It is written, “Do not turn towards the obstinacy of this people and its wickedness and its sinfulness” (Devarim 9:27). This is explained in the Zohar in Parashas Kedoshim (83b): Come and see. When a man performs a mitzvah it ascends and stands before the Holy One Blessed is He and proclaims, “So-and-so made me.” And the Holy One Blessed is He appoints it to remain before Him so that He will lay His eyes upon it the entire day and bestow goodness upon that person on account of it. And if a person transgresses the Torah that transgression ascends before the Holy One Blessed is He and says, “So-and-so made me.” And the Holy One Blessed is He appoints it to remain before Him so that He will lay His eyes upon it and remove the person from the world. This is the meaning of the verse, “And Hashem saw and reviled” (Devarim 32:19). “And He saw” — the transgression standing before Him. If the person repented it is written concerning him, “Hashem has also removed your sin; you will not die” (II Shmuel:12:13). That is, He removes the transgression from before Him so that He will no longer look upon it. This is the meaning of the verse, “Do not turn towards the obstinacy of this people and its wickedness and its sinfulness.”
Sometimes a person sits at home in peace and tranquility, feeling secure, happy and lighthearted. Meanwhile, he is totally unaware of the effect that his transgression is having On High. It stands there in Heaven declaring, “I am the product of So-and-so!” provoking against him a sudden outpouring of a bitter judgment and a harsh decree, may Heaven spare us. Eventually he regrets his deed but by then it is too late since the decree has already been issued. This is especially the case with regard to interpersonal crimes, such as theft, fraud and the like, because the guardian angel of the victim protests on his behalf in the Heavenly court.
Come and see what is written in the Zohar (ibid. 85a) regarding one who withholds the wages of a worker and does not pay him. His punishment is particularly great because a worker puts his very soul into his labor and his craft, therefore when his employer withholds his wages it is as if he is holding captive the soul of the worker as well as the souls of his entire household. Every breath that comes out of the worker’s mouth as he engages in his craft — for it is usual for a worker to breathe heavily while he works — ascends before the Holy One Blessed is He. That night the souls of the worker and the members of his household, who are dependent upon those breaths, ascend before the Holy One Blessed is He. Hashem then sees that those breaths were not remunerated for their efforts. In consequence, even if much blessing and success had been decreed for the employer, it is all taken away from him. Moreover, his own soul is no longer allowed to ascend On High each night, all because he withheld from his worker his wages. This iniquity also causes the employer’s life to be shortened, Heaven spare us.
For this reason Rav Hamnuna the Elder was accustomed to pay his workers their wages the moment they finished their tasks, saying to them, “Take back your soul that you deposited with me.” Even if the worker said to him, “Let it remain in your safekeeping,” he would refuse, saying, “It is not fitting that you should deposit even your body in my care, let alone your soul. This deposit should only be left in the care of the Holy One Blessed is He, as it is written, ‘Into Your hand I commit my spirit’ (Tehillim 31:6).”
This should serve as a stern warning to people. If one hears one’s worker weeping over his labors, even if he is not Jewish — if he goes after his employer seeking the wages of his toil but the latter closes his ears, refusing to listen and telling him to come back another time — there can be no greater desecration of the name of Heaven than this. His punishment will be swift in coming and his property will be irretrievably lost. Even if currently he enjoys a generous income, prosperity and success, it will not remain with him. Ultimately he will undoubtedly be impoverished and no one will take pity upon him. Many other afflictions are also brought about by this sin. Therefore one must be extremely careful not to stumble in the sin of withholding a worker’s wages.
Let us now return to the subject with which we began. Whenever a person performs a mitzvah an angel is formed from it which pleads continually on his behalf. Thus the Sages teach in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Vayikra (32:6), “If a person did a single mitzvah, he is granted a single angel to protect him. If he did two mitzvos he is granted two angels. As it is written, ‘For He will appoint His angels on your behalf’ (Tehillim 91:11).” The expression “he is granted” indicates that from the mitzvos that the person performed these angels are fashioned to protect him from harm. Come and see an incident illustrating this principle. A certain pious man lived in a small village in which there were no books to be found with the exception of a single volume of the tractate Chagigah. All his life the pious man poured over this text. He lived to a ripe old age and then just before his death the tractate Chagigah appeared to him in the form of a woman. After his death this form went before him and brought him into Gan Eden.
The converse is also true, Heaven forbid. If a person commits a single transgression one accuser is created. If he commits two transgressions two accusers are created. Then, after he dies, those transgressions take on the form of a woman and lead him to Gehinnom. Thus the Torah tells us that Yosef refused to listen to Potiphar’s wife “to lie with her, to be with her” (Bereishis 39:8-10). The Sages explain, “ ‘To lie with her’ — in this world; ‘to be with her’ — in the World to Come” (Sotah 3b).
I once read an explanation of this: When a man commits adultery a malignant spirit is created in the form of the woman with whom he strayed. Then, when his time comes to leave this world, she wraps herself around him and drags him down to Gehinnom. It seems to me that this is what the Sages were alluding to when they said (Sanhedrin 100a), “In the future the Holy One Blessed is He will bestow upon every righteous person three hundred and ten worlds. As it is written, ‘To cause those who love Me to inherit substance (yeish, the numerical value of which is 310)’ (Mishlei 8:21).” I have heard this passage explained as follows: As we have already mentioned, when a man does a single mitzvah a single angel is created. The Sages tell us (Chullin 91b) that each angel is two thousand parsaos across (1 parsah = 2.80 miles.), as it is written, “And its body was like [the Sea of] Tarsus” (Daniel 10:6). According to tradition this sea was two thousand parsaos wide. Now altogether there are 613 Torah precepts and seven rabbinical enactments, totaling 620, the numerical value of the word keser — “crown.” Therefore, when the Jewish people keep the entire Torah, including the rabbinical injunctions, they acquire 620 angels.
Now, in this world Israel has the legal status of an almanah — a “widow.” Thus the verse in Eichah (1:1) reads, “O how does she sit in solitude! The city that was teeming with people has become like an almanah.” This word is derived from a denomination of currency called a manah (= 100 zuz), which is the amount that is guaranteed to a widow in her marriage contract when she remarries. In the future, however, Israel will again have the status of a virgin bride, as it is written, “Arise O virgin of Israel” (Amos 5:2). A virgin bride is guaranteed a base sum of 200 zuz, but Israel will receive on top of this an addition of a third (reckoned from the “outside,” so that the addition comprises a third of the total). Now, the Sages tell us in Midrash Bereishis Rabbah (68:12) that three angels comprise an entire “world,” since each angel is 2000 parsaos wide and a “world” is only 6000 parsaos in diameter. Therefore 600 angels equals 200 worlds. The additional 20 angels comprise another six and two-thirds worlds. If one adds a third (from the “outside”) to the 200 it comes to 300. Then if one adds a third to the 6 worlds it comes to 9. Finally if one adds a third to the remaining two-thirds it comes to a single world, for a total of 310 worlds. May it be Hashem’s will that we merit this speedily in our days, Amein.
כְּתִיב (דְּבָרִים ט, כז): "אַל תֵּפֶן אֶל קְשִׁי הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאֶל רִשְׁעוֹ וְאֶל חַטָּאתוֹ". מְבֹאָר בַּזֹּהַר, פָּרָשַׁת קְדשִׁים, וְזֶה לְשׁוֹנוֹ: תָּא חָזִי: בַּר נָשׁ דְּעָבִיד מִצְוָה, סַלְקָא וְקַיְּמָא קַמֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. אָמְרָה: פְּלַנְיָא עָבִיד לִי וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַנִּי לָהּ קַמֵּיהּ לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בֵּיהּ כָּל הַהוּא יוֹמָא לְאוֹטָבָא לֵיהּ בְּגִינָהּ. עָבַר בַּר נָשׁ עַל פִּתְגָמָא דְּאוֹרַיְתָא, הַהִיא עֲבֵרָה סַלְקָא לָהּ קַמֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְאָמְרָה: אֲנָא מִפְּלַנְיָא דְּעָבִיד לִי. וְקֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מַנִּי לָהּ וְקַיְּמָא תַּמָּן לְאַשְׁגָּחָא בֵּיהּ לְשֵׁיצָאָה לֵיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב (דְּבָרִים לב, יט): "וַיַּרְא ה' וַיִּנְאָץ וְגוֹ'". וַיַּרְא — הַהוּא דְּקַיְּמָא קַמֵּיהּ. תָּב בִּתְיוּבְתָּא, כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ (שְׁמוּאֵל ב יב, יג): "גַּם ה' הֶעֱבִיר חַטָּאתְךָ לֹא תָמוּת", דְּעָבִיר הַהוּא חוֹבָא מִקַּמֵּיהּ בְּגִין דְּלָא יִסְתַּכֵּל בֵּיהּ. הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: "אַל תֵּפֶן אֶל קְשִׁי הָעָם הַזֶּה וְאֶל רִשְׁעוֹ וְאֶל חַטָּאתוֹ". עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹנוֹ.
It is written, “Do not turn towards the obstinacy of this people and its wickedness and its sinfulness” (Devarim 9:27). This is explained in the Zohar in Parashas Kedoshim (83b): Come and see. When a man performs a mitzvah it ascends and stands before the Holy One Blessed is He and proclaims, “So-and-so made me.” And the Holy One Blessed is He appoints it to remain before Him so that He will lay His eyes upon it the entire day and bestow goodness upon that person on account of it. And if a person transgresses the Torah that transgression ascends before the Holy One Blessed is He and says, “So-and-so made me.” And the Holy One Blessed is He appoints it to remain before Him so that He will lay His eyes upon it and remove the person from the world. This is the meaning of the verse, “And Hashem saw and reviled” (Devarim 32:19). “And He saw” — the transgression standing before Him. If the person repented it is written concerning him, “Hashem has also removed your sin; you will not die” (II Shmuel:12:13). That is, He removes the transgression from before Him so that He will no longer look upon it. This is the meaning of the verse, “Do not turn towards the obstinacy of this people and its wickedness and its sinfulness.”
וְהִנֵּה הָאָדָם יוֹשֵׁב בְּבֵיתוֹ בְּשָׁלוֹם, בְּהַשְׁקֵט וּבְבֶטַח, בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְטוּב לֵב, וְאֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה הַחֵטְא גָּרַם דְּקָאִים לְמַעְלָה וְאָמַר: מִפְּלַנְיָא אֲנִי מְעוֹרֵר עָלָיו פִּתְאֹם, שֶׁנִּשְׁפַּךְ עָלָיו עֹנֶשׁ מַר וּגְזֵרָה רָעָה, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלַן, וְאַחַר כָּךְ לְסוֹף יִתְחָרֵט, וְלֹא תּוֹעִיל הַחֲרָטָה, אֲשֶׁר כְּבָר יָצְאָה הַגְּזֵרָה; וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן בָּעֲבֵרוֹת שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ, כְּגוֹן גְּזֵלוֹת וּגְנֵבוֹת וְאוֹנָאָה וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁהַמַּזָּל שֶׁל הַנִּגְזָל אוֹ הַגַּנָּב צוֹעֵק עָלָיו לְמַעְלָה.
Sometimes a person sits at home in peace and tranquility, feeling secure, happy and lighthearted. Meanwhile, he is totally unaware of the effect that his transgression is having On High. It stands there in Heaven declaring, “I am the product of So-and-so!” provoking against him a sudden outpouring of a bitter judgment and a harsh decree, may Heaven spare us. Eventually he regrets his deed but by then it is too late since the decree has already been issued. This is especially the case with regard to interpersonal crimes, such as theft, fraud and the like, because the guardian angel of the victim protests on his behalf in the Heavenly court.
וּבוֹא וּרְאֵה מַה שֶּׁכָּתוּב בַּזֹּהַר (שָׁם), עַל עִנְיַן הַכּוֹבֵשׁ שְׂכַר פּוֹעֵל בְּיָדוֹ וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתֵן לוֹ, יֵשׁ לוֹ עֹנֶשׁ גָּדוֹל, כִּי כָּל פּוֹעֵל אֶל טִרְחָתוֹ וְאֶל מְלַאכְתּוֹ הוּא נוֹשֵׂא אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ. וְכֵיוָן שֶׁכּוֹבֵשׁ שְׂכִירוּת שֶׁלּוֹ תַּחַת יָדוֹ, כְּאִלּוּ כּוֹבֵשׁ נַפְשׁוֹ וְנַפְשׁוֹת אַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתוֹ, כִּי כָּל הֶבֶל דְּנָפִיק מִפּוּמֵיהּ דְּהַאי פּוֹעֵל בְּהַאי יוֹמָא דְּטָרִיד בִּמְלַאכְתּוֹ, כִּי כֵן הַדֶּרֶךְ לְהוֹצִיא הֶבֶל מִפִּיו שֶׁל הַפּוֹעֵל, כֻּלָּן הֲבָלִים — אִנּוּן סַלְקִין קַמֵּי קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חֲזֵי לוֹן, דְּאִנּוּן הֲבָלִים לֹא קִבְּלוּ שְׂכַר פְּעֻלָּתָן, וְהָא קַיְּמִין קַמֵּיהּ אִנּוּן הֲבָלִים וְנֶפֶשׁ הַפּוֹעֵל וְנַפְשׁוֹת בֵּיתוֹ. אֲזַי אֲפִלּוּ מִתְגְּזַר כַּמָּה טוֹבוֹת וְכַמָּה הַצְלָחוֹת עַל הַאי בַּר נָשׁ, כֻּלְּהוּ מִתְעַקְּרִין מִנֵּיהּ וּמִשְׁתַּקְּלִין מִנֵּיהּ, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵין מַנִּיחִין נַפְשָׁא דִּילֵיהּ לַעֲלוֹת לְמַעְלָה בְּכָל לַיְלָה. כָּל זֶה בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁכָּבַשׁ שְׂכָרוֹ תַּחַת יָדוֹ. וְעָווֹן זֶה הוּא מְקַצֵּר יָמִים, רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלַן.
Come and see what is written in the Zohar (ibid. 85a) regarding one who withholds the wages of a worker and does not pay him. His punishment is particularly great because a worker puts his very soul into his labor and his craft, therefore when his employer withholds his wages it is as if he is holding captive the soul of the worker as well as the souls of his entire household. Every breath that comes out of the worker’s mouth as he engages in his craft — for it is usual for a worker to breathe heavily while he works — ascends before the Holy One Blessed is He. That night the souls of the worker and the members of his household, who are dependent upon those breaths, ascend before the Holy One Blessed is He. Hashem then sees that those breaths were not remunerated for their efforts. In consequence, even if much blessing and success had been decreed for the employer, it is all taken away from him. Moreover, his own soul is no longer allowed to ascend On High each night, all because he withheld from his worker his wages. This iniquity also causes the employer’s life to be shortened, Heaven spare us.
וְעַל כֵּן הָיָה נוֹהֵג רַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, כְּשֶׁהָיָה מִסְתַּלֵּק הַפּוֹעֵל מִמְּלַאכְתּוֹ, יָהִיב לֵיהּ מִיָּד אַגְרֵיהּ וַהֲוֵי אָמַר לֵיהּ: טֹל נַפְשָׁךְ דְּאַפְקִידַת בְּיָדִי, טֹל פִּקְדוֹנָךְ. וַאֲפִלּוּ אִי הֲוֵי אָמַר לֵיהּ הַפּוֹעֵל: יִהְיֶה בְּיָדְךָ בְּפִקָּדוֹן, לָא הֲוֵי בָּעֵי, וְאָמַר: פִּקְדוֹנָךְ דְּגוּפָךְ לֹא אִתְחַזֵּי לְאִתְפַּקְּדָא בְּיָדִי, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן פִּקְדוֹנָךְ דְּנַפְשָׁךְ וְנִשְׁמָתָךָ לֹא אִתְחַזֵּי לִי, דְּהַאי פִּקְדוֹנָא לֹא אִתְיַהַב אֶלָּא לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בִּלְחוּדָא, דִּכְתִיב (תְּהִלִּים לא ו): "בְּיָדְךָ אַפְקִיד רוּחִי".
For this reason Rav Hamnuna the Elder was accustomed to pay his workers their wages the moment they finished their tasks, saying to them, “Take back your soul that you deposited with me.” Even if the worker said to him, “Let it remain in your safekeeping,” he would refuse, saying, “It is not fitting that you should deposit even your body in my care, let alone your soul. This deposit should only be left in the care of the Holy One Blessed is He, as it is written, ‘Into Your hand I commit my spirit’ (Tehillim 31:6).”
וְאִם כֵּן אַזְהָרָה גְּדוֹלָה מִזּוֹ לִבְנֵי אָדָם. שׁוֹמֵעַ קוֹל בֶּכִי שֶׁל שָׂכִיר, שֶׁבּוֹכֶה עֲבוּר טִרְחָתוֹ, הֵן יְהוּדִי וְהֵן אֵינוֹ יְהוּדִי, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַשָּׂכִיר וְהַפּוֹעֵל הוֹלֵךְ אַחֲרָיו וּמְבַקֵּשׁ שְׂכָרוֹ מַה שֶּׁטָּרַח וְיָגַע, וְזֶה אוֹטֵם אָזְנוֹ מִשְּׁמֹעַ וְדוֹחֶה אוֹתוֹ בְּלֵךְ וָשׁוֹב, וְאֵין לְךָ חִלּוּל הַשֵּׁם כָּזֶה, וְעָנְשׁוֹ מְמַהֵר לָבוֹא, וּנְכָסָיו אָזְלִין לְאִבּוּד וּלְטִמְיוֹן. וְאַף שֶׁמִּחְיָתוֹ הוּא לְפִי שָׁעָה בְּטוֹבָה, רֶוַח וְהַצְלָחָה לֹא יִהְיֶה לוֹ לְבַסּוֹף. וּבְוַדַּאי יָבוֹא אוֹתוֹ בַּעַל הַבַּיִת לִידֵי עֲנִיּוּת, וְאֵין מְרַחֲמִים עָלָיו, וְזוּלַת זֶה הַרְבֵּה עֳנָשִׁים קָשִׁים מִתְהַוִּים בְּחֵטְא זֶה. עַל כֵּן צָרִיךְ הָאָדָם לְהִזָּהֵר מְאֹד, שֶׁלֹּא יִכָּשֵׁל בְּזֶה הַחֵטְא: כּוֹבֵשׁ שְׂכַר שָׂכִיר.
This should serve as a stern warning to people. If one hears one’s worker weeping over his labors, even if he is not Jewish — if he goes after his employer seeking the wages of his toil but the latter closes his ears, refusing to listen and telling him to come back another time — there can be no greater desecration of the name of Heaven than this. His punishment will be swift in coming and his property will be irretrievably lost. Even if currently he enjoys a generous income, prosperity and success, it will not remain with him. Ultimately he will undoubtedly be impoverished and no one will take pity upon him. Many other afflictions are also brought about by this sin. Therefore one must be extremely careful not to stumble in the sin of withholding a worker’s wages.
נַחֲזֹר לָעִנְיָן שֶׁהִתְחַלְנוּ: כָּל הָאָדָם, מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה, נַעֲשָׂה מִן אוֹתָהּ מִצְוָה מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד, שֶׁמְּלַמֵּד תָּמִיד זְכוּת עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּמִדְרַשׁ רַבָּה, פָּרָשַׁת וַיִּקְרָא: עָשָׂה אָדָם מִצְוָה אַחַת, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד לְשָׁמְרוֹ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה שְׁתֵּי מִצְווֹת, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ שְׁנֵי מַלְאָכִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תְּהִלִּים צא יא): "כִּי מַלְאָכָיו יְצַוֶּה לָּךְ". נוֹתְנִין לוֹ — דַּיְקָא, מִן אוֹתוֹ הַמִּצְוָה נַעֲשָׂה מַלְאָךְ לְשָׁמְרוֹ מִכָּל נֵזֶק. וּבוֹא וּרְאֵה מֵהַמַּעֲשֶׂה בְּחָסִיד אֶחָד, שֶׁהָיָה דָּר בִּכְפָר קָטָן, וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ שׁוּם סֵפֶר, רַק גְּמָרָא אַחַת שֶׁל מַסֶּכֶת חֲגִיגָה, וְהָיָה כָּל יָמָיו שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ הֶחָסִיד עוֹסֵק בְּמַסֶּכֶת חֲגִיגָה. וְהֶאֱרִיך יָמִים מְאֹד. וּלְבַסּוֹף קוֹדֵם מוֹתוֹ, נִתְלַבְּשָׁה אוֹתוֹ הַמַּסֶּכֶת בִּדְמוּת אִשָּׁה, וְהָלְכָה לְפָנָיו אַחַר מוֹתוֹ, עַד שֶׁהֵבִיאוּ לְאוֹתוֹ הֶחָסִיד לְגַן עֵדֶן.
Let us now return to the subject with which we began. Whenever a person performs a mitzvah an angel is formed from it which pleads continually on his behalf. Thus the Sages teach in Midrash Rabbah, Parshas Vayikra (32:6), “If a person did a single mitzvah, he is granted a single angel to protect him. If he did two mitzvos he is granted two angels. As it is written, ‘For He will appoint His angels on your behalf’ (Tehillim 91:11).” The expression “he is granted” indicates that from the mitzvos that the person performed these angels are fashioned to protect him from harm. Come and see an incident illustrating this principle. A certain pious man lived in a small village in which there were no books to be found with the exception of a single volume of the tractate Chagigah. All his life the pious man poured over this text. He lived to a ripe old age and then just before his death the tractate Chagigah appeared to him in the form of a woman. After his death this form went before him and brought him into Gan Eden.
וְכֵן הוּא, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, לְהִפּוּךְ: עוֹשֶׂה אָדָם עֲבֵרָה אַחַת, נִבְרָא מִמֶּנּוּ קָטֵגוֹר אֶחָד (רָצָה לוֹמַר: שֵׁד). עוֹבֵר שְׁתֵּי עֲבֵרוֹת, נִבְרָאִים שְׁנֵי מְקַטְרְגִים. כְּשֶׁמֵּת, אֲזַי מִתְלַבְּשִׁין אוֹתָן הַעֲבֵרוֹת בִּדְמוּת אִשָּׁה וּמוֹלִיכִין אוֹתוֹ לְגֵיהִנָּם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּיוֹסֵף הַצַּדִּיק, שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב עָלָיו (בְּרֵאשִׁית לט, י): "וְלֹא שָׁמַע אֵלֶיהָ לִשְׁכַּב אֶצְלָהּ לִהְיוֹת עִמָּהּ". וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: לִשְׁכַּב עִמָּהּ — בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה; לִהְיוֹת עִמָּהּ — בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
The converse is also true, Heaven forbid. If a person commits a single transgression one accuser is created. If he commits two transgressions two accusers are created. Then, after he dies, those transgressions take on the form of a woman and lead him to Gehinnom. Thus the Torah tells us that Yosef refused to listen to Potiphar’s wife “to lie with her, to be with her” (Bereishis 39:8-10). The Sages explain, “ ‘To lie with her’ — in this world; ‘to be with her’ — in the World to Come” (Sotah 3b).
וְרָאִיתִי בְּסֵפֶר אֶחָד, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָאָדָם מְזַנֶּה עִם אִשָּׁה אַחֶרֶת, אֲזַי נִבְרָא מַזִּיק אֶחָד בִּדְמוּת אוֹתָהּ הָאִשָּׁה. וּכְשֶׁהִגִּיעַ זְמַנּוֹ לְהִפָּטֵר מֵהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, בָּאָה אוֹתָהּ אִשָּׁה וּמְלַפַּפְתּוֹ וּמוֹלִיכָה אוֹתוֹ לְגֵיהִנָּם. וְלָכֵן נִרְאֶה לִי, שֶׁזֶּהוּ רָמְזוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה בְּאָמְרָם: לֶעָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַנְחִיל לְכָל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וְעֶשֶׂר עוֹלָמוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מִשְׁלֵי ח, כא): "לְהַנְחִיל אוֹהֲבַי יֵשׁ". עַד כָּאן לְשׁוֹן הַגְּמָרָא. שָׁמַעְתִּי, הַפֵּרוּשׁ הַנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל כָּךְ הוּא: כִּי כְּבָר אָמַרְנוּ לְעֵיל, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהָאָדָם עוֹשֶׂה מִצְוָה אַחַת, נִבְרָא מִמֶּנּוּ מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד. וְקַיְּמָא לָן: כָּל מַלְאָךְ הוּא שְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים פַּרְסָאוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דָּנִיאֵל י, ו): "וּגְוִיָּתוֹ כְתַרְשִׁישׁ". וּגְמִירֵי דְּתַרְשִׁישׁ הוּא שְׁנֵי אֲלָפִים פַּרְסָאוֹת. וְאִם כֵּן, כַּאֲשֶׁר שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ תַּרְיַ"ג מִצְווֹת וְשֶׁבַע מִצְווֹת כְּמִנְיַן כֶּתֶר, וְאִם כֵּן, כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל שׁוֹמְרִים מִצְווֹת תּוֹרָה וּמִצְווֹת דְרַבָּנָן יֵשׁ לָהֶן שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וְעֶשְׂרִים מַלְאָכִים.
I once read an explanation of this: When a man commits adultery a malignant spirit is created in the form of the woman with whom he strayed. Then, when his time comes to leave this world, she wraps herself around him and drags him down to Gehinnom. It seems to me that this is what the Sages were alluding to when they said (Sanhedrin 100a), “In the future the Holy One Blessed is He will bestow upon every righteous person three hundred and ten worlds. As it is written, ‘To cause those who love Me to inherit substance (yeish, the numerical value of which is 310)’ (Mishlei 8:21).” I have heard this passage explained as follows: As we have already mentioned, when a man does a single mitzvah a single angel is created. The Sages tell us (Chullin 91b) that each angel is two thousand parsaos across (1 parsah = 2.80 miles.), as it is written, “And its body was like [the Sea of] Tarsus” (Daniel 10:6). According to tradition this sea was two thousand parsaos wide. Now altogether there are 613 Torah precepts and seven rabbinical enactments, totaling 620, the numerical value of the word keser — “crown.” Therefore, when the Jewish people keep the entire Torah, including the rabbinical injunctions, they acquire 620 angels.
וְהִנֵּה כְּתִיב (אֵיכָה א, א): "אֵיכָה יָשְׁבָה בָדָד הָעִיר רַבָּתִי עָם, הָיְתָה כְּאַלְמָנָה", עַל שֵׁם מָנֶה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ כְּתָב מָנֶה. מַה שֶּׁאֵין כֵּן לֶעָתִיד, יִהְיֶה לָנוּ כְּתֻבָּה שְׁלִישׁ הוֹסָפָה, כְּדִין בְּתוּלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב (עָמוֹס ה, ב): "בְּתוּלַת יִשְׂרָאֵל". וְהִנֵּה חֶשְׁבּוֹן שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת וְעֶשְׂרִים מַלְאָכִים: שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת מַלְאָכִים עוֹלִים לְמִנְיַן מָאתַיִם עוֹלָמוֹת, כִּי קַיְּמָא לָן דִּשְׁלשָׁה מַלְאָכִים הֵן עוֹלָם אֶחָד, כִּי הָעוֹלָם הוּא שִׁית אַלְפֵי פַּרְסֵי. עֶשְׂרִים מַלְאָכִים עוֹלִים לְמִנְיַן שִׁשָּׁה עוֹלָמוֹת וּשְׁנֵי שְׁלִישֵׁי עוֹלָם. וְאִם כֵּן, אִם תָּשִׂים עָלֶיהָ הַשְּׁלִישׁ כְּמוֹ דִּין בְּתוּלָה, שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהּ שְׁלִישׁ הוֹסָפָה, תּוֹסִיף עַל מָאתַיִם שְׁלִישׁ, יִהְיֶה שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת. וְאִם תּוֹסִיף עַל שִׁשָּׁה עוֹלָמוֹת שְׁלִישׁ, יִהְיֶה תִּשְׁעָה, וְאִם תּוֹסִיף עַל שְׁנֵי שְׁלִישִׁים שְׁלִישׁ אֶחָד, יִהְיֶה עוֹלָם אֶחָד. צָרְפֵם יַחַד, וְתִמְצָא עוֹלִים לְחֶשְׁבּוֹן שְׁלשׁ מֵאוֹת וַעֲשָׂרָה עוֹלָמוֹת. יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן.
Now, in this world Israel has the legal status of an almanah — a “widow.” Thus the verse in Eichah (1:1) reads, “O how does she sit in solitude! The city that was teeming with people has become like an almanah.” This word is derived from a denomination of currency called a manah (= 100 zuz), which is the amount that is guaranteed to a widow in her marriage contract when she remarries. In the future, however, Israel will again have the status of a virgin bride, as it is written, “Arise O virgin of Israel” (Amos 5:2). A virgin bride is guaranteed a base sum of 200 zuz, but Israel will receive on top of this an addition of a third (reckoned from the “outside,” so that the addition comprises a third of the total). Now, the Sages tell us in Midrash Bereishis Rabbah (68:12) that three angels comprise an entire “world,” since each angel is 2000 parsaos wide and a “world” is only 6000 parsaos in diameter. Therefore 600 angels equals 200 worlds. The additional 20 angels comprise another six and two-thirds worlds. If one adds a third (from the “outside”) to the 200 it comes to 300. Then if one adds a third to the 6 worlds it comes to 9. Finally if one adds a third to the remaining two-thirds it comes to a single world, for a total of 310 worlds. May it be Hashem’s will that we merit this speedily in our days, Amein.