R. Simeon purified the streets of Tiberias, removing all dead bodies from there.’1v. T. B. Sabbath, 33b, 34a. R. Judah said: ‘Happy he whose lot it is during his lifetime to abide in the holy land; for such a one draws down the dew from the heavens above upon the earth, and whoever is attached to this holy land in his lifetime becomes attached afterwards to a supernal holy land.
But of those who do not live there but are brought there to be buried, the Scripture says: “Ye have made my inheritance an abomination” (Jer. 2, 7). His spirit leaves him in a strange land and his body comes to rest in the holy land; he turns holy into profane and profane into holy. But if one dies in the holy land his sins are forgiven and he is taken under the wings of the Shekinah. Further, if he is worthy, he continually draws to himself a holy spirit, but he that lives in a strange land draws to himself a strange spirit.
We have learnt that when R. Hamnuna the Elder went up to Eretz Israel he was accompanied by twelve members of his academy. He said to them: If I go on this way it is not for myself, but to restore the pledge1His soul. to its owner. We have learnt that all who do not attain to this in their lifetime restore the pledge of their Master to another’.
R. Isaac said: ‘Consequently, if anyone takes those evil spirits or foreign powers into the land it becomes defiled, and woe to that man and his soul, because the holy land does not receive him again.’
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה מַדְכֵּי טוּרֵי (ס"א שוקי) דִּטְבֶרְיָא, וְכָל דְּהֲוָה תַּמָּן מִית, הֲוָה סָלִיק לֵיהּ, וּמְדַכֵּי אַרְעָא. תָּאנָא, כְּתִיב (ירמיהו ב׳:ז׳) וַתָּבֹאוּ וַתְּטַמְּאוּ אֶת אַרְצִי וְגוֹ', אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ מַאן דְּזָכֵי בְּחַיּיוֹי לְמִשְׁרֵי מָדוֹרָא בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. דְּכָל מַאן דְּזָכֵי לָהּ, זָכֵי לְאַנְגְּדָא מִטַּלָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא דִּלְעֵילָּא, דְּנָחִית עַל אַרְעָא. וְכָל מַאן דְּזָכֵי לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בְּחַיּיוֹי בְּהַאי אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, זָכֵי לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא לְבָתַר בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה.
R. Simeon purified the streets of Tiberias, removing all dead bodies from there.’1v. T. B. Sabbath, 33b, 34a. R. Judah said: ‘Happy he whose lot it is during his lifetime to abide in the holy land; for such a one draws down the dew from the heavens above upon the earth, and whoever is attached to this holy land in his lifetime becomes attached afterwards to a supernal holy land.
וְכָל מַאן דְּלָא זָכֵי בְּחַיּוֹי, וּמַיְיתִין לֵיהּ לְאִתְקַבְּרָא תַּמָּן, עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, (ירמיהו ב׳:ז׳) וְנַחֲלָתִי שַׂמְתֶּם לְתוֹעֵבָה. רוּחֵיהּ נָפִיק בִּרְשׁוּתָא נוּכְרָאָה אָחֳרָא, וְגוּפֵיהּ אָתֵי תְּחוֹת רְשׁוּתָא דְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, כִּבְיָכוֹל עָבִיד קֹדֶשׁ חוֹל, וְחוֹל קֹדֶשׁ. וְכָל מַאן דְּזָכֵי לְמֵיפַּק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, אִתְכְּפָּרוּ חוֹבוֹי, וְזָכֵי לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא תְּחוֹת גַּדְפּוֹי דִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, דִּכְתִּיב, (דברים ל״ב:מ״ג) וְכִפֶּר אַדְמָתוֹ עַמּוֹ. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא אִי זָכֵי בְּחַיּיוֹי, זָכֵי לְאִתְמַשְּׁכָא עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא תָּדִיר, וְכָל מַאן דְּיָתִיב בִּרְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא, אִתְמְשַׁךְ עָלֵיהּ רוּחָא אָחֳרָא נוּכְרָאָה.
But of those who do not live there but are brought there to be buried, the Scripture says: “Ye have made my inheritance an abomination” (Jer. 2, 7). His spirit leaves him in a strange land and his body comes to rest in the holy land; he turns holy into profane and profane into holy. But if one dies in the holy land his sins are forgiven and he is taken under the wings of the Shekinah. Further, if he is worthy, he continually draws to himself a holy spirit, but he that lives in a strange land draws to himself a strange spirit.
תָּאנָא, כַּד סָלִיק רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא לְהָתָם, הֲווֹ עִמֵּיהּ תְּרֵיסָר בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא דִּילֵיהּ, אָמַר לוֹן, אִי אֲנָא אָזִיל לְאָרְחָא דָּא, לָאו עַל דִּידִי קָא עֲבִידְנָא, אֶלָּא לְאָתָבָא פִּקְדוֹנָא לְמָארֵיהּ. תָּנֵינָן כָּל אִינּוּן דְּלָא זָכוּ לְהַאי בְּחַיּיוֹי, אָתִיבִין פִּקְדוֹנָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן לְאָחֳרָא.
We have learnt that when R. Hamnuna the Elder went up to Eretz Israel he was accompanied by twelve members of his academy. He said to them: If I go on this way it is not for myself, but to restore the pledge1His soul. to its owner. We have learnt that all who do not attain to this in their lifetime restore the pledge of their Master to another’.
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, כָּל מַאן דְּאַעְבָּר מֵאִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין, אוֹ רְשׁוּתָא אָחֳרָא בְּאַרְעָא, אַרְעָא אִסְתְּאָבַת, וַוי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא גְּבַר, וַוי לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ, דְּהָא אַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא לָא מְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ לְבָתַר. עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, (תהילים ק״ד:ל״ה) יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וּבָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם, בִּתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, כְּדֵין בָּרַכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְיָ' הַלְלוּיָהּ.
R. Isaac said: ‘Consequently, if anyone takes those evil spirits or foreign powers into the land it becomes defiled, and woe to that man and his soul, because the holy land does not receive him again.’