Now Joshua the son of Jehozedek was a perfectly righteous man, a man who penetrated to the innermost shrine, who was admitted to the Heavenly Academy. All the members of the Academy assembled to consider his case. For it is the rule there that when one is brought to be tried a herald proclaims: All members of the Academy enter the secret chamber. Then the Court assembles
and the spirit of the man to be tried is brought up by two officers, and placed near a pillar of flashing flame which stands there and which is kept in shape by a current of air blowing on it. Now if any have on earth studied the Torah and given original explanations, their words have been immediately reported to the members of the Academy. They all now come to see him.
If his word was a fitting one, happy is he, for he is crowned with many radiant crowns by all the members of the Academy. If, however, his word was of another kind, alas for his disgrace. They thrust him outside, and he stands within the pillar until he is taken to his punishment. Heaven preserve us!
Others there are who are taken up there when the Holy One, blessed be He, is arguing with the members of the Academy and says: Who shall decide? Here is So-and-so, who will decide. And so they take him up there and he decides that matter in dispute between God and the members of the Academy. Others are taken up there to be chastised in order to become cleansed and purified.’
Said R. Jose to him: ‘If so, then a man departs this world without judgement; and if he departs after judgement, why is he judged a second time?’ He replied: ‘What I have learnt is that a man does indeed depart this world in judgement, but before he enters the place set aside for the righteous he is taken up to be tried (again) before the Heavenly Academy,
the official of Gehinnom standing there in order to pervert the judgement, if possible. Happy is he who emerges from the trial successfully; otherwise the officer of Gehinnom seizes him so soon as he is delivered into his power, and hurls him down to nether regions like a stone from a sling, and there he receives his punishment according to his sentence.
תָּא חֲזֵי, יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק צַדִּיק גָּמוּר הֲוָה, גַּבְרָא דְּהֲוָה עָאל לִפְנַי לִפְנִים, דְּעַיְילוּהּו לִמְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא. אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא תַּמָּן, לְעַיְּינָא בְּדִינֵיהּ. וְכַךְ אָרְחוֹי דְּהַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, כַּד עַיְילֵי לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, כָּרוֹזָא נָפִיק וְאַכְרִיז, כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא עוּלוּ לְאִדָּרָא טְמִירָא, וּבֵי דִּינָא מִתְכַּנְּשֵׁי.
Now Joshua the son of Jehozedek was a perfectly righteous man, a man who penetrated to the innermost shrine, who was admitted to the Heavenly Academy. All the members of the Academy assembled to consider his case. For it is the rule there that when one is brought to be tried a herald proclaims: All members of the Academy enter the secret chamber. Then the Court assembles
וְהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּבַר נָשׁ סַלְּקָא עַל יְדֵי דִּתְרֵי מְמָנָן, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל, קָרִיב לְגַבֵּי חַד עַמּוּדָא דְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא מְלָהֲטָא דְּקַיְּימָא תַּמָּן, ם וְאַגְּלִים בְּרוּחָא דַּאֲוִירָא דְּנָשִׁיב בְּהַהוּא עַמּוּדָא, וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן דְּסַלְּקִין לוֹן תַּמָּן. ם. בְּגִין דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמְחַדְּשֵׁי בָּהּ חִדּוּשִׁין, מִיַּד אַכְתּוּב לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי ם מְתִיבְתָּא אִינּוּן מִלִּין, כְּדֵין כָּל אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא אָתָאן לְמֵחמֵי לֵיהּ. אִינּוּן תְּרֵין מְמָנָן נָפְקִין, וְסַלְּקִין לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, מִיַּד קָרִיב לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא, דְּאַגְלִים תַּמָּן.
and the spirit of the man to be tried is brought up by two officers, and placed near a pillar of flashing flame which stands there and which is kept in shape by a current of air blowing on it. Now if any have on earth studied the Torah and given original explanations, their words have been immediately reported to the members of the Academy. They all now come to see him.
עָאל לִמְתִיבְתָּא, וְחָמָאן לֵיהּ. אִי מִלָּה כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ, כַּמָה עִטְרִין מְנַצְצָן, מְעַטְּרִין לֵיהּ כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא. וְאִי מִלָּה אַחֲרָא הֲוָה, וַוי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא, דַּחְיָין לֵיהּ לְבַר, וְקָאִים גּוֹ עַמּוּדָא, עַד דְּעַיְילֵי לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵׁיזְבָן.
If his word was a fitting one, happy is he, for he is crowned with many radiant crowns by all the members of the Academy. If, however, his word was of another kind, alas for his disgrace. They thrust him outside, and he stands within the pillar until he is taken to his punishment. Heaven preserve us!
וְאִית אַחֲרָנִין דְּסַלְּקִין לוֹן תַּמָּן, כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּפְלוּגְתָא בִּבְנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא, וְאַמְרֵי מַאן מוֹכַח, הָא פְּלוֹנִי דְּאוֹכַח מִלָּה. כְּדֵין סַלְּקִין לֵיהּ תַּמָּן, וְאוֹכַח הַהוּא מִלָּה בֵּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּבֵין בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא. וְאִית אַחֲרָנִין דְּסַלְּקִין לוֹן תַּמָּן לְדִינָא, וְדַיְינִין לֵיהּ תַּמָּן, לְבָרְרָא לוֹן, וּלְלַבְּנָא לוֹן.
Others there are who are taken up there when the Holy One, blessed be He, is arguing with the members of the Academy and says: Who shall decide? Here is So-and-so, who will decide. And so they take him up there and he decides that matter in dispute between God and the members of the Academy. Others are taken up there to be chastised in order to become cleansed and purified.’
אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי הָכִי בְּלָא דִּינָא אִתְפְּטַר בַּר נָשׁ וְאִסְתַּלָּק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. וְאִי בְּדִינָא אִסְתַּלָּק, אֲמַאי אִתְּדָּן זִמְנָא אַחֲרִינָא. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, וְהָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא, דְּהָא וַדַּאי בְּדִינָא אִסְתַּלָּק בַּר נָשׁ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, אֲבָל עַד לָא יֵיעוּל לִמְחִיצָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, סַלְקֵי לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, וְתַמָּן אִתְּדָּן בְּהַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא.
Said R. Jose to him: ‘If so, then a man departs this world without judgement; and if he departs after judgement, why is he judged a second time?’ He replied: ‘What I have learnt is that a man does indeed depart this world in judgement, but before he enters the place set aside for the righteous he is taken up to be tried (again) before the Heavenly Academy,
וְתַמָּן קַיְּימָא הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם לְאַסְטָאָה. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּזָכֵי מִן דִּינָא, וְאִי לָאו הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם נָטִיל לֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַסְרִין לֵיהּ בִּידוֹי, וּמִקְלַע לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן לְתַתָּא, כְּמַאן דְּמִקְלַע אַבְנָא בְּקַרְטִיפָא (ס"א בקוספיתא) דִּכְתִּיב, (שמואל א כ״ה:כ״ט) וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע וְגוֹ'. וְשַׁדֵּי לֵיהּ לְגֵּיהִנָם, וְקַבִּיל עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ כְּפוּם מַה דְּאִתְדָּן.
the official of Gehinnom standing there in order to pervert the judgement, if possible. Happy is he who emerges from the trial successfully; otherwise the officer of Gehinnom seizes him so soon as he is delivered into his power, and hurls him down to nether regions like a stone from a sling, and there he receives his punishment according to his sentence.