Our Gemara on Amud Aleph discusses an incident where Rabbi Zeira initially declined to accept Rabbinic ordination out of humility but later changed his mind based on a particular teaching:

Rabbi Zeira would habitually hide himself so that they would not ordain him. He did this because Rabbi Elazar said: "Always be obscure and remain alive," meaning the more humble and unknown you make yourself, the longer you will live. However, when Rabbi Zeira heard Rabbi Elazar also say, "A person does not rise to greatness unless all his sins are forgiven," he understood that there are benefits to greatness as well. He then presented himself to the Nasi so that he would be ordained.

How can we understand this concept—that rising to greatness somehow indicates, or even induces, forgiveness?

There is a Teshuva of Rashi (252) that I believe offers a clue. Rashi states:

"It is said in the Sanhedrin that no one rises to greatness unless his sins are forgiven. There is a Midrash: 'Three obtain forgiveness [via their change in status]: a wise man, a chief, and a groom.' As it is written, 'And if a stranger dwells with you' (Vayikra 19:33), and the juxtaposed verse, 'You shall arise before a sage' (ibid. 32), draws a comparison between the sage and the convert. Just as a convert is forgiven for his past, so too a sage when he is ordained.

"We can read a verse in regard to King Saul (I Shmuel 13:1): 'Saul was one year since he became king.' Could Shaul truly have been a one-year-old? Rather, since he became king, he became like a one-year-old. A person promoted to a position of authority—whether through ordination or coronation—is conferred a new status, as if he is reborn.

"Regarding a groom, it is written, 'And he took the machalas for a wife' (Bereishis 28:9). Could her name truly have been 'machalas' (which means sickly)? Rather, by virtue of his marriage, Esav came to mechila (forgiveness)."

There is a concept that a convert is considered as if they are a newborn person, which has halachic implications (Yevamos 62a) and apparently spiritual implications as well. Each of the above—the chief, the groom, the sage, and the convert—undergoes a radical change in status. How does this confer forgiveness?

There are teachings in rabbinic literature that seem to promise formulas or "cheat codes" for obtaining forgiveness. For example (Moed Kattan 25a): "Anyone who cries and mourns over an upright person who has died is forgiven for all his transgressions." Or (Berachos 12b): "One who commits an act of transgression and is ashamed of it is forgiven for all his transgressions."

These teachings are not, logically speaking, "get-out-of-jail-free cards." Rather, they indicate that if these life circumstances are encountered with the proper attitude and introspection, they will lead to forgiveness. Once again, we must ask why.

The key lies in the following teaching (Nedarim 41a): "A sick person recovers from his illness only when the heavenly court forgives him for all his sins."

The idea is that a change in status helps stimulate both a resolve to make changes and, because of the introduction of new relationships and circumstances, it becomes easier to alter patterns and start new ones. This is because the behavioral cues and provocations of one’s prior life are now different. This sick person who had a close brush with death and recovered is obviously primed to reconsider his priorities. 

Imagine going from being relatively impoverished to becoming someone with esteem, power, and wealth. Nothing has changed, yet everything has changed. If the person utilizes these newfound opportunities to empower himself and break out of old routines, he truly merits forgiveness because he is becoming a new person.

The sage, the convert, the chief, and the groom are individuals who have undergone dramatic life changes. These changes can be harnessed to transform—but only with the right intentions.

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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