[Avodah] Reish Lakish

[Daniel Eidensohn]

Your discussion makes sense only according to the view of Doros Rishonim 
who holds that Reish Lakish was an ignoramous before he became frum. In 
this he specifically rejects the view of Tosfos (Bava Metzia 84a) that 
Reish Lakiesh was a godol before going off the derech and that R' 
Yochonon brought him back by offering him his sister in marriage if he 
came back to his original behavior.

Daniel Eidensohn

Micha Berger wrote:
> Reish Lakish makes a number of statements that seem informed by his
> being a baal teshuvah.
>
> For example:
>
> R' Yochanan, who aquired Torah over his whole life, holds that Moshe
> got the Torah piece-by-piece over the 40 years. Reish Lakish -- at
> once.
>
> Reish Lakish's famous statement about teshuvah mei'avahah. Who would
> know better than RL the power of regretting past wrongs against the
> Beloved to propel you to where mitzvos would have?
>
> And on this week's parashah (in Sanhedrin 108a): Rav Yochanan takes
> tamim hayah bedorosav as a genai; to RL, who knew what being in a
> negative environment could mean, it is shevach.
>
> SheTir'u baTov!
> -micha
>
>