Suspension of Sin (Shev. 8b)

There's an interesting idea in today's daf. If one commits an inadvertent sin and they don't know about it (the classic example is one who knows they are impure but forgets and eats food that must only be eaten in a state of purity), their sin is "suspended" after Yom Kippur.

What this means is simple. We know from our above example that if someone forgets they were impure and never remembers otherwise, the Yom Kipper sacrifice suspends punishment their sin. According to traditional Jewish belief, there is a system of reward and punishment that begins as soon as someone sins. This system can become activated at any time. Therefore, if I sin on a given day, I might be punished for that sin immediately or it might take years before I suffer for it. In fact, I might only get this punishment after I die.

The case of eating pure foods in a forgotten state of impurity complicates the simple cause and effect of reward and punishment. In this case, the Yom Kippur sacrifice puts a moratorium on the punishment. In effect, it says, "Hold on! This person may one day realize they sinned and then they will repent. But until then, let this Yom Kippur sacrifice be the person's atonement so that they don't get punished for something they don't even know they did."

What I love about this idea is that this vision of Yom Kippur is complicated. Here Yom Kippur is not a magic bullet, fixing everyone's sin. If I remember that I sinned the clock resets and I must quickly make amends for my mistakes. Additionally, Yom Kippur is not a formality. Here Avodah (priestly sacrifice) really serves to "temper judgment's severe decree."

No matter whether this theology seems appealing or anathema, Yom Kippur is richer when it is complicated. Yom Kippur is a great example of a theology of punishment and a theology of mercy in dialogue.