Daf 182b (דַּף קפ״ב ע״ב)

“And I praise” (וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי) (Ecclesiastes 4) “the dead” (אֶת הַמֵּתִים). And is King Shlomo praising the dead more than the living? (וְכִי שְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא מְשַׁבַּח לְמֵתַיָּיא יַתִּיר מִן חַיָּיא). But behold, none is called “alive” except one who walks in the path of truth in this world (וְהָא לָא אִקְרֵי חַי אֶלָּא מַאן דְּאִיהוּ בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר), “And Benaiah the son of Yehoyada, the son of a living man” (וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶן יְהוֹיָדָע בֶּן אִישׁ חַי) (II Samuel 23).

And behold, this my friends have already established p1-31(וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ חַבְרַיָּיא), that the wicked who do not go in the path of truth are called dead (וְרָשָׁע דְּלָא אָזִיל בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט אִקְרֵי מֵת). And yet he praises the dead more than the living (וְאִיהוּ מְשַׁבֵּחַ לַמֵּתִים מִן הַחַיִּים). Rather, surely all the words of King Shlomo were spoken in wisdom (אֶלָּא, וַדַּאי כָּל מִלּוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, בְּחָכְמְתָא אִתְּמָרוּ). And behold it is said (וְהָא אִתְּמַר), “And I praise the dead” (וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים). If it had not been written “who are already dead,” I would have said thus (אִילּוּ לָא כְּתִיב יַתִּיר, הֲוָה אֲמֵינָא הָכִי). But since it is written, “who are already dead” (אֲבָל כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ), another matter is found in wisdom (אִשְׁתְּכַח מִלָּה אַחֲרָא בְּחָכְמְתָא).

“Who are already dead” (שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ): another time they departed from the world, and were corrected in the dust (זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִן עָלְמָא, וְאִתְתָּקַּן בְּעַפְרָא). - At the time when the appointed one over him came, and he died in this world in order to be corrected (דְּאָזדְמְנָא דִּי מְמֻנָּא עֲלֵיהּ וּמֵית בְּחַיֵי עָלְמָא דְּבְגִין דִּיתְתַּקֵּן) (Some say: at the time when he was appointed and came in this world in order to be corrected – ס״א: דְּאָזדְמְנָא עֲלֵיהּ וְתָב בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּגִין דִּיתְתַּקֵּן). (Some say: when he was appointed over him and died in this world, and was corrected in the dust in order to be corrected – ס״א: דְּמְמֻנָּא עֲלֵיהּ וּמֵית בְּהַאי עָלְמָא וְאִתְתַּקֵּן בַּעֲפָרָא בְּגִין דִּיתְתַּקֵּן). In the place where his time is completed, he dies (בְּאַתְרָא דִּישְׁתַּלֵּם זִמְנֵיהּ מֵית). This one indeed is praiseworthy above the other dead of the world (דָּא וַדַּאי דָּא הוּא שִׁבְחָא מִשְּׁאַר מֵתֵי עָלְמָא). And if you say, he will be judged another time in that world (אִי תֵּימָא אִתְדַּן זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), behold it is written, “Trouble shall not rise up the second time” (הָא כְּתִיב לֹא תָקוּם [נַחום א] פְּעָמַיִם צָרָה). After his time was completed, he surely died (בָּתַר דְּאִשְׁתַּלֵּם זִמְנֵיהּ מֵית וַדַּאי). This is praise above the other dead of the world (הוּא שִׁבְחָא מִשְּׁאַר מֵתֵי עָלְמָא). And if you say, he was not judged another time in that world, all the more so, for he received punishment once and twice (אִי תֵּימָא לָא אִתְדַּן זִמְנָא אַחֲרָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, כָּל שֶׁכֵּן דְּהָא קַבִּיל עוֹנְשָׁא זִמְנָא וּתְרֵין). And this indeed, his place is corrected in greater praise than those of the living who have not yet received punishment (וְדָא וַדַּאי, אַתְרֵיהּ אִתְתַּקַּן בִּשְׁבָחָא יַתִּיר מֵאִינּוּן חַיֵּי, דְּעַד לָא קַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשָׁא). And concerning this it is written (וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב), “And I praise the dead who are already dead” (וְשַׁבֵּחַ אֲנִי אֶת הַמֵּתִים שֶׁכְּבָר מֵתוּ) (Ecclesiastes 4). Precisely so (דַּיְיקָא). These are the living, and yet they are called dead (אִלֵּין אִינּוּן חַיִּין, וְאִקְרוּן מֵתִים). Why are they called dead? (מַאי טַעְמָא אִקְרוּן מֵתִים). Because they have tasted the taste of death (בְּגִין דְּהָא טָעֲמוּ טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא), and even though they remain in this world, they are dead (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּקַיְּימֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, מֵתִים אִינּוּן), and they are counted among the dead (וּמִבֵּין מֵתַיָּיא אָהַדְרוּ). And further, because they still stand regarding their former deeds to be rectified, they are called dead (וְעוֹד עַל עוֹבָדִין קַדְמָאִין קַיְימִין לְאַתְקְנָא, וְאִקְרוּן מֵתִים). But “from the living, who are alive” (מִן הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר הֵמָּה חַיִּים), these are those who have not yet tasted the taste of death (דְּעַד לָא טָעֲמוּ טַעֲמָא דְּמוֹתָא), and have not received their punishments (וְלָא קַבִּילוּ עוֹנְשַׁיְיהוּ), and they do not know if they will be meritorious in that world or not (וְלָא יַדְעֵי אִי זַכָּאן בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא וְאִי לָאו).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): fortunate are those who have merited to be bound in the bundle of life (זַכָּאִין דְּזַכָּאָן לְאִתְקַשְּׁרָא בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי). They are fortunate to behold the glory of the supernal holy King (אִינּוּן זַכָּאִין לְמֵחמֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה קַדִּישָׁא), as it is said (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר), “To behold the beauty of Hashem and to visit His sanctuary” (לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְיָ וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ) (Psalms 27). And their dwelling is higher and more exalted than all the holy angels and all their degrees (וְאִינּוּן מָדוֹרֵהוֹן, יַתִּיר וְעִלָּאָה מִכָּל אִינּוּן מַלְאֲכִין קַדִּישִׁין, וְכָל דַּרְגִּין דִּלְהוֹן). For that place of supernal joy (דְּהָא הַהוּא אַתְרָא [ס״א: חֲדוָה] עִלָּאָה), neither those above nor those below merit to behold it (לָא זַכָּאִין עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין לְמֵחמֵי לֵיהּ).

This is that which is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “No eye has seen, O God, beside You” (עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ וְגוֹ') (Isaiah 64). And those who did not merit to ascend as high as those above (וְאִינּוּן דְּלָא זַכָּאן לְסַלְּקָא כָּל כַּךְ כְּאִינּוּן), some say: they have places, etc. (ס״א: דּוּכְתָּא, אִית וְכוּ'), they have places below according to their ways (דּוּכְתָּיָיא אִית לוֹן לְתַתָּא כְּפוּם אוֹרְחַיְיהוּ). And these did not merit to that place (וְאִלֵּין לָא זַכָּאן לְהַהוּא אֲתָר), nor to behold as those above beheld (וּלְמֵחמֵי כְּמָה דְּחָמָאן אִינּוּן דִּלְעֵילָּא). And these stand in the existence of the lower Eden and no more (וְאִלֵּין קַיְימֵי בְּקִיּוּמָא דְּעֵדֶן תַּתָּאָה וְלָא יַתִּיר). And if you say: what is the lower Eden? (וְאִי תֵּימָא מַאן עֵדֶן תַּתָּאָה). Rather, this is Eden which is called the lower Chokhmah (אֶלָּא דָּא עֵדֶן דְּאִקְרֵי חָכְמָה תַּתָּאָה). And this stands above the garden which is upon the earth (וְדָא קַיְימָא עַל גַּן דִּבְאַרְעָא). And the supervision of this Eden is upon it (וְאַשְׁגָחוּתָא דְּהַאי עֵדֶן עָלֵיהּ [וְלָא יַתִּיר]). And these stand in this garden and enjoy from this Eden above it (וְאִלֵּין קַיְימֵי בְּהַאי גַּן, וְאִתְהֲנוּן מֵעֵדֶן דָּא). What is the difference between the lower Eden and the upper Eden? (מַאי בֵּין עֵדֶן תַּתָּאָה לְעִלָּאָה). As the superiority of light over darkness (כִּיתְרוֹן הָאוֹר מִן הַחֹשֶׁךְ). The lower Eden is called Eden of the female (עֵדֶן תַּתָּאָה, אִקְרֵי עֶדְנָא נוּקְבָּא). The upper Eden is called Eden of the male (עֵדֶן עִלָּאָה, אִקְרֵי עֵדֶן דְּכַר). Concerning it, it is written (עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב), “No eye has seen, O God, beside You” (עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ) (Isaiah 64).

This lower Eden is called “a garden” for the Eden above (הַאי עֵדֶן תַּתָּאָה, אִקְרֵי גַּן לְעֵדֶן דִּלְעֵילָּא). And this garden is called Eden for the garden below (וְהַאי גַּן אִקְרֵי עֵדֶן, לְגַן דִּלְתַּתָּא). And those who are found in the lower garden enjoy from this Eden above them (וְאִלֵּין דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּגַן תַּתָּאָה, אִתְהֲנוּן מֵהַאי עֵדֶן דְּעָלַיְיהוּ), every Shabbat and Shabbat, and every new moon and new moon (בְּכָל שַׁבָּת וְשַׁבָּת, וּבְכָל יַרְחָא וְיַרְחָא). This is that which is written (הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב), “And it shall come to pass, from one new moon to another, and from one Shabbat to another” (וְהָיָה מִדֵּי חֹדֶשׁ בְּחָדְשׁוֹ וּמִדֵּי שַׁבָּת בְּשַׁבַּתוֹ) (Isaiah 66).