SVARA: A Traditionally Radical Yeshiva
Gedola Teshuva – Short Version
The second sugya, Gedola Teshuva, asks the question “What makes teshuva so great?” Seven sages weigh in with their answers in an epic Rabbinic drash-a-thon. We’re suggesting two options for how to learn this text: the shorter 1-2 session version on this page and a longer version (8-10 sessions). Learn how the Rabbis dealt with the messy reality of human relationships and the complexity of repair.
This sugya might be a good fit for you if: you are dreaming of new ways to understand the power of teshuva, and are interested in learning how the Rabbis use their tradition by reaching for Torah concepts and verses to deepen the practice they’re creating.
Get Your Materials
ALL LEARNING RESOURCES ENLARGED RESOURCES
If you didn’t request a binder (or you left it at home), you can download all the learning resources for the short version of Gedola Teshuva in a 13pt font PDF or 20pt font PDF! You’ll also need your masechet or downloadable daf.
Find Your Sugya
You’ll find the Short Version of this sugya on Yoma 86b (:פו), beginning with the words “אמר ריש לקיש”, about one fifth of the way down the daf. It ends with the words “כאן מאהבה כאן מיראה.”
Text Breakdown & Recordings
We have divided this sugya in two sections, and we recommend learning it in 1-2 sessions with your chevruta.
Once you’ve prepped a section of the sugya in chevruta and taken your best guess at your “inside translation” and “outside translation,” compare your understanding to the recordings of inside/outside translations found below, and use this as a launching point for the big questions that surface from the text.
1. אמר ריש לקיש גדולה תשובה שזדונות נעשות לו כשגגות שנאמר שובה ישראל עד ה׳ אלהיך כי כשלת בעונך הא עון מזיד הוא וקא קרי ליה מכשול
2. איני והאמר ריש לקיש גדולה תשובה שזדונות נעשות לו כזכיות שנאמר ובשוב רשע מרשעתו ועשה משפט וצדקה עליהם (חיה) יחיה לא קשיא כאן מאהבה כאן מיראה
What’s Next?
If you make it through this sugya and are hungry for more, jump into the longer version of this sugya. You might want to focus on sections 1-3 and 10.