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CURRENT TALMUD PASSAGE
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Posted July 2, 2009, by Rabbi Judy Abrams. Please refer to
Maqom's home page for information about previous passages.
BH
"MR. FIVE SINS" AND HIS ANSWERED
PRAYERS IN THE YERUSHALMI
© Judith Z. Abrams, 2009
We are now in that part of the Jewish
year when those in Israel look longingly to the sky for a hint
of rain. (Indeed, those of us suffering through a record heat
wave here in Texas are looking longingly to the sky, as well.)
Tractate Taanit is the one concerned with precisely this issue.
In the sages minds, if someone prays for rain and rain
comes, it is a sign that the person whos praying is very
righteous, indeed. (In the Bavli, many very great sages pray
for rain and their prayers are not answered.) It is in this context
that we find the following story: Rabbi Abbahu dreamt that Mr.
Five Sins prayed that rain would come, and it did come.
Rabbi Abbahu summoned him and asked
him: What is your trade? He said to him: I do five sins every
day: hiring prostitutes, cleaning up the theater, bring home
their garments for washing, dancing and banging cymbals before
them. Rabbi Abbahu asked: What good deed have you done? He said:
One day I was cleaning the theater and a woman came and stood
behind a pillar and cried. I said to her: Whats the matter?
She said: My husband is in prison and I wanted to see what I
can do to free him. So I sold my bed and cover and gave the proceeds
to her. I said: Here is your money: free your husband, but do
not sin. Rabbi Abbahu said to him: You are worthy of praying
having your prayers answered. (Y. Taanit 1:4)
Discussion Questions:
This is part of a long series of stories
of people whose prayers for rain are answered, even though they
seem the unlikeliest of candidates to be righteous enough to
have their prayers answered. Mr. Five Sins is clearly
not just surrounded by a sinful environment, he promotes it and
participates in it. But he saves this woman from falling into
this environment. One has the impression that she is hesitating
at the door of the theater, stealing herself to walk in and sign
up as a prostitute in a last ditch effort to buy her husbands
freedom.
- Given this scenario, what is it that
is so righteous in what he does that overrides his overwhelmingly
sinful lifestyle? How can we model ourselves on the righteousness
of this man, not his lifestyle, but his ability to save someone
from slipping over the edge into the abyss?
- There are other instances in rabbinic
literature of sinful people who do one righteous person and that
earns them eternity in the world to come. Can you count on the
opportunity to do that one shining deed? Is that possibility
always there and we just dont see it?
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