R. Hizkiah discoursed on the verse: “Thine eyes did see mine imperfect substance, and in thy book they were all written, etc.” (Ps. 139, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been frequently expounded. All the souls which came into existence when the world was created stand before God before coming down in that same form in which they afterwards appear in the world, since that bodily appearance of man which he had in this world is also found above.
When this soul is about to descend into the world, it stands before God in the form which it is to assume in the world, and God adjures it to keep the precepts of the law and not to transgress them.
Hence it says: “Thine eyes saw mine imperfect form” before it appeared in the world, “and in thy book they were all written”, that is to say, all the souls in their forms are recorded in the book. The text proceeds: “The days are fashioned and there is not one among them”, that is, there is not one day of them in this world which can stand before its Master as it should.
רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה פָּתַח, (תהילים קל״ט:ט״ז) גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ וְגו', הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ בְּכַמָּה אֲתַר. אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל אִינוּן נִשְׁמָתִין דְּהֲווּ מִיּוֹמָא דְאִתְבְּרֵי עַלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ קָיְימֵי קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַד לָא נָחֲתוּ לְעַלְמָא, בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא מַמָּשׁ דְּאִתְחֲזוּן לְבָתַר בְּעַלְמָא. וְהַהוּא חֵיזוּ דְגוּפָא דְּבַר נָשׁ דְּקָאִים בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, הָכִי קָאִים לְעֵילָא.
R. Hizkiah discoursed on the verse: “Thine eyes did see mine imperfect substance, and in thy book they were all written, etc.” (Ps. 139, 16). ‘This verse’, he said, ‘has been frequently expounded. All the souls which came into existence when the world was created stand before God before coming down in that same form in which they afterwards appear in the world, since that bodily appearance of man which he had in this world is also found above.
וּבְשַׁעְתָּא דְנִשְׁמָתָא דָא זְמִינָא לַאֲחָתָא בְּעַלְמָא, הַהִיא נִשְׁמָתָא בְּהַהִיא דִיוּקְנָא מַמָּשׁ דְּקָיְימָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, הָכִי קָאִים (לעילא) קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאוֹמֵי לָהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּיִטּוֹר פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יַעֲבָר עַל קְיָימִין.
When this soul is about to descend into the world, it stands before God in the form which it is to assume in the world, and God adjures it to keep the precepts of the law and not to transgress them.
וּמְנָא לָן דְּקָיְימִין קַמֵּיהּ, דִּכְתִיב, (מלכים א י״ז:א׳) חַי יְיָ אֲשֶׁר עָמַדְתִּי לְפָנָיו. עָמַדְתִּי וַדַּאי, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ גָּלְמִי רָאוּ עֵינֶיךָ, עַד לָא יִתְחֲזֵי (צולמא) בְּעַלְמָא. וְעַל סִפְרְךָ כֻּלָּם יִכָּתֵבוּ, דְּהָא כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין, בְּהַהוּא דִּיוּקְנָא דִּלְהוֹן, כֻּלְּהוּ בְּסִפְרָא כְּתִיבִין. יָמִים יֻצָּרוּ, הָא אוּקְמוּהָ יֻצָרוּ וַדַּאי, וְלֹא אֶחָד בָּהֶם, בְּהַאי עַלְמָא לְמֵיקַם בְּקִיּוּמָא דְמָארֵיהוֹן, כְּדְקָא חָזֵי.
Hence it says: “Thine eyes saw mine imperfect form” before it appeared in the world, “and in thy book they were all written”, that is to say, all the souls in their forms are recorded in the book. The text proceeds: “The days are fashioned and there is not one among them”, that is, there is not one day of them in this world which can stand before its Master as it should.