Rabbi Tzadok was once propositioned by a Roman noblewoman. He said to her, “My heart is weak, and I am incapable at present. Is there something to eat to give me strength?” She replied, “I have some non-kosher food. Is that okay?” He said to her, “What difference does it make? Whoever would perform such acts would eat such food, too.” She lit the oven and placed the non-kosher food in it to roast. He climbed up and sat inside the oven. She exclaimed, “What are you doing?” Rabbi Tzadok responded, “Whoever engages in lewd behavior ultimately falls into the fire of Gehinnom!” She said to him, “If only I’d known how egregious such behavior is to you, I would never have caused you such anguish!”

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Today’s daf discusses the reward for abstaining from sins of the flesh.

רָמֵי רַב טוֹבִי בַּר רַב קִיסְנָא לְרָבָא: תְּנַן כׇּל הָעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת מְטִיבִין לוֹ: עָשָׂה—אִין, לֹא עָשָׂה—לָא. וּרְמִינְהִי: יָשַׁב וְלֹא עָבַר עֲבֵירָה—נוֹתְנִים לוֹ שָׂכָר כְּעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הָתָם, כְּגוֹן שֶׁבָּא דְּבַר עֲבֵירָה לְיָדוֹ וְנִיצּוֹל הֵימֶנָּה. כִּי הָא דְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פַּפֵּי תְּבַעְתֵּיהּ הָהִיא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא

דִּתְנֵינָא: כׇּל הַבָּא דְּבַר עֶרְוָה לְיָדוֹ וְנִיצַּל הֵימֶנּוּ—עוֹשִׂין לוֹ נֵס. ״גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקוֹל דְּבָרוֹ״—כְּגוֹן רַבִּי צָדוֹק וַחֲבֵירָיו. רַבִּי צָדוֹק תְּבַעְתֵּיהּ הָהִיא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא, אֲמַר לַהּ: חֲלַשׁ לִי לִיבַּאי וְלָא מָצֵינָא, אִיכָּא מִידֵּי לְמֵיכַל? אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: אִיכָּא דָּבָר טָמֵא. אֲמַר לַהּ: מַאי נָפְקָא מִינַּהּ? דְּעָבֵיד הָא—אָכֵול הָא. שְׁגַרַת תַּנּוּרָא, קָא מַנְּחָא לֵיהּ. סָלֵיק וְיָתֵיב בְּגַוֵּיהּ. אֲמַרָה לֵיהּ: מַאי הַאי? אֲמַר לַהּ: דְּעָבֵיד הָא—נָפֵיל בְּהָא. אַמְרַהּ לֵיהּ: אִי יָדְעִי כּוּלֵּי הַאי—לָא צַעַרְתָּיךְ. רַב כָּהֲנָא הֲוָה קָמְזַבֵּין דִּיקּוּלֵי, תְּבַעְתֵּיהּ הָהִיא מַטְרוֹנִיתָא. אֲמַר לַהּ: אֵיזִיל אֱיקַשֵּׁיט נַפְשַׁאי, סָלֵיק וְקָנָפֵיל מֵאִיגָּרָא לְאַרְעָא. אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ קַבְּלֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: אַטְרַחְתַּן אַרְבַּע מְאָה פַּרְסֵי! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִי גְּרַם לִי, לָאו עַנְיוּתָא? יְהַב לֵיהּ שִׁיפָא דְּדִינָרֵי.

Rav Tuvi bar Rav Kisna asked Rava: We learned in the Mishna that anyone who performs one mitzvah has goodness bestowed upon him. This indicates that if one performed the mitzvah, yes, he is rewarded, but if he did not perform the mitzvah, he is not. He raises a contradiction based on the following: If one sits passively and does not sin, he receives reward as one who performs a mitzvah. Rava said to him: In that case, it is speaking of a case where an opportunity to sin presents itself and he is saved from it (by his passivity). Such as the incident involving Rabbi Chanina bar Pappi, who was propositioned by a certain Roman noblewoman. For we learned: Anyone who is presented with lewdness and is saved from it (by not acting on his impulse), Heaven makes miracles for him. The embodiment of “mighty in strength who fulfill His word, hearkening to the voice of His word” is Rabbi Tzadok and his colleagues. Rabbi Tzadok was once propositioned by a Roman noblewoman … Rav Kahana would sell handbags. He was once propositioned by a Roman noblewoman. He said to her: Let me go and adorn myself first. He ascended to the roof and jumped off (to save himself from sin). Eliyahu swooped in and caught him. He said to Rav Kahana: You have troubled me to travel 400 parasangs to save you! Rav Kahana said to him: What caused me to be in this situation of temptation? Was it not poverty (as I must engage with female customers)? Eliyahu heard his plea and was moved to present him with a basket full of gold coins.

Are you seeking miracles in your life right now? Of course, you are. We all are. You might be in need of a miraculous financial salvation. Or perhaps, you require a medical miracle to save a loved one whose health is suffering; or a miracle promotion; or a miracle shidduch; or a miraculous turnaround for your teenager who has wandered off the straight and narrow; or a miracle acceptance into school, yeshiva or college for yourself or your child.

But miracles don’t happen every day, do they? What if I could offer you the secret to bringing miracles into your life? And what if I were to tell you that we live in an age of miracles, an era unknown to our grandparents? Listen closely, now, because what I’m about to tell you will change your life forever. I want you to take a piece of paper and write down the miracle that you need in your life right now. I need you to please write it in all caps, so that you can see it clearly and unmistakably. Take that piece of paper and tape it to your computer. Once you’ve done that, I need you to repeat the steps. This time, take a smaller piece of paper and write down your desired miracle in all caps. But you’re going to tape this second piece of paper to the back of your phone.

Now, let’s reread the key dictum of today’s Gemara: “Anyone who is presented with lewdness and is saved from it (by not acting on his impulse), Heaven makes miracles for him.” That’s a powerful promise. Anyone. Not just these big rabbis from the Talmud, but anyone. That means you and me. And here’s the kicker: it’s not every day that you get propositioned by a Roman noblewoman. But in the 21st century every human being is “presented with lewdness” on a daily basis—in fact, multiple times a day. And it’s not easy to withstand temptation that is no further than the click of a mouse button away.

So, on the one hand, we are subjected to spiritual challenges the likes of which our grandparents never had to grapple with. On the other hand, however, “Commensurate with the pain (or challenge) is the reward.” The Gemara has made a promise that every time you are presented with lewdness and refuse to bow, you will be rewarded with miracles. Rav Kahana didn’t just receive a pat on the back from Eliyahu. He presented him with a pot of gold! That’s why it’s so important to write down your miracle and have it in front of you when you are presented with lewdness. When the satan strikes, you will immediately shift your gaze to your piece of paper and make the huge choice. Which will you choose: a quick, fleeting, meaningless pleasure, or the miracle you’ve been praying for?

It’s important to note some of the details in the Gemara. Often, the biggest deterrent to sin is that you’re afraid you’ll get caught or that people will find out and lose their respect for you. That’s not a bad reason to avoid sin, but ultimately, you’re only desisting because it’s wrong in other peoples’ eyes. Really, you should be avoiding sin because it’s wrong in God’s eyes. That’s why the Gemara uses the examples of the gentile woman. Not because it doesn’t happen in our own community, but, rather, our Sages were implying that the reason for their desistance was not because they were afraid of getting caught, but pure and simple, because it was wrong.

And as an extension of that idea, sometimes the satan convinces us that the “sin” is really not so terrible. When that happens, ask yourself: would I be willing to eat pork if I knew I could get away with it? Hopefully, the answer is a resounding no. And likewise, whatever act of lewdness you’re contemplating should feel just as sinful. A pretty good smell test to determine if it’s okay or not is: would you be willing to tell other people? Or would you be ashamed?

But enough with the negative talk. Let’s stay positive. Because today is the first day of abundant miracles in your life! Don’t do anything before you go and write down your desired miracle and tape it wherever it needs to go. May you experience daily miracles in your life!

Rabbi Dr. Daniel Friedman is the author of The Transformative Daf series, infusing every day with an inspirational Torah message for life! He is the founder of Teaneck’s Center for Torah Values and teaches at Touro University. You can hear him live this Yom Kippur at Park East Synagogue.