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Text Excerpt
תני תנא קמיה דרבא ורב ספרא, צהבו פניו דרב ספרא. אמר לו רבא: לאו כגון מר, אלא כגון רב חנינא ורב אושעיא דהוו אושכפי בארעא דישראל, והוו יתבי בשוקא דזונות, ועבדי להו מסאני לזונות, ועיילי להו. אינהו מסתכלי בהו, ואינהו לא מדלן עינייהו לאיסתכולי בהו. ומומתייהו הכי: בחייהן רבנן קדישי דבארעא דישראל.
When the tanna taught this baraita before Rava and Rav Safra, Rav Safra’s face lit up with joy, as he was listed among those praised by God. Rava said to him: This does not refer to someone like the Master. Rather, the statement applies to people like Rav Ḥanina and Rav Oshaya, who were cobblers in Eretz Yisrael, and they would sit in the marketplace of prostitutes and fashion shoes for prostitutes. And the prostitutes would enter their shops and look at them. However, due to their piety, these rabbis did not raise their eyes to look at the women. And those prostitutes were so impressed with this behavior that when they swore, they would say as follows: By the lives of the holy rabbis of Eretz Yisrael. It is this type of bachelor who is praised by Heaven.
שלשה הקדוש ברוך הוא אוהבן: מי שאינו כועס, ומי שאינו משתכר, ומי שאינו מעמיד על מדותיו. שלשה הקדוש ברוך הוא שונאן: המדבר אחד בפה ואחד בלב, והיודע עדות בחבירו ואינו מעיד לו, והרואה דבר ערוה בחבירו ומעיד בו יחידי.
The Talmud cites a similar statement. God loves 3 people: One who does not get angry; one who does not get drunk; and one who is forgiving. God hates 3 people: One who says one statement with his mouth and means another in his heart, i.e., a hypocrite; one who knows testimony about another person and does not testify on his behalf; and one who observes a licentious matter performed by another person and testifies against him alone. His testimony is meaningless, as he is the only witness; consequently, he merely gives the individual a bad reputation.
כי הא דטוביה חטא, ואתא זיגוד לחודיה ואסהיד ביה קמיה דרב פפא. נגדיה לזיגוד. אמר ליה: טוביה חטא וזיגוד מינגד?! אמר ליה: אין, דכתיב: ״לא יקום עד אחד באיש״, ואת לחודך אסהדת ביה, שם רע בעלמא קא מפקת ביה.
The Talmud comments: This is like that incident where Tuveya sinned with immorality, and Zigud came alone to testify about him before Rav Pappa. Rav Pappa instructed that Zigud be lashed. Zigud said to him: Tuveya sinned and Zigud is lashed, an objection that became a popular saying. He said to him: Yes, as it is written: “One witness should not rise up against a man” (Deuteronomy 19:15), and you testified against him alone. You have merely given him a bad reputation.