R. Isaac asked: ‘When the Holy One, blessed be He, judges the family above (the angelic principalities), in what does the judgement consist?’ R. Eleazar answered: ‘He makes them pass through the fiery stream, and takes away from them their power as representatives of the nations and appoints the principalities representing other nations to rule instead of them.’ ‘But,’ said R. Isaac, ‘it says of the angelic world: “His ministers are a flaming fire” (Ps. 104, 4) (and if so, what punishment is it for them to cross the fiery stream?).’ To which R. Eleazar answered: ‘There are different qualities of fire.’
וַיֵּאָנְחוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיִּתְאַנְּחוּ לָא כְּתִיב, אֶלָּא וַיֵּאָנְחוּ, כְּלוֹמַר, נִתְאַנְּחוּ (ס"א האניחו) לוֹ לְמַעְלָה (ס"א כלומר נאנחו למטה) שֶׁהָאֲנָחָה הָיְתָה בִּשְׁבִילָם לְמַעְלָה.
AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL SIGHED. The sighing was in heaven for their sake.
ר' בְּרֶכְיָה אָמַר, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּלְעֵילָּא הֲווֹ, וּמַאן אִינּוּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אִינּוּן דְּאִתְקְרוּן בְּנֵי פּוּלְחָנָא. כְּלוֹמַר, אוֹתָם שֶׁהֵם מִן הָעֲבוֹדָה שֶׁל מַעְלָה. וַתַּעַל שַׁוְעָתָם אֶל הָאֱלהִים, שֶׁעַד אוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה לָא עָלְתָה שַׁוְעָתָם לְפָנָיו.
The “children of Israel” here are the supernal ones, namely those who carry on the divine service above.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק כַּד עָבִיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דִּינָא בְּפָמַלְיָיא שֶׁל מַעְלָה, הַהוּא דִּינָא מַאי הֲוֵי. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, מַעְבַּר לְהוּ בְּהַהוּא נְהַר דִּינוּר, וְאַעְבַּר לוֹן מִשּׁוּלְטָנֵיהוֹן, וּמָנֵי שׁוּלְטָנִין אַחֲרָנִין דִּשְׁאַר עַמִּין. אֲמַר לֵיהּ וְהָא כְּתִיב (תהילים ק״ד:ד׳) מְשָׁרְתָיו אֵשׁ לוֹהֵט. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, אִית אֶשָּׁא קַשְׁיָא מֵאֶשָּׁא, וְאִית אֶשָּׁא דְּדַחְיָא אֶשָּׁא.
R. Isaac asked: ‘When the Holy One, blessed be He, judges the family above (the angelic principalities), in what does the judgement consist?’ R. Eleazar answered: ‘He makes them pass through the fiery stream, and takes away from them their power as representatives of the nations and appoints the principalities representing other nations to rule instead of them.’ ‘But,’ said R. Isaac, ‘it says of the angelic world: “His ministers are a flaming fire” (Ps. 104, 4) (and if so, what punishment is it for them to cross the fiery stream?).’ To which R. Eleazar answered: ‘There are different qualities of fire.’