R. Eleazar said: ‘When a man is on the point of leaving this world, his soul suffers many chastisements along with his body before they separate. Nor does the soul actually leave him until the Shekinah shows herself to him, and then the soul goes out in joy and love to meet the Shekinah. If he is righteous, he cleaves and attaches himself to her. But if not, then the Shekinah departs, and the soul is left behind, mourning for its separation from the body, like a cat which is driven away from the fire.
Afterwards both are punished by the hand of Dumah. The body is punished in the grave and the soul in the fire of Gehinnom for the appointed period. When this is completed she rises from Gehinnom purified of her guilt like iron purified in the fire, and she is carried up to the lower Garden of Eden, where she is cleansed in the waters of Paradise and perfumed with its spices, and there she remains till the time comes for her to depart from the abode of the righteous.
Then she is carried up stage after stage until she is brought near like a sacrifice to the altar. Hence it is written, “This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest”, to wit, to the angelic Priest above. This is the fate of a soul which has not been defiled overmuch in this world, and which can yet be healed in this way; but otherwise, “that which is crooked cannot be made straight”.
כַּד אָתֵי צַפְרָא, (ס"א כרוזא קרי בקול) כָּל חַיָּילִין וּמַשִׁרְיָין דִּלְעֵילָּא מְשַׁבְּחָן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (איוב ל״ח:ז׳) בְּרָן יַחַד כֹּכְבֵי בֹקֶר וְגוֹ'. כְּדֵין כַּמָה תַּרְעִין אִתְפְּתָחוּ לְכָל סִטְרִין. וְתַרְעָא דְּאַבְרָהָם, אִתְפְּתַח בָּהּ בִּכְנֶסֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לְזַמְּנָא לְכָל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, (בראשית כ״א:ל״ג) וַיִּטַּע אֵשֶׁל בִּבְאֵר שָׁבַע.
וּמַאן דְּלָא יִתְּעַר רוּחֵיהּ בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָרֵיהּ, בְּהֵיךְ אַנְפִּין יְקוּם קָמֵי מַלְכָּא, כַּד יִתְּעֲרוּן עָלֵיהּ בְּדִינָא, וְיִתְפְּשׂוּן לֵיהּ בְּקוֹלָרָא, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח עָלֵיהּ זְכוּתָא לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא, כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, (קהלת ט׳:י״ב) וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי אָדָם. וְעַד לָא יִנְפּוֹק בַּר נָשׁ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּכַמָּה דִּינִין אִתְּדָּן נַפְשָׁא עִם גּוּפָא, עַד לָא יִתְפָּרְשׁוּן דָּא מִן דָּא, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִשְׁגַּח.
(אפילו) בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּמָטָא שַׁעֲתָא לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא, לָא נָפְקָא נַפְשָׁא מִן גּוּפָא, עַד דְּאִתְגְּלֵי עָלֵיהּ שְׁכִינְתָּא, וְנַפְשָׁא, מִגּוֹ חֶדְוָתָא וַחֲבִיבוּתָא דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, נָפְקָא מִגּוּפָא לְקָֹבְלָהָא. אִי זַכָּאָה הוּא, מִתְקְשַׁר בָּהּ וְאִתְדַּבָּק בָּהּ. וְאִי לָאו, שְׁכִינְתָּא אַזְלָא, וְהִיא אִשְׁתְּאָרַת, וְאַזְלַת וּמִתְאַבְּלָא עַל פְּרִישׁוּתָא דְּגוּפָא. מַתְלָא אַמְרֵי. שׁוּנְרָא מֵאֶשָּׁא לָא מִתְפָּרְשָׁא, חַדְדֵי לְסַכִּינָא, אַזְלָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ.
R. Eleazar said: ‘When a man is on the point of leaving this world, his soul suffers many chastisements along with his body before they separate. Nor does the soul actually leave him until the Shekinah shows herself to him, and then the soul goes out in joy and love to meet the Shekinah. If he is righteous, he cleaves and attaches himself to her. But if not, then the Shekinah departs, and the soul is left behind, mourning for its separation from the body, like a cat which is driven away from the fire.
לְבָתַר אִתְדָּנוּ תַּרְוַויְיהוּ עַל יְדוֹי דְּדוּמָה. גּוּפָא אִתְּדָּן בְּקִבְרָא עַד דְּתָב לְעַפְרָא, וְנַפְשָׁא בְּאֶשָּׁא דְּגֵיהִנָּם בְּכַמָּה דִּינִין, עַד הַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר עָלָהּ לְקַבְּלָא עוֹנְשָׁא. בָּתַר דְּקַבִּילַת עוֹנְשָׁא, וּמָטֵי זִמְנָא לְאִתְדַּכְּאָה, כְּדֵין אִסְתָּלְקָא מִגֵּיהִנָּם, וְאִתְלַבְּנַת מֵחוֹבָהָא כְּפַרְזְלָא דְּאִתְלָבַּן בְּנוּרָא, וְסַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ, עַד דְּעָאלָת לְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא, וְאִסְתַּחֵי תַּמָּן בְּאִינּוּן מַיָּא, וְאִסְתַּחֵי בְּבוּסְמִין דְּתַמָּן. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שיר השירים) מְקֻטֶּרֶת מֹר וּלְבֹנָה. וְקַיְּימָא תַּמָּן עַד זִמְנָא דְּאִתְגְּזַר עָלֵיהּ לְאִתְרַחֲקָא מֵאֲתַר דְּיַתְבִין בֵּיהּ צַדִּיקַיָּא.
Afterwards both are punished by the hand of Dumah. The body is punished in the grave and the soul in the fire of Gehinnom for the appointed period. When this is completed she rises from Gehinnom purified of her guilt like iron purified in the fire, and she is carried up to the lower Garden of Eden, where she is cleansed in the waters of Paradise and perfumed with its spices, and there she remains till the time comes for her to depart from the abode of the righteous.
וְכַד מָטָא זִמְנָא לְסַלְּקָא, כְּדֵין סַלְּקִין עִמָּהּ, דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא, עַד דְּאִתְקְרִיבַת כְּקוּרְבְּנָא עַל מַדְבְּחָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן, כַּהֲנָא עִלָּאָה דִּלְעֵילָּא, הַאי נַפְשָׁא דְּלָא אִסְתְּאָבַת כָּל כַּךְ, בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, הַאי אִית לָהּ תְּקַנְתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא. וְאִי לָאו, (קהלת א׳:ט״ו) מְעֻוָּות לֹא יוּכַל לִתְקוֹן וְגוֹ'.
Then she is carried up stage after stage until she is brought near like a sacrifice to the altar. Hence it is written, “This shall be the law of the leper on the day of his cleansing: he shall be brought to the priest”, to wit, to the angelic Priest above. This is the fate of a soul which has not been defiled overmuch in this world, and which can yet be healed in this way; but otherwise, “that which is crooked cannot be made straight”.