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Someone wrote: "I have a question please. In Kohelet (Ecclesiastes) 7:20 it says that there is no one without a sin, however the Gemara mentioned some people never committed a sin like Benjamin, Jesse, son of David and one more person which I forgot who he was. And it some interpretation chazal mention 11 people in total. How can I understand this? Thank you ☺" Jesse (Yishai) was David's father, not his son. The Talmud, Bava Batra 17a says: "The Sages taught in a baraita: There were four people who died only because of the counsel of the primordial snake, in the wake of which all of humanity became mortal, and not on account of any personal sin. And they are: Benjamin, son of Jacob; Amram, father of Moses; Yishai, father of David and Kil’av, the son of David and Chileab, son of David. ." A ברייתא / baraita recorded teachings "outside" of the six orders of the Mishna. The word ברייתא / baraita means "outside." They include teachings by the tanna’im not found in the Mishna. The Tanna'im were the authors of the Mishna. The Gemara records conversations with all kinds of opinions. There are two basic types of conversation: midrash halacha (discussions around Jewish law) and midrash aggadah which are not meant to be taken literally -- they are there to teach a moral lesson through stories, sayings and jokes. You are trying to take something literally that is not literal. Did these four men never sin? It seems highly unlikely since we all make mistakes and some sins fall under that category. So the Gemara here is trying to teach us something. What is it trying to teach us? Stop and think. Who are these four men? Were they anyone important in their own lives? Sure, Yishai fathered David and Amram father Moses -- but what did either accomplish other than fathering an important son? The people who we're told didn't sin are NOT great Jewish leaders. It isn't Abraham. It isn't Moses. It isn't King David. Rabbi Zevulun Charlap asked the question: "why are each of these four mentioned by stating who they are related to? Yishai (Jessie) is father to David, Binyamin is son of Jacob... " By pointing out these relatively unknown people by comparing them to well known Biblical figures we can contrast them. Do you honestly think that Binyamin was greater than his father Jacob? Was Yishai greater than his son David? Of course not. Yet we know David sinned. Jacob sinned. So the point may be that it is important to sin. Now before you go crazy with that thought, stop and think -- David, Jacob -- these are some of the most important men in Jewish history -- in all of history. Moses himself was the greatest prophet to ever live! So is it better to be Amram or Moses? Binyamin or Jacob? Should you live your life in a bubble and never sin, or should you take risks and do the best you can? Who is the holier person in the end? The Orthodox Union states: "Clearly, the Talmud wants us to compare each of these four individuals to a more well-known relative. When we do so, a striking truth emerges. Each of the four figures identified in the Talmud as having died “without sin” pales in comparison to a close relative who cannot make that claim. While some Midrashic traditions maintain otherwise [As we have noted before (see Unlocking the Torah Text on B'reishit), a spectrum of opinion exists within rabbinic thought concerning the potential fallibility of biblical heroes, some sages refusing to see any possible failing on the part of the heroes of the Torah and Tanach.], the straightforward reading of events indicates that Yaakov, Moshe and David certainly sinned, and that their sins are recorded for posterity in the Tanach and rabbinic literature. Nonetheless, their place in Jewish history is unsurpassed. In spite of faults and human failings, Yaakov remains the greatest of our patriarchs, (Midrash Sechel Tov Bereishit 33) Moshe the greatest of our prophets, (Devarim 34:10) David the greatest of our kings. (Midrash Tehillim Mizmor 1) Is it preferable to be Binyamin or Yaakov, Amram or Moshe, Yishai or David, Kil’av or David? While all of these personalities were righteous men deserving of emulation, the Talmud’s answer is clear: Better to risk sin and rise to leadership than to remain unblemished in the shadows. (Excerpted from Rabbi Shmuel Goldin’s ‘Unlocking The Torah Text: An In-Depth Journey Into The Weekly Parsha- Vayikra,’ co published by OU Press and Gefen Publishers). You asked about Kohelet / Ecclesiastes 7:20. It says "there is no righteous person who never sins." Righteous people sin. Sin is part of G-d's plan. G-d does not expect perfection -- He expects us to try, to fail, to pick ourselves up and to try again. What does it mean? Solomon, the author, is telling us how to be a wise person. One of his pieces of advice is to do everything in moderation. Solomon says that he spent his life pondering the meaning of everything and learned: "I have seen everything in the days of my vanity; there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his wickedness. Be not overly righteous, and be not overly wise; why should you bring desolation upon yourself? Be not overly wicked, and be not a fool; why should you die before your time?" Kohelet / Ecclesiastes 7:15 - 17. Solomon tries to make sense of the reality that wise / righteous people may not live longer than foolish / wicked people. He concludes that no one is perfect -- and this is the meaning of "there is no righteous person who never sins." Since sin is just a normal part of living, so too must be t'shuvah (turning to G-d with repentance). R' Moshe Chaim Luzzatto 1707 – 16 May 1746 (26 Iyar 5506), the RaMCHaL wrote: “it is impossible for a person not to have shortcomings, regardless of whatever level of personal development he has otherwise attained. Whether these failings are a result of his nature, or his immediate or extended family, or whatever circumstances shaped him, or his choices in life. There is no righteous person on earth who does good and does not sin (Kohelet / Ecclesiastes 7:20). These flaws prevent a person from self-aggrandizement, even if he is a person of great accomplishments, for the flaws are large enough to obscure them.” Listen to the Talmud: don't spend your life in the shadows, never doing anything -- no sin but nothing great either. Take a risk or two, or three. You will stumble, but get up and try again -- and repent when you do something wrong. That is living -- not just existing! Be aware of your actions -- and don't listen to what people may say about you for good or ill... When you do something wrong, fix it -- repent, make amends. Solomon goes on to say that he tested these thought in an attempt to become wise, but that it was beyond his reach. If it was beyond the reach of one of the wisest men to ever live, no doubt it is beyond mine as well...
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