Said R. Judah: ‘Why are the sinners punished by the fire of Gehenna? Because the fire of Gehenna, which burns day and night, corresponds to the hot passion of sinfulness in man.
There was once a period when for some time sin ceased to rule because it had been thrown into the iron ring in the abyss of the Ocean. During that period the fire of Gehenna went out and did not burn at all. When sinfulness returned, and again began to burn in the hearts of sinners, the fire of Gehenna was started again, for it is the heat of sinful passion in the hearts of sinners that kindles and keeps alight the fires of Gehenna, causing them to burn day and night without ceasing.
Gehenna has seven doors which open into seven habitations; and there are also seven types of sinners: evildoers, worthless ones, sinners, the wicked, corrupters, mockers, and arrogant ones; and corresponding with them are the habitations in Gehenna, for each kind a particular place, all according to grade.
And over each habitation a special angel is appointed, all being under the direction of Duma, who has thousands and myriads of angels under him, to punish sinners according to their deserts.
The fire of the Gehenna which is below comes from the Gehenna which is above, and is kindled by the heat of the sinners in whom the evil inclination burns, and there all the piles burn.
In Gehenna there are certain places and grades called “Boiling filth”, where the filth of the souls that have been polluted by the filth of this world accumulates. There these souls are purified by fire and made white, and then they ascend towards the heavenly regions. Their filth remains behind and the evil grades, called “Boiling filth”, are appointed over that filth and the fire of Gehenna rules over it.
There are certain sinners who pollute themselves over and over again by their own sins and are never purified. They die without repentance, having sinned themselves and caused others to sin, being stiff-necked and never showing contrition before the Lord while in this world; these are they who are condemned to remain for ever in this place of “boiling filth” and never leave it. Those who have corrupted their ways upon earth and recked not of the honour of their Lord in this world are condemned to remain there for all generations.
On Sabbaths, New Moons, special seasons and festivals, the fire is extinguished there, and they have a respite from punishment, but, unlike sinners of a lesser degree who are accorded relief, they are not allowed to leave that place even on such days. As for those who, when on earth, profaned the Sabbath and the festivals, and recked not of the honour of their Lord, but openly profaned the holy days, these days, since they were not regarded in this world by these sinners, do not keep or guard them now in the other world; and so they have no rest.
Said R. Jose: ‘Do not say this, for the truth is that there they are forced to keep the Sabbaths and festivals even against their will.’ ‘It is the heathen’, rejoined R. Judah, ‘who, not having been commanded to keep the Sabbath in this world, are there forced to keep it.
Every Sabbath Eve, at the time of the sanctification of the day, heralds are sent to proclaim throughout the length of Gehenna: “Cease from punishing the wicked! The Holy King is come; the Sabbath is about to be sanctified. He takes them all under His protection”, and all chastisements cease and the wicked find rest for a space. But the fire of Gehenna never ceases to burn those souls who have never kept the Sabbath, and sinners there ask concerning them: “Wherein lies the difference between these and those? Why find these no rest?” And the lords of judgement make answer: “These are sinners who have denied the Holy One, blessed be He, and have broken the whole Law, because they kept not the Sabbath; therefore now have they no rest.”
Then all other kinds of sinners are allowed to come and see these, the tormented, for whom there is no rest. And a certain angel, named Santriel, goes away to fetch the body of such a sinner from the grave and brings it to Gehenna, holding it up before the eyes of all the sinners, that they may see how it has bred worms; and that soul has no rest in the fire of Gehenna.
Then all the sinners of Gehenna swarm round it and call out: “This is such a one, a sinner, who regarded not the honour of his Lord! He denied the Holy One! He denied the whole Torah! Woe unto him! Better it were had he never been born that such punishment and disgrace should not have come upon him!” Concerning such it is written: “And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men, that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh,’ (Isa. 66, 24). “Their worm shall not die” refers to the body; “their fire shall not be quenched”, to the soul; “an abhorring (deraon) unto all flesh”; that is to say, all the other sinners will say, “de-raon”, we have seen enough of this horrible thing!’
Said R. Jose: ‘Quite true! For Sabbath is of equal importance with the whole Torah. The Torah is fire, therefore those who have broken it are doomed to be eternally burnt by the fire of Gehenna!’
Said R. Judah; ‘At the conclusion of the Sabbath that angel comes and takes back to the grave the worm-eaten body, and both the body and the soul are punished, each in its way. But this happens only when the body is still intact; if, on the other hand, it is decayed, it is not any longer punished, for the Holy One “doth not stir up all his wrath” (Ps. 83, 38).
All sinners, as long as their bodies in the graves are intact, with all their limbs, are judged body and soul together, each in its own way; but as soon as the body is decayed, the punishing of the soul ceases. Those souls that are destined to leave Gehenna now leave it; those that are to have rest now find it, and those who are destined to become dust under the feet of the righteous become dust, each according to its deserts.
How excellent a thing it is, therefore, both for the righteous as well as for sinners, when their bodies are in close contact with the earth so that decay can set in quickly and their punishment may not be prolonged through the continued existence of the body; for there is not one of the righteous who can escape the judgement of the grave, for the angel appointed over the graves stands over the body and punishes it daily. And if the righteous have to undergo this judgement of the grave, how much more so the wicked!
But when the body decays, the judgement ceases in both cases. The only exceptions are those saints who are the pillars of the world, who merit that their souls immediately after death should ascend forthwith to the regions appointed for them. They, however, are few.
It is the Destroying Angel who brings death to all people, except those who die in the Holy Land, to whom death comes by the Angel of Mercy who holds sway there.’
Said R. Isaac: ‘This being the case, wherein lay the superiority of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, concerning whom it is written that they died “by the mouth of the Lord”, meaning that their death was not brought about by the Destroying Angel?’
R. Judah replied: ,Truly, the greatness of these three and their superiority over all others is demonstrated by this, that, although they met their death outside the Holy Land, they, unlike their contemporaries, were not brought to it by the Destroying Angel, but by the Holy One Himself. But in the Holy Land itself, all who die do not die by the hand of the Destroying Angel, because that is the domain of the Holy One;
concerning this it is written: “Thy dead shall revive, my dead bodies (nebelati) shall rise; awake and sing, ye that dwell in the. dust” (Isa. 26, 16). “Thy dead” refers to those who die in the Holy Land, who belong to Him alone and to no other power, for the “other side” has no power at all there; they are “Thy dead”, namely, those of the Holy One. “My dead bodies” refers to those who die outside the Holy Land by the power of the “destroyer”
so they are called nebelah, “dead body”, defiling those who touch it. For every animal not slaughtered according to the rule is called nebelah, because slaughter is from the “other side”, and as soon as it is improperly carried out the “other side” rests on it, and it is therefore dubbed nebelah, i.e. shamefulness, wickedness, folly; its name describing its character.
Therefore, wherever the “other side” has power, it is called nebelah, and those who die outside the Holy Land, being under its power, are therefore called “dead bodies”.
“Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust”; “dwell” means that they are there but for a short period, and are not really dead but asleep, and have only to be awakened. This refers to those who are “asleep” in Hebron (the Patriarchs); therefore the expression used of them is “expire” (gawa), as of one gone into a trance from which he can be recalled. Thus the four pairs? the Patriarchs and their wives, who lie in Hebron, are asleep and not dead: their bodies are all intact, just as when they lived on earth, and they know the hidden mysteries more than any living being. They were hidden there at the gates of Paradise, and they are referred to in the words “dwell in dust”. Truly, those whose souls went out of them as they dwelt in the Holy Land did not die by the power of the “other side”, which has no power there, but by the Angel of Mercy, under whose care the Holy Land is.
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, דִּינָא דְּעוֹנְשֵׁי דְּגֵיהִנָּם, הָא אוֹלִיפְנָא, דְּאִיהוּ לְמֵידָן תַּמָּן לְחַיָּיבַיָּא, עַל מָה אִתְדָּנוּ בְּנוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם. אֶלָּא גֵּיהִנָּם אִיהוּ נוּר דָּלִיק יְמָמֵי וְלֵילֵי, כְּגַוְונָא דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא מִתְחַמְמָן בְּנוּרָא דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע, לְמֶעְבַּר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. בְּכָל חִמוּמָא וְחִמוּמָא דְּאִינּוּן מִתְחַמְּמָן בְּיֵצֶר הָרָע, הָכִי אִתּוֹקַד נוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם.
Said R. Judah: ‘Why are the sinners punished by the fire of Gehenna? Because the fire of Gehenna, which burns day and night, corresponds to the hot passion of sinfulness in man.
זִמְנָא חֲדָא לָא אִשְׁתְּכַח יֵצֶר הָרָע בְּעָלְמָא, דְּאֲעִילוּ לֵיהּ גּוֹ גּוּשְׁפַּנְקָא דְּפַרְזְלָא, בְּנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא. וְכָל הַהוּא זִמְנָא, כָּבָה נוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וְלָא אִתּוֹקַד כְּלַל. אַהְדָּר יֵצֶר הָרָע לְאַתְרֵיהּ, שָׁארוּ חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא לְאִתְחַמְמָא בֵּיהּ, שָׁאֲרִי נוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם לְאִתּוֹקְדָא, דְּהָא גֵּיהִנָּם לָא אִתּוֹקַד אֶלָּא בְּחֲמִימוּ דְּתּוּקְפָּא דְּיֵצֶר הָרָע דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא. וּבְהַהוּא חֲמִימוּ, נוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם אִתּוֹקַד יְמָמֵי וְלֵילֵי, וְלָא שָׁכִיךְ.
There was once a period when for some time sin ceased to rule because it had been thrown into the iron ring in the abyss of the Ocean. During that period the fire of Gehenna went out and did not burn at all. When sinfulness returned, and again began to burn in the hearts of sinners, the fire of Gehenna was started again, for it is the heat of sinful passion in the hearts of sinners that kindles and keeps alight the fires of Gehenna, causing them to burn day and night without ceasing.
שִׁבְעָה פִּתְחִין אִינּוּן לַגֵּיהִנָּם, וְשִׁבְעָה מָדוֹרִין אִינּוּן תַּמָּן. שִׁבְעָה זִינֵי חַיָּיבִין אִינּוּן: רַע. בְּלִיַּעַל. חוֹטֵא. רָשָׁע. מַשְׁחִית. לֵץ. יָהִיר. וְכֻלְּהוּ לָקֳבְלַיְיהוּ אִית מָדוֹרִין לַגֵּיהִנָּם, כָּל חַד וְחַד כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ. וּכְפוּם הַהוּא דַּרְגָּא דְּחָטָא בֵּיהּ הַהוּא חַיָּיבָא, הָכִי יַהֲבִין לֵיהּ מָדוֹרָא בְּגֵיהִנָּם.
Gehenna has seven doors which open into seven habitations; and there are also seven types of sinners: evildoers, worthless ones, sinners, the wicked, corrupters, mockers, and arrogant ones; and corresponding with them are the habitations in Gehenna, for each kind a particular place, all according to grade.
וּבְכָל מָדוֹרָא וּמָדוֹרָא, אִית מַלְאָךְ מְמָנָא עַל הַהוּא אֲתָר, תְּחוֹת יְדָא דְּדוּמָה. וְכַמָּה אֶלֶף וְרִבּוֹא עִמֵּיהּ, דְּדַיְינִין לוֹן לְחַיָּיבַיָּא, כָּל חַד וְחַד כְּמָה דְּאִתְחָזֵי לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא מָדוֹרָא דְּאִיהוּ תַּמָּן.
And over each habitation a special angel is appointed, all being under the direction of Duma, who has thousands and myriads of angels under him, to punish sinners according to their deserts.
(ס"א אשא דגיהנם דלעילא, מטי להאי גיהנם דלתתא) אֶשָּׁא דְּגֵיהִנָּם לְתַתָּא, מָטֵי מִגּוֹ אֶשָּׁא דְּגֵיהִנָּם דִּלְעֵילָּא, וּמָטֵי לְהַאי גֵּיהִנָּם דִּלְתַתָּא, וְאִתּוֹקַד, בְּהַהוּא אִתְּעֲרוּ דְּחֲמִימוּ דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּקָא מְחַמְמֵי גַּרְמַיְיהוּ גּוֹ יֵצֶר הָרָע, וְכָל אִינּוּן מָדוֹרִין דְּלִיקִין תַּמָּן.
The fire of the Gehenna which is below comes from the Gehenna which is above, and is kindled by the heat of the sinners in whom the evil inclination burns, and there all the piles burn.
אֲתָר אִית בְּגֵיהִנָּם, וְדַרְגִּין תַּמָּן דְּאִקְרוּן (רנ"ב ע"א, רס"ה ב', פנחס רנ"ח ע"א) צוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת, וְתַמָּן אִיהוּ זוּהֲמָא דְּנִשְׁמָתִין, אִינּוּן דְּמִתְלַכְלְכָן מִכָּל זוּהֲמָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. וּמִתְלַּבְּנָן וְסַלְּקִין, וְאִשְׁתְּאָרַת הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא תַּמָּן, וְאִינּוּן דַּרְגִּין בִּישִׁין דְּאִתְקְרוּן צוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת, אִתְמָנָן עַל הַהוּא זוּהֲמָא. וְנוֹרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם שַׁלְטָא, בְּהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא דְּאִשְׁתְּאָרַת.
In Gehenna there are certain places and grades called “Boiling filth”, where the filth of the souls that have been polluted by the filth of this world accumulates. There these souls are purified by fire and made white, and then they ascend towards the heavenly regions. Their filth remains behind and the evil grades, called “Boiling filth”, are appointed over that filth and the fire of Gehenna rules over it.
וְאִית חַיָּיבִין, אִינּוּן דְּמִתְלַכְלְכָן בְּחוֹבַיְיהוּ תָּדִיר, וְלָא אִתְלַבְּנָן מִנַּיְיהוּ, וּמִיתוּ בְּלֹא תְּשׁוּבָה, וְחָטוּ וְהֶחטִיאוּ אַחֲרָנִין, וַהֲווּ קְשֵׁי קְדַל תָּדִיר, וְלָא אִתְבָּרוּ קָמֵי מָארִיהוֹן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא. אִלֵּין (וישב ק"צ ע"ב) אִתְדָּנוּ תַּמָּן בְּהַהוּא זוּהֲמָא, וּבְהַהִיא צוֹאָה רוֹתַחַת, דְּלָא נָפְקִין מִתַּמָּן לְעָלְמִין. אִינּוּן דִּמְחַבְּלִין אָרְחַיְיהוּ עַל אַרְעָא, וְלָא חַשְׁשׁוּ לִיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כָּל אִינּוּן אִתְדָּנוּ תַּמָּן לְדָרֵי דָּרִין, וְלָא נַפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן.
There are certain sinners who pollute themselves over and over again by their own sins and are never purified. They die without repentance, having sinned themselves and caused others to sin, being stiff-necked and never showing contrition before the Lord while in this world; these are they who are condemned to remain for ever in this place of “boiling filth” and never leave it. Those who have corrupted their ways upon earth and recked not of the honour of their Lord in this world are condemned to remain there for all generations.
בְּשַׁבָּתֵי וּבְיַרְחֵי וּבִזְמַנֵּי וּבְחַגֵּי, בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר נוּרָא אִשְׁתְּכַךְ, וְלָא אִתְדָּנוּ, אֲבָל לָא נַפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן, כִּשְׁאַר חַיָּיבִין דְּאִית לְהוּ נַיְיחָא. כָּל אִינּוּן דִּמְחַלְּלֵי שַׁבָּתוֹת וּזְמָנֵי, וְלָא חַיְישֵׁי לִיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן כְּלַל, בְּגִין לְמֵטָר לוֹן, אֶלָּא מְחַלְּלֵי בְּפַרְהֶסְיָא, כְּמָה דְּאִינּוּן לָא נַטְרֵי שַׁבָּתֵי וּזְמָנִי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, הָכִי נָמֵי לָא נַטְרִין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְלֵית לוֹן נַיְיחָא.
On Sabbaths, New Moons, special seasons and festivals, the fire is extinguished there, and they have a respite from punishment, but, unlike sinners of a lesser degree who are accorded relief, they are not allowed to leave that place even on such days. As for those who, when on earth, profaned the Sabbath and the festivals, and recked not of the honour of their Lord, but openly profaned the holy days, these days, since they were not regarded in this world by these sinners, do not keep or guard them now in the other world; and so they have no rest.
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסִי, לָא תֵּימָא הָכִי, אֶלָּא נַטְרֵי שַׁבָּתֵי וּזְמָנִי תַּמָּן בְּגֵיהִנָּם בְּעַל כָּרְחַיְיהוּ. אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, דְּלָא אִתְפְּקָדוּ, דְּלָא נַטְרֵי שַׁבָּת בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, נַטְרֵי לֵיהּ תַּמָּן בַּעַל כָּרְחַיְיהוּ.
Said R. Jose: ‘Do not say this, for the truth is that there they are forced to keep the Sabbaths and festivals even against their will.’ ‘It is the heathen’, rejoined R. Judah, ‘who, not having been commanded to keep the Sabbath in this world, are there forced to keep it.
בְּכָל מַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא כַּד יוֹמָא אִתְקַדָּשׁ, כָרוֹזִין אָזְלִין בְּכָל אִינּוּן מָדוֹרִין דְּגֵיהִנָּם: סְלִיקוּ דִּינָא דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא, דְּהָא מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא אַתְיָא, וְיוֹמָא אִתְקַדָּשׁ, וְאִיהוּ אַגִּין עַל כֹּלָּא. וּמִיַּד דִּינִין אִסְתָּלָקוּ, וְחַיָּיבַיָּא אִית לוֹן נַיְיחָא. (וכל אינון מחללי שבתות וזמני בפרהסיא דינין סלקין מנייהו (נ"א ואפילו עובדי כוכבים ומזלות דלא אתפקדו למיטר שבתי וזמני תמן נטרין בעל כרחם)) אֲבָל נוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם לָא אִשְׁתְּכַּךְ, מֵעָלַיְיהוּ דְּלָא נַטְרֵי שַׁבָּת לְעָלְמִין. וְכָל חַיָּיבֵי גֵּיהִנָּם שָׁאֲלֵי עָלַיְיהוּ, מַאי שְׁנָא אִלֵּין דְּלֵית לוֹן נַיְיחָא, מִכָּל חַיָּיבִין דְּהָכָא. אִינּוּן מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא תַּיְיבִין לוֹן, אִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיָּיבִין דְּכָּפְרוּ בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְעָבְרוּ עַל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא, בְּגִין דְּלָא נַטְרוּ שַׁבָּת תַּמָּן, בְּגִין כַּךְ לֵית לְהוּ נַיְיחִין לְעָלְמִין.
Every Sabbath Eve, at the time of the sanctification of the day, heralds are sent to proclaim throughout the length of Gehenna: “Cease from punishing the wicked! The Holy King is come; the Sabbath is about to be sanctified. He takes them all under His protection”, and all chastisements cease and the wicked find rest for a space. But the fire of Gehenna never ceases to burn those souls who have never kept the Sabbath, and sinners there ask concerning them: “Wherein lies the difference between these and those? Why find these no rest?” And the lords of judgement make answer: “These are sinners who have denied the Holy One, blessed be He, and have broken the whole Law, because they kept not the Sabbath; therefore now have they no rest.”
וְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבִין כֻּלְּהוֹן, נָפְקִין מִדּוּכְתַּיְיהוּ, וְאִתְיְיהִיב לוֹן רְשׁוּ לְמֵיהַךְ לְמֵחֱמֵי בְּהוּ. וּמַלְאַךְ חַד דִּי שְׁמֵיהּ סַנְטִרִי"אֵל, אָזִיל וְאַפִּיק לְהַהוּא גּוּפָא דִּלְהוֹן, וְעָיִיל לֵיהּ לַגֵּיהִנָּם, לְעֵינֵיהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא, וְחַמָּן לֵיהּ דְּסַלְּקָא תּוֹלָעִין, וְנִשְׁמְתָא לֵית לָהּ נַיְיחָא בְּנוּרָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם.
Then all other kinds of sinners are allowed to come and see these, the tormented, for whom there is no rest. And a certain angel, named Santriel, goes away to fetch the body of such a sinner from the grave and brings it to Gehenna, holding it up before the eyes of all the sinners, that they may see how it has bred worms; and that soul has no rest in the fire of Gehenna.
וְכָל אִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא דְּתַּמָּן, סָחֲרִין לְהַהוּא גּוּפָא, וּמַכְרִיזֵי עָלֵיהּ, דָּא אִיהוּ פְּלַנְיָא חַיָּיבָא, דְּלָא חָיִישׁ לִיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, כָּפַר בֵּיהּ בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכָפַר בְּכָל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא, וַוי לֵיהּ, טָב דְּלָא יִתְבְּרֵי, וְלָא יֵיתֵי לְדִינָא דָּא, וּלְכִּסּוּפָא דָּא, הֲדָא הוּא (רי"ב ע"א) דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו ס״ו:כ״ד) וְיָּצְאוּ וְרָאוּ בְּפִגְרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים הַפֹּשְׁעִים בִּי כִּי תוֹלַעְתָּם לא תָמוּת וְאִשָּׁם לא תִכְבֶּה וְהָיוּ דֵרָאוֹן לְכָל בָּשָׂר. כִּי תוֹלַעְתָּם לֹא תָמוּת, מִן גּוּפָא. וְאִשָּׁם לא תִכְבֶּה, מִן נִשְׁמְתָא. וְהָיוּ דֵרָאוֹן לְכָל בָּשָׂר, וְהָיוּ דַּי רָאוֹן, עַד דְּכָל חַיָיבִין דְּגֵיהִנָּם דְּתַּמָּן, יִיִמְרוּן, דַּי רְאִיָה דָּא.
Then all the sinners of Gehenna swarm round it and call out: “This is such a one, a sinner, who regarded not the honour of his Lord! He denied the Holy One! He denied the whole Torah! Woe unto him! Better it were had he never been born that such punishment and disgrace should not have come upon him!” Concerning such it is written: “And they shall go forth and look upon the carcases of the men, that have transgressed against Me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh,’ (Isa. 66, 24). “Their worm shall not die” refers to the body; “their fire shall not be quenched”, to the soul; “an abhorring (deraon) unto all flesh”; that is to say, all the other sinners will say, “de-raon”, we have seen enough of this horrible thing!’
רִבִּי יוֹסִי אָמַר, וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, בְּגִין דְּשַׁבָּת אִיהוּ לָקֳבֵל אוֹרַיְיתָא כֻּלָּא, וְאוֹרַיְיתָא אִיהִי אֵשׁ, בְּגִין דְּעָבְרוּ עַל אֵשׁ דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, הָא אֵשׁ דְּגֵיהִנָּם דָּלִיק, דְּלָא שָׁכִיךְ מֵעָלַיְיהוּ לְעָלְמִין.
Said R. Jose: ‘Quite true! For Sabbath is of equal importance with the whole Torah. The Torah is fire, therefore those who have broken it are doomed to be eternally burnt by the fire of Gehenna!’
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה, לְבָתַר כַּד נָפִיק שַׁבְּתָא, אָתֵי הַהוּא מַלְאָךְ, וּמְהַדֵר הַהוּא גּוּפָא לְקִבְרֵיהּ, וְאִתְּדָנוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ, דָּא לְסִטְרֵיהּ וְדָא לְסִטְרֵיהּ. וְכָל דָּא, בְּעוֹד דְּגוּפָא קַיָּימָא עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ, דְּהָא כֵּיוָן דְּגוּפָא אִתְאַכָּל, לֵית לֵיהּ לְגוּפָא כָּל אִלֵּין דִּינִין, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא (תהילים ע״ח:ל״ח) לא יָעִיר כָּל חֲמָתוֹ כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ.
Said R. Judah; ‘At the conclusion of the Sabbath that angel comes and takes back to the grave the worm-eaten body, and both the body and the soul are punished, each in its way. But this happens only when the body is still intact; if, on the other hand, it is decayed, it is not any longer punished, for the Holy One “doth not stir up all his wrath” (Ps. 83, 38).
כָּל חַיָּיבִין דְּעָלְמָא, בְּעוֹד דְּגוּפָא שְׁלִים בְּכָל שַׁיְיפוֹי גּוֹ קִבְרָא, אִתְדָּנוּ גּוּפָא וְרוּחָא, כָּל חַד דִּינָא כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ. כֵּיוָן דְּגוּפָא אִתְעַכָּל, דִּינָא דְּרוּחָא אִשְׁתְּכַךְ. מַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְנָפְקָא, נָפִיק. וּמַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי עָלַיְיהוּ נַיְיחָא, אִית לוֹן נַיְיחָא. וּמַאן דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶהֱוֵי קִטְמָא וְעַפְרָא תְּחוֹת רַגְלֵי דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא. כָּל חַד וְחַד, כַּדְקָא חֲזִי לֵיהּ, אִתְעָבִיד לֵיהּ.
All sinners, as long as their bodies in the graves are intact, with all their limbs, are judged body and soul together, each in its own way; but as soon as the body is decayed, the punishing of the soul ceases. Those souls that are destined to leave Gehenna now leave it; those that are to have rest now find it, and those who are destined to become dust under the feet of the righteous become dust, each according to its deserts.
וְעַל דָּא, כַּמָה טָב לוֹן, בֵּין לְצַּדִיקֵי, בֵּין לְחַיָּיבֵי, לְמֶהוֵי גּוּפָא דִּלְהוֹן דָּבִיק בְּאַרְעָא, וּלְאִתְעַכְּלָא גּוֹ עַפְרָא לִזְמַן קָרִיב, וְלָא לְמֶהֱוֵי בְּקִיּוּמָא כָּל הַהוּא זִמְנָא סַגִּי, בְּגִין לְאִתְדְּנָא גּוּפָא וְנַפְשָׁא וְרוּחָא תָּדִיר. דְּהָא לֵית לָךְ כָּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק בְּעָלְמָא, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ דִּינָא דְּקִבְרָא. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא מַלְאָךְ דִּמְמָנָא עַל קִבְרֵי, קָאִים עַל גּוּפָא, וְדָן לֵיהּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא. אִם לַצַדִּיקִים כַּךְ, לְחַיָיבִים עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.
How excellent a thing it is, therefore, both for the righteous as well as for sinners, when their bodies are in close contact with the earth so that decay can set in quickly and their punishment may not be prolonged through the continued existence of the body; for there is not one of the righteous who can escape the judgement of the grave, for the angel appointed over the graves stands over the body and punishes it daily. And if the righteous have to undergo this judgement of the grave, how much more so the wicked!
וּבְזִמְנָא דְּגוּפָא אִתְעַכָּל וְאִתְבְּלֵי בְּעַפְרָא, הָא דִּינָא אִשְׁתְּכַךְ מִכֹּלָּא, בַּר מֵאִינּוּן חֲסִידֵי קַיָימִין דְּעָלְמָא, דְּאִינּוּן אִתְחָזוּן לְסַלְּקָא נִשְׁמָתְהוֹן לְהַהוּא אֲתָר עִלָּאָה דְּאִתְחָזֵי לוֹן, וּזְעִירִין אִינּוּן בְּעָלְמָא.
But when the body decays, the judgement ceases in both cases. The only exceptions are those saints who are the pillars of the world, who merit that their souls immediately after death should ascend forthwith to the regions appointed for them. They, however, are few.
כָּל אִינּוּן מֵתִין דְּעָלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ מֵתִין עַל יְדֵי דְּמַלְאָכָא מְחַבְּלָא, בַּר אִינּוּן דְּמֵתִין בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, (וכולהו מתין על ידי דמלאכא מחבלא דאיהו מלאך המות, וכל אינון מתין די בארעא קדישא) לָא מֵתִין עַל יְדוֹי, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי דְּמַלְאָכָא דְּרַחֲמֵי דְּשַׁלִּיט בְּאַרְעָא.
It is the Destroying Angel who brings death to all people, except those who die in the Holy Land, to whom death comes by the Angel of Mercy who holds sway there.’
אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אִי הָכִי, מַאי שְׁבָחָא אִיהוּ לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם, דִּכְתִּיב בְּהוּ (במדבר לג דברים לה) עַל פִּי יְיָ', דְּאִלֵּין לָא מִיתוּ עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מַלְאָךְ מְחַבְּלָא, וְאַת אַמָרְתְּ, דְּכוּלֵי עָלְמָא אִינּוּן דְּמִיתוּ בְּאַרְעָא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, לָא מֵתִין עַל יְדוֹי דְּדָא.
Said R. Isaac: ‘This being the case, wherein lay the superiority of Moses, Aaron and Miriam, concerning whom it is written that they died “by the mouth of the Lord”, meaning that their death was not brought about by the Destroying Angel?’
אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, וּשְׁבָחָא דְּמֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם, הֲוָה יַתִּיר מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, דְּאִינּוּן מִיתוּ לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּמֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא מִיתוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ מִיתוּ עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא, בַּר אִינּוּן מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּמִרְיָם, דְּלָא מִיתוּ אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אֲבָל אִינּוּן דְּמֵתִין בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא מֵתִין עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא, דְּהָא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא קַיְּימָא בִּרְשׁוּ אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא בִּרְשׁוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי.
R. Judah replied: ,Truly, the greatness of these three and their superiority over all others is demonstrated by this, that, although they met their death outside the Holy Land, they, unlike their contemporaries, were not brought to it by the Destroying Angel, but by the Holy One Himself. But in the Holy Land itself, all who die do not die by the hand of the Destroying Angel, because that is the domain of the Holy One;
וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו כ״ו:י״ט) יִחְיוּ מֵתֶיךָ נְבֵלָתִי יְקוּמוּן הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר וְגוֹ'. יִחְיוּ מֵתֶיךָ, אִלֵּין דְּמֵתִין בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִינּוּן מֵתִין דִּילֵיהּ, וְלָא מֵאַחֲרָא, דְּלָא שַׁלְטָא תַּמָּן סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא כְּלַל, וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב מֵתֶיךָ. נְבֵלָתִי יְקוּמוּן, אִינּוּן דְּמִיתוּ בְּאַרְעָא נוּכְרָאָה אַחֲרָא, עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא.
concerning this it is written: “Thy dead shall revive, my dead bodies (nebelati) shall rise; awake and sing, ye that dwell in the. dust” (Isa. 26, 16). “Thy dead” refers to those who die in the Holy Land, who belong to Him alone and to no other power, for the “other side” has no power at all there; they are “Thy dead”, namely, those of the Holy One. “My dead bodies” refers to those who die outside the Holy Land by the power of the “destroyer”
וְעַל דָּא אִקְרוּן נְבֵלָה, מַה נְבֵלָה מְטַמְּאָה בְּמַשָּׂא, אוּף אִינּוּן דְּמֵתִין לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, מְטַמְאִין בְּמַשָּׂא. (נ"א במגע) וְעַל דָּא אִינּוּן נְבֵלָה. כָּל שְׁחִיטָה דְּאִיפְסִיל, אִקְרֵי נְבֵילָה, בְּגִין שְׁחִיטָה הָא אִיהִי מִסִּטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וּמִיַּד דְּאִיפְסִיל שַׁרְיָא עָלָהּ סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וּבְגִין דְּאִיהִי דִּילֵיהּ, וְשַׁרְיָא עָלָהּ אִקְרֵי נְבֵלָה. וְרָזָא דָּא (ס"א כשמו כן הוא) נָבָל הוּא, (שמואל א כ״ה:כ״ה) וְנָבָל שְׁמוֹ וּנְבָלָה עִמּוֹ.
so they are called nebelah, “dead body”, defiling those who touch it. For every animal not slaughtered according to the rule is called nebelah, because slaughter is from the “other side”, and as soon as it is improperly carried out the “other side” rests on it, and it is therefore dubbed nebelah, i.e. shamefulness, wickedness, folly; its name describing its character.
וְעַל דָּא בְּכָל אֲתָר דְּאִיהוּ שַׁרְיָא, אִקְרֵי נְבֵלָה. מְנוּוָל דָּא לָא שַׁרְיָא, אֶלָּא בְּאֲתָר פְּסִילוּ, וְעַל דָּא שְׁחִיטָה דְּאַפְסִיל, הָא דִּילֵיהּ הוּא, וְאִקְרֵי עַל שְׁמֵיהּ. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, מֵתִין דְּאִינּוּן לְבַר מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, תְּחוֹת רְשׁוּ אַחֲרָא, וְשַׁרְיָא עָלַיְיהוּ סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, אִקְרוּן נְבֵלָה.
Therefore, wherever the “other side” has power, it is called nebelah, and those who die outside the Holy Land, being under its power, are therefore called “dead bodies”.
הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר, שׁוֹכְנֵי, דַּיְירִין דְּמִיכִין, וְלָא מֵתִין. וּמַאן אִינּוּן. דְּמִיכִין דְּחֶבְרוֹן, דְּאִינּוּן לָא מֵתִין, אֶלָּא דְּמִיכִין. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ גְּוִיעָה, כְּמַאן דְּגָוַוע, וְאִית בֵּיהּ קִיוּמָא לְאַנְעֲרָא. אוּף הָכִי אִינּוּן ד' זוּגֵי דְּחֶבְרוֹן, דְּמִיכִין אִינּוּן וְלָא מֵתִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימוּ בְּקִיוּמַיְיהוּ בְּאִינּוּן גּוּפִין דִּלְהוֹן, וְיַדְעֵי סִתְרִין גְּנִיזִין, יַתִּיר מִשְּׁאָר בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. גְּנִיזִין הֲווֹ תַּמָּן גּוֹ פִּתְחָא דְּגַּן עֵדֶן אִינּוּן גּוּפִין דִּלְהוֹן, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר. וְעַל דָּא כָּל אִינּוּן דְּנַפְקוּ נִשְׁמָתַיְיהוּ בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, לָא נָפִיק עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מְחַבְּלָא, וְלָא שַׁלְטָא תַּמָּן, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי דְּמַלְאָכָא דְּרַחֲמֵי, דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא קַיְּימָא בְּעַדְבֵיהּ.
“Awake and sing ye that dwell in dust”; “dwell” means that they are there but for a short period, and are not really dead but asleep, and have only to be awakened. This refers to those who are “asleep” in Hebron (the Patriarchs); therefore the expression used of them is “expire” (gawa), as of one gone into a trance from which he can be recalled. Thus the four pairs? the Patriarchs and their wives, who lie in Hebron, are asleep and not dead: their bodies are all intact, just as when they lived on earth, and they know the hidden mysteries more than any living being. They were hidden there at the gates of Paradise, and they are referred to in the words “dwell in dust”. Truly, those whose souls went out of them as they dwelt in the Holy Land did not die by the power of the “other side”, which has no power there, but by the Angel of Mercy, under whose care the Holy Land is.