Kabbalah Library

643. The commandment of levirate marriage is commendable. One who observes the commandment of levirate marriage Lishma [for Her sake] becomes a partner of the Creator, and one who observes the commandment of levirate marriage Lishma is greater than Ezekiel, as it is written, “And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling,” for his prophesy was with noise and not with ease.

644. Great is the commandment of levirate marriage, for one who observes the commandment of levirate marriage Lishma becomes a partner of the Creator, as it is written, “and the name of the dead will not be cut off,” and it is written, “You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me.”

645. He took off his shoe and gave to his neighbor. Giving to his neighbor is the commandment of levirate marriage. What is “and gave to his neighbor”? Rabbi Hanina said, “There is an allegory about a man who was lost in the desert in a place where there are robbers and animals. When robbers saw him, they stood over him and beat him, and took all his reward and all his labor.

646. His friend heard, armed himself, and went to take it out of their hands, bare of anything. What did he do? He built him a home and gave him gifts, and made for him other clothes and gave him. He came and wore those clothes and dwelled in that house, and he began to profit as before. And this, he gave to his friend, of course.

One who dies without sons is as one who was attacked by robbers who robbed all that he had. And his brother, who marries his wife, is like that man who took him out from the authority of the robbers and built him a home and gave him gifts.

647. “This is the testimony in Israel,” and not in idol-worshipers, who were not given this commandment. It is written about them in Jeremiah, “will perish from the earth and from under these skies,” and there is no resurrection to them, not in this world and not in the next world, as it is written, “They are dead, they will not live; they are deceased, they will not rise.”