Thus this soul is raised to the state in which it will be in the future world, for in the same measure as a man feasts and delights that spirit in this world will that spirit cause delight to the man in the future world. So Scripture says. “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord”, etc. (Isa. 58, 14), also, “and the Lord will… satisfy thy soul with brightness” (Ibid. 16). Whoever thus fully honours the Sabbath in the manner described, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: “Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Ibid. 49, 3).’
R. Isaac now ceased, and R. Abba and the other Companions rose up and kissed him on his head. They all wept and said: ‘Happy is our portion in that the Holy One, blessed be He, has led our feet on this path.’ Said R. Abba: ‘The Lord led me on this way so that I might join your company. Happy is my portion in having been thus privileged.’
R. Abba further said to them: ‘Let me relate to you what I saw. When I set out on my journey to-day I saw a light ahead of me which split into three separate lights. They all went in front of me and then disappeared. I said to myself: Assuredly, what I saw was the Shekinah. Happy is my portion. Now I know that those lights I saw were yourselves. Verily, you are the supernal lights and lamps to lighten this world and the world to come.’
R. Abba continued, saying: ‘Until now I did not know that all these hidden pearls were in your possession. And now that I see that all these words of yours have been uttered by the will and command of your Master, I know that they are all ascending this day to the Divine Throne, and that the Chief of the angels1Metatron. is taking them up and weaving them into crowns for his Master, and this very day sixty holy legions are adorned with crowns, made of the words uttered here this day, to the glory of the Divine Throne,’
At this point he raised his eyes and noticed that the sun had gone down. ‘Let us proceed to that village yonder,’ he said, ‘as it is the nearest to us in this desert.’ So they went there and stayed there overnight. At midnight R. Abba, with the other Companions, arose in order to study the Torah. Said R. Abba: ‘Now let us weave discourses which will be made into crowns for the righteous in Paradise, as now is the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous in Paradise, listen to the voices of the righteous on earth.’
הַהוּא רוּחָא עִלָּאָה דְּנָחִית עָלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ בְּחֵדוּ, וְחַדֵּי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ, כְּדֵין קַיְימָא נַפְשָׁא דְּבַר נָשׁ, כְּגַוְונָא דְּעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּזַמִּין לְאִתְהֲנָאָה מִנֵּיהּ, כְּמָה דְּבַר נָשׁ, אַהֲנִי לְהַאי רוּחָא בְּעָלְמָא דָּא. הָכִי הַהוּא רוּחָא אַהֲנִי לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דִּכְתִּיב, (ישעיהו נ״ח:י״א) אָז תִּתְעַנַּג עַל יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב וְהִשְׁבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ. כְּמָה דְּבַר נָשׁ, רַוֵי לְהַהוּא עִנּוּגָא, וְאַהֲנֵי לֵיהּ, הָכִי נָמֵי אִיהוּ רַוֵי לֵיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. כְּדֵין כַּד בַּר נָשׁ זָכֵי, וְאַשְׁלִים שְׁלִימוּ דִּיְקָרָא דְּשַׁבְּתָא כִּדְקָאָמְרָן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָארֵי עָלֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו מ״ט:ג׳) וַיֹּאמֶר לִי עַבְדִּי אָתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר בְּךָ אֶתְפָּאָר.
Thus this soul is raised to the state in which it will be in the future world, for in the same measure as a man feasts and delights that spirit in this world will that spirit cause delight to the man in the future world. So Scripture says. “Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord”, etc. (Isa. 58, 14), also, “and the Lord will… satisfy thy soul with brightness” (Ibid. 16). Whoever thus fully honours the Sabbath in the manner described, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: “Thou art my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified” (Ibid. 49, 3).’
קָם רִבִּי אַבָּא, וּשְׁאַר חַבְרַיָּיא, וְנַשְׁקוּ רֵישֵׁיהּ. בָּכוּ וְאָמְרוּ, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקָנָא דְּאָרְחָא דָּא זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָקֳבְלָן. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, לִי זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָרְחָא דָּא, בְּגִין לְאִתְחַבְּרָא עִמְּכוֹן. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ חוּלָקִי, דְּזָכֵינָא לְאָרְחָא דָּא.
R. Isaac now ceased, and R. Abba and the other Companions rose up and kissed him on his head. They all wept and said: ‘Happy is our portion in that the Holy One, blessed be He, has led our feet on this path.’ Said R. Abba: ‘The Lord led me on this way so that I might join your company. Happy is my portion in having been thus privileged.’
אָמַר לְהוּ, אֵימָּא לְכוּ מַה דַּחֲמֵינָא, יוֹמָא דָּא נָפַקְנָא לְאָרְחָא, וַחֲמֵינָא נְהוֹרָא חֲדָא, וְאִתְפְּלַג לִתְלַת נְהוֹרִין, וְאָזְלוּ קָמָאי, וְאִתְטָמָרוּ. וַאֲמֵינָא וַדַּאי שְׁכִינְתָּא חֲמֵינָא, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקִי. וְהַשְׁתָּא אִינּוּן תְּלַת נְהוֹרִין דַּחֲמֵינָא, אַתּוּן אִינּוּן, וַדַּאי אַתּוּן נְהוֹרִין, וּבוּצִינִין עִלָּאִין, לְאַנְהָרָא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי.
R. Abba further said to them: ‘Let me relate to you what I saw. When I set out on my journey to-day I saw a light ahead of me which split into three separate lights. They all went in front of me and then disappeared. I said to myself: Assuredly, what I saw was the Shekinah. Happy is my portion. Now I know that those lights I saw were yourselves. Verily, you are the supernal lights and lamps to lighten this world and the world to come.’
אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא עַד הָכִי לָא יְדַעְנָא, דְּכָל אִלֵּין מַרְגְּלָן סְתִימִין הֲווֹ תְּחוֹת יָדַיְיכוּ, כֵּיוָן דַּחֲמֵינָא, דְּהָא בִּרְעוּתָא דְּפִקּוּדָא דְּמָארֵיכוֹן אִתְאֲמָרוּ מִלִּין אִלֵּין, יְדַעְנָא, דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִלִּין סַלְּקִין יוֹמָא דָּא, לְגוֹ כּוּרְסְיָּיא עִלָּאָה, וְנָטִיל לוֹן הַהוּא מָארֵי דְּאַנְפִּין, וְעָבִיד מִינַּיְיהוּ עִטְרִין לְמָארֵיהּ. וְיוֹמָא דָּא מִתְעַטְּרִין (נ"א שבעין) שִׁתִּין רְתִיכִין קַדִּישִׁין, לִיקָרָא דְּכֻרְסְיָיא, בְּאִלֵּין מִלִּין דְּאִתְאַמָּרוּ הָכָא, יוֹמָא דָּא.
R. Abba continued, saying: ‘Until now I did not know that all these hidden pearls were in your possession. And now that I see that all these words of yours have been uttered by the will and command of your Master, I know that they are all ascending this day to the Divine Throne, and that the Chief of the angels1Metatron. is taking them up and weaving them into crowns for his Master, and this very day sixty holy legions are adorned with crowns, made of the words uttered here this day, to the glory of the Divine Throne,’
אַדְּהָכִי זָקַף עֵינוֹי, וְחָמָא דְּאַעְרַב שִׁמְשָׁא. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, נְהַךְ לְגַבֵּי הַאי כְּפַר, דְּאִיהוּ קָרִיב לְגַבָּן בְּמַדְבְּרָא. אָזְלוּ וּבֵיתוֹ תַּמָּן. בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא, קָם רִבִּי אַבָּא וּשְׁאַר חַבְרַיָּיא, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה נִימָא מִלִּין לְאִתְעַטְּרָא בְּהוּ צַדִּיקַיָּא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, דְּהַשְׁתָּא אִיהוּ זִמְנָא, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְכָל צַדִּיקַיָּא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, צַיְיתִין לְקָלֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא דִּי בְּאַרְעָא.
At this point he raised his eyes and noticed that the sun had gone down. ‘Let us proceed to that village yonder,’ he said, ‘as it is the nearest to us in this desert.’ So they went there and stayed there overnight. At midnight R. Abba, with the other Companions, arose in order to study the Torah. Said R. Abba: ‘Now let us weave discourses which will be made into crowns for the righteous in Paradise, as now is the hour when the Holy One, blessed be He, and all the righteous in Paradise, listen to the voices of the righteous on earth.’