One night R. Abba was sitting and studying the Torah, R. Jose and R. Hizkiah being with him. Said R. Jose: ‘How obtuse are mankind that they have no regard whatever for the things of the other world.’ Said R. Abba: ‘This is caused by the badness of their heart, which spreads through all the members of the body.’ He then cited the verse: “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon man” (Eccl. 6, 1). ‘The evil here referred to’, he said, ‘is the evil residing in the hardened heart that longs to obtain dominion in affairs of this world, but is altogether regardless of the other world.
Scripture continues: “a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth and honour…” (Ibid. 2). There is here an apparent contradiction, since it first says, “so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth”, and then goes on, “yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof’. If he is in want of nothing for himself, how can we say that God gives him not power to eat thereof? There is, however, an inner meaning here as in all the words of Solomon, and although we have to take note also of the outer garb, we must look deeper into the meaning of this verse, which is as follows.
There is a man to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, gives a certain riches which he may enjoy in the next world and which may remain with him as a capital, to wit, the ever-enduring capital, which consists of the realm of the bundle of souls. It is thus incumbent on man to reserve and leave behind him that capital, which he will receive after he has left this world. This capital is indeed the Tree of Life belonging to the other world, the fruit of which alone has any place or room in this world.
This capital is indeed the Tree of Life belonging to the other world, the fruit of which alone has any place or room in this world. The good man thus enjoys its fruit in this world whilst the capital remains for him for the other world, where he obtains the superior celestial life.
But if a man has sullied himself and followed his selfish desires, and “wanted nothing”, that is, abstained from gratifying no desire, then that Tree remains apart and will not acknowledge him on high, for “God giveth him not power to eat thereof’ and to have the reward of that riches, “but a stranger eateth it”, as we read elsewhere: “He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on” (Job 27, 17). It thus behoves man to use what the Holy One, blessed be He, has given him so as thereby to merit the next world. He will thus enjoy of it in this world and have the capital left for the next world to be bound up in the bundle of life.’ Said R. Jose: ‘Assuredly it is so.’
R. Jose further said: ‘It is written: AND IF THOU DEAL THUS WITH ME, KILL ME, I PRAY THEE, OUT OF HAND…. Is it likely’, he asked, ‘that Moses, the meekest of men, should have wished death for himself just because the Israelites asked him for food?’ R. Abba said in reply: ‘There is a deep mystery here which I have learnt. Moses did no evil in His sight, and his asking for death was not by reason of Israel’s asking for food.
Mark now, that Moses was attached to a high grade to which no other prophet attained. And so when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you” (Ex. 16, 4), he rejoiced, saying: Verily, there is completeness found in me, seeing that it is for my sake that the manna is now provided for Israel. But when Moses saw that they lowered themselves again to the other grade, and asked for flesh, “If so”, he said, “my own grade must be blemished, since it was for my sake that the Israelites have the manna in the wilderness.”
8
אָמַר וְאִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה לִי הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרוֹג, דַּחֲשִׁיבְנָא נוּקְבָּא בְּמֵיכְלָא דִּילָהּ, (ואנא נחית מן שמייא דאיהו דרגא עלאה, לנחתא לדרגא דנוקבא, ואנא עדיף מן שאר נביאי עלמא, ועל דא אמר ואל אראה (אחותי) ברעתי כמת ודאי לנחתא לדרגא תתאה.
He therefore besought death for himself rather than fall from his high grade.
רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה יָתִיב לֵילְיָא חַד, וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וַהֲווּ עִמֵּיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כַּמָה אִינּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא תַּקִיפוּ לִבָּא, דְּלָא מַשְׁגְחֵי בְּמִלֵּי דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא כְּלוּם. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, בִּשְׂרָא דְּלִבָּא, דַּאֲחִידָא בְּכָל שַׁיְיפֵי גּוּפָא, קָא עָבִיד לוֹן. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (קהלת ו׳:א׳) יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל הָאָדָם. יֵשׁ רָעָה: דָּא אִיהִי תּוּקְפָּא בִּישָׁא דְּלִבָּא, דְּבָעֵי לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּמִלֵּי דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח בְּמִלֵּי דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא מִדִי.
One night R. Abba was sitting and studying the Torah, R. Jose and R. Hizkiah being with him. Said R. Jose: ‘How obtuse are mankind that they have no regard whatever for the things of the other world.’ Said R. Abba: ‘This is caused by the badness of their heart, which spreads through all the members of the body.’ He then cited the verse: “There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon man” (Eccl. 6, 1). ‘The evil here referred to’, he said, ‘is the evil residing in the hardened heart that longs to obtain dominion in affairs of this world, but is altogether regardless of the other world.
אֲמַאי אִיהִי רָעָה. קְרָא דְּבַתְרֵיהּ אוֹכַח, דִּכְתִּיב אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹהִים עוֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְגוֹ'. הַאי קְרָא קַשְׁיָא, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר יִתְאַוְּה, אֲמַאי וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, דְּהָא אֵינוֹ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ כְּלוּם אֶלָּא. רָזָא אִיהוּ, וְכָל מִלּוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, מִתְלַבְּשָׁן אִינּוּן בְּמִלִּין אַחֲרָנִין, כְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִינּוּן מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בְּסִפּוּרֵי עָלְמָא.
Scripture continues: “a man to whom God giveth riches, wealth and honour…” (Ibid. 2). There is here an apparent contradiction, since it first says, “so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth”, and then goes on, “yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof’. If he is in want of nothing for himself, how can we say that God gives him not power to eat thereof? There is, however, an inner meaning here as in all the words of Solomon, and although we have to take note also of the outer garb, we must look deeper into the meaning of this verse, which is as follows.
תָּא חֲזֵי, אַף עַל גַּב דְּבָעֵינָן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בִּלְבוּשָׁא, הַשְׁתָּא הַאי קְרָא הָכִי קָאָמַר, דְּבַּר נָשׁ אָזִיל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עוּתְרָא, בְּגִין דְּיִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְיִשְׁתְּאַר לְגַבֵּיהּ קֶרֶן. מַאי קֶרֶן. הַהוּא דְּאִיהוּ קַיָּים, דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר לְאִתְצַרְרָא בֵּיהּ נִשְׁמְתָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ בָּעֵי לְאַשְׁאָרָא אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ (נ"א עותריה) לְהַאי קֶרֶן, וְהַאי קֶרֶן יְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ, בָּתַר דְּיִפּוֹק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא.
There is a man to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, gives a certain riches which he may enjoy in the next world and which may remain with him as a capital, to wit, the ever-enduring capital, which consists of the realm of the bundle of souls. It is thus incumbent on man to reserve and leave behind him that capital, which he will receive after he has left this world. This capital is indeed the Tree of Life belonging to the other world, the fruit of which alone has any place or room in this world.
בְּגִין דְּהַאי קֶּרֶן, הוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְלָא קַיְּימָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא הַהוּא אִיבָּא דְּנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ, וְעַל דָּא אִיבָּא דִּילֵיהּ אָכִיל בַּר נָשׁ, דְּזָכֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיְּימָא לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ בַּחַיִּין עִלָּאִין דִּלְעֵילָּא.
This capital is indeed the Tree of Life belonging to the other world, the fruit of which alone has any place or room in this world. The good man thus enjoys its fruit in this world whilst the capital remains for him for the other world, where he obtains the superior celestial life.
וּמַאן דְּסָאִיב גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְלֵיתֵיהּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ וּלְגַרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם. וְהַהוּא אִילָנָא אִשְׁתְּאַר, וְלָא שַׁוְיֵהּ לָקֳבְלֵיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ, וּלְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא. כְּדֵין וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, וּלְמִזְכֵּי בְּהַהוּא עוּתְרָא, וַדַּאי אִישׁ אַחֵר יֹאכְלֶנּוּ, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (איוב כ״ז:י״ז) יָכִין וְצַדִּיק יִלְבַּשׁ. בְּגִין כָּךְ, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמִזְכֵּי, בְּמַה דְּיָהִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וּכְדֵין אָכִיל מִינֵּיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְיִשְׁתְּאַר לְגַבֵּיהּ הַהוּא קֶרֶן לְעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא, לְמֶהֱוִי צְרוֹרָא בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וַדַּאי.
But if a man has sullied himself and followed his selfish desires, and “wanted nothing”, that is, abstained from gratifying no desire, then that Tree remains apart and will not acknowledge him on high, for “God giveth him not power to eat thereof’ and to have the reward of that riches, “but a stranger eateth it”, as we read elsewhere: “He may prepare it, but the just shall put it on” (Job 27, 17). It thus behoves man to use what the Holy One, blessed be He, has given him so as thereby to merit the next world. He will thus enjoy of it in this world and have the capital left for the next world to be bound up in the bundle of life.’ Said R. Jose: ‘Assuredly it is so.’
תּוּ אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כְּתִיב אִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה לִי הָרְגֵנִי נָא וְגוֹ' וְכִי מֹשֶׁה דְּאִיהוּ עָנָו מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּשָׁאִילוּ מִנֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵיכַל, מָסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ לַמִּיתָה, אֲמַאי. אָמַר רִבִּי אַבָּא, הַאי מִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא, וְרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ, מֹשֶׁה לָא אַבְאִישׁ קַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא שָׁאַל לַמִּיתָה עַל דְּשָׁאִילוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל.
R. Jose further said: ‘It is written: AND IF THOU DEAL THUS WITH ME, KILL ME, I PRAY THEE, OUT OF HAND…. Is it likely’, he asked, ‘that Moses, the meekest of men, should have wished death for himself just because the Israelites asked him for food?’ R. Abba said in reply: ‘There is a deep mystery here which I have learnt. Moses did no evil in His sight, and his asking for death was not by reason of Israel’s asking for food.
תָּא חֲזֵי, מֹשֶׁה אִתְאֲחָד, וַהֲוָה סָלִיק בְּמַה דְּלָא אִתְאֲחָד נְבִיאָה אַחֲרָא. (דהא אחיד צדקה הוי) וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְאֲמַר לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, (שמות ט״ז:ד׳) הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם. חַדֵּי מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר, וַדַּאי הַשְׁתָּא הַהוּא שְׁלִימוּ בִּי אִשְׁתְּכַח. דְּהָא בְּגִינַי אִשְׁתְּכַח מָן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה דְּאָהַדְרוּ לְנַחְתָּא לְדַרְגָּא אַחֲרָא, וְשָׁאִילּוּ בָּשָׂר, וְאָמְרֵי וְנַפְשֵׁנוּ קָצָה בַּלֶּחֶם הַקְּלוֹקֵל. אָמַר אִי הָכִי הוּא, הָא דַּרְגָּא דִּילִי פָּגִים. דְּהָא בְּגִינִי יֵיכְלוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מָן בְּמַדְבְּרָא (קפ"א), הָא אֲנָא פְּגִימָא, וְאַהֲרֹן פָּגִים, וְנַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עֲמִינָדָב פָּגִים.
Mark now, that Moses was attached to a high grade to which no other prophet attained. And so when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Behold, I will cause to rain bread from heaven for you” (Ex. 16, 4), he rejoiced, saying: Verily, there is completeness found in me, seeing that it is for my sake that the manna is now provided for Israel. But when Moses saw that they lowered themselves again to the other grade, and asked for flesh, “If so”, he said, “my own grade must be blemished, since it was for my sake that the Israelites have the manna in the wilderness.”
אָמַר וְאִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה לִי הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרוֹג, דַּחֲשִׁיבְנָא נוּקְבָּא בְּמֵיכְלָא דִּילָהּ, (ואנא נחית מן שמייא דאיהו דרגא עלאה, לנחתא לדרגא דנוקבא, ואנא עדיף מן שאר נביאי עלמא, ועל דא אמר ואל אראה (אחותי) ברעתי כמת ודאי לנחתא לדרגא תתאה.
He therefore besought death for himself rather than fall from his high grade.