AND THE DAYS DREW NEAR FOR ISRAEL TO DIE. R. Hiya said: ‘Why is the name Israel used here in connection with his death, whereas above it says, “And Jacob lived, etc.”?’ R. Jose said in reply: ‘Note here the word “days”, which is somewhat peculiar, since a man only dies on one day, in fact, in one instant.’
The reason, however, is, as we have learnt, that when God desires to take back a man’s spirit, all the days that he has lived in this world pass in review before Him.
Happy, then, is the man whose days draw near before the King without reproach, not one of them being rejected because a sin was committed thereon. Hence the term “drawing near” is used of the righteous, because their days draw near before the King without reproach.
But woe to the wicked whose days cannot so draw near, because they all passed in sin, wherefore they are not recorded above, so that of them it is written: “The way of the wicked is like thick darkness, they know not on what they stumble” (Prov. 4, 19).
So here it says that the days of Israel “drew near”, that is, without reproach and with unalloyed joy; and hence the name “Israel” is used, because it points to a greater perfection than the name Jacob.’
R. Jose said: ‘There are some righteous whose days when enumerated are put afar from the King, and others whose days are brought near to the King. It is they whose portion is blessed, and Israel was one of them.’
וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת. תָּאנָא, אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, כְּתִיב וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, הָתָם בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ יַעֲקֹב, וְהָכָא בְּמִיתָתֵיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּהָא לָא כְּתִיב וַיִּקְרַב יוֹם יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת, אֶלָּא יְמֵי, וְכִי בְּכַמָּה יוֹמֵי מִית בַּר נָשׁ, וְהָא בְּשַׁעְתָא חָדָא, בְּרִגְעָא חָדָא, מִית וְנָפִיק מֵעַלְמָא.
AND THE DAYS DREW NEAR FOR ISRAEL TO DIE. R. Hiya said: ‘Why is the name Israel used here in connection with his death, whereas above it says, “And Jacob lived, etc.”?’ R. Jose said in reply: ‘Note here the word “days”, which is somewhat peculiar, since a man only dies on one day, in fact, in one instant.’
אֶלָּא הָכִי תָּאנָא, כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְאֲתָבָא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ, כָּל אִינוּן יוֹמִין דְּקָאִים בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, אִתְפַּקְדָּן קַמֵּיהּ, וְעָאלִין בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא. וְכַד אִתְקְרִיבוּ קַמֵּיהּ לְמֵיעַל בְּחוּשְׁבְּנָא, מִית בַּר נָשׁ. וְאָתִיב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ, הַהוּא הֶבֶל דְּאַפִּיק וְנָפַח בֵּיהּ, אוֹתְבֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ.
The reason, however, is, as we have learnt, that when God desires to take back a man’s spirit, all the days that he has lived in this world pass in review before Him.
זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, דְּיוֹמוֹי אִתְקְרִיבוּ גַּבֵּי מַלְכָּא בְּלָא כִּסּוּפָא, וְלָא דָחֵי יוֹמָא מִנַּיְיהוּ לְבַר, דְּיִשְׁכַּח בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא, דְּאִתְעֲבִיד בֵּיהּ חוֹבָא. בְּגִין כָּךְ, כְּתִיב בְּצַדִּיקַיָא, קְרִיבָה. (והיך יקרבון) מִשּׁוּם דְּקָרִיבוּ יוֹמוֹי קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, בְּלָא כִּסּוּפָא.
Happy, then, is the man whose days draw near before the King without reproach, not one of them being rejected because a sin was committed thereon. Hence the term “drawing near” is used of the righteous, because their days draw near before the King without reproach.
וַוי לְרַשִּׁיעַיָא, דְּלָא כְּתִיב בְּהוּ קְרִיבָה, וְהֵיךְ יִקְרְבוּן יוֹמֵי קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמוֹי בְּחוֹבֵי עַלְמָא אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ. ובְגִינֵי כָּךְ לָא יִקְרְבוּן קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, וְלָא יִתְמַנּוּן קַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא יִדָּכְרוּ לְעֵילָא, אֶלָּא אִינוּן שְׁצֵיאָן מִגַּוַּויְיהוּ. עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (משלי ד׳:י״ט) דֶּרֶךְ רְשָׁעִים כָּאֲפֵלָה לֹא יָדְעוּ בַּמֶּה יִכָּשֵׁלוּ.
But woe to the wicked whose days cannot so draw near, because they all passed in sin, wherefore they are not recorded above, so that of them it is written: “The way of the wicked is like thick darkness, they know not on what they stumble” (Prov. 4, 19).
וְהָכָא וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי, בְּלָא כִסּוּפָא, בִּשְׁלֵימוּתָא, בְּחֶדְוָותָא שְׁלִים. וּבְגִינֵי כָּךְ, יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דְּהֲוָה שְׁלִים יַתִּיר יִשְׂרָאֵל מִיַּעֲקֹב. וְאִי תֵימָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב, (בראשית כ״ה:כ״ז) וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם, שְׁלִים. שְׁלִים הֲוָה, וְלָא שְׁלִים בְּדַרְגָּא עִלָּאָה כְּיִשְׂרָאֵל.
So here it says that the days of Israel “drew near”, that is, without reproach and with unalloyed joy; and hence the name “Israel” is used, because it points to a greater perfection than the name Jacob.’
תַּנְיָא, אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְיוֹמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ אִתְפַּקִּידָן קַמֵי מַלְכָּא, אִית זַכָּאָה דְּאִתְפַּקְּדָן יוֹמוֹי וּרְחִיקִין מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא. וְאִית זַכָּאָה, דְּכַד מִתְפַּקְּדָן יוֹמוֹי, קְרִיבִין וּסְמִיכִין לְמַלְכָּא, וְלָא מִתְרַחֲקִין. בְּלָא כִסּוּפָא עָאלִין, וְקָרִיבִין לְמַלְכָּא. זַכָּאָה חוּלְקֵהוֹן. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת.
R. Jose said: ‘There are some righteous whose days when enumerated are put afar from the King, and others whose days are brought near to the King. It is they whose portion is blessed, and Israel was one of them.’