We have learnt that when God is pleased with a righteous man and the herald makes proclamation concerning him thirty days among the righteous in the Garden of Eden, then all the righteous rejoice and go and crown his place in preparation for his coming to take up his abode among them.
and exclaim: “Woe, that a new punishment is to be executed on so-and-so”, and the demons are ready to meet him. Woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbour!’ Then they all exclaim: “Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given to him’ (Is. 3, 11).’
R. Isaac said: ‘The word ra’ (ill) in this passage refers especially to him who wilfully spills his seed, like Er the son of Judah. Such a one is thrust down lower than all the others in that world.
All others have a chance to ascend, but not he. Is he even worse, it may be asked, than a murderer? Even so, because a murderer kills another man’s children, but he kills his own, and he spills very much blood. Hence it is written of such a one particularly: “And that which he did was evil in the sight of the Lord” (Gen. 38, 10).’
R. Judah said: ‘Every sin admits of repentance barring this, and every sinner may hope to see the face of the Shekinah barring this one.’ R. Isaac said: ‘Happy are the righteous in this world and in the world to come; of them it is written: “And thy people are all righteous, they shall for ever inherit the land (Is. 60, 21).1The translation of the three-and-a-half pages here omitted (219b-221b) will be found in the Zohar on Leviticus, 104b, to which they properly belong.
תָּנָא, הַהוּא זַכָּאָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִתְרָעֵי בֵּיהּ, וְכָרוֹזָא קָרֵי עֲלֵיהּ, ל' יוֹמִין, בֵּינֵי צַדִּיקַיָיא בְּגִנְתָא דְעֵדֶן. כֻּלְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָא חָדָאן, כֻּלְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָיא אַתְיָין, וּמְעַטְּרָן דּוּכְתֵּיהּ דְּהַהוּא צַדִּיקָא, עַד דְּיֵיתֵי לְמֵידַר דִּיּוּרֵיהּ בֵּינַיְיהוּ.
We have learnt that when God is pleased with a righteous man and the herald makes proclamation concerning him thirty days among the righteous in the Garden of Eden, then all the righteous rejoice and go and crown his place in preparation for his coming to take up his abode among them.
וְאִי חַיָּיבָא הוּא, כָּרוֹזָא קָרֵי עֲלֵיהּ בַּגֵּיהִנָּם תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין (עליה), וְכֻלְּהוּ חַיָּיבַיָא, כֻּלְּהוּ עֲצִיבִין.
But if he is sinful, then the herald proclaims concerning him thirty days in Gehinnom, and all the sinners are sad
כֻּלְּהוּ פָּתְחִין וַוי, דְּהָא דִינָא חַדְתָּא אִתְעַר הַשְׁתָּא, בְּגִינֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא. כַּמָּה גַרְדִינִין דְּנִמּוּסִין מִזְדַּמְּנִין לְקֳבְלֵיהּ, וּלְאַקְדָּמָא לֵיהּ וַוי. אוֹי לָרָשָׁע אוֹי לִשְׁכֵנוֹ. וְכֻלְּהוּ פָּתְחִין וְאָמְרִין, (ישעיהו ג׳:י״א) אוֹי לְרָשָׁע רָע כִּי גְמוּל יָדָיו יֵעָשֶׂה לוֹ. מַאי (טעמא) גְּמוּל יָדָיו. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק. לְאַכְלָלָא (לאפקא) מַאן דְּזָנֵי בִּידוֹי, לְאֲפָקָא וּלְחַבְּלָא זַרְעֵיהּ בְּרֵיקַנְיָא (ס"ט ע"א).
and exclaim: “Woe, that a new punishment is to be executed on so-and-so”, and the demons are ready to meet him. Woe to the wicked and woe to his neighbour!’ Then they all exclaim: “Woe to the wicked, it shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given to him’ (Is. 3, 11).’
דְּהָא תָּנִינָן, כָּל מַאן דְּאַפִּיק זַרְעֵיהּ בְּרֵיקַנְיָא, אִקְרֵי רָע, וְלָא חָמֵי אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא. דִּכְתִיב, (תהילים ה׳:ה׳) כִּי לא אֵל חָפֵץ רֶשַׁע אַתָּה לא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. וּכְתִיב, (בראשית ל״ח:ז׳) וַיְהִי עֵר בְּכוֹר יְהוּדָה רַע. אוּף הָכָא, אוֹי לְרָשָׁע רָע. וַוי לְהַהוּא חַיָּיבָא דְּאִיהוּ רַע, דְּעֲבַד גַּרְמֵיהּ רַע. כִּי גְמוּל יָדָיו יֵעָשֶׂה לוֹ, לְאַכְלָלָא מַאן דְּזָנֵי בִּידוֹי, לְאֲפָקָא וּלְחַבְּלָא זַרְעֵיהּ בְרֵיקַנְיָא, וּלְהַאי טָרְדִין בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא.
R. Isaac said: ‘The word ra’ (ill) in this passage refers especially to him who wilfully spills his seed, like Er the son of Judah. Such a one is thrust down lower than all the others in that world.
תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּהָא כְּתִיב אוֹי לְרָשָׁע (רע), כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִיב אוֹי לְרָשָׁע, אַמַּאי רָע. אֶלָא כְּמָה דְּאֲמִינָא, דְּעֲבַד גַּרְמֵיהּ רָע. וּכְתִיב לֹא יְגוּרְךָ רָע. וְכֻלְּהוּ סָלְקִין, וְהַאי לָא סָלִיק. וְאִי תֵימָא, שְׁאָר חַיָּיבִין דְּקָטְלוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. תָּא חֲזֵי, כֻּלְּהוּ סָלְקִין וְהוּא לָא סָלִיק. מַאי טַעְמָא, אִינוּן קְטִילוּ בְּנֵי נָשָׁא אָחֳרָא, וְהַאי קָטִיל בְּנוֹי מַמָּשׁ, אוֹשִׁיד דָּמִין סַגִּיאִין. תָּא חֲזֵי, בִּשְׁאָר חַיָּיבֵי עַלְמָא, לָא כְּתִיב וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה', וְכָאן כְּתִיב, וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינֵי ה' אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. מַאי טַעְמָא, מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב וְשִׁחֵת אַרְצָה.
All others have a chance to ascend, but not he. Is he even worse, it may be asked, than a murderer? Even so, because a murderer kills another man’s children, but he kills his own, and he spills very much blood. Hence it is written of such a one particularly: “And that which he did was evil in the sight of the Lord” (Gen. 38, 10).’
תְּנַן, אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, לֵית לָךְ חוֹבָא בְּעַלְמָא דְּלָא אִית לֵיהּ תְּשׁוּבָה, בַּר מֵהַאי. וְלֵית לָךְ חַיָּיבַיָא דְּלָא חָמָאן אַפֵּי שְׁכִינְתָּא, בַּר מֵהַאי. דִּכְתִיב לא יְגוּרְךָ רָע, כְּלַל. אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָיא, בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס׳:כ״א) וְעַמֵּךְ כֻּלָּם צַדִּיקִים לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ. מַאי לְעוֹלָם יִירְשׁוּ אָרֶץ, אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (תהלים קטו) אֶתְהַלֵּךְ לִפְנֵי ה' בְּאַרְצוֹת הַחַיִּים:
R. Judah said: ‘Every sin admits of repentance barring this, and every sinner may hope to see the face of the Shekinah barring this one.’ R. Isaac said: ‘Happy are the righteous in this world and in the world to come; of them it is written: “And thy people are all righteous, they shall for ever inherit the land (Is. 60, 21).1The translation of the three-and-a-half pages here omitted (219b-221b) will be found in the Zohar on Leviticus, 104b, to which they properly belong.