Daf 185a (דַּף קפ״ה ע״א)

Come and see (וְתָּא חֲזֵי), it is written (Proverbs 3): “Length of days is in her right hand; in her left are riches and honor” (כְּתִיב: אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בִּימִינָהּ, בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד). “Length of days” refers to one who labors in Orayta for her own sake (אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בְּהַהוּא דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא לִשְׁמָהּ), for he has length of days in that world where the days are long (דְּאִית לֵיהּ אֹרֶךְ יָמִים בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא דְּבֵיהּ אוֹרְכָא דְיוֹמִין). And those days are truly days (וְאִינוּן יוֹמִין אִינוּן יוֹמִין וַדַּאי); there is the bath of supernal holiness in which a person bathes in this world through laboring in Orayta (תַּמָּן אִיהוּ רָחֲצָנוּ דִּקְדוּשָׁא דִּלְעֵילָא דְּאִתְרְחִיץ בַּר נָשׁ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), to be strengthened in that world (לְאִתְתַּקְּפָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא). “In her left are riches and honor”-good reward and peace he has in this world (בִּשְׂמֹאלָהּ עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד, אֲגַר טַב וְשַׁלְוָה אִית לֵיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא). And whoever labors in Orayta for her own sake (וְכָל מַאן דְּיִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא לִשְׁמָהּ), when he departs from this world (כַּד נָפִיק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), Orayta goes before him (אוֹרַיְּיתָא אָזְלָא קַמֵּיהּ), proclaiming before him and shielding him (וְאַכְרָזַת קַמֵּיהּ וְאַגִּינַת עֲלֵיהּ), so that the masters of judgment do not approach him (דְּלָא יִקְרְבוּן בַּהֲדֵיהּ מָארֵיהוֹן דְּדִינָא). When the body lies in the grave (כַּד שָׁכִיב גּוּפָא בְּקִבְרָא), she guards him (הִיא נָטְרַת לֵיהּ). When the Neshamah goes to ascend to return to her place (כַּד נִשְׁמְתָא אָזְלָא לְאִסְתַּלְּקָא לְמֵיתַב לְאַתְרָהּ), she goes before that Neshamah (אִיהִי אָזְלָא קַמָּהּ דְּהַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא). And many gates are broken before Orayta until it enters her place (וְכַמָּה תַּרְעִין אִתְתַּבְּרוּ מִקַּמָּהּ דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא עַד דְּעָאלַת לְדוּכְתָּהּ). And she stands over that person until he is awakened at the time of the resurrection of the dead of the world (וְקָיְימָא עֲלֵיהּ דְּבַר נָשׁ עַד דְּיִתְעַר בְּזִמְנָא דִּיקוּמוּן מֵתַיָּיא דְּעָלְמָא), and she pleads as advocate for him (וְאִיהִי מַלְפָּא סַנֵּיגוֹרָא עֲלֵיהּ).

This is what is written (Proverbs 6): “When you walk, it shall guide you; when you lie down, it shall guard you; and when you awaken, it shall speak with you” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ תַנְחֶה אֹתָךְ, בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ, וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ). “When you walk, it shall guide you”-as it is said (בְּהִתְהַלֶּכְךָ תַנְחֶה אֹתָךְ, כְּמָה דְּאִתְּמָר). “When you lie down, it shall guard you”-at the time when the body lies in the grave (בְּשָׁכְבְּךָ תִּשְׁמֹר עָלֶיךָ, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּשָׁכִיב גּוּפָא בְּקִבְרָא), for at that time the body is judged in the grave, and then Orayta guards him (דְּהָא כְּדֵין בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא אִתְדָּן גּוּפָא בְּקִבְרָא, וּכְדֵין אוֹרַיְּיתָא אַגִּינַת עֲלֵיהּ). “And when you awaken, it shall speak with you”-as it is said, at the time when the dead of the world awaken from the dust (וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ, כְּמָא דְּאִתְּמָר: בְּזִמְנָא דְּיִתְעָרוּן מֵתֵי עָלְמָא מִן עַפְרָא). “She shall speak with you”-to be an advocate for you (הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ לְמֶהֱוֵי סַנֵּיגוֹרְיָא עֲלָךְ).

Rabbi El‘azar said (רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אָמַר), “She shall speak with you” what is “She shall speak with you”? (הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ. מַאי הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ). Because even though now they will rise from the dust (בְּגִין דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּהַשְׁתָּא יְקוּמוּן מֵעַפְרָא), Orayta will not be forgotten from them (אוֹרַיְּיתָא לָא יִתְנְשֵׁי מִנְּהוֹן). For then they will know all that Orayta which they left behind when they departed from this world (דְּהָא כְּדֵין יִנְדְּעוּן כָּל הַהִיא אוֹרַיְּיתָא דְּשָׁבְקוּ כַּד אִסְתַּלְּקוּ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא); that Orayta was preserved from that moment and will enter into their innards as before (הַהִיא אוֹרַיְּיתָא נְטִירָא מֵהַהוּא זִמְנָא וְתִיעוּל בְּמֵעַיְּיהוּ כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין), and she will speak within their innards (וְאִיהִי תְּמַלֵּל בְּמֵעַיְּיהוּ). And all the words will be corrected more than before (וְכָל מִלִּין מִתְתַּקְּנָן יַתִּיר מִכְּמָה דְּהֲווּ בְּקַדְּמִיתָא), for all those matters which he was not able to connect with properly (דְּהָא כָּל אִינוּן מִלִּין דְּאִיהוּ לָא יָכִיל לְאַדְבָּקָא לוֹ כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת), and he toiled in them but was not attached to them (וְאִיהוּ אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּהוּ וְלָא אִתְדָּבַּק בְּהוּ), all will enter his belly and be rectified (כֻּלְּהוּ עָאלִין בְּמֵעָוֹי מִתְתַּקְּנָן), and Orayta will speak in him (וְאוֹרַיְּיתָא תְּמַלֵּל בֵּיהּ). This is what is written: “And when you awaken, she shall speak with you” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וַהֲקִיצוֹתָ הִיא תְּשִׂיחֶךָ). Rabbi Yehuda said (רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר), in this pattern: whoever toiled in Orayta in this world (כְּגַוְונָא דָּא: כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא), merits to toil in her in the world to come (זָכֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בָּהּ לְעָלְמָא דְאָתֵי), and this has been said (וְהָא אִתְּמָר).

Come and see (תָּא חֲזֵי): that man who did not merit to toil in this world in Orayta (הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּלָא זָכֵי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and he walked in darkness (וְאִיהוּ אָזִיל בְּחֲשׁוֹכָא), when he leaves this world (כַּד נָפִיק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא), they seize him and bring him to Gehinnom (נָטְלִין לֵיהּ וְעָאלִין לֵיהּ לַגֵּיהִנֹּם), a lower place that has no mercy upon him (אֲתַר תַּתָּאָה דְּלָא יְהֵא מְרַחֵם עֲלֵיהּ), which is called the “pit of tumult, mire of slime” (דְּאִקְרֵי: בּוֹר שָׁאוֹן טִיט הַיָּוֵן), as it is said (Psalms 40): “And He brought me up from the pit of tumult, from the mire of slime, and set my feet upon a rock, He established my steps” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר: וַיַּעֲלֵנִי מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן, וַיָּקֶם עַל סֶלַע רַגְלָי, כּוֹנֵן אֲשׁוּרָי). And therefore, that one who did not toil in Orayta in this world and became soiled in the filth of the world (וּבְגִין כָּךְ, הַהוּא דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְאִתְטַנַּף בְּטִנּוּפֵי עָלְמָא), what is written? “And they took him and cast him into the pit” (מַה כְּתִיב: וַיִּקָּחוּהוּ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ הַבּוֹרָה). That is Gehinnom (דָּא הוּא גֵּיהִנֹּם), the place of judgment for those who did not toil in Orayta (אֲתַר דְּדַיְּינִין לְהוּ לְאִינוּן דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). “And the pit was empty”-so he was empty (וְהַבּוֹר רֵק, כְּמָה דְּאִיהוּ הֲוָה רֵק). Why? Because there was no water in it (מַאי טַעְמָא בְּגִין דְּלָא הֲוָה בֵּיהּ מַיִם).

Come and see (וְתָא חֲזֵי), how great is the punishment of Orayta (כַּמָּה הוּא עוֹנְשָׁא דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), for Yisrael were not exiled from the Holy Land except because they departed from Orayta and left her (דְּהָא לָא אִתְגַּלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּאִסְתַּלְּקוּ מֵאוֹרַיְּיתָא וְאִשְׁתְּבָקוּ מִינָהּ). This is what is written (Jeremiah 9): “Who is the wise man that may understand this? … For what reason has the land perished?” (הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: מִי הָאִישׁ הֶחָכָם וְיָבֵן אֶת זֹאת … עַל מָה אָבְדָה הָאָרֶץ). And Hashem said: “Because they have forsaken My Torah…” (וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ: עַל עָזְבָם אֶת תּוֹרָתִי). Rabbi Yose said (רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אָמַר): from here (Isaiah 5): “Therefore My people are exiled for lack of knowledge” (מֵהָכָא: לָכֵן גָּלָה עַמִּי מִבְּלִי דָּעַת). Therefore, everything stands upon the maintenance of Orayta (בְּגִין כָּךְ, כֹּלָּא קָיְימָא עַל קִיּוּמָא דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and the world is not sustained in its existence except through Orayta (וְעָלְמָא לָא אִתְקַיֵּים בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ אֶלָּא בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), for it is the sustenance of all worlds above and below (דְּאִיהוּ קִיּוּמָא דְּעָלְמִין עֵילָא וְתַתָּא), as it is written (Jeremiah 33): “If not for My covenant day and night, I would not have appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth” (דִּכְתִיב: אִם לֹא בְּרִיתִי יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה, חֻקּוֹת שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ לֹא שָׂמְתִּי). “And they took him and cast him into the pit” (וַיִּקָּחוּהוּ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ הַבּוֹרָה) this hints that they cast him into Egypt (רָמַז עַל דְּאַרְמִיאוּ לֵיהּ לְגוֹ מִצְרָאֵי), a place where no secret of faith is found at all (אֲתַר דְּלָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא כְּלָל). Rabbi Yitzḥak said (רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר): If there were snakes and scorpions in it (אִי נְחָשִׁין וְעַקְרַבִּין הֲווּ בֵיהּ), why is it written of Reuven: “in order to rescue him from their hands, to return him to his father”? (אַמַּאי כְּתִיב בִּרְאוּבֵן: לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ מִיָּדָם לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ אֶל אָבִיו). Did Reuven not fear for this? (וְכִי לָא חַיֵּישׁ רְאוּבֵן לְהַאי), for if there were snakes and scorpions they would harm him (דְּהָא אִינוּן נְחָשִׁין וְעַקְרַבִּין יְנַזְּקוּן לֵיהּ)? How then could he say “to return him to his father,” and it is written: “to rescue him”? (וְאֵיךְ אָמַר לַהֲשִׁיבוֹ אֶל אָבִיו, וּכְתִיב: לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ)?