[Avodah] Mitzvot and sins cancel each other, or not

[Michael Makovi]

Was: Areivim

> R' Yitzchok Levine:
>
> > > Please see http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/musser%20haskel.pdf
>
>  While I'm sure that the author of the poem was L'sheim Shamayim, IMHO, the
>  poem contradicts some fundamentals of Yiddishkeit, such as "Ein HKBH
>  M'kapeiach S'char Kol Beryah," and the Mesillas Yeshrim that Mitzvos and
>  Aveiros don't cancel each other out.
>
>  KT,
>  MYG


But who says that Mesilat Yesharim is the only opinion here? The
Gemara says that tzedaka, for example, cancels out averot.

Mesilat Yesharim's logic is correct, that G-d's justice ensures He
never ignores neither averah nor mitzvah. But there are two possible
nafka minot:

1) Like MS, that they don't cancel out. You'll be individually
rewarded and punished for each and every mitzvah and averah. If you
gave $10 of tzedaka to a poor man, and later stole $10 from a poor
man, G-d will pat you on the head and turn right around and slap you,
or vice versa. Every single mitzvah and every single unrepented-for
sin, G-d will reward and punish as if the others never happened.

But there's another way we can take this:

2) For a rasha, G-d doesn't overlook a mitzvah and let it be
m'vatel-ed, and for a tzadik, G-d doesn't overlook a sin and let it be
m'vatel-ed. Now, they DO cancel out. BUT, they're not ignored. For
example, if I give $100,000,000 of tzedaka and steal $5, G-d will
reward me for $999,995 of tzedaka. What He will NOT do is say, "You're
a tzadik, so I'll overlook the tiny $5 theft and reward you for the
full $100,000,000 of tzedaka".

Mikha'el Makovi