It is fitting for a man’, he said, ‘that while the lamp is burning over his head he should strive to do the will of his Master, because the light of that lamp is the might that rests upon him, as it is written, “And now I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great” (Num. 14, 17). The “power of the Lord” is the might that rests on the heads of the righteous, and of all who strive to carry out the will of their Master, and therefore we have learnt that when one makes the response, “Amen, may his great name be blessed”, he should do so with all the might of his limbs,
The verse continues: “Because there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest”. In that “might”, however, there is work, namely, effort in this world, which is called “the world of work”; “device” in the world that depends on speech, “knowledge” of the “six sides”, which are called “the world of Thought”, and wisdom on which all depends.
Hence a man who does not labour with his “might” in this world to bring it into “work and device and knowledge and wisdom”, will eventually enter into Gehinnom, where there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom.
For all men go down to Sheol, but they come up again at once, save those sinners who never harboured thoughts of repentance, and who go down and do not come up. Even the completely righteous go down there, but they only go down in order to bring up certain sinners from there, to wit, those who thought of repenting in this world, but were not able to do so in time before they departed from it. The righteous go down and bring these up.
אוּף הוּא פָּתַח וְאָמַר, מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דרִבִּי פִּנְחָס (קהלת ט׳:י׳) כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תִּמְצָא יָדְךָ לַעֲשׂוֹת בְּכֹחֲךָ עֲשֵׂה וְגוֹ', כַּמָה יָאוּת לֵיהּ לְבַּר נָשׁ בְּעוֹד דְּבוּצִינָא דָּלִיק וְשַׁרְיָא עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא וּלְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. בְּגִין דְּהַהוּא נְהוֹרָא דְּבוּצִינָא, אִיהִי כֹּ"חַ דְּשַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (במדבר י״ד:י״ז) יִגְדַּל נָא כֹּחַ יְיָ. כֹּחַ יְיָ, דָּא הוּא כֹּחַ, דְּשַׁרְיָא עַל רֵישֵׁיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, וְכֹל אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלִין בִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן. וְעַל דָּא תָּנֵינָן, כָּל הָעוֹנֶה אָמֵן יְהֵא שְׁמֵיהּ רַבָּא מְבָרַךְ בְּכָל כֹּחוֹ. (דא איהו כחו)
It is fitting for a man’, he said, ‘that while the lamp is burning over his head he should strive to do the will of his Master, because the light of that lamp is the might that rests upon him, as it is written, “And now I pray thee, let the power of the Lord be great” (Num. 14, 17). The “power of the Lord” is the might that rests on the heads of the righteous, and of all who strive to carry out the will of their Master, and therefore we have learnt that when one makes the response, “Amen, may his great name be blessed”, he should do so with all the might of his limbs,
ודַּאי אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְּעָרָא כָּל שַׁיְיפוֹי בְּחֵילָא תַּקִּיף בְּגִין דִּבְאִתְּעָרוּתָא תַּקִּיף דְּאִתָּקַף, אִתְּעַר הַהוּא כֹּחַ קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה, וְאִסְתַּלָּק גּוֹ קוּדְשָׁא וְאִתְּבַּר חֵילָא וְתּוּקְפָּא דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא. וְעַל דָּא בְּכֹחֲךָ, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתָא דְּמָארָךְ.
because through that effort he awakens that supernal holy might and breaks the power and might of the “other side”.
כִּי אֵין מַעֲשֵׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְגוֹ', בְּגִין דִּבְהַהוּא כֹּחַ אִית מַעֲשֶׂה, אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּתָא לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא דְּאִקְרֵי מַעֲשֵׂה, עָלְמָא דְּעוֹבָדָא, לְמִשְׁלָם סוֹפָא דְּמַחֲשָׁבָה. וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן, דָּא הוּא עָלְמָא, דְּתַלְיָא בְּדִבּוּרָא, דְּהָא חֶשְׁבּוֹן בְּדִבּוּרָא תַּלְיָיא. וְעַל דָּא, כָּל גִּימַטְרִיּאוֹת, וּתְקוּפִין, וְעִבּוּרִין דְּעָלְמָא, בְּסִיהֲרָא הֲווֹ. וְדַעַת, דָּא אִיהוּ רָזָא דְּשִׁית סִטְרִין, דְּתַּלְיָין בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה, וְאִקְרוּן עָלְמָא דְּהַהוּא מַחֲשָׁבָה. וְחָכְמָה, דְּכֹלָּא תַּלְיָיא מִנֵּיהּ.
The verse continues: “Because there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whither thou goest”. In that “might”, however, there is work, namely, effort in this world, which is called “the world of work”; “device” in the world that depends on speech, “knowledge” of the “six sides”, which are called “the world of Thought”, and wisdom on which all depends.
וְכָל אִלֵּין כְּלִילָן בְּהַהוּא כֹּחַ, מַה דְּלָאו הָכִי בְּסִטְרָא דִּשְׁאוֹל, דַּרְגָּא דְּגֵיהִנָּם. דְּהָא כָּל בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּהַאי כֹּ"חַ, בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, לְאַעְלָאָה בֵּיהּ, בְּמַעֲשֶׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וָדַעַת וְחָכְמָה, סוֹפֵיהּ לְאַעְלָאָה בַּשְּׁאוֹל, דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ מַעֲשֵׂה וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וְדַעַת וְחָכְמָה. דְּהָא סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, אֹרַח שְׁאוֹל אִיהִי, דִּכְתִּיב, (משלי ז׳:כ״ז) דַּרְכֵי שְׁאוֹל בֵּיתָהּ. מַאן דְּאִתְרַפֵּי מֵהַאי כֹּ"חַ קַדִּישָׁא, אַתְּקַף בֵּיהּ סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, דִּשְׁאוֹל בֵּיתָהּ.
Hence a man who does not labour with his “might” in this world to bring it into “work and device and knowledge and wisdom”, will eventually enter into Gehinnom, where there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom.
אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה הוֹלֵךְ שָׁמָּה, וְכִי כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא אָזְלֵי לִשְׁאוֹל. אִין. אֲבָל סַלְּקִין מִיַּד, דִּכְתִּיב, (שמואל א ב׳:ו׳) מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל. בַּר אִינּוּן חַיָּיבִין, דְּלָא הִרְהֵרוּ תְּשׁוּבָה לְעָלְמִין, דְּנַחְתִּין וְלָא סַלְּקִין. וַאֲפִילּוּ צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִים נַחְתִּין תַּמָּן. אֲמַאי נַחְתִּין. בְּגִין דְּנַטְלִין כַּמָה חַיָּיבִין מִתַּמָּן, וְסַלְּקִין לוֹן לְעֵילָּא. (ותמן עבדין לון להרהר בתשובה) וּמַאן אִינּוּן. אִינּוּן דְּהִרְהֵרוּ בִּתְשׁוּבָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא יָכִילוּ, וְאִסְתְּלָּקוּ מִן עָלְמָא. וְצַדִּיקַיָּיא נַחְתִּין בְּגִינֵיהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבִין גּוֹ שְׁאוֹל, וְנַטְלִין לוֹן, וְסַלְּקִין לוֹן מִן תַּמָּן.
For all men go down to Sheol, but they come up again at once, save those sinners who never harboured thoughts of repentance, and who go down and do not come up. Even the completely righteous go down there, but they only go down in order to bring up certain sinners from there, to wit, those who thought of repenting in this world, but were not able to do so in time before they departed from it. The righteous go down and bring these up.