress [by "uncovering nakedness"], he receives reward as if he had done a mitzvah. [Scripture states: "and he shall live in them" — just as kareth is indicated for one who transgressed. This, only where the transgression "presented itself" and he conquered his evil inclination and resisted it, as Yosef Hatzaddik (with the wife of Potiphar) and the like.] R. Shimon b. Rebbi says (Deuteronomy 12:23): "Only strengthen yourself not to eat the blood, for the blood is the soul … so that it shall be good for you and for your children after you, etc.": Now if blood, from which a man's soul recoils, still, if he abstains from it, he receives reward — then theft and illicit relations, for which a man's soul lusts, how much more so does one who abstains from them merit reward for himself, his generations, and his generations' generations to the end of all generations!

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