Kiddushin 40: Righteous vs. Wicked; Good vs. Evil; What We do in Public vs. What We do in Private

Today's daf is one worth reading and discussing in great detail.  Unfortunately, as today is also very close to Pesach, obligations other than blogging force me to speak to today's daf only briefly and in commentary rather than with a summary.

First we are treated to two examples of great rabbis who attempt to kill themselves before agreeing to the sexual advances of Gentile noble women.  We are told that they are saved by miracles.  The stories are both fantastical and fun.  Worth reading.  And worth thinking about the rabbis who tell stories of women approaching them; in our society, men resisting women's advances is not part of our  shared narrative.

The rabbis look back at those four actions through which we enjoy the profits in this world and the principle in the World-to-Come (see Kiddushin 39).  The rabbis share different opinions about how each of these actions is related to the others.  They discuss the difference between honouring G-d and honouring people.  For example, if a person cannot control his desire to transgress, should he transgress in another town while dressed in black, unrecognizable to anyone?  Does the attempt to behave like a good role model should (in public) mitigate one's sins against G-d's will?  The rabbis say that a person who is good toward Heaven and toward people is both righteous and good; one who is only good toward Heaven is only righteous.  Similarly, one who is bad toward Heaven and bad toward people is wicked and evil; one who is only bad toward Heaven but good toward people is only wicked.  The rabbis then speak of idol worship to continue their deliberations about sins of the heart and sins done publicly.

The rabbis discuss  how to understand one who cannot overcome his evil inclination.  The Sages suggest that we should always consider ourselves to be half-liable and half-meritorious.  Whenever we perform a mitzvah, the scale tilts toward merit.  And whenever we transgress, the scale tilts toward liability.  rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon understands this on a larger scale.  All people in the world are judged together and the entire world benefits both one's own scale and the scale of the world toward merit.  Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai adds that these actions count until the day we die; each of our actions is judged independently of the other.  It does not matter if we have been wicked in the past; we can affect our scale by doing acts of righteousness.

A new Mishna: One who is engaged in study of Bible and Mishna and derech eretz, the desired mode of behaviour, will not be quick to sin, for "a threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12).  One who does not engage in any of these is not considered to be a person deserving to be part of the community.

The Gemara shares analogies of righteousness and wickedness to trees.  Rabbi Akiva argues with Rabbi Tarfon that study is greater than action because study leads to action.  Other examples demonstrate that study is more important than action -- though the rabbis are clear that a mitzvah is performed immediately if Torah study would not facilitate its immediate performance.  

The Gemara ends our daf with comments about those who do not engage in studying Bible, Mishna, or derech eretz.  They are said to be disqualified from bearing witness; they are like those who eat in the marketplace: dogs who lack shame.

Today's study offers us a window into the rabbis' insights about human nature: action verses will, one's public face verses one's private desires, good verses evil and righteousness verses wickedness.  The last line of our daf notes that anger is a form of self-harm, for it leads to nothing but more anger.  A beautiful daf!