70) As they were walking, they came across a man whose face was full of sores, who rose from under a tree. They looked at him and saw that his face had turned red from all the sores. Rabbi Hiya told him, \u201cWho are you?\u201d And he replied, \u201cI am a Jew.\u201d Rabbi Yosi said, \u201cHe is a sinner, or these bad sores would not be seen in his face. These are not called \u2018Pangs of love.\u2019\u201d Rabbi Hiya said, \u201cIt must be so, since pangs of love are covered from people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
71) It is written, \u201cWhen a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, or a scab, or a bright spot.\u201d There are three kinds, and they are all called \u201cThe plague of leprosy,\u201d as it is written, \u201cAnd it become in the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy.\u201d The plague of leprosy is with a closed syllable [in Hebrew], for it is closed in everything, meaning that the affliction is covered and hidden from the eye. It is written about that, \u201cHe shall be brought unto Aaron the priest.\u201d But the sores that are seen on the outside, it is written about that, \u201cAnd the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean,\u201d since what is seen to people on the outside comes from the side of impurity and are not pangs of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
72) How do we know that? It is written, \u201cBetter is open rebuke than love that is hidden,\u201d which means that open rebuke is better. And if the rebuke is out of love, it is hidden from people. Similarly, one who rebukes one\u2019s friend with love must hide his words from people so his friend will not be shamed by them. And if his words are open before people, they are not with love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
73) So is the Creator. When He rebukes a person, He rebukes him with love in everything. First, He strikes him in his body, from within. If he repents, good. If not, He strikes him under his clothes. And these are called \u201cPangs of love.\u201d If he repents, good. If not, He strikes him openly in his face, in front of everyone, so people will look at him and know that he is a sinner and is not loved by his Master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
74) That man told them, \u201cYou must have contrived to come over me to despise me. You must be from among those who sit at the house of Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai, who fear nothing. If my sons, who come after me, should come, they will persecute you. Why do you speak openly? After all, you should fear my sons.\u201d They told him, \u201cSuch is the Torah, for it is written, \u2018She calls at the head of the noisy streets, at the entrance of the gates in the city she utters her sayings.\u2019 If we fear you with words of Torah, we are in contempt of the Creator. Moreover, the Torah needs purity, meaning to speak openly.\u201d The man started and said, \u201cWho is a God like You, that pardons iniquity?\u201d He raised his hands and cried. At that time, his sons came and his junior son said, \u201cHere is heaven\u2019s help to my father.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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