CHAPTER XLIII THE POWER OF REPENTANCE [60A. i.] REPENTANCE and good deeds [ See Aboth 4:11 in the name of R. Eliezer ben Jacob. תריס = θυρεός, shield.] are a shield against punishment. Rabbi Ishmael [ The first editions read: “Rabbi ‘Aḳiba said: ‘Repentance was created and the right hand,’” etc.] said: If repentance had not been created, [ See supra, Chapter III., p. 10.] the world would not stand. But since repentance has been created, the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, is stretched forth to receive the penitent [ See T.B. Pesachim, 119a; Tanna de bê Elijahu Ẓuṭṭa, xxii. p. 37, xxiii. p. 40; and cf. Ezek. 1:8, with the interpretation in Pesachim, loc. cit. See Jalḳuṭ and Targum on Ps. 90:3.] every day, and He says, Repent, ye children of men. "Repent, ye children of men" (Ps. 90:8). [ See supra, pp. 104f.] Know thou the power of repentance. [ The first editions read “charity and repentance”; see next note.] Come and see from Ahab, king of Israel, [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 102b; J.E. i. 281; and also Menorath Ha-Maor, § 284. The word Zedaḳah (Charity) should be omitted. The first editions add: “who repented sincerely.” See also Jalḳuṭ, 1 Kings 21 § 222; and T.B. Ta‘anith, 25b.] for he had robbed, coveted, [ The first editions read “oppressed.”] and murdered, [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 113a, according to which he introduced idolatry; and cf. T.B. Synhedrin, 48b. Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit., reads: “he coveted and murdered”; see Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 26 p. 130, and Num. Rab. 14:1.] as it is said, "Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?" (1 Kings 21:19). He sent and called for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, [ See Jalḳuṭ on 1 Kings 21 loc. cit.; Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit.; T.J. Soṭah, 3:4. 18d, which refers to three years of penitence.] who gave him thrice daily forty stripes, and in fasting and with prayer he rose up early and retired late, before the Holy One, blessed be He, [ The first editions add here: “and he studied the Torah all his days.”] and he did not return any more to his evil deeds. His repentance was accepted, as it is said, || "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself [ In the MS. the quotation ends here.] before me? Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days" (ibid. 29).
Rabbi Abbahu said: Know thou the power of repentance. Come and see from David, king of Israel. [ See Jalḳuṭ on 2 Samuel, § 165, and Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit.] For the Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn to the forefathers that He would multiply their seed like the stars of the heavens. And David came to count their number. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: David ! I have sworn to the forefathers that I would multiply their seed as the stars of the heavens. And thou comest to annul My word. For thy sake the flock is given over to destruction; [ See 2 Sam. 24:17, and infra, p. 400. The Pesiḳta, pp. 160b ff., has used P.R.E.] and in three hours there fell seventy thousand men, [ See T.B. Berakhoth, 62b.] as it is said, "And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men" (1 Chron. 21:14). Rabbi Simeon said: Only Abishai, son of Zeruiah, fell amongst the Israelites, for he was equal in his good deeds and his knowledge of the Torah to the seventy thousand men, [ See Midrash Samuel xxxi. (end); T.B. Berakhoth, loc. cit.; Shocher Ṭob on Ps. 17 p. 64a; and J.E. i. p. 66.] as it is said, "And there fell of Israel seventy thousand men" (ibid.). "Men" is not written here, only "man." [ The MS. has “70,000 men,” and above this the letter כ, “as” or “like,” has been added by a later writer.] And David heard and rent his garments, and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes, and he fell upon his face to the ground before the ark of the covenant of God. [ The first editions regard this sentence as a quotation and add: “as it is said.” The text is based on Josh. 7:6.]
He sought (to do) penitence, and spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds ! It is I who have sinned; forgive me, I beseech Thee, my sin. His repentance was accepted, and He said to the angel who had destroyed many (Rab) among the people: "Stay thine hand" [ The first editions read: “Now stay thine hands.”] (ibid. 15). What is the meaning of || "many" (Rab)? He said to him: Rab (the teacher) has fallen in Israel. [ See 2 Sam. 3:38: “for a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel.”] What did the angel do? He took his sword and cleaned it with the garment [ טלית, garment, also “Ṭallith.”] of David. David saw the sword of the angel, [ The first editions add “of death.”] and he trembled in all his limbs until [ The first editions add “the day of.”] his death [ See Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 7 p. 39, and Shocher Ṭob, Ps. 17 p. 63b.] (as it is said, [ The MS. omits “as it is said”; the first editions have the expression.] ) "But David could not go before it [ The quotation ends here in the MS.] to inquire of God; for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the Lord" (ibid. 30).
Rabbi Joshua said: Know thou the power of repentance. Come and see from Manasseh, [ See J. E. viii. 281 on the Prayer of Manasseh. The legend dealing with his punishment and repentance occurs in the Apocalypse of Baruch lxiv. 8. Traces of this legend are to be found in the Apostolic Constitutions, ii. 22; also in Anastasius on Ps. 6, quoted by Charles in his Note on Apoc. Baruch, p. 107, where the Targum of 2 Chron. 33:12 f. is given. See also T.B. Synhedrin, 103a.] son of Hezekiah, who perpetrated all the evil abominations much more than all the nations. [ The first editions add here: “of the world, and wrought much evil, and sacrificed to idols, as it is said: ‘He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: (and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards): he wrought much evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger’ (2 Chron. 33:6). He went to Jerusalem dedicating doves to all the host of heaven.” MS. Gaster has almost the same reading.] He made his son to pass through the fire to Baal outside Jerusalem, causing (doves) to fly,9 [ See Mishnah Synhedrin, 3:3. The dove-flying was an occasion for betting.] and sacrificing to all the host of heaven. The princes of the troops of the king of Babylon came, [ See 2 Chron. 33:11, and Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit. The first editions read: “The princes of the troops of Assyria came.”] and they caught him by the hair of his head, and brought him down to Babylon, and they put him in a pan (over) a fire, [ Luria reads: “in copper fetters,” according to the Targum on 2 Chron. 32:11; see Ruth Rab. 5:6, and the Note in Lightfoot’s Hor. Heb. et Tal. in Acta Apost. xii. 7. See T.B. Synhedrin, 101b; Targum, 2 Chron., loc. cit.; Deut. Rab. ii. 13. The reading במולווח, the “hollow brazen horse,” occurs in the Targum as well as in Apoc. Baruch; see ‘Arukh, s.v. מולחא. Luria offers a variant reading: דודא דנחשת; see ‘Arukh, s.v. מליאר—an iron barrel with apertures around which a fire was kindled. See also Agadath Bereshith, 9 (end), and Bacher in R.É.J. xlv. 291 ff.] and there he called upon all the other gods [ Or “strange gods”; the later editions read “idols.”] to whom he had sacrificed, and not one of them either answered him or saved him. He said: I will call on the God of my fathers with all my heart; perhaps He will do unto me according to all His wonders which He did unto my father. And he called on the God of his fathers with all his heart, and He was entreated of him, and He heard his supplication, as it is said, "And he prayed unto him; and he was intreated of him, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.] and heard his supplication… then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God" (2 Chron. 33:18). In that hour Manasseh said: There is both judgment as well as a judge.
Ben 'Azzai [ The chronology is hopelessly at fault here. Ben ‘Aẓẓai was dead long before the time of Simeon ben Laḳish.] said: Know thou the power of repentance. Come and see from (the story of) Rabbi Simeon, son of Laḳish. He with two || of his friends [ See T.B. Giṭṭin, 47a, and cf. J.E. xi. 354 f.] in the mountains, were robbing [ The first editions add: “and oppressing.”] all who passed them on the way. What did he do? He forsook his two companions who were plundering on the mountains, and he returned to the God of his fathers with all his heart. Fasting and praying he arose early and retired late, [ See Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit.] before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he was studying the Torah all (the rest of) his days, and (giving) gifts to the needy. He did not return any more to his evil deeds, and his repentance was accepted. On the day when he died, his two companions, who were plundering on the mountains, also died. And they gave a portion in the treasury of the living [ See the reading in the Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit., which has used our book. Our text might be rendered: “They put Rabbi Simeon, son of Laḳish, in the treasury of the living.”] to Rabbi Simeon, son of Laḳish, but his two companions (were put) in the lowest Sheol.
The two companions spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the universe ! There is before Thee respect for certain persons. This one was plundering with us on the mountains, and he is in the treasury of the living, whilst the other men are [ The first editions read: “whilst we are.”] in the lowest Sheol. He said to them: This one repented in his lifetime, but ye have not repented. They said to Him: Give us the opportunity, and we will repent very sincerely. He said to them: Repentance is only possible until one's death. [ See Midrash on Prov. 6 (ed. Buber, p. 28a), and cf. Eccles. 9:10 with Midrash thereon.]
A parable—To what is the matter comparable? To a man who wished to take a voyage at sea. If he did not take with him bread and water from an inhabited land, he will not find anything to eat or to drink on the sea. Again, || if a man wish to go to the end of the wilderness, unless he take from some inhabited place bread and water, he will not find anything to eat or to drink in the wilderness. Likewise, if a man did not repent in his lifetime, after his death he cannot repent. [ The first editions add: “as it is said, ‘He will not regard any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts’” (Prov. 6:35).] But (God) gives to a man according to his ways, as it is said, "I [ Our MS. reads: “For I the Lord.” This does not agree with M.T.] the Lord search the heart, [ In the MS. the quotation ends here; it is continued in the first editions as far as “reins.”] I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings" (Jer. 17:10).
Rabbi Nechunia, son of Haḳḳanah, said: Know thou the power of repentance. Come and see from Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who rebelled most grievously against the Rock, the Most High, [ Luria suggests another reading: “the Rock of Eternity.” The Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit., reads: “Sovereign of Eternity.”] as it is said, "Who is the Lord, that I should hearken unto his voice?" (Ex. 5:2). [ See the preceding chapter of our book, p. 331.] In the same terms of speech in which he sinned, he repented, as it is said "Who is like thee, O Lord, among the mighty?" (ibid. xv. 11). The Holy One, blessed be He, delivered him from amongst the dead. Whence (do we know) that he died? [ In the Reed Sea. The first editions read: “that he did not die.”] Because it is said, "For now I had put forth my hand, [ The quotation ends here in the MS. and in the first editions.] and smitten thee" (ibid. ix. 15). [ The 1st ed. and Gaster MS. read here: “But in very deed, for this cause have I made thee to stand” (Ex. 9:16). The 2nd ed. adds: “And the Holy One, blessed be He, raised him up from amongst the dead to declare the might of His power. Whence (do we know) that He raised him up? Because it is said: ‘ But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, for to shew thee my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth’” (Ex. 9:16).] He went and ruled in Nineveh. The men of Nineveh were writing fraudulent deeds, and everyone robbed his neighbour, and they committed sodomy,4 [ Cf. Pesiḳta, p. 161a, and Jalḳuṭ, Jonah, § 550.] and such-like wicked actions. When the Holy One, blessed be He, sent for Jonah, to prophesy against (the city) its destruction, Pharaoh hearkened and arose from his throne, rent his garments and clothed himself in sackcloth and ashes, and had a proclamation made to all his people, that all the people should fast for two [ The first editions read: “three days.”] days, || and all who did these (wicked) things [ The first editions read: “All who did not do these things.”] should be burnt by fire. What did they [ The first editions read: “he.”] do? The men were [ The first editions read: “He made the men stand on one side.”] on one side, and the women on the other, and their children were by themselves; all the clean animals were on one side, [ The first editions add: “and all the unclean animals were on the other side.” Luria thinks that “male animals” and “female animals” would be a more appropriate reading. See the reading in the Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit. Jalḳuṭ Jonah, loc. cit., omits it.] and their offspring were by themselves. The infants saw the breasts of their mothers, (and they wished [ The words in brackets, which are missing in our MS., occur in the first editions.] ) to have suck, [ The Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit., reads: “To have suck and they did not permit it, and they wept, and the mothers saw their offspring and they wished to give them suck, and they were unable and they wept.” See T.B. Ta‘anith, 16a, and T.J. Ta‘anith 2:1. 65b.] and they wept. The mothers saw their children, (and they wished [ The words in brackets, which are missing in our MS., occur in the first editions.] ) to give them suck. By the merit of 4123 children more than twelve hundred thousand men (were saved), as it is said, "And should not I have pity on Nineveh, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.; in the first editions it concludes with the word “city.” The preceding part of the sentence reads in the first editions: “By (their) merit there were more than twelve hundred thousand men.”] that great city; wherein are more than six score thousand persons that cannot discern between their right hand and their left hand; and also much cattle?" (Jonah 4:11); "And the Lord [ The MS. and the first editions read “the Lord”; M.T. has “God.”] repented of the evil, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.; in the first editions it concludes with the word “said.”] which he said he would do unto them" [ See the reading in the Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit.] (ibid. iii. 10). For forty years was the Holy One, blessed be He, slow to anger with them, corresponding to the forty days during which He had sent Jonah. [ Menorath Ha-Maor, loc. cit., reads: “when He spake to Jonah.”] After forty years they returned to their many evil deeds, more so than their former ones, and they were swallowed up like the dead, in the lowest Sheol, as it is said, "Out of the city of the dead [ R.V. has “populous,” but in margin, “city of men.” Nineveh was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar; see T.B. Megillah, 11b.] they groan" (Job 24:12).
The Holy One, blessed be He, sent by the hand of His servants, the prophets, to Israel [ The first editions read: “to prophesy against Israel and He said.”] (saying), "O Israel, return unto the Lord thy God" (Hos. 14:1). [ The use of these verses from Hosea seems to suggest that this entire chapter on Repentance was originally a homily for the Sabbath of Repentance, i.e. the Sabbath before the Day of Atonement. This suggestion seems to be reasonable, because the reference to Jonah would be appropriate on the Sabbath before it was read. The Book of Jonah is the Haphṭarah at Minchah on the Day of Atonement; see supra, Chapter X.] (Even) unto Him whose voice ye heard at Mount Sinai, saying, "I, the Lord, am to be thy God" (Ex. 20:2).
"For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity" (Hos. 14:1). "And thy wealth" [ The first editions read: “By thy glory and thy wealth.”] is not written here, but "For thou hast fallen by thine iniquity." It is not written here, "Take with you silver and gold," || but "Take with you words" (ibid. 2). It is not written here, "And we will render silver and gold," but "And we will render as bullocks (the offering of) our lips" (ibid.). [ See Menorath Ha-Maor, § 279; Tanna de bê Elijahu Ẓuṭṭa ix. p. 189; T.B. Synhedrin, 96b; and cf. 4 Ezra 4:39.]
Rabbi Jehudah said: If Israel will not repent they will not be redeemed. [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 93a, and T.J. Ta‘anith, loc. cit.] Israel only repents because of distress, [ See Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 21 p. 116; and Tanna de bê Elijahu Ẓuṭṭa iv. p. 180, and xiv. p. 196. See also Assumption of Moses, i. 18.] and because of oppression, and owing to exile, and because they have no sustenance. Israel does not repent quite sincerely [ Lit. “Does not do a great repentance.”] until Elijah [ The first editions add: “Of blessed memory,” or, “May his memory be a blessing”; see supra, p. 2. note 7. Cf. Luke i. 16f.] comes, as it is said, "Behold, I will send you [ In the MS. the words from “Elijah” to “come” are omitted. In the first editions the entire verse is given.] Elijah, the prophet, [ See Seder ‘Olam Rab. 17 p. 36a, b.] before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers" (Mal. iv. 5, 6).
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who delightest in repentance. [ See Singer, p. 46. This is the fifth benediction of the Shemoneh ’Esreh. Does our Midrash wish to associate Elijah with this benediction?]