IF A SOUL SIN, ETC. R. Jose said: ‘How greatly should men take heed not to sin before their Master, for every day a herald goes forth proclaiming, Turn your hearts, ye peoples, to the holy King, be on your guard against sin, arouse the holy soul which He has given you from the celestial holy place.
For so we have learnt, that when the Holy One, blessed be He, draws forth a soul to send it down to earth, He impresses upon it many warnings and threats to keep His commandments, and He also takes it through a thousandand-and-eight worlds to see the glory of those who have devoted themselves to the Torah, and who now stand before the King in a robe of splendour in the form which they possessed in this world, beholding the glory of the King and crowned with many diadems.
When its time comes to descend to earth, it makes its abode in the terrestrial Paradise for thirty days to see the glory of the Master of the righteous, and then ascends to their abode above and afterwards comes down to earth. Before it enters into the body of a man, the holy King crowns it with seven crowns. If it sins in this world and walks in darkness, the Torah is grieved for it and says, All this honour and all this perfection has the holy King delivered to the soul, and she has sinned before Him!
And what if she does sin? We leam the answer’, continued R. Jose, ‘from the verse which says, “Until the day be cool and the shadows flee away” (S.S. 2, 17). “Until the day be cool”: this is a warning to the soul to repent and purify itself before the day of this world shall cool off and be followed by that awful day on which God shall call her to account when she departs from this world. “And the shadows flee away”: this refers to the secret known to the Companions, that when a man’s time comes to leave this world, his shadow deserts him.
R. Eleazar says that man has two shadows, one larger and one smaller, and when they are together, then he is truly himself. Therefore a man should review his actions and rectify them before his Master and confess his sins, because God is called merciful and gracious, and He receives those who return to Him.
Hence he should repent before the shadows flee away, for if he only does so when he is already under arrest, this is indeed repentance, but not so acceptable.
For when the day arrives for the soul to depart from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, looks sadly at her and says: “If a soul sin although it hath heard the voice of adjuration”-for did I not adjure her by My Name not to be false to Me, and testify against her when she went down to earth? “And he is a witness” (Ibid.): truly so, for many times I testified against him to keep my commandments. Therefore since the man is a witness, when he returns to the King and either “sees” or “knows”-sees, that is, his sins and ponders on them, or knows for certain that he has committed some transgression-then, “if he do not utter it”, that is, if he do not confess his sins before his Master, when he leaves this world “he shall bear his iniquity”. And if that is so, how shall the doors be opened to him and how shall he stand before his Master? Therefore it is written, “When a soul sinneth, etc.”
(ויקרא ד׳:ב׳) נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תֶחטָא. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח, (שיר השירים ב׳:י״ז) עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים וְגוֹ', כַּמָה אִית לְהוּ לִבְנִי נָשָׁא לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מֵחוֹבֵיהוֹן, דְּלָא לְמֶחטֵי קָמֵי מָארֵיהוֹן, דְּהָא בְּכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא כָּרוֹזָא נָפִיק וְקָארֵי, אַתְּעֲרוּ בְּנִי עָלְמָא לִבַּיְיכוּ לְקָמֵי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא. אַתְּעֲרוּ לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מֵחוֹבַיְיכוּ. אַתְּעֲרוּ נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּיָהַב בְּגַּוויְיכוּ מֵאֲתַר קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה.
IF A SOUL SIN, ETC. R. Jose said: ‘How greatly should men take heed not to sin before their Master, for every day a herald goes forth proclaiming, Turn your hearts, ye peoples, to the holy King, be on your guard against sin, arouse the holy soul which He has given you from the celestial holy place.
דְּתָנֵינָן, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַפִּיק נִשְׁמְתָא לְנַחְתָּא בִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, אַסְהִיד בָּהּ בְּכַמָּה יִעוּדִין, בְּכַמָּה קַסְטוֹרִין, בְּגִין לְנַטְרָא פִּקּוּדוֹי. וְלא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּאַעְבָּר לָהּ בְּאֶלֶף וּתְמַנְיָא עָלְמִין לְאִשְׁתַּעְשְׁעָא, וּלְמֶחמֵי בְּהוּ יְקָרָא דְּאִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. (נפקא) וְקַיְּימָא קָמֵי מַלְכָּא בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר, בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בִּלְבוּשׁ יְקָר עִלָּאָה אִסְתְּכָּלַת בִּיקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא כָּל יוֹמָא, וְאַעְטַּר לָהּ בְּכַמָּה עִטְרִין.
For so we have learnt, that when the Holy One, blessed be He, draws forth a soul to send it down to earth, He impresses upon it many warnings and threats to keep His commandments, and He also takes it through a thousandand-and-eight worlds to see the glory of those who have devoted themselves to the Torah, and who now stand before the King in a robe of splendour in the form which they possessed in this world, beholding the glory of the King and crowned with many diadems.
בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמָטֵי זִמְנָא לְנַחְתָּא לְעָלְמָא, עַבְדַת מָדוֹרָהָא בְּגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דְּאַרְעָא תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין, לְמֵחמֵי יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, וְסַלְּקָא לְאַתְרָהָא לְעֵילָּא, וּבָתַר דָּא נַחְתַּת לְעָלְמָא, אַעְטָּר לָהּ מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, בְּשְׁבַע עִטְרִין, עַד דְּאָתַת וְעָאלַת בְּגוֹ גּוּפָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ. וְכַד אִיהִי בְּגוּפָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ, וְחָבַת בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִשְׁתַּדְּלַת בַּחֲשׁוֹכָהָא. אוֹרַיְיתָא תַּווהָא עָלָה, וְאַמְרַת, וּמַה כָּל יְקָרָא דָּא, וְכָל אַשְׁלְמוּתָא אַשְׁלִים לְנַפְשָׁתָא מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, וְהִיא חָבָאָת קָמֵיהּ, נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תֶחטָא, מַה דִּין הוּא דְּתֶחטָא.
When its time comes to descend to earth, it makes its abode in the terrestrial Paradise for thirty days to see the glory of the Master of the righteous, and then ascends to their abode above and afterwards comes down to earth. Before it enters into the body of a man, the holy King crowns it with seven crowns. If it sins in this world and walks in darkness, the Torah is grieved for it and says, All this honour and all this perfection has the holy King delivered to the soul, and she has sinned before Him!
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תֶחטָא אַהֲדַרְנָא לִקְּרָא עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם, עֵיטָא לְהַאי נֶפֶשׁ לְאִזְדַּהֲרָא מֵחוֹבָהָא, וְתִיתוּב לְאִתְדַכְּאָה, עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם, עַד שֶׁלֹּא יָפוּחַ יוֹמָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְיֵיתֵי הַהוּא יוֹמָא תַּקִּיפָא, דְּיִתְבַּע לָהּ מַלְכָּא דִּינָא, לְנָפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים, דָּא הוּא רָזָא בֵּין חַבְרַיָּיא דְּקָא אַמְרֵי, דִּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּמָטֵי זִמְנָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ לְנָפְקָא מִן עָלְמָא, צוּלְמָא דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְעַבָּר מִנֵּיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם, עַד דְּלָא יִנְשׁוֹף יוֹמָא לְנָפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים, דְּאִתְעֲבָר צוּלְמָא, יְתוּב קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ.
And what if she does sin? We leam the answer’, continued R. Jose, ‘from the verse which says, “Until the day be cool and the shadows flee away” (S.S. 2, 17). “Until the day be cool”: this is a warning to the soul to repent and purify itself before the day of this world shall cool off and be followed by that awful day on which God shall call her to account when she departs from this world. “And the shadows flee away”: this refers to the secret known to the Companions, that when a man’s time comes to leave this world, his shadow deserts him.
רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר, תְּרֵין צוּלְמִין אִית לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ כַּד אִיהוּ בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, חַד רַבְרְבָא, וְחַד זְעֵירָא, דִּכְתִּיב הַצְּלָלִים, תְּרֵי. וְכַד מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי כַּחֲדָא, כְּדֵין הוּא בַּר נָשׁ בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא, וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים כְּתִיב. כְּדֵין בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּעוֹבָדוֹי, וּלְתַקְּנָא לוֹן קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, וְיוֹדֵי עָלַיְיהוּ. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִקְרֵי רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, וּמְקַבֵּל לְאִינּוּן דְּתָבִין קָמֵיהּ.
R. Eleazar says that man has two shadows, one larger and one smaller, and when they are together, then he is truly himself. Therefore a man should review his actions and rectify them before his Master and confess his sins, because God is called merciful and gracious, and He receives those who return to Him.
וְדָא הוּא עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם וְנָסוּ הַצְּלָלִים, דְּכֵיוָן דְּאִינּוּן צְלָלִים מִתְעַבְּרָן מִנֵּיהּ, וְאִיהוּ תָּפִיס בְּקוֹלָרָא, תְּשׁוּבָה הִיא אֲבָל לָא מְעַלְיָא כָּל כַּךְ כְּזִמְנָא דְּקָאִים אִיהוּ בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ. וּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אַכְרִיז וְאָמַר, (קהלת י״ב:א׳) וּזְכוֹר אֶת בּוֹרְאֶךָ בִּימֵי בְּחוּרוֹתֶיךָ עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא יָבֹאוּ יְמֵי הָרָעָה וְגוֹ'.
Hence he should repent before the shadows flee away, for if he only does so when he is already under arrest, this is indeed repentance, but not so acceptable.
ועַל דָּא עַד שֶׁיָּפוּחַ הַיּוֹם, דְּבָעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְאַתְקְנָא עוֹבָדוֹי. דְּכַד מָטוּן יוֹמוֹי לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא מִן עָלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תּוֹהֵא עָלֵיהּ, וְאוֹמֵר, וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי תֶחטָא וְשָׁמְעָה קוֹל אָלָה, וְהָא אוֹמֵינָא לָהּ בְּאוֹמָאָה דִּשְׁמִי דְּלָא לְשַׁקְּרָא בִּי, ואַסְהֲדִית בָּהּ כַּד נַחְתַּת לְעָלְמָא, וְהוּא עֵד וַדַּאי, מִכַּמָּה זִמְנִין דְּאַסְהֲדִית בָּהּ, לְנַטְרָא פִּקּוּדָי. בְּגִין כַּךְ הוֹאִיל וּבַּר נָשׁ הוּא עֵד, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּיֵתוּב קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדָע. אוֹ רָאָה, אִינּוּן חוֹבִין דְּעָבַד וְאִסְתְּכַּל בְּהוּ. אוֹ יָדָע בְּבִירוּרָא דְּמִלָּה דְּעָבַר עָל פִּקּוּדָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, אִם לא יַגִּיד, אִם לָא יוֹדֵי עָלַיְיהוּ קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ (מה כתיב) כַּד יִפּוּק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, וְנָשָׂא עֲוֹנוֹ. וְכַד יִשָּׂא עֲוֹנוֹ, הֵיאַךְ פַּתְחִין לֵיהּ פִּתְחָא, וְהֵיאַךְ יְקוּם קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, וְעַל דָּא נֶפֶשׁ כִּי תֶחטָא כְּתִיב.
For when the day arrives for the soul to depart from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, looks sadly at her and says: “If a soul sin although it hath heard the voice of adjuration”-for did I not adjure her by My Name not to be false to Me, and testify against her when she went down to earth? “And he is a witness” (Ibid.): truly so, for many times I testified against him to keep my commandments. Therefore since the man is a witness, when he returns to the King and either “sees” or “knows”-sees, that is, his sins and ponders on them, or knows for certain that he has committed some transgression-then, “if he do not utter it”, that is, if he do not confess his sins before his Master, when he leaves this world “he shall bear his iniquity”. And if that is so, how shall the doors be opened to him and how shall he stand before his Master? Therefore it is written, “When a soul sinneth, etc.”