We have learnt that the sinners of Gehinnom are in different storeys, and that Gehinnom has a number of gates corresponding to those of the Garden of Eden, each with its own name. There is one storey lower than all the rest which consists of a storey on a storey, and this is called the nether Sheol, “sheol,’ being one storey and “nether” another below it.
We have learnt that he who descends to Abadon, which is called “nether”, never ascends again, and he is called “a man who has been wiped out from all worlds”. To this place they take down those who scorn to answer Amen, and for all the amens which they have neglected they are judged in Gehinnom and taken down to that lowest storey which has no outlet, and from which they never ascend. Of such it is written, “As the cloud is consumed and withereth away, so he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more” (Job 7, 9); this refers to that nether storey.’
R. Jose cited the verse: “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2, 13). ‘ “They have forsaken me”, by refusing to sanctify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Amen; and their punishment is “to hew out broken cisterns”, by being taken down to Gehinnom storey after storey till they reach Abadon, which is called “nether”. But if one sanctifies the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, by answering Amen with all his heart, he ascends grade after grade till he is regaled with that World-to-come which perennially issues forth.’
תָּאנָא, חַיָּיבֵי דְּגֵיהִנָּם, כֻּלְּהוּ סַלְקֵי בִּמְדוֹרִין יְדִיעָן, וְכַמָּה פִּתְחִין אִית לֵיהּ לַגֵיהִנָּם, וְכֻלְּהוּ פִּתְחִין לָקֳבֵל פִּתְחִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאַפְקֵי לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבַיָּא דְּקַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשַׁיְיהוּ, אִינּוּן פַּתְחֵי פְּתִיחִין, וְשַׁוְּיָין (ס"א ושאבין) לוֹן לְבַר. וְכֻלְּהוּ פִּתְחִין בִּשְׁמָהָן אִקְרוּן, לָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן דְּפִתְחִין דְּגַן עֵדֶן, וְכָל פִּתְחָא וּפִתְחָא, אִקְרֵי שְׁמָא, לָקֳבְלֵי הַהוּא פִּתְחָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן פִּתְחִין לָקֳבְלֵיהוֹן פִּתְחִין, אִינּוּן פִּתְחִין דְגַּן עֵדֶן.
בַּגֵיהִנָּם אִית מָדוֹרָא בַּתְרָאָה תַּתָּאָה דְּכֻלְּהוּ, וְהַהוּא מָדוֹרָא הֲוֵי מָדוֹרָא עַל מָדוֹרָא, וְאִקְּרֵי (איוב י׳:כ״ב) אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה. מַהוּ עֵיפָתָה. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות כ״ח:ט״ז) רָבוּעַ יִהְיֶה כָּפוּל, וּמְתַּרְגְמִינָן מְרוּבַּע יִהְיֶה עִיף, אוּף הָכָא עֵיפָתָה, כְּלוֹמַר כְּפוּלָה. וְהַהוּא אִקְרֵי שְׁאוֹל תַּחְתִּית, שְׁאוֹל הוּא מָדוֹרָא חַד. תַּחְתִּית, הוּא מָדוֹרָא תַּתָּאָה. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי אֶרֶץ עֵיפָתָה תַּחְתִּית, וְאִקְרֵי אֲבַדּוֹן. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (משלי כז) שְׁאוֹל וַאֲבַדּוֹן. וְכֻלְּהוּ מָדוֹרִין לָא אַכְפָּלוּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ לָא עַיְיפִין בַּר מֵהַאי.
We have learnt that the sinners of Gehinnom are in different storeys, and that Gehinnom has a number of gates corresponding to those of the Garden of Eden, each with its own name. There is one storey lower than all the rest which consists of a storey on a storey, and this is called the nether Sheol, “sheol,’ being one storey and “nether” another below it.
וְתָאנָא, מַאן דְּנָחִית לַאֲבַדּוֹן דְּאִקְרֵי תַּחְתִּית, לָא סָלִיק לְעָלְמִין. וְהַהוּא אִקְרֵי גֶּבֶר דְּאִשְׁתְּצֵי וְאִתְאֲבִיד מִכֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין. וְתָאנָא, לְהַהוּא אֲתָר נַחְתִּין לְהַנְהוּ גַּבְרֵי דִּמְבַזֵּי לְאָתָבָא אָמֵן, וְעַל אָמֵן סַגִּיאִין דְּאִתְאֲבִידוּ מִנֵּיהּ, דְּלָא חָשִׁיב לְהוּ, דַּיְינִין לֵיהּ בַּגֵיהִנָּם, וְנַחְתִּין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא מָדוֹרָא תַּתָּאָה, דְּלֵית בָּהּ פִּתְחָא, וְאִתְאֲבִיד וְלָא סָלִיק מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, (איוב ז׳:ט׳-י׳) כָּלָה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לָא יַעֲלֶה. וְלָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב (יונה ב׳:ג׳) מִבֶּטֶן שְׁאוֹל שִׁוַּעְתִּי שָׁמַעְתָּ וְגוֹ'. וּכְתִיב (שמואל א ב׳:ו׳) מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל. אֶלָּא הָכָא שְׁאוֹל, הָתָם תַּחְתִּית. וְאוֹקִימְנָא הָא דְּאַהְדָּר בֵּיהּ, הָא דְּלָא אַהְדָּר בֵּיהּ.
We have learnt that he who descends to Abadon, which is called “nether”, never ascends again, and he is called “a man who has been wiped out from all worlds”. To this place they take down those who scorn to answer Amen, and for all the amens which they have neglected they are judged in Gehinnom and taken down to that lowest storey which has no outlet, and from which they never ascend. Of such it is written, “As the cloud is consumed and withereth away, so he that goeth down to Sheol shall come up no more” (Job 7, 9); this refers to that nether storey.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, מַאי דִּכְתִּיב, (ירמיהו ב׳:י״ג) כִּי שְׁתַּיִם רָעוֹת עָשָׂה עַמִּי אוֹתִי עָזְבוּ מְקוֹר מַיִם חַיִּים לַחְצוֹב לָהֶם בֹּארוֹת וְגוֹ'. אוֹתִי עָזְבוּ מְקוֹר מַיִם חַיִּים, דָּא הוּא דְּלָא בָּעֵי לְקַדְּשָׁא שְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּאָמֵן. מַאי עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ. כְּתִיב לַחְצוֹב לָהֶם בֹּארוֹת בֹּארוֹת נִשְׁבָּרִים, דְּנַחְתִּין לַגֵּיהִנָּם דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא, עַד דְּנַחְתִּין לַאֲבַדּוֹן דְּאִקְרֵי תַּחְתִּית. וְאִי אִיהוּ קַדִּישׁ שְׁמָא דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְכַוְּונָה בְּאָמֵן כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת, סָלִיק דַּרְגָּא בָּתַר דַּרְגָּא, לְאִתְעַדְּנָא מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, דְּנָגִיד תָּדִיר לָא פָּסִיק, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ל״א:כ״ד) אֱמוּנִים נוֹצֵר יְיָ' וּמְשַׁלֵּם עַל יֶתֶר עוֹשֵׂה גַּאֲוָה.
R. Jose cited the verse: “For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and have hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jer. 2, 13). ‘ “They have forsaken me”, by refusing to sanctify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Amen; and their punishment is “to hew out broken cisterns”, by being taken down to Gehinnom storey after storey till they reach Abadon, which is called “nether”. But if one sanctifies the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, by answering Amen with all his heart, he ascends grade after grade till he is regaled with that World-to-come which perennially issues forth.’