Daf 217b (דַּף רי״ז ע״ב)

It is taught: “And the days of Yisrael drew near to die” (תַּנְיָא. וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת) (Bereshit 47). Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): Woe to the world! For human beings do not see, and do not hear, and do not know (וַוֵי לְעַלְמָא, דְּהָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא חָמָאן וְלָא שְׁמָעָן וְלָא יָדְעִין), that every single day a voice of a herald is heard across two hundred and fifty worlds (דְּהָא כָּל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא, קָלָא דְּכָרוֹזָא אִשְׁתְּמַע, בְּמָאתָן וְחַמְשִׁין עָלְמִין).

It is taught: there is one world known above (תָּנָא, עַלְמָא חָדָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְעֵילָא). And when the herald emerges, that world trembles and shakes (וְכַד כָּרוֹזָא נָפִיק, הַהוּא עַלְמָא מִזְדַּעְזַע וּמִתְחַלְחְלָא). Two birds go out (נָפְקֵי תְּרֵין צִפֳּרִין), which depart from that world whose dwelling is beneath the Tree that sees both life and death within it (דְּאִסְתַּלָּקוּ מֵהַהוּא עַלְמָא, דִּמְדוֹרֵיהוֹן תְּחוֹת אִילָנָא דְּחֵיזוּ דְּחַיֵּי וּמוֹתָא בֵּיהּ). One bird goes to the direction of the south, and one bird to the direction of the north (נָפְקָא חַד צִפּוֹרָא לִסְטַר דָּרוֹמָא וְחַד צִפּוֹרָא לִסְטַר צָפוֹנָא); one bird in the brightness of the day, and one when the day grows dark (וְחַד צִפּוֹרָא כַּד נָהִיר יְמָמָא, וְחַד כַּד אִתְחֲשַׁךְ יְמָמָא). Each one calls out and proclaims what it hears from that herald (כָּל חַד וְחַד קָרֵי וּמַכְרְזָא, מַה דְּשָׁמְעִין מֵהַהוּא כָּרוֹזָא). Afterwards, they seek to return to their place (לְבָתַר בָּעוּ לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא לְאַתְרַיְיהוּ), but their feet are caught in the crevice of the Great Abyss (וּמִשְׁתַּמְטֵי רַגְלַיְיהוּ בְּנוּקְבָא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא), and they are entangled within it until the night divides (וּמִתְלַכְּדָן בְּגַוֵּיהּ, עַד דְּאִתְפְּלִיג לֵילְיָא). When the night divides, the herald proclaims (כַּד אִתְפְּלִיג לֵילְיָא, כָּרוֹזָא קָרֵי): “Like birds caught in a snare - so are the children of man ensnared” (וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחֻזוֹת בַּפָּח, כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם) (Ecclesiastes 9).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): at the time when the legs of a person are weakened (בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּמִתְלַכְּדָן רַגְלוֹי דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא), and his days draw near (וְיוֹמוֹי אִתְקְרִיבוּ), that day is called “the day of Hashem” (הַהוּא יוֹמָא אִתְקְרֵי יוֹם ה׳), to return the spirit to Him (לְאֲתָבָא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ). It is taught: at that moment, that holy Keter gives charge concerning that spirit (תָּנָא, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעְתָּא, פַּקְדָּא הַהוּא כִּתְרָא קַדִּישָׁא עַל רוּחֵיהּ). And who is it? As it is written: “The days of our years among them are seventy years” (וּמַאן אִיהוּ, דִּכְתִיב, יְמֵי שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה) (Psalms 90). And it is the seventh Keter of all (וְהִיא כִּתְרָא שְׁבִיעָאָה דְּכֹלָּא). And if it comes from the side of Gevurah (וְאִם מִסִּטְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה קָאֳתֵי), it is written: “And if in strengths, eighty years” (כְּתִיב, וְאִם בִּגְבוּרוֹת שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה) that is the eighth Keter of Gevurah (דְּכִתְרָא דִּגְבוּרָה תְּמִינָאָה הֲוֵי). From there onward, there is no place to extend (מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה לֵית אֲתַר לְאִתְמְשַׁךְ), as you say: “and their pride is labor and vanity” (כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמֵר, וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן) (Psalms 90). In a place where there is no foundation, the structure does not endure (בַּאֲתַר דְּלָא הֲוֵי יְסוֹדָא, בִּנְיָינָא לָא אִתְקְיֵּים).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): fortunate are the Righteous (זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּא), when Kudsha Berikh Hu seeks to return the spirit to Him (כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאֲתָבָא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ), and to draw that spirit into Himself (וּלְשָׁאֲבָא הַהוּא רוּחָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ). For it is taught: at the time when Kudsha Berikh Hu seeks to return the spirit to Him (דְּתַנְיָא, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאֲתָבָא רוּחֵיהּ לֵיהּ), if that spirit is meritorious - what is written? “And the spirit shall return to Elohim who gave it” (אִי זַכָּאָה הוּא הַהוּא רוּחָא, מַה כְּתִיב: וְהָרוּחַ תָּשׁוּב אֶל הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר נְתָנָהּ) (Ecclesiastes 12). But if it is not found meritorious, woe to that spirit (וְאִי לָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח זַכָּאָה, וַוֵי לְהַהוּא רוּחָא), which must be purified in burning fire (דְּבָעֵי לְאִסְתַּחָאָה בְּנוּרָא דְּדָלִיק), and be repaired so that it may be drawn back into the body of the King (וּלְאִתְתַּקָּנָא בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתָּאֲבָא בְּגוּפָא דְּמַלְכָּא). And if it is not repaired - woe to that spirit (וְאִי לָא אִתְתַּקַּנַת, וַוֵי לְהַהוּא רוּחָא), for it rolls like a stone in a sling (דְּמִתְגַּלְגְּלָא כְּאַבְנָא בְּקוֹסְפִיתָא), as it is written: “And the soul of your enemies He shall sling within the sling's hollow” (דִּכְתִיב, וְאֶת נֶפֶשׁ אֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְּעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע) (I Samuel 25). It is taught: if that spirit is meritorious, how many good treasures await it in that world (תַּנְיָא, אִי הַהוּא רוּחָא זָכֵי, כַּמָּה טָבִין גְּנִיזִין לֵיהּ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא), as it is written: “No eye has seen, O Elohim, besides You, what He has prepared for those who wait for Him” (דִּכְתִיב, עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֶּה לוֹ) (Isaiah 64).

Rabbi Yosei said (אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי): when the days of that person draw near (כַּד הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ אִתְקְרִיבוּ יוֹמוֹי), for thirty days they proclaim about him in the world (תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין מַכְרִיזֵי עֲלוֹי בְּעָלְמָא), and even the birds of the heavens proclaim about him (וְאֲפִילוּ צִפֳּרֵי שְׁמַיָּא מַכְרִיזִין עֲלוֹי). And if he is meritorious (וְאִי זַכָּאָה הוּא), for thirty days they proclaim about him among the Righteous in the Garden of Eden (תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין מַכְרִיזִין עֲלוֹי בֵּין צַדִּיקַיָּא, בְּגִינְתָא דְּעֵדֶן).

It is taught (תָּנָא): all of those thirty days, his Neshamah goes forth from him every night (כָּל אִינוּן תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין, נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ נָפְקַת מִנֵּיהּ בְּכָל לֵילְיָא), and ascends and sees its place in that world (וְסָלְקַת וְחָמַאת דּוּכְתָּהּ בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא), and that person does not know, and does not notice, and does not have control over his Neshamah (וְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ לָא יָדַע, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח, וְלָא שַׁלִּיט בְּנִשְׁמָתֵיהּ), all those thirty days - just as it was previously (כָּל אִינוּן תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין, כְּמָה דַּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא). As it is written: “No man has power over the spirit to retain the spirit…” (דִּכְתִיב, אֵין אָדָם שַׁלִּיט בָּרוּחַ לִכְלֹא אֶת הָרוּחַ) (Ecclesiastes 8).

Rabbi Yehudah said (אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה): from the time those thirty days begin (מִכַּד שָׁרָאן אִינוּן תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין), the image of the person darkens (צַלְמָא דְּבַּר נָשׁ אִתְחֲשַׁךְ), and the likeness that appears upon the earth is withheld (וְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּאִתְחֲזֵי בְּאַרְעָא אִתְמְנַעַת).

Rabbi Yitzḥak was once sitting at the doorway of Rabbi Yehudah, and he was sad (רִבִּי יִצְחָק הֲוָה יָתִיב יוֹמָא חַד אֲפִתְחָא דְּרִבִּי יְהוּדָה, וְהֲוָה עָצִיב). Rabbi Yehudah went out and found him at the gate, sitting and sad (נָפִיק רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, אַשְׁכְּחֵיהּ לְתַרְעֵיהּ, דְּהֲוָה יָתִיב וְעָצִיב). He said to him: “What makes this day different from other days?” (אָמַר לֵיהּ: מַה יוֹמָא דֵין מִשְּׁאַר יוֹמִין).

He said to him (אָמַר לֵיהּ): I have come to you to request from you three things (אָתֵינָא לְגַבָּךְ, לְמִבְעֵי מִינָךְ תְּלַת מִלִּין): One, that when you say words of Orayta (חַד, דְּכַד תֵּימָא מִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא), and you recall from among those words that I spoke (וְתַדְכַּר מֵאִינוּן מִלִּין דְּאֲנָא אֲמִינָא), that you say them in my name (דְּתֵימָא לוֹן מִשְּׁמִי), in order to remember my name (בְּגִין לְאַדְכָּרָא שְׁמִי). And one, that you merit Yosef my son in Orayta (וְחַד דְּתִזְכֵּי לְיוֹסֵף בְּרִי בְּאוֹרַיְּיתָא). And one, that you go to my grave all seven days (וְחַד, דְּתֵיזִיל לְקִבְרִי כָּל ז׳ יוֹמִין), and request your prayers on my behalf (וְתִבְעֵי בָּעוּתִיךְ עָלַי).

He said to him: From where do you know this? (אָמַר לֵיהּ: מִנַּיִן לָךְ). He said to him: Behold, my Neshamah departs from me each night (אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָא נִשְׁמָתִי אִסְתַּלְּקַת מִינִי בְּכָל לֵילְיָא), and it no longer shines for me in a dream as it used to (וְלָא אַנְהִיר לִי בְּחֶלְמָא כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא). Furthermore, when I pray and reach “Shomea Tefillah” (וְעוֹד דְּכַד אֲנָא מַצְלֵּינָא וּמָטִינָא לְשׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה), I look at my image on the wall (אַשְׁגַּחְנָא בְּצוּלְמִי דִילִי בְּכוֹתְלָא), and I no longer see it (וְלָא חָמִינָא לֵיהּ). And I said: since the image is removed and no longer seen (וְאֲמִינָא דְּהוֹאִיל וְצַלְמָא אִתְעֲבַר וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי), surely the herald has gone forth and proclaimed (דְּהָא כָּרוֹזָא נָפִיק וְכָרִיז). As it is written: “Surely in an image does man walk…” (דִּכְתִיב, אַךְ בְּצֶלֶם יִתְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ) (Psalms 39). So long as the image of a man is not removed from him, the man walks and his spirit endures within him (כָּל זִמְנָא דְּצוּלְמָא דְּבַר נָשׁ לָא יִתְעֲבַר מִנֵּיהּ, יִתְהַלֵּךְ אִישׁ, וְרוּחֵיהּ אִתְקַיְּימָא בְּגַוֵּיהּ). If the image of the man is removed and no longer seen (אִתְעֲבַר צוּלְמָא דְּבַר נָשׁ וְלָא אִתְחֲזֵי), he is removed from this world (אִתְעֲבַר מֵהַאי עָלְמָא).