But have we not been taught that the words “And behold it was very good” (Gen. 1, 31) include the Angel of Death? How, then, is it possible to say that it is because of him that it is not said of the second day that it was very good? Verily, herein is a mystery of mysteries. The Angel of Death is indeed good. Why so? Because, since all men know that one day they must die, many turn to repentance from fear of him before the Lord. Many fear the King because the lash looms before their eyes. Then is the lash indeed beneficial, making men good and virtuous and upright. Hence the Angel of Death is referred to as “very good”.
Concerning this mystery, the Holy Lamp (R. Simeon) gave us the following explanation: “And behold it was good” refers to the Angel of Life; “very” to the Angel of Death, for he is of greater importance. And why? When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, all was prepared for the coming of Man, who is the king of this world. Man was fashioned to walk in the straight way, as it is written: “God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions” (Eccl. 7, 29). He made him upright, but he gave himself over to corruption and was therefore driven out of the Garden of Eden.
This Garden was planted by the Holy One, blessed be He, on the earth with the full Name (TETRAGRAMMATON Elohim), and made an exact likeness of its prototype, the Paradise above, and all supernal forms were fashioned and shaped in it, and the cherubs were there-not those carved in gold or any material that could be fashioned by human hands, but of supernal light, fashioned and broidered through the agency of the perfect Name of the Holy One. All the images and forms of all things in this world were there fashioned, all having the similitude of the things in this world.
And this place is the abode of holy spirits, both of those that have come into this world, and also of those that have not yet come into this world. Those that are about to come are invested with garments and with faces and bodies like those in this world, and they gaze upon the glory of their Lord until the time comes for them to appear in the world.
When they leave the Garden for that purpose, these spirits put off their celestial bodies and garments and take on the bodies and garments of this world; they henceforth make their abode in this world in the garments and bodies fashioned from the seed of procreation.
So when the time comes for the spirit to leave this world again, it cannot do so until the Angel of Death has taken off the garment of this body. When that has been done, he again puts on that other garment in the Garden of Eden of which he had had to divest himself when he entered this world. And the whole joy of the spirit is in that celestial body. In it he rests and moves, and contemplates continually the supernal mysteries which, when he was in the earthly body, he could neither grasp nor understand.
When the soul clothes herself with the garments of that world, what delights, what joys, she experiences! And who caused the body to be inhabited by the spirit? Why, he who took off the garment of flesh, the Angel of Death! ‘God shows kindness to His creatures in not divesting them of their earthly garment until other garments, more precious and finer than these, are prepared for them.
But the wicked, they who have never turned to their Lord with a perfect repentance-naked they came into this world, and naked they must return from it, and their souls go in shame to join the other souls in like plight, and they are judged in the earthly Gehenna by the fire from above. Some of them flutter upward after a time; these are the souls of the sinners who had intended to repent, but died before they had carried out their intentions. These are judged first in Gehenna and then flutter upward.
See how great is the mercy of the Holy One towards His creatures! The most wicked sinner, if he have intended repentance, but dies without carrying out his resolve, is, it is true, punished for having gone out of this world without having repented, but his good intention is not lost, but it ascends to the Supernal King and there remains until the Holy One, seeing it, prepares for that soul a place of refuge in “Sheol”, where it twitters repentance. For the good intention issues from before the Holy One, and, breaking all the strong gates of the habitations of Gehenna, reaches at last the place where that sinner lies. It smites him and awakens in him again that intention which he had had on earth, causing the soul to struggle and ascend from the abode of Sheol.
Truly, no good thought is ever lost from the remembrance of the Holy King. Therefore, blessed is he who nourishes good thoughts towards his Lord, for, even if he cannot put them into practice, the Holy One takes the will for the deed. This is the case with good thoughts. With evil thoughts, however, the will is not taken for the deed, save in the case of idolatry, as has been explained by the Companions.
The wicked who had never given a thought to repentance go down to Sheol and never come out from thence, as it is written of them, “As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to sheol shall come up no more” (Job 95, 9). But, concerning those others who had intended to repent, it says, “The Lord killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to sheol and bringeth up” (I Sam. 2, 6).
וְאִי תֵּימָא, וְהָא כְּתִיב (בראשית א׳:ל״א) וְהִנִּה טוֹב מְאֹד דָּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, וְהָכָא אַמָרְתְּ דְּלָא אִתְּמַר בְּגִינִיהּ כִּי טוֹב. אֶלָּא רָזָא דְּרָזִין הָכָא, דְּהָא וַדַּאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִיהוּ טוֹב מְאֹד. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּהָא כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא יַדְעֵי דִּימוּתוּן וְיִתְהַדְרוּן לְעַפְרָא, וְסַגִּיאִין אִינּוּן דִּמְהַדְּרֵי בְּתִיּוּבְתָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן, בְּגִין דְּחִילוּ דָּא, וְדַחֲלֵי לְמֶחטֵי קַמֵּיהּ. סַגִּיאִין דַּחֲלֵי מִן מַלְכָּא, מִגּוֹ דְּתַלְיָא רְצוּעָה לְקָמַיְיהוּ. כַּמָה טָבָא הַהִיא רְצוּעָה לְגַבֵּי בַּר נָשׁ, דְּעַבְדַּת לוֹן טָבִין וְקָשִׁיטִין, וּמְתַקְּנִין בְּאָרְחַיְיהוּ כַּדְקָא יֵאוֹת. וְעַל דָּא וְהִנֵּה טוֹב מְאֹד. מְאֹד וַדַּאי.
But have we not been taught that the words “And behold it was very good” (Gen. 1, 31) include the Angel of Death? How, then, is it possible to say that it is because of him that it is not said of the second day that it was very good? Verily, herein is a mystery of mysteries. The Angel of Death is indeed good. Why so? Because, since all men know that one day they must die, many turn to repentance from fear of him before the Lord. Many fear the King because the lash looms before their eyes. Then is the lash indeed beneficial, making men good and virtuous and upright. Hence the Angel of Death is referred to as “very good”.
רָזָא דְּרָזִין, דְּאוֹלִיפְנָא מִגּוֹ בּוּצִינָא קַדִּישָׁא וְהִנֵּה טוֹב, דָּא מַלְאָךְ חַיִּים. מְאֹד, דָּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוְת, דְּאִיהוּ יַתִּיר. אֲמַאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אִיהוּ טוֹב מְאֹד. אֶלָּא כַּד בָּרָא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָלְמָא, כֹּלָּא הֲוָה מִתְתָּקַּן עַד לָא יֵיתֵי אָדָם, דְּאִיהוּ מַלְכָּא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם, עֲבַד לֵיהּ מִתְתַּקָּן בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (קהלת ז׳:כ״ט) אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם יָשָׁר וְהֵמָה בִקְשׁוּ חִשְּׁבוֹנוֹת רַבִּים, עֲבַד לֵיהּ יָשָׁר, וּלְבָתַר סָרַח, וְאִטְרִיד מִגִּנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן.
Concerning this mystery, the Holy Lamp (R. Simeon) gave us the following explanation: “And behold it was good” refers to the Angel of Life; “very” to the Angel of Death, for he is of greater importance. And why? When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, all was prepared for the coming of Man, who is the king of this world. Man was fashioned to walk in the straight way, as it is written: “God hath made man upright, but they have sought out many inventions” (Eccl. 7, 29). He made him upright, but he gave himself over to corruption and was therefore driven out of the Garden of Eden.
גַּן עֵדֶן אִיהוּ בְּאַרְעָא, נָטִיעַ בְּאִינּוּן נְטִיעָן דְּנָטַע לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (בראשית ב׳:ח׳) וַיִּטַּע יְיָ' אֱלהִים גַּן בְּעֵדֶן מִקֶּדֶם, אִיהוּ נָטַע לֵיהּ בִּשְׁמָא שְׁלִים, כְּגַוְונָא עִלָּאָה לְעֵילָּא. וְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין עִלָּאִין כֻּלְּהוּ, מְרֻקְּמָן וּמִתְצַיְירָן בְּהַאי גַּן עֵדֶן דִּלְתַתָּא, וְתַמָּן אִינּוּן כְּרוּבִים. לָאו אִינּוּן גְּלִיפִין בִּגְלִיפוֹי דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא מִדַּהֲבָא אוֹ מִמִּלָּה אַחֲרָא, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ נְהוֹרִין דִּלְעֵילָּא, גְּלִיפִין וּמִתְצַיְּירִין בְּצִיּוּרָא מְרֻקְּמָא, עוֹבָדֵי יְדֵי אוּמָנָא דִּשְׁמָא שְׁלִים דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְכֻלְּהוּ מְחֻקְּקָן תַּמָּן. וְכָל דִּיוּקְנִין וְצִיּוּרִין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְצַיְּירָן תַּמָּן, וּגְּלִיפָן וּמִתְחַקְקָן תַּמָּן, כֻּלְּהוּ כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא.
This Garden was planted by the Holy One, blessed be He, on the earth with the full Name (TETRAGRAMMATON Elohim), and made an exact likeness of its prototype, the Paradise above, and all supernal forms were fashioned and shaped in it, and the cherubs were there-not those carved in gold or any material that could be fashioned by human hands, but of supernal light, fashioned and broidered through the agency of the perfect Name of the Holy One. All the images and forms of all things in this world were there fashioned, all having the similitude of the things in this world.
וַאֲתָר דָּא אִיהוּ מָדוֹרָא לְרוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין, בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּאָתוּ לְהַאי עָלְמָא, בֵּין אִינּוּן דְּלָא אָתוּ לְהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִינּוּן דִּזְמִינִין לְמֵיתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא. כֻּלְּהוּ רוּחִין מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בִּלְבוּשִׁין וְגּוּפִין וּפַרְצוּפִין כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּמִסְתַּכְּלָן תַּמָּן בְּזִיו יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, עַד דְּאַתְיָין לְהַאי עָלְמָא.
And this place is the abode of holy spirits, both of those that have come into this world, and also of those that have not yet come into this world. Those that are about to come are invested with garments and with faces and bodies like those in this world, and they gaze upon the glory of their Lord until the time comes for them to appear in the world.
בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנַפְקֵי מִתַּמָּן, לְמֵיתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא, מִתְפַּשְּׁטִין אִינּוּן רוּחִין, מֵהַהוּא גּוּפָא וּלְבוּשָׁא דְּתַמָּן, וּמִתְלַבְּשִׁין בְּגוּפָא וּבִלְבוּשָׁא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְעַבְדִין דִּיּוּרֵיהוֹן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בִּלְבוּשָׁא וְגוּפָא דָּא, דְּאִיהוּ מִטִּפָּה סְרוּחָה.
When they leave the Garden for that purpose, these spirits put off their celestial bodies and garments and take on the bodies and garments of this world; they henceforth make their abode in this world in the garments and bodies fashioned from the seed of procreation.
וְכַד מָטֵי זִמְנֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ וּלְנָפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, לָא נָפִיק עַד דְּהַאי מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת אַפְשִׁיט לֵיהּ לְבוּשָׁא דְּגוּפָא דָּא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט הַאי גּוּפָא מֵהַהוּא רוּחָא, עַל יְדֵי דְּהַהוּא מַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, אַזְלָא וּמִתְלַּבְּשָׁא בְּהַהוּא גּוּפָא אַחֲרָא דִּבְגִנְתָּא דְּעֵדֶן, דְּאִתְפְּשִׁיט כַּד אָתֵי לְהַאי עָלְמָא. וְלֵית חִדוּ לְרוּחָא, בַּר בְּהַהוּא גּוּפָא דְּתַמָּן, וְחַדֵּי עַל דְּאִתְפָּשַּׁט מֵהַאי גּוּפָא דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִתְלָבַּשׁ בִּלְבוּשָׁא אַחֲרָא שְׁלִים, כְּגַוְונָא דְּהַאי (נ"א דההוא) עָלְמָא, וּבֵיהּ יָתִיב וְאָזִיל וְאִסְתָּכַּל לְמִנְדַּע בְּרָזִין עִלָּאִין, מַה דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמִנְדַּע וּלְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּגוּפָא דָּא.
So when the time comes for the spirit to leave this world again, it cannot do so until the Angel of Death has taken off the garment of this body. When that has been done, he again puts on that other garment in the Garden of Eden of which he had had to divest himself when he entered this world. And the whole joy of the spirit is in that celestial body. In it he rests and moves, and contemplates continually the supernal mysteries which, when he was in the earthly body, he could neither grasp nor understand.
וְכַד אִתְלַבְּשַׁת נִשְׁמְתָא בְּהַהוּא לְבוּשָׁא דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, כַּמָה עִדוּנִין, כַּמָה כִּסוּפִין דִּילָהּ תַּמָּן. מַה גָּרִים לְגוּפָא דָּא, לְאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ רוּחָא. הֲוֵי אֵימָא הַהוּא דְּאַפְשִׁיט לֵיהּ לְבוּשִׁין אִלֵּין. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עָבִיד טִיבוּ עִם בִּרְיָין, דְּלָא אַפְשִׁיט לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְבוּשִׁין אִלֵּין, עַד דְּאַתְקִין לֵיהּ לְבוּשִׁין אַחֲרָנִין יַקִּירִין וְטָבִין מֵאִלֵּין.
When the soul clothes herself with the garments of that world, what delights, what joys, she experiences! And who caused the body to be inhabited by the spirit? Why, he who took off the garment of flesh, the Angel of Death! ‘God shows kindness to His creatures in not divesting them of their earthly garment until other garments, more precious and finer than these, are prepared for them.
בַּר לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, דְּלָא אָהַדְרוּ בְּתִיּוּבְתָא שְׁלֵימָתָא לְמָארֵיהוֹן, דְּעַרְטִילָאִין אָתוּ לְהַאי עָלְמָא, וְעַרְטִילָאִין יְתוּבוּן תַּמָּן. וְנִשְׁמְתָא אַזְלָא בְּכִסּוּפָא לְגַבֵּי אַחֲרָנִין, דְּלֵית לָהּ לְבוּשִׁין כְּלַל, וְאִתְּדָנַת בְּהַהוּא גֵּיהִנָּם דִּבְאַרְעָא, מִגּוֹ הַהוּא אֶשָּׁא דִּלְעֵילָּא. וְאִית מִנְּהוֹן דִּמְצַפְצְפֵי וְסַלְקֵי, וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא, דְחַשְׁבִי בְּלִבַּיְיהוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, וּמִיתוּ, וְלָא יָכִילוּ לְמֶעְבַּד לָהּ. אִלֵּין אִתְדָּנוּ תַּמָּן בְּגֵיהִנָּם, וּלְבָתַר מְצַפְצְפֵי וְסַלְּקִין.
But the wicked, they who have never turned to their Lord with a perfect repentance-naked they came into this world, and naked they must return from it, and their souls go in shame to join the other souls in like plight, and they are judged in the earthly Gehenna by the fire from above. Some of them flutter upward after a time; these are the souls of the sinners who had intended to repent, but died before they had carried out their intentions. These are judged first in Gehenna and then flutter upward.
חָמֵי כַּמָה רַחֲמָנוּתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עִם בִּרְיוֹהִי, דְּאֲפִילּוּ דְּאִיהוּ חַיָּיבָא יַתִּיר, וְהִרְהֵר תְּשׁוּבָה, וְלָא (ויקרא ר"כ ע"ב) יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד תְּשׁוּבָה, וּמִית, הַאי בְּוַדַּאי, מְקַבֵּל עוֹנְשָׁא, עַד דְּאָזִיל בְּלָא תְּשׁוּבָה. לְבָתַר הַהוּא רְעוּתָא דְּשַׁוֵּי לְמֶעְבַּד תְּשׁוּבָה, לָא אַעְדִּיאַת מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה, וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַתְקִין לְהַהוּא חַיָּיבָא דּוּכְתָּא, בְּמָדוֹרָא דִּשְׁאוֹל, וְתַמָּן מְצַפְצְפָא תְּשׁוּבָה. דְּהָא הַהוּא רְעוּתָא נָחִית מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְתָבַר כָּל גְּזִּיזִין (ס"א לבתר דקביל עונשיה ההוא רעותא טבא דשוי ההוא חייבא למעבד תשובה סלקא קמי מלכא עילאה ולא אעדיאת מתמן עד דקודשא בריך הוא אתקין לההוא חייבא דוכתא במדורת שאול וכדין ההוא ריעותא נחתא מקמי קודשא בריך הוא ותברת כל גזיזין) דְּתַרְעֵי מָדוֹרֵי גֵּיהִנָּם, וּמָטֵי לְהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּהַהוּא חַיָּיבָא תַּמָּן, וּבָטַשׁ בֵּיהּ, וְאִתְּעַר לֵיהּ הַהוּא רְעוּתָא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין. וּכְדֵין מְצַפְצְפָא הַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא, לְסַלְּקָא מִגּוֹ מָדוֹרָא דִּשְׁאוֹל.
See how great is the mercy of the Holy One towards His creatures! The most wicked sinner, if he have intended repentance, but dies without carrying out his resolve, is, it is true, punished for having gone out of this world without having repented, but his good intention is not lost, but it ascends to the Supernal King and there remains until the Holy One, seeing it, prepares for that soul a place of refuge in “Sheol”, where it twitters repentance. For the good intention issues from before the Holy One, and, breaking all the strong gates of the habitations of Gehenna, reaches at last the place where that sinner lies. It smites him and awakens in him again that intention which he had had on earth, causing the soul to struggle and ascend from the abode of Sheol.
וְלֵית רְעוּתָא טָבָא דְּיִתְאֲבִיד מִקַּמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא. וּבְגִין כַּךְ, זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דִּמְהַרְהֵר הִרְהוּרִין טָבִין לְגַבֵּי מָארֵיהּ, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד לוֹן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא סָלִיק לֵיהּ רְעוּתֵיהּ כְּאִילּוּ עָבִיד. דָּא לְטָב. אֲבָל רְעוּתֵיהּ לְבִישׁ, לָא. בַּר הִרְהוּרָא דְכּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא.
Truly, no good thought is ever lost from the remembrance of the Holy King. Therefore, blessed is he who nourishes good thoughts towards his Lord, for, even if he cannot put them into practice, the Holy One takes the will for the deed. This is the case with good thoughts. With evil thoughts, however, the will is not taken for the deed, save in the case of idolatry, as has been explained by the Companions.
אִינּוּן דְּלָא הִרְהָרוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, נַחְתֵּי לִשְׁאוֹל, וְלָא סַלְקֵי מִתַּמָּן לְדָרֵי דָּרִין. עָלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (איוב ז׳:ט׳) כָּלָּה עָנָן וַיֵּלַךְ כֵּן יוֹרֵד שְׁאוֹל לא יַעֲלֶה. עַל קַדְמָאֵי כְּתִיב (שמואל א ב׳:ו׳) יְיָ' מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל.
The wicked who had never given a thought to repentance go down to Sheol and never come out from thence, as it is written of them, “As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to sheol shall come up no more” (Job 95, 9). But, concerning those others who had intended to repent, it says, “The Lord killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to sheol and bringeth up” (I Sam. 2, 6).