Tous ceux qui sont passibles de kareth (coupure), qui ont reçu des coups, sont absous de leur kareth [s'ils se sont repentis], il est écrit (Deutéronome 25: 3): "… et votre frère soit humilié devant vos yeux" —Une fois qu'il a été rabaissé, il est comme votre frère. Ce sont les paroles de R. Chanania b. Gamliel. R. Chanina b. Gamliel a dit: Maintenant, si celui qui commet une (kareth) transgression se voit retirer son âme, alors celui qui accomplit une mitsva, combien plus (suit-il) que son âme lui sera "accordée"! [Certains comprennent cela comme se référant à ceux qui sont passibles de kareth, qui ont été frappés, à savoir: "... alors celui qui accepte son jugement et fait une mitsva en étant frappé, combien plus (suit-il) que son âme sera" accordé "à lui et il sera absous de Kareth!" Car «sa mesure de récompense est plus grande que sa mesure de punition». Et d'autres le comprennent comme une déclaration indépendante pour nous informer de la récompense pour mitvoth, a fortiori, de la punition pour les transgressions.] R. Shimon dit: Il est dérivé de sa place [c'est-à-dire, de la responsabilité kareth, que nous avons affaire à , que si quelqu'un s'assied et ne transgresse pas, il reçoit une récompense comme s'il avait fait une mitsva], il est écrit [à l'égard des relations illicites], (Lévitique 18:29): «Et les âmes qui le font seront coupées off », et (Ibid. 5):«… et celui (qui observe les statuts contre les relations illicites) y vivra »[suivi de (6):« Un homme, un homme, à tous les parents de sa chair ne pas se rapprocher pour découvrir la nudité "], par quoi il est dérivé que si l'on s'assoit et ne transgresse pas [en" découvrant la nudité "], il reçoit une récompense comme s'il avait fait une mitsva. [L'Écriture déclare: "et il vivra en eux"—tout comme Kareth est indiqué pour celui qui a transgressé. Ceci, seulement là où la transgression "s'est présentée" et il a vaincu son mauvais penchant et y a résisté, comme Yosef Hatzaddik (avec la femme de Potiphar) et autres.] R. Shimon b. Rebbi dit (Deutéronome 12, 23): "Renforcez-vous seulement pour ne pas manger le sang, car le sang est l'âme ... afin qu'il soit bon pour vous et pour vos enfants après vous, etc.": Maintenant, si le sang, de que l'âme d'un homme recule, encore, s'il s'en abstient, il reçoit une récompense— puis le vol et les relations illicites, dont l'âme d'un homme convoite, combien plus celui qui s'en abstient mérite-t-il une récompense pour lui-même, ses générations et les générations de ses générations jusqu'à la fin de toutes les générations!
Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
נפטרו מידי כריתתן – if they did returned in repentance.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Introduction
The final two mishnayoth of Makkoth are in essence the final two mishnayoth of a long tractate, which at one time included both Sanhedrin and Makkoth, a total of 14 chapters. As is typical of the Mishnah, long tractates are completed with words of “aggadah”, sermonic material, not usually of a legal nature. Both of these mishnayoth teach how great will be the reward of those who fulfill the commandments and deal with some weighty theological issues.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
העושה מצוה אחת על אחת כמה וכמה – there are those who interpret this – that it is speaking of all those who are liable for extirpation who were flogged, for whomever accepted upon himself the judgement and performed a Mitzvah when he was flogged, all the more so that his soul will be saved for him and that he will be exempt from extirpation, for he has one good measure [in his favor] over and above the measure for retribution. And there are those who interpret that this is for itself – to inform the giving of reward [for the performance] of the commandments, all the more so, from the punishment for transgressions.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
All who have incurred [the penalty of] kareth, on being flogged are exempt from their punishment of kareth, for it says, “[He may be given up to forty lashes, but not more] ... lest your brother shall be dishonored before your eyes” (Deut. 25;3) once he has been lashed he is [considered] “your brother”, the words of Rabbi Hananiah ben Gamaliel. The punishment of kareth, being cut off from one’s people, while not enforced by a court of law, was considered to be a very serious punishment, one with dire consequences. The Rabbis taught that by receiving lashes one is expiated from the punishment of kareth. This is learned from the verse in Deuteronomy which calls the person being lashed “your brother”. After he has been lashed his punishment of kareth is erased and he returns to his full status as a member of Israel.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Makkot
ממקומו הוא למד – from those liable for extirpation, that we speak about them we learn that he who sits and does not commit a sin, we credit him for a reward as one who performs a Mitzvah (see Mishnah Avot, Chapter 2, Mishnah 2), as it is written concerning the laws of incest (Leviticus 18:29): “such persons shall be cut off [from their people].” And it states (Leviticus 18:5): “[You shall keep My laws and My rules,] by the pursuit of which man shall live: [I am the LORD].” And near it (verse 6): “None of you shall come near anyone of his own flesh [to uncover nakedness: I am the LORD].” Behold that a person who sits and does not uncover the nakedness [of one of his forbidden relations], the Written Torah calls him that he has performed a Mitzvah, and it is written concerning him (verse 5), “of which a man shall live.” In the same manner that [the Torah] punishes with extirpation for someone who commits a transgression, and this specifically regarding one who has the opportunity to sin and he conquers his [negative] impulse and doesn’t do it, is like Joseph the Righteous and others like him.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Rabbi Hananiah ben Gamaliel said: “Just as one who transgresses one transgression forfeits his life, how much more does one who performs one commandment have his life granted him.” All throughout our tractate and tractate Sanhedrin we have been learning about punishments, including such serious punishments as lashings, kareth and execution. Rabbi Hananiah ben Gamaliel finds hope in the seriousness of these punishments. If a person can be so harshly punished for merely one sin, all the more great will be the reward for one who fulfills even one commandment.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Rabbi Shimon says: “You can learn this from its own passage; as it says: “[All who do any of those abhorrent things] such persons shall be cut off from their people” (Lev. 18:29), and it says: “You shall keep my statutes and my ordinances which if a man do, he shall live by them” (Lev. 18:5), which means that one who desists from transgressing is granted reward like one who performs a precept. Rabbi Shimon claims that an even greater principle can be learned from a verse dealing with kareth itself. The end of chapter 18 in Leviticus states that one who does one of these sins will be punished by kareth, i.e. cut off from his people. The beginning of the chapter states that if one performs the commandments he will live through them. In other words, the end of the chapter discusses those who transgress and the beginning of the chapter mentions those who perform the commandments. Rabbi Shimon concludes that these are flip sides to the same coin. By merely not transgressing a person is considered as if he had actively performed a commandment and will receive his just reward.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Makkot
Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi says: Behold [the Torah] says, “But makes sure that you do not partake of the blood; for the blood is the life, and you must not consume the life with the flesh…[that it may go well with you and with your descendents to come..” (Deut. 12:23-25”-- now, if in the case of blood which a person’s soul loathes, anyone who refrains from it receives reward, how much more so in regard to robbery and sexual sin for which a person’s soul craves and longs shall one who refrains from them acquire merit for himself and for generations and generations to come, to the end of all generations! Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi continues to discuss how great the reward is for performing the commandments. Deuteronomy states that one who refrains from eating the blood of an animal will merit reward, as will all of his descendents. Rabbi Shimon bar Rabbi points out that if a person receives such a great reward for refraining from doing something that he wouldn’t want to do anyway, since most people are disgusted by blood, how much greater will be his reward for refraining from stealing and transgressing sexually, sins which most people crave. In other words, rewards are based on resistance to evil temptations. The greater the temptation the greater the reward for resistance.
