As they were going along they came across a man standing under a tree whose face was full of the marks of blows. They noticed that his face was all red from the blows. Said R. Hiya to him: ‘Who are you?’ He replied: ‘I am a Jew.’ Said R. Jose: ‘He must be a sinner, as otherwise his face would not have all those marks, and these are not what are called “chastisements of love”.’ Said R. Hiya: ‘Assuredly that is so, for the “chastisements of love” are hidden from view.
So with the’plague of leprosy, of those marks which are visible to all, it is written, “And the priest shall see and declare him unclean”, for assuredly those come from the side of uncleanness and are not chastisements of love.
In the same way, he who reproves his neighbour in love should not let other men hear in order that he may not be ashamed; and if he reproves him publicly he does not show true friendship.
So God, in reproving a man, acts with him lovingly. At first He smites him inwardly. If he repents, well and good, but if not, he smites him under his garments, and this is called “chastisement of love”. If he still does not repent, God smites him on his face where all can see, so that they may know that he is a sinner and not beloved of his Master.’
The man thereupon said to them: ‘You arc in a conspiracy against me: of a surety you are of those who frequent the house of R. Simeon ben Yohai, who have no fear of anyone. If my sons were to come up, they would punish you for speaking thus loudly.’ They said: ‘The Law teaches us to do so, as it says, “Wisdom crieth in the chief places of concourse”, etc. (Prov. 1, 21). If we were to be afraid to speak words of the Torah before thee, we should be ashamed before God.’ The man thereupon lifted up his hands and wept. Meanwhile his sons came up. The youngest one said: ‘The support of heaven is here.
עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, אִעֲרָעוּ בְּחַד בַּר נָשׁ, וְאַנְפּוֹי מַלְיָין מַכְתְּשִׁין, וַהֲוָה קָם מִתְּחוֹת אִילָנָא חַד, אִסְתְּכָּלוּ בֵּיהּ, וְחָמוּ אַנְפּוֹי סוּמָקִין בְּאִינּוּן מַכְתְּשִׁין. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא מַאן אַנְתְּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ יוּדָאי אֲנָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי חַטָּאָה הוּא, דְּאִי לָאו הָכִי, לָא אִתְרְשִׁימוּ אַנְפּוֹי בְּאִלֵּין מַרְעִין בִּישִׁין, וְאִלֵּין לָא אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּיִסוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה מִתְחַפְּיָין אִינּוּן מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא.
As they were going along they came across a man standing under a tree whose face was full of the marks of blows. They noticed that his face was all red from the blows. Said R. Hiya to him: ‘Who are you?’ He replied: ‘I am a Jew.’ Said R. Jose: ‘He must be a sinner, as otherwise his face would not have all those marks, and these are not what are called “chastisements of love”.’ Said R. Hiya: ‘Assuredly that is so, for the “chastisements of love” are hidden from view.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דִּכְתִּיב אָדָם כִּי יִהְיֶה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ שְׂאֵת אוֹ סַפַּחַת אוֹ בַהֶרֶת. הָא ג' זִינִין הָכָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ אִקְרוּן נֶגַע צָרַעַת, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וְהָיָה בְעוֹר בְּשָׂרוֹ לְנֶגַע צָרָעַת. מַאי נֶגַע צָרָעַת. סְגִירוּ. סְגִירוּ בְּכֹלָּא, וּכְתִיב וְהוּבָא אֶל אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן וְגוֹ'. אֲבָל אִינּוּן דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לְבַר כְּתִיב, וְרָאָהוּ הַכֹּהֵן וְטִמֵּא אוֹתוֹ. דְּהָא וַדַּאי אִינּוּן דְּיִתְחֲזוּן לְבַר בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, מִסִּטְרָא דִּמְסָאֲבָא קָא אַתְיָין, וְלָאו יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה נִינְהוּ.
So with the’plague of leprosy, of those marks which are visible to all, it is written, “And the priest shall see and declare him unclean”, for assuredly those come from the side of uncleanness and are not chastisements of love.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מְנָא לָן. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי כ״ז:ה׳) טוֹבָה תּוֹכַחַת מְגוּלָה מֵאַהֲבָה מְסוּתָּרֶת. אֵי הַהִיא תּוֹכַחַת מֵאַהֲבָה (ס"א אינהו תוכחת מאהבה כד איהי), מְסוּתָּרֶת מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא מַאן דְּאוֹכַח לְחַבְרֵיהּ בִּרְחִימוּתָא, בָּעֵי לְאַסְתְּרָא מִלּוֹי מִבְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּלָא יִכְסוֹף מִנַּיְיהוּ חַבְרֵיהּ, וְאִי מִלּוֹי אִינּוּן בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא קָמֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, לָאו אִינּוּן בִּרְחִימוּתָא.
In the same way, he who reproves his neighbour in love should not let other men hear in order that he may not be ashamed; and if he reproves him publicly he does not show true friendship.
כַּךְ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כַּד אוֹכַח לְבַּר נָשׁ, בְּכֹלָּא אוֹכַח בִּרְחִימוּתָא, בְּקַדְמִיתָא מָחֵי לֵיהּ בְּגַרְמֵיהּ דִּלְגוֹ. אִי הָדָר בֵּיהּ, מוּטָב. וְאִי לָאו מָחֵי לֵיהּ תְּחוֹת תּוֹתְבֵיהּ, וְאִלֵּין (בעורו) אִקְרוּן יִסּוּרִין דְּאַהֲבָה, אִי הָדָר בֵּיהּ מוּטָב, וְאִי לָאו מָחֵי לֵיהּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא בְּאַנְפּוֹי, קָמֵי כֹּלָּא, בְּגִין דְּיִסְתַּכְּלוּן בֵּיהּ, וְיִנְדְּעוּן דְּהָא חַטָּאָה אִיהוּ, וְלָאו רְחִימָא דְּמָארֵיהּ הוּא.
So God, in reproving a man, acts with him lovingly. At first He smites him inwardly. If he repents, well and good, but if not, he smites him under his garments, and this is called “chastisement of love”. If he still does not repent, God smites him on his face where all can see, so that they may know that he is a sinner and not beloved of his Master.’
אָמַר לוֹן הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, בְּקִיטְרָא דְּעֵיטָא חַד אֲתִיתוּן גַּבָּאי, וַדַּאי לָאו אַתּוּן אֶלָּא מֵאִינּוּן דְּדִיּוּרֵיהוֹן בְּבֵי רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי דְּלָא דַּחֲלִין מִכֹּלָּא. אִי בָּנַי דְּאַתְיָין אֲבַתְרָאי יְקַטְרְגוּ בְּכוּ, אֵיךְ מִלַּיְיכוּ בְּאִתְגַּלְיָיא. אָמַר לֵיהּ אוֹרַיְיתָא הָכִי הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי א׳:כ״א) בְּרֹאשׁ הוֹמִיּוֹת תִּקְרָא בְּפִתְחֵי שְׁעָרִים בָּעִיר אֲמָרֶיהָ תֹאמֵר. וּמַה אִי בְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אֲנָן דַּחֲלֵי מִקָּמָּךְ, הָא נִשְׁתְּכַח בְּכִסּוּפָא קָמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וְלֹא עוֹד, אֶלָּא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא בָּעֵי צָחוּתָא. פָּתַח הַהוּא גַּבְרָא וְאָמַר (מיכה ז׳:י״ח) מִי אֵל כָּמוֹךָ נוֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וְגוֹ'. אָרִים יְדוֹי וּבָכָה. אַדְּהָכִי מָטוּן בְּנוֹי. אָמַר בְּרֵיהּ זְעֵירָא סִיַּיעְתָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּיא הָכָא.
The man thereupon said to them: ‘You arc in a conspiracy against me: of a surety you are of those who frequent the house of R. Simeon ben Yohai, who have no fear of anyone. If my sons were to come up, they would punish you for speaking thus loudly.’ They said: ‘The Law teaches us to do so, as it says, “Wisdom crieth in the chief places of concourse”, etc. (Prov. 1, 21). If we were to be afraid to speak words of the Torah before thee, we should be ashamed before God.’ The man thereupon lifted up his hands and wept. Meanwhile his sons came up. The youngest one said: ‘The support of heaven is here.