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Get StartedRabbi Meir And Elisha Ben Abuyah: Part I (Part 1 of 5)
Acher: He Who Must Not Be Named
Can we ever do something so bad there’s no coming back from it? The Talmud tells us that Elisha ben Avuya, the famous apostate “Acher,” was unable to repent. What was it about this man that was so evil that his teshuvah could never be accepted? To complicate the matter even further, we’re told that Elisha’s former student, Rabbi Meir, one of the greatest sages of the Talmud, stayed fiercely loyal to his teacher — even after Elisha renounced Judaism. Why?
In this series, Rabbi Fohrman unpacks this incredible episode from the Talmud to uncover what it may teach us about grappling with our shortcomings and the true nature of atonement.
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