Berakhot 5B

וקובר את בניו ⁠— מוחלין לו על כל עונותיו.

and buries his sons, all his transgressions are forgiven.

אמר ליה רבי יוחנן: בשלמא תורה וגמילות חסדים, דכתיב: ״בחסד ואמת יכפר עון״. ״חסד״⁠ — זו גמילות חסדים, שנאמר: ״רודף צדקה וחסד ימצא חיים צדקה וכבוד״. ״אמת״⁠ — זו תורה, שנאמר: ״אמת קנה ואל תמכר״. אלא ״קובר את בניו״ מנין?

R' Yoḥanan said to him: What is your source for this? Granted, if one engages in Torah and acts of charity, his transgressions are forgiven, as it is written: “With mercy and truth, iniquity is expiated” (Proverbs 16:6); mercy refers to acts of charity, as it is stated: “He who pursues charity and mercy finds life, charity and honor” (Proverbs 21:21), mercy and charity are listed together. And truth refers to Torah, as it is stated: “Buy truth and do not sell it; also wisdom, guidance and understanding” (Proverbs 23:23). However, from where is it derived that the transgressions of one who buries his sons are also forgiven?

תנא ליה ההוא סבא, משום רבי שמעון בן יוחאי: אתיא, ״עון״ ״עון״. כתיב הכא ״בחסד ואמת יכפר עון״, וכתיב התם ״ומשלם עון אבות אל חיק בניהם״.

An answer was provided to R' Yoḥanan when a certain elder taught him in the name of R' Shimon bar Yoḥai: This conclusion is derived from a verbal analogy between the words iniquity and iniquity. Here, it is written: “With mercy and truth, iniquity is expiated,” and there it is written: “He repays the iniquity of the fathers onto the bosom of their children” (Jeremiah 32:18). Because he “repays the iniquity of the fathers onto the bosom of their children,” the father’s transgressions are forgiven.

אמר רבי יוחנן: נגעים ובנים ⁠— אינן יסורין של אהבה.

R' Yoḥanan said: tzara'at and suffering due to children are not afflictions of love.

ונגעים לא? והתניא: כל מי שיש בו אחד מארבעה מראות נגעים הללו ⁠— אינן אלא מזבח כפרה!

The Talmud asks: Is tzara'at not an affliction of love? Didn’t we learn in a baraita: If one has any of the 4 signs of tzara'at (Leviticus 13) they are nothing other than an altar of atonement?