Kabbalah Library

408. The soul and the body are partners together. They go from this world together until they reach Bethlehem, that world, which is called Bethlehem. However, there is the courthouse there, judgment and war, which is why it is called Beit-Lehem [Bethlehem, House of Bread], since Laham [fought] is from the word “war.” At that time, it is written, “And the whole city was excited because of them.” All other dead make a noise over them for fear of the sound of the war of judgment that they awaken.

409. That angel appointed over the graveyard, enters the grave when one is buried and stands over him and looks and says, “Woe to so and so, woe to the eyes that enjoyed this world through transgression, woe to the hands and the legs that walked in the vanities of the world.”

410. The body said, “I do not see; the soul is my leader.” The soul says, “I cannot walk.” The two of them are akin to the blind and the lame. What did He do? He placed the soul inside the body and sentenced three days one after the other. After three days, he is judged from his mouth, from his hands, and from his legs.

411. After that the body breaks open and maggot and worm come upon it, and the soul mourns for it, as it is written, “But his flesh will ache and his soul will mourn him.” She says, “I went full” to that world, “and the Lord has returned me empty,” to this world, without deeds and without Torah.

412. Happy is he whose learning comes true for him when he passes away, that even in the grave, his lips utter in the Torah, and they are roses, as it is written, “His lips are roses.” Do not pronounce it Shoshanim [roses], but Sheshonim [learning/reciting], since their Torah protects them, as it is written, “When you lie down, she will guard you.”

413. When Rabbi Hasda passed away, hi son Rabbi Yosi went there and slept there on his grave at night. From within the grave, he heard the joy of many sects that gathered and said, “Let us go to the joy of the celebration of the Torah of Rabbi Hasda.” Even the ministering angels gathered to rejoice with him.

414. He heard them saying, “Why is it that the living have come to delight us here? Let them engage in Torah in that world of theirs.” Rabbi Hasda said, “My son, go away from here and do your learning, for happy is he who comes here with his learning in his hand, for even the ministering angels cannot approach him. Go and tell Rabbi Haggai to finish his learning since some day, he will come here.”

415. While he was speaking with him, Rabbi Hasda was elevated to the high seminary, and his son Rabbi Yosi arose and went and told the friends.

416. Rabbi Yehudai said to him, “If you were not Rabbi Yosi, you would deserve to be punished there.” He said to him, “Because of my father’s sorrow, I went and heard that much.” Rabbi Yonatan declared about Rabbi Hasda, “When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet,” as well as the verse, “The sleep of the worker is sweet, whether he eats little or much.”

417. The soul is akin to the Shechina [Divinity], and the body to Israel. If Israel sin and are exiled, why was the Shechina exiled there with them, since she did not sin? However, it is because she was pleading for mercy over them and bestowing upon them great wealth and honor, and giving them all that they would want, yet they sinned. It is written about this, “But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked; you grew fat, you grew thick, you are obese! Then he forsook the God who made him, and scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation.” This is why she was exiled with them, since the fact that she cannot bestow upon them is regarded for her as exile.

418. Like maggots and worms that come over the body, so are the nations of the world, children of Esau and Ishmael, who are called “maggot” and “worm,” when Israel are bad. They control them and the body breaks open so that Israel would be killed. It is written about this, “but his flesh will pain him and his soul,” the Shechina, “will mourn him.” And then she yearns for a high soul who is called Naomi, Bina.

419. “Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, a mighty man from the family of Elimelech, whose name was Boaz.” His descendants will be mighty ones in the land. Happy is he who has sons in this world, so he does not go alone into that world.