It is written: “Happy is the man whom thou choosest, and bringest near, that he may dwell in thy courts”, that is, those whom the Holy One brings near unto Him, those souls who mount from below on high so as to possess themselves of the heritage prepared for them; “that he may dwell in thy courts”, to wit, the outer halls and grades, referred to in the words, “then I will give thee free access among these that stand by” (Zech. 3, 7), i.e. a grade among the supernal holy angels.
Those who attain that grade are messengers of the Lord, on an equality with the angels, and are constantly being used in the service of their Master, because in life they always strove to remain holy and keep afar from impurity.
Contrariwise, whoever pollutes himself in this world draws to himself the spirit of uncleanness, and when his soul leaves him the unclean spirits pollute it, and its habitation is among them. For according to a man’s strivings in this world is his habitation in the next world; kence such a man is polluted by the spirits of uncleanness and cast into Gehinnom.
Thus whoever sanctifies himself and is on his guard against defilement in this world finds his habitation in the next world among the supernal holy angels, where they carry out God’s messages. These are they who abide in the court-“the court of the Tabernacle” (Ex. 27, 9).
But there are others who penetrate further, of whom David said, “we will be satisfied with the goodness of thy house” (Ps. 65, 5). (The use of the term “we” here instead of “he”, as we should have expected, is explained by the dictum that in the Temple Court no seats are permitted save to the kings of the Davidic dynasty.)
Still further within is a compartment reserved for the pious of a higher grade, referred to in the verse, “and those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, etc.” (Num. 3, 38). Thus there is in the next world a gradation of glorious abodes and resplendent lights, each outshining the other. ‘As the works of the righteous differ in this world, so do their places and lights differ in the next world.
Further, it has been laid down that even in this world, when men sleep at night and their souls leave them and flit about through the world, not every one alike rises to behold the glory of the Ancient of Days, but each one in proportion to a man’s constancy of attachment to God and to his good deeds.
The soul of the man who is besmirched, when it leaves the body asleep, meets with throngs of unclean spirits of the infernal orders traversing the universe, who take her up and to whom she clings. They disclose to her events about to come to pass in the world; occasionally they delude her with false information. This has been already stated elsewhere.
But the soul of the worthy man, when it leaves him in sleep, ascends and cleaves its way through the unclean spirits, which cry aloud, “Make way, make way! Here is one not belonging to our side!” The soul then ascends among the holy angels, who communicate to it some true information.
When the soul is on its descent again, all those malignant bands are eager to meet it in order to obtain from it that information, in exchange for which they impart to it many other things. But the one thing it learnt from the holy angels is to those other things as grain to chaff. This is a rare privilege for one whose soul is still in this world.
Similar adventures await the souls when they altogether leave the body to depart from this world. In their attempt to soar upwards they have to pass through many gates at which bands of demons are stationed. These seize the souls that are of their side and deliver them into the hands of Duma in order that he may take them into Gehinnom.
They then seize them again and ascend, and make proclamation concerning them, saying, “These are they who transgressed the commands of their Lord.” They then sweep through the universe and bring the souls back to Gehinnom. This procedure goes on for the whole of the first twelve months. After that they are assigned each to its appropriate place. On the other hand, the worthy souls soar upwards, as already explained, and are assigned the places corresponding to their merits.
Happy, therefore, are the righteous, for whom many boons are reserved in the next world. But for none is a more interior abode reserved than for those who penetrate into the divine mystical doctrines and enter each day into close union with their Divine Master. Of such it is written, “What no eye hath seen, O God, beside thee, that will he do for those who wait for him” (Is. 64, 3).
The word “wait” here has a parallel in the verse, “now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job” (Job 32, 4), and refers to those who are importunate for any word of esoteric wisdom, who study it minutely and patiently to discover its true significance and so to gain knowledge of their Lord. These are those in whom their Master glorifies Himself each day, who enter the company of the supernal holy angels, and pass through all the celestial gates without let or hindrance. Happy their portion in this world and the next!
In this way Abraham penetrated into the Divine Wisdom and united himself with his Divine Master after he had duly prepared himself by a life of pious deeds. He thus merited those supernal days, and received blessings from the region whence all blessings flow, as it is written, “And the Lord blessed Abraham ba-kol” (in all things), where the term kol is the designation of the river the waters of which never fail.’
R. Hiya said: ‘Observe that Abraham abstained from intermarrying with other nations and from attaching himself to idolatrous peoples. For the women of idolatrous nations pollute their husbands and those who come into close contact with them. But Abraham, having penetrated into the mystic doctrines of Wisdom, knew the source whence the unclean spirits emerge to traverse the universe, and it was for this reason that he adjured his servant not to take a wife for his son from other nations.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אַתְרִין מְתוּקָנִין לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא, וּבְכֻלְּהוּ בֵּי מוֹתְבֵי לוֹן לַצַּדִּיקִים. כָּל חַד וְחַד לְפוּם דַּרְגֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ.
For there are many abodes prepared by the Holy One, blessed be He, for the righteous in the next world, each one according to his grade.
כְּתִיב, (תהילים ס״ה:ה׳) אַשְׁרֵי תִּבְחַר וּתְקָרֵב יִשְׁכֹּן חֲצֵרֶיךָ, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא קָרִיב לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ דְּסָלְקִין אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין מִתַּתָּא לְעֵילָא וּלְאִתְאַחֲדָא בְּאַחְסַנְתֵּיהוֹן דְּאִתְתַּקְנָן לְהוּ. יִשְׁכֹּן חֲצֵרֶיךָ, אִלֵּין אַתְרִין וְדַרְגִּין לְבַר, וּמַאן אִינוּן, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (זכריה ג׳:ז׳) וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ מַהְלְכִים בֵּין הָעוֹמְדִים הָאֵלֶּה. וְהַאי הוּא דַּרְגָּא בֵּין קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין.
It is written: “Happy is the man whom thou choosest, and bringest near, that he may dwell in thy courts”, that is, those whom the Holy One brings near unto Him, those souls who mount from below on high so as to possess themselves of the heritage prepared for them; “that he may dwell in thy courts”, to wit, the outer halls and grades, referred to in the words, “then I will give thee free access among these that stand by” (Zech. 3, 7), i.e. a grade among the supernal holy angels.
וּמַאן דְּזַכָּאִין לְדַרְגָּא דָא, אִינוּן שְׁלִיחָן דְּמָארֵי עַלְמָא כְּאִינוּן מַלְאָכִין וְעָבְדִין שְׁלִיחוּתָא תָּדִיר בִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארִיהוֹן, בְּגִין דְּאִלֵּין (אתקדשו) תָּדִיר בִּקְדוּשָּׁה וְלָא אִסְתָּאֲבוּ.
Those who attain that grade are messengers of the Lord, on an equality with the angels, and are constantly being used in the service of their Master, because in life they always strove to remain holy and keep afar from impurity.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא, מַאן דְּאִסְתָּאַב בְּהַאי עַלְמָא אִיהוּ מָשִׁיךְ עֲלֵיהּ רוּחַ מְסָאָב, וְכַד נָפַק נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ וּמְדוֹרֵיהּ בֵּין אִינוּן מְסָאֲבִין וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן מַזִּיקִין דְּעַלְמָא. כְּמָה דְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בַּר נָשׁ גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא הָכִי הוּא מְדוֹרֵיהּ וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא (נט ואינון רוחי מסאבי מסאבין ליה ואעלין ליה לגיהנם.)
Contrariwise, whoever pollutes himself in this world draws to himself the spirit of uncleanness, and when his soul leaves him the unclean spirits pollute it, and its habitation is among them. For according to a man’s strivings in this world is his habitation in the next world; kence such a man is polluted by the spirits of uncleanness and cast into Gehinnom.
תָּא חֲזֵי מַאן דְּאִתְקַדַּשׁ וְנָטִיר גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא דְּלָא אִסְתָּאַב. מְדוֹרֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא בֵּין אִינוּן קַדִּישִׁין עִלָּאִין וְעָבְדִין שְׁלִיחוּתָא תָּדִיר, וְאִלֵּין קָיְימֵי בַּחָצֵר כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (שמות כ״ז:ט׳) אֵת חֲצַר הַמִּשְׁכָּן.
Thus whoever sanctifies himself and is on his guard against defilement in this world finds his habitation in the next world among the supernal holy angels, where they carry out God’s messages. These are they who abide in the court-“the court of the Tabernacle” (Ex. 27, 9).
וְאִית אָחֳרָנִין דְּאִינוּן לְגוֹ יַתִּיר, דְּלָאו אִינוּן בַּחָצֵר אֶלָּא בְּבֵיתָא כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר, (תהילים ס״ה:ה׳) נִשְׂבְּעָה בְּטוּב בֵּיתֶךָ. אָמַר דָּוִד נִשְׂבְּעָה בְּטוּב בֵּיתֶךָ, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר יִשְׁכֹּן חֲצֵרֶיךָ, אַמַּאי כְּתִיב נִשְׂבְּעָה בְּטוּב בֵּיתֶךָ, יִשְׂבַּע בְּטוּב בֵּיתֶךָ מִיבָּעֵי לֵיהּ כְּמָה דִכְתִיב יִשְׁכֹּן. אֶלָּא הָא תָּנִינָן לֵית יְשִׁיבָה בָּעֲזָרָה אֶלָּא לְמַלְכֵי בֵּית דָּוִד בִּלְחוּדַיְיהוּ.
But there are others who penetrate further, of whom David said, “we will be satisfied with the goodness of thy house” (Ps. 65, 5). (The use of the term “we” here instead of “he”, as we should have expected, is explained by the dictum that in the Temple Court no seats are permitted save to the kings of the Davidic dynasty.)
וְאִית אֲתַר לַחֲסִידֵי עֶלְיוֹנִין דְּעַיְילֵי לְגוֹ, וּמַאי אִינוּן, כְּדִכְתִיב, (במדבר ג׳:ל״ח) וְהַחוֹנִים לִפְנֵי הַמִּשְׁכָּן קֵדְמָה לִפְנֵי אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מִזְרָחָה משֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וּבָנָיו וְגו'. וְכַמָּה מָדוֹרִין עַל מָדוֹרִין וּנְהוֹרִין עַל נְהוֹרִין מִתְפָּרְשָׁן בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא, וְכָל חַד אִכְסִיף מִנְּהוֹרָא דְּחַבְרֵיהּ, כְּמָה דְעוֹבָדִין אִתְפָּרְשָׁן בְּהַאי עַלְמָא הָכִי נָמֵי דּוּכְתִּין וּנְהוֹרִין מִתְפָּרְשָׁן בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.
Still further within is a compartment reserved for the pious of a higher grade, referred to in the verse, “and those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, etc.” (Num. 3, 38). Thus there is in the next world a gradation of glorious abodes and resplendent lights, each outshining the other. ‘As the works of the righteous differ in this world, so do their places and lights differ in the next world.
וְתָא חֲזֵי הָא אִתְּמָר דְּאָפִילּוּ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא כַּד בַּר נָשׁ נָּאִים עַל עַרְסֵיהּ, וְנִשְׁמָתִין אִצְטְרִיכוּ לְאִתְשׁוֹטְטָא בְּעַלְמָא וְנָפְקוּ מִגּוֹ גּוּפָא, לָאו כָּל נִשְׁמָתָא וְנִשְׁמָתָא סַלְקָא וְשַׁטְיָא לְמֶחזֵי בִּיקָר סֵבֶר אַפֵּי דְּעַתִּיק יוֹמִין, אֶלָּא כְּמָא דְאִתְמְשִׁיךְ תָּדִיר וּכְפוּם עוֹבָדֵי הָכִי נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ סָלְקָא.
Further, it has been laid down that even in this world, when men sleep at night and their souls leave them and flit about through the world, not every one alike rises to behold the glory of the Ancient of Days, but each one in proportion to a man’s constancy of attachment to God and to his good deeds.
אִי אִסְתָּאַב אִיהוּ נָאִים וְנִשְׁמָתָא נָפְקָא וְכָל אִינוּן רוּחִין מְסָאֲבִין נָקְטִין לָהּ וְאִתְדַּבְּקַת בְּהוּ בְּאִינוּן דַּרְגִּין תַּתָּאִין דְּשָׁטְיָין בְּעַלְמָא וְאִינוּן מוֹדִיעִין לָהּ מִלִּין דְּאִינוּן קְרֵיבִין לְמֵיתֵי בְּעַלְמָא, וּלְזִמְנִין דְּמוֹדְעִין לָהּ מִלִּין כְּדִיבָן וְחָיְיכָן בָּהּ וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ.
The soul of the man who is besmirched, when it leaves the body asleep, meets with throngs of unclean spirits of the infernal orders traversing the universe, who take her up and to whom she clings. They disclose to her events about to come to pass in the world; occasionally they delude her with false information. This has been already stated elsewhere.
וְאִי זָכֵי בַּר נָשׁ כַּד אִיהוּ נָאִים, וְנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ סָלְקָא אָזְלָא וְשָׁטְיָא וּבָקְעָא בֵּין אִלֵּין רוּחִין מְסָאֲבִין, וְכֻלְּהוּ מַכְרִיזִין וְאָמְרִין, פַּנּוּן אֲתַר פַּנּוּן, לָאו דָּא מִסִּטְרָנָא, וְאִיהִי סָלְקָא בֵּין אִינוּן קַדִּישִׁין וּמוֹדָעֵי לָהּ מִלָּה חָדָא דִקְשׁוֹט.
But the soul of the worthy man, when it leaves him in sleep, ascends and cleaves its way through the unclean spirits, which cry aloud, “Make way, make way! Here is one not belonging to our side!” The soul then ascends among the holy angels, who communicate to it some true information.
וְכַד נָחֲתָא כָּל אִינוּן חֲבִילִין טְרִיקִין בָּעָאן לְאִתְקְרָבָא בַּהֲדָהּ לְמִנְדַע הַהִיא מִלָּה, וְאִינוּן מוֹדָעִין לָהּ מִלִּין אָחֳרָנִין, וְהַהִיא מִלָּה דְּנָטְלָא גּוֹ אִינוּן קַדִּישִׁין בֵּין אִינוּן אָחֳרָנִין אִיהוּ כְּעִבּוּרָא גּוֹ תִּיבְנָא. וְהַאי (מאן איהו דזכי יתיר בעוד דאיהו קאים ונשמתא קיימא בהאי עלמא.)
When the soul is on its descent again, all those malignant bands are eager to meet it in order to obtain from it that information, in exchange for which they impart to it many other things. But the one thing it learnt from the holy angels is to those other things as grain to chaff. This is a rare privilege for one whose soul is still in this world.
כְּגַוְונָא דָּא כַּד נָפְקִין נִשְׁמָתִין מִגּוּפָא מֵהַאי עַלְמָא, בָּעָאן לְסַלְקָא, וְכַמָּה תַּרְעִין חֲבִילֵי טְהִירִין קָיְימֵי, (ו) אִי אִינוּן מִסִּטְרַיְיהוּ כֻּלְּהוּ אָחֲדִין בְּהוּ בְּאִינוּן נַפְשָׁאן וּמָסְרֵי לוֹן בִּידָא דְדוּמָה לְאָעֳלָא לוֹן בַּגֵּיהִנָּם.
Similar adventures await the souls when they altogether leave the body to depart from this world. In their attempt to soar upwards they have to pass through many gates at which bands of demons are stationed. These seize the souls that are of their side and deliver them into the hands of Duma in order that he may take them into Gehinnom.
וּלְבָתַר סָלְקָן וְאָחֲדָן בְּהוּ וְאִינוּן נָטְלֵי לְהוֹן וּמַכְרְזֵי בְּהוּ אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּעָבְרוּ עַל פִּקּוּדֵי דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְכֵן שָׁטְיָין בְּכָל עָלְמָא. וּלְבָתַר מְהַדְּרֵי לְהוּ לַגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְכֵן עַד תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי. לְבָתַר תְּרֵיסַר יַרְחֵי מִשְׁתַּכְּכֵי בְּהַהוּא אֲתַר דְּאִתְחֲזֵי לוֹן. אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּזָכוּ סָלְקֵי לְעֵילָא כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר וְזָכָאן בְּדוּכְתַּיְיהוּ.
They then seize them again and ascend, and make proclamation concerning them, saying, “These are they who transgressed the commands of their Lord.” They then sweep through the universe and bring the souls back to Gehinnom. This procedure goes on for the whole of the first twelve months. After that they are assigned each to its appropriate place. On the other hand, the worthy souls soar upwards, as already explained, and are assigned the places corresponding to their merits.
תָּא חֲזֵי, זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָא דְּאִתְגְּנִיז לְהוּ כַּמָּה טָבִין לְהַהוּא עַלְמָא, וְלֵית אֲתַר פְּנִימָאָה בְּכָל אִינוּן כְּאִינוּן דְּיָדְעֵי רָזָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן וְיָדְעֵי לְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּהוּ בְּכָל יוֹמָא, עַל אִלֵּין כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו ס״ד:ג׳) עַיִן לא רָאָתָה אֱלהִים זוּלָתֶךָ, יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ.
Happy, therefore, are the righteous, for whom many boons are reserved in the next world. But for none is a more interior abode reserved than for those who penetrate into the divine mystical doctrines and enter each day into close union with their Divine Master. Of such it is written, “What no eye hath seen, O God, beside thee, that will he do for those who wait for him” (Is. 64, 3).
מַאי לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ, כְּמָא דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (איוב ל״ב:ד׳) חִכָּה אֶת אִיּוֹב בִּדְבָרִים. וְאִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּדָחֲקִין לְמִלָּה דְחָכְמְתָא, וְדָיְיקִין לָהּ, וּמְחַכָּאן לָהּ לְמִנְדַע בְּרִירָא דְמִלָּה, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן, אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּמָארֵיהוֹן מִשְׁתַּבַּח בְּהוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא, אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּעָאלִין בֵּין עִלָּאִין קַדִּישִׁין, וְאִלֵּין עָאלִין כָּל תַּרְעֵי דִלְעֵילָא וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִמְחֵי בִּידֵהוֹן, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי.
The word “wait” here has a parallel in the verse, “now Elihu had waited to speak unto Job” (Job 32, 4), and refers to those who are importunate for any word of esoteric wisdom, who study it minutely and patiently to discover its true significance and so to gain knowledge of their Lord. These are those in whom their Master glorifies Himself each day, who enter the company of the supernal holy angels, and pass through all the celestial gates without let or hindrance. Happy their portion in this world and the next!
תָּא חֲזֵי, אַבְרָהָם עָאל לְמִנְדַע וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בְּמָארֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת לְבָתַר דְּאַקְדִּים עוֹבָדוֹי בְּקַדְמִיתָא, וְזָכָה בְּאִינוּן יוֹמִין עִלָּאִין, וְאִתְבָּרַךְ מֵאֲתַר דְּכָל בִּרְכָאן נָפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן, דִּכְתִיב וַיְיָ בֵּרַךְ אֶת אַבְרָהָם בַּכֹּל. מַאי בַּכֹּל. אֲתַר דְּנַהֲרָא דְּלָא פַּסְקֵי מֵימוֹי לְעָלְמִין.
In this way Abraham penetrated into the Divine Wisdom and united himself with his Divine Master after he had duly prepared himself by a life of pious deeds. He thus merited those supernal days, and received blessings from the region whence all blessings flow, as it is written, “And the Lord blessed Abraham ba-kol” (in all things), where the term kol is the designation of the river the waters of which never fail.’
אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּאַבְרָהָם לָא בָּעָא לְאִתְעָרְבָא בִּנְשֵׁי עַלְמָא וּלְאִתְדַּבְּקָא בִּשְׁאָר עַמִין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, בְּגִין דִּנְשַׁיָּיא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת אִינוּן סָאֲבִין לְגוּבְרַיְיהוּ וּלְאִינוּן דְּמִתְדַּבְּקִין בְּהוֹן, בְּגִין דְּכַד אַבְרָהָם יָדַע חָכְמְתָא, יָדַע עִקְרָא וְשָׁרְשָׁא וּמֵאָן אֲתַר נָפְקֵי וְשַׁטְיָין רוּחֵי מְסָאֲבִין בְּעַלְמָא, וְעַל דָּא אוֹמֵי לְעַבְדֵּיהּ דְּלָא יִסַּב אִתְּתָא לִבְרֵיהּ מִשְּׁאָר עַמִּין.
R. Hiya said: ‘Observe that Abraham abstained from intermarrying with other nations and from attaching himself to idolatrous peoples. For the women of idolatrous nations pollute their husbands and those who come into close contact with them. But Abraham, having penetrated into the mystic doctrines of Wisdom, knew the source whence the unclean spirits emerge to traverse the universe, and it was for this reason that he adjured his servant not to take a wife for his son from other nations.’