Sins, Not Sinners

"Zecher tzadik livrachah, v'shem r'sha'im yirkav -- The mention of the righteous is for a blessing, but the name of the wicked shall rot."
-Mishley (Proverbs) 10:7

The traditional understanding of this verse is that upon mention of a righteous person, one should immediately append a term of blessing to his/her name, and upon the mention of the name of a wicked person or persons, one should append a term of derision. Practically speaking, people say when mentioning the name of a deceased tzadik (saintly individual), "Rabbi So-and-So, zecher tzadik livrachah (the memory of the righteous is for a blessing)," i.e. a direct quote from this verse is used as the blessing appended to the tzadik's name. Upon mention of a wicked person, however, the common practice is to say, "Mr. So-and-So, y'mach sh'mo (may his name be erased)."

The source for this practice is explained in the Talmud, Yoma 38B:

Ravina said to one of the sages that was arranging agadata before him: "What is the source for this matter that the sages said: 'The mention of the righteous is for a blessing' (Mishley 10:7)?" (I.e. What is the source for the practice of blessing a righteous person upon mention of his name?)

He answered: "It is written: 'The mention of the righteous is for a blessing (ibid.)'!"

Ravina: "What it its source in the Torah?"

Sage: "As it is written, 'Shall I conceal from Avraham (Abraham) that which I am doing?' (B'reshith/Genesis 18:17) and it is written, 'And Avraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation' (ibid. 18:18)."

Ravina: "What is the source for this matter that the sages said: 'and the name of the wicked should rot' (Mishley 10:7)?" (I.e. What is the source for the practice of insulting a wicked person upon mention of his name?)

The sage responded: "It is written: 'and the name of the wicked should rot' (ibid.)!"

Ravina: "What it its source in the Torah?"

Sage: “As it is written, 'He pitched his tent until S'dom (Sodom)' (B'reshith 13:12), and it is written, 'And the people of S'dom were evil-doers and sinners toward HaShem (G-d) exceedingly' (ibid. 13:13).”

In other words, we find in the Torah that right after Avraham's name was mentioned, the next verse speaks his praises, and upon mention of the wicked city of S'dom, the following verse speaks of its wickedness. Here we find an application in the Torah of the principle derived from the verse in Mishley.

I would like to share with the readership the beautiful comments of the Maharsha on this passage of the Talmud:

"It says regarding the righteous one that mention of him should be for a blessing but does not say regarding the wicked, 'His mention should be for a curse,” since when one praises the righteous, one should bless them, but when deriding the wicked, one should not curse them, rather one should look forward for them to do t'shuvah (return to the proper path), as it says in the first chapter of [Tractate] B'rachoth (10A), it is not written, 'May the sinners be destroyed,' rather, 'May the sins be destroyed' (T'hilim/Psalms 104:35), meaning that the [sinners] should return... This is the meaning of [the verse]: 'and the name of the wicked should rot,' [i.e. it should rot] off of them so that they are no longer called wicked, [that is,] when they do t'shuvah."

(Paranthetically, I think it is worthwhile to quote in full the passage from the Talmud in B'rachoth that the Maharsha cites:)

There were certain vagabonds living in Rabbi Me'ir's neighborhood who would distress him greatly. He prayed for mercy that they should die.

B'ruryah, his wife, said to him: "What are you thinking? Because it is written, 'The chata'im should be destroyed' (T'hilim 104:35)? (The word, "chata'im" in Hebrew can mean either "sins" or "sinners.") Is it written, 'chot'im'? ("Chot'im" can only mean "sinners" in Hebrew.) It is written, 'Chata'im'! (Therefore, read the verse as, "The sins should be destroyed.") Furthermore, look below at the end of the verse: 'Ursha'im od eynam.' (This can either be translated, "and the wicked shall no longer be," i.e. no longer exist, or "and they shall no longer be wicked.") For since 'the sins shall be destroyed,' [then] 'they shall no longer be wicked.' Rather, pray for mercy upon them that they should return in t'shuvah (repentance), 'and they shall no longer be wicked.'"

He prayed for mercy upon them and they returned in t'shuvah.

Quite a wife, eh?