Daf 79a (דַּף ע״ט ע״א)

He opened and said, (Job 37) (פָּתַח וְאָמַר): He seals the hand of every man, so that all men may know His work (בְּיַד כָּל אָדָם יַחְתּוֹם לָדַעַת כָּל אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֵׂהוּ). This verse has been established (הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ), but come and see (אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי): on the day when the days of a person are completed to depart from this world (בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּאַשְׁלִימוּ יוֹמוֹי דְּבַר נָשׁ לְאַפָּקָא מֵעָלְמָא), that day when the body is broken and the soul seeks to separate from it (הַהוּא יוֹמָא דְּגוּפָא אִתְבַּר וְנַפְשָׁא בָּעְיָא לְאִתְפָּרְשָׁא מִנֵּיהּ), then permission is granted to the person to see what he did not have permission to see during the time when the body ruled and stood in its form (כְּדֵין אִתְיְהִיב רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְמֶחֱמֵי מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְמֶחֱמֵי בִּזְמַנָא דְּגוּפָא שָׁלְטָא וְקָאֵים עַל בּוּרְיֵיהּ). And then there stand over him three messengers who calculate his days and his transgressions and all that he did in this world (וּכְדֵין קָיְימֵי עֲלֵיהּ תְּלַת שְׁלִיחִין וְחָשְׁבֵי יוֹמוֹי וְחוֹבוֹי וְכָל מַה דְּעֲבַד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), and he confesses to all with his mouth (וְהוּא אוֹדֵי עַל כֹּלָּא בְּפוּמֵיהּ), and afterward he signs upon it with his hand (וּלְבָתַר הוּא חָתִים עֲלֵיהּ בִּידֵיהּ). This is what is written: He seals the hand of every man (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: בְּיַד כָּל אָדָם יַחְתּוֹם), and with his hand all is signed to judge him in that world (וּבִידֵיהּ כֻּלְּהוּ חֲתִימִין לְמֵידַן לֵיהּ), some say: in that other world (נ״א: בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא), for the former and the latter, for the new and the ancient-none of them is forgotten (עַל קַדְמָאֵי וְעַל בַּתְרָאֵי, עַל חַדְתֵּי וְעַל עַתִּיקֵי-לָא אִתְנְשֵׁי חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ). This is what is written: So that all men may know His work (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב: לָדַעַת כָּל אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֵׂהוּ). And all those deeds that he did in this world with body and spirit, so too must he render account through body and spirit before he departs from this world (וְכָל אִנּוּן עוֹבָדִין דְּעֲבַד בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּגוּפָא וְרוּחָא, הָכִי נָמֵי יָהִיב חוּשְׁבְּנָא בְּגוּפָא וְרוּחָא עַד לָא יִפּוּק מֵעָלְמָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): just as the guilty are obstinate in this world, so too, even at the time when they are about to depart this world, they remain obstinate (כַּמָּה דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא אַקְשֵׁי קְדַל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא-הָכִי נָמֵי אֲפִלּוּ בִּשְׁעַתָּא דְּבָעֵי לְנַפְקָא מֵהַאי עָלְמָא אַקְשֵׁי קְדַל). Because of this, fortunate is the person who learns in this world the paths of Kudsha Berikh Hu, in order to go in them (בְּגִין כָּךְ: זַכָּאָה הוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּיָלִיף בְּהַאי עָלְמָא אוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּגִין לְמֵיהַךְ בְּהוּ). But the guilty, even if he sees the Righteous, (some say: even if he engages) with the Righteous, he remains obstinate and does not want to learn (וְחַיָּיבָא אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִסְתַּכַּל בְּהַנֵּי (נ״א: דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בַּהֲדֵי) צַדִּיקַיָּיא, אַקְשֵׁי קְדַל וְלָא בָּעֵי לְמֵילַף). Therefore, it is given to the Tzaddik to overpower him (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: אִית לֵיהּ לְצַדִּיקָא לְמִתְקַּף בֵּיהּ), and even though the guilty is obstinate, the Tzaddik will not let him go (וְאַף עַל גַּב דְּחַיָּיבָא אַקְשֵׁי קְדַל, הוּא לָא יִשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ), and it is given to overpower him and not to release him (וְאִית לֵיהּ לְאַתְקָפָא בִּידֵיהּ וְלָא יִשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ), because if he is released, he will go and destroy the world (דְּאִי יִשְׁבּוֹק לֵיהּ, יְהַךְ וְיַחֲרִיב עָלְמָא).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי), from Elisha, who repelled Geḥazi (מִן אֱלִישָׁע דְּדָחָה לְגֵחֲזִי). And likewise with Avraham-so long as Lot was with him, he did not join himself to the wicked (וְכֵן בְּאַבְרָהָם כָּל זִמְנָא דְּהֲוָה לוֹט בַּהֲדֵיהּ לָא אִתְחַבַּר בַּהֲדֵי רַשִּׁיעַיָּא). Once he separated from him, what is written? And Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Yarden, and it is written: He pitched his tent as far as Sedom (כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְפְּרַשׁ מִנֵּיהּ, מַה כְּתִיב: וַיִּבְחַר לוֹ לוֹט אֶת כָּל כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן, וּכְתִיב: וַיֶאֱהַל עַד סְדוֹם). What is written next? And the men of Sedom were wicked and sinners before Hashem exceedingly (מַה כְּתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ: וְאַנְשֵׁי סְדוֹם רָעִים וְחַטָּאִים לַי־יָ מְאֹד).

Rabbi Abba said (אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא): What you said, And Avram went and not And Avram went out is correct (הַאי דְּאָמַרְתְּ: וַיֵּלֶךְ אַבְרָם וְלָא כְּתִיב: וַיֵּצֵא אַבְרָם, שַׁפִּיר הוּא). But at the end of the verse, what is written? When he went out from Charan (אֲבָל סוֹפָא דִקְרָא, מַה כְּתִיב: בְּצֵאתוֹ מֵחָרָן). Rabbi El‘azar said: From Charan is what is written-meaning that the going out from the land of his birth had been earlier (אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: מֵחָרָן כְּתִיב, וְהַהִיא יְצִיאָה מֵאֶרֶץ מוֹלַדְתּוֹ הֲוַת בְּקַדְמִיתָא). And Avram took Sarai his wife (וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ)-what is the meaning of “he took”? Rather, he drew her with elevated words (מַהוּ וַיִּקַּח אֶלָּא אַמְשִׁיךְ לָהּ בְּמִילֵּי מַעַלְיָיתָא), for it is not permitted for a man to take his wife to another land without her consent (בְּגִין דְּלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאַפְקָא אִתְּתֵיהּ לְמֵיהַךְ בְּאַרְעָא אָחֳרָא בְּלָא רְעוּתָא דִילָהּ). And so it says: Take Aharon, and Take the Levites (וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר: קַח אֶת אַהֲרֹן קַח אֶת הַלְוִיִּם). Therefore: And Avram took-he drew her with words and informed her of their paths, that the people of the generation were exceedingly corrupt (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם, מָשִׁיךְ לָהּ בְּמִלִּין וְאוֹדַע לָהּ אָרְחֵיהוֹן דְּאִנּוּן בְּנֵי דָרָא כַּמָּה בִּישִׁין). And because of this it says: And Avram took Sarai his wife (וּבְגִין כָּךְ: וַיִּקַּח אַבְרָם אֶת שָׂרַי אִשְׁתּוֹ). And Lot, the son of his brother (וְאֶת לוֹט בֶּן אָחִיו)-why did Avraham choose to cling to Lot? Because he foresaw by the Holy Spirit that David was destined to come from him (מָה חָמָא אַבְרָהָם לְדָבְקָא עִמֵּיהּ לוֹט אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּצָפָה בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ דְּזַמִּין לְמֵיפַק מִנֵּיהּ דָּוִד). And the soul that they made in Charan (וְאֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ בְחָרָן) These are converts, male and female, who rectified their souls (אִלֵּין גֵּרִים וְגִיּוֹרוֹת דְּאַתְקִינוּ נַפְשַׁיְיהוּ). Avraham converted the men, and Sarah converted the women (אַבְרָהָם מְגַיֵּיר גּוּבְרִין, וְשָׂרָה מְגַיֶּירֶת נָשִׁין), and Scripture considers it as if they had made them (וּמַעֲלֶה עֲלֵיהוֹן כְּאִלּוּ עֲבְדוּ לְהוֹן).