Repentance Chapter 8

הַטוֹבָה הַצְּפוּנָה לַצַּדִּיקִים הִיא חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא וְהִיא הַחַיִּים שֶׁאֵין מָוֶת עִמָּהֶן וְהַטּוֹבָה שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהּ רָעָה. הוּא שֶׁכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה (דברים כב ז) "לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים". מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ לְמַעַן יִיטַב לָךְ לְעוֹלָם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ טוֹב וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ יָמִים לְעוֹלָם שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ אָרֹךְ. וְזֶה הוּא הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. שְׂכַר הַצַּדִּיקִים הוּא שֶׁיִּזְכּוּ לְנֹעַם זֶה וְיִהְיוּ בְּטוֹבָה זוֹ. וּפִרְעוֹן הָרְשָׁעִים הוּא שֶׁלֹּא יִזְכּוּ לְחַיִּים אֵלּוּ אֶלָּא יִכָּרְתוּ וְיָמוּתוּ. וְכָל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ זוֹכֶה לְחַיִּים אֵלּוּ הוּא הַמֵּת שֶׁאֵינוֹ חַי לָעוֹלָם אֶלָּא נִכְרַת בְּרִשְׁעוֹ וְאָבֵד כִּבְהֵמָה. וְזֶהוּ כָּרֵת הַכְּתוּבָה בַּתּוֹרָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו לא) "הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא". מִפִּי הַשְּׁמוּעָה לָמְדוּ הִכָּרֵת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה תִּכָּרֵת לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאוֹתָהּ הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁפֵּרְשָׁה מִן הַגּוּף בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֵינָהּ זוֹכָה לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֶלָּא גַּם מִן הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא נִכְרֶתֶת:

The goodness which is in store for the righteous is the Life of the World to Come – Life which has no Death, Good which has no Evil. This is what is written in the Torah: that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days (Deut. 22:7), and from tradition we learned: that it may be well with you, in a world that is entirely good; that you may prolong your days, in a world that is entirely long; and that is the World to Come. The reward of the righteous is that they will earn this pleasantness and never be cut off or die; and the punishment of the wicked is that they will not merit this life, and will be cut off and die. And anyone who does not earn this life is the dead who will never live, but is cut off in his wickedness and lost like an animal; and this is the “cutting off” that is described in the Torah, as it says, that soul shall utterly be cut off (Numbers 15:31). From tradition we learned: cut off, in this World; utterly, in the World to Come, i.e., that soul which has separated from the body in this world will not earn the life of the World to Come, but will also be cut off from the World to Come.

הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵין בּוֹ גּוּף וּגְוִיָּה אֶלָּא נַפְשׁוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים בִּלְבַד בְּלֹא גּוּף כְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת. הוֹאִיל וְאֵין בּוֹ גְּוִיּוֹת אֵין בּוֹ לֹא אֲכִילָה וְלֹא שְׁתִיָּה וְלֹא דָּבָר מִכָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁגּוּפוֹת בְּנֵי אָדָם צְרִיכִין לָהֶן בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְלֹא יֶאֱרַע דָּבָר בּוֹ מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁמְּאָרְעִין לַגּוּפוֹת בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. כְּגוֹן יְשִׁיבָה וַעֲמִידָה וְשֵׁנָה וּמִיתָה וְעֶצֶב וּשְׂחוֹק וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. כָּךְ אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים (גמרא ברכות יז א) "הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵין בּוֹ לֹא אֲכִילָה וְלֹא שְׁתִיָּה וְלֹא תַּשְׁמִישׁ אֶלָּא צַדִּיקִים יוֹשְׁבִים וְעַטְרוֹתֵיהֶם בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶן וְנֶהֱנִין מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה". הֲרֵי נִתְבָּרֵר לְךָ שֶׁאֵין שָׁם גּוּף לְפִי שֶׁאֵין שָׁם אֲכִילָה וּשְׁתִיָּה. וְזֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ צַדִּיקִים יוֹשְׁבִין דֶּרֶךְ חִידָה אָמְרוּ. כְּלוֹמַר הַצַּדִּיקִים מְצוּיִין שָׁם בְּלֹא עָמָל וּבְלֹא יְגִיעָה. וְכֵן זֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ עַטְרוֹתֵיהֶן בְּרָאשֵׁיהֶן כְּלוֹמַר דַּעַת שֶׁיָּדְעוּ שֶׁבִּגְלָלָהּ זָכוּ לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא מְצוּיָה עִמָּהֶן וְהִיא הָעֲטָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר שְׁלֹמֹה (שיר השירים ג יא) "בָּעֲטָרָה שֶׁעִטְּרָה לּוֹ אִמּוֹ". וַהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר (ישעיה לה י) "וְשִׂמְחַת עוֹלָם עַל רֹאשָׁם" וְאֵין הַשִּׂמְחָה גּוּף כְּדֵי שֶׁתָּנוּחַ עַל הָרֹאשׁ. כָּךְ עֲטָרָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים כָּאן הִיא הַיְדִיעָה. וּמַהוּ זֶה שֶׁאָמְרוּ נֶהֱנִין מִזִּיו הַשְּׁכִינָה. שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים וּמַשִּׂיגִין מֵאֲמִתַּת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מַה שֶּׁאֵינָם יוֹדְעִים וְהֵם בַּגּוּף הָאָפֵל הַשָּׁפָל:

The World to Come has no body or corporeality – only the souls of the righteous without bodies, like the Ministering Angels. Since there is no corporeality, there is no eating or drinking, and nothing of all the things that human bodies need in this world. Nothing that happens to bodies in this World happens there, such as: sitting and standing, sleep and death, sadness and joy, etc. Thus said the First Sages: “The World to Come has no eating or drinking or sex, just the righteous sitting with their crowns on their heads enjoying the glow of the Divine Presence” – let that prove to you that there is no body there, since there is no eating or drinking. And the fact that they said, “The righteous sitting” – this a form of riddle, meaning that the righteous are present there without expending and work or effort. And the fact that they said, “Their crowns on their heads,” meaning that the “knowledge” that they gained, through which they earned the Life of the World to come, is present with them – and it is a crown for them, as King Solomon said: the crown with which his mother crowned him (Song of Songs 3:11). Similarly, it says, everlasting joy shall be upon their head (Isaiah 51:11), but joy is not physical such that it could rest on someone’s head; so too, the “crown” that the Sages mentioned here is knowledge. And what about their statement, “Enjoying the glow of the Divine Presence?” It means that they know and grasp the Truth of the Holy Blessed One, which they can not know when they are in the dark, lowly body.

כָּל נֶפֶשׁ הָאֲמוּרָה בְּעִנְיָן זֶה אֵינָהּ הַנְּשָׁמָה הַצְּרִיכָה לַגּוּף אֶלָּא צוּרַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ שֶׁהִיא הַדֵּעָה שֶׁהִשִּׂיגָה מֵהַבּוֹרֵא כְּפִי כֹּחָהּ וְהֶשֵּׂגָהּ הַדֵּעוֹת הַנִּפְרָדוֹת וּשְׁאָר הַמַּעֲשִׂים וְהִיא הַצּוּרָה שֶׁבֵּאַרְנוּ עִנְיָנָהּ בְּפֶרֶק רְבִיעִי מֵהִלְכוֹת יְסוֹדֵי הַתּוֹרָה הִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת נֶפֶשׁ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה. חַיִּים אֵלּוּ לְפִי שֶׁאֵין עִמָּהֶם מָוֶת שֶׁאֵין הַמָּוֶת אֶלָּא מִמְּאֹרְעוֹת הַגּוּף וְאֵין שָׁם גּוּף נִקְרְאוּ צְרוֹר הַחַיִּים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א כה כט) "וְהָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנִי צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים". וְזֶהוּ הַשָּׂכָר שֶׁאֵין שָׂכָר לְמַעְלָה מִמֶּנּוּ וְהַטּוֹבָה שֶׁאֵין אַחֲרֶיהָ טוֹבָה וְהִיא שֶׁהִתְאַוּוּ לָהּ כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים:

All souls that are mentioned in this matter are not the soul that requires the body, but rather the form of the soul, which is the knowledge that it attained from the Creator according to its strength and [the understanding of] the separate intellects and other creations [which] it has attained; and this is the form about which we explained in the fourth chapter of the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah - that is what is called, 'soul' in this matter. These lives - since there is no death with them, as death comes from the incidents of the body, and there is no body here - are called the bindings of life, as it says, the soul of my master shall be bound up with bindings of life (I Samuel 25:29). And this is the reward that has no higher reward than it, and the good that has no good after it; and it is the thing which all of the prophets desired.

וְכַמָּה שֵׁמוֹת נִקְרְאוּ לָהּ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל. הַר ה'. וּמְקוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ. וְדֶרֶךְ הַקֹּדֶשׁ. וְחַצְרוֹת ה'. וְנֹעַם ה'. וְאֹהֶל ה'. וְהֵיכַל ה'. וּבֵית ה'. וְשַׁעַר ה'. וַחֲכָמִים קָרְאוּ לָהּ דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל לְטוֹבָה זוֹ הַמְזֻמֶּנֶת לַצַּדִּיקִים סְעֻדָּה. וְקוֹרִין לָהּ בְּכָל מָקוֹם הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:

And several names were given to it metaphorically: the mountain of the Lord; and His holy place; and the holy path; and the courtyards of the Lord; and the pleasantness of the Lord; and the tent of the Lord; and the chamber of the Lord; and the house of the Lord; and the gate of the Lord. And the Sages metaphorically called this good that is awaiting the righteous, a meal. And it is everywhere called the World to Come.

הַנְּקָמָה שֶׁאֵין נְקָמָה גְּדוֹלָה מִמֶּנָּה שֶׁתִּכָּרֵת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְלֹא תִּזְכֶּה לְאוֹתָן הַחַיִּים שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר טו לא) "הִכָּרֵת תִּכָּרֵת הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַהִיא עֲוֹנָה בָּהּ". וְזֶה הָאֲבַדּוֹן הוּא שֶׁקּוֹרִין אוֹתוֹ הַנְּבִיאִים דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל בְּאֵר שַׁחַת וַאֲבַדּוֹן וְתָפְתֶּה וַעֲלוּקָה וְכָל לְשׁוֹן כְּלָיָה וְהַשְׁחָתָה קוֹרְאִין לוֹ לְפִי שֶׁהִיא הַכְּלָיָה שֶׁאֵין אַחֲרֶיהָ תְּקוּמָה וְהַהֶפְסֵד שֶׁאֵינוֹ חוֹזֵר לְעוֹלָם:

The punishment for which there is no greater punishment: that a soul should be cut off and not merit that Life, as it says, That soul shall utterly be cut off; his iniquity shall be upon him (Num. 15:31). This is the abandonment, which the Prophets called, by way of analogy: Pit of Destruction, Abandonment, Hearth, Leech, and all other terms of finality and destruction – because it is finality without restoration afterward, and that which is lost can never be regained.

שֶׁמָּא תֵּקַל בְּעֵינֶיךָ טוֹבָה זוֹ וּתְדַמֶּה שֶׁאֵין שְׂכַר הַמִּצְוֹת וֶהֱיוֹת הָאָדָם שָׁלֵם בְּדַרְכֵי הָאֱמֶת אֶלָּא לִהְיוֹתוֹ אוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה מַאֲכָלוֹת טוֹבוֹת וּבוֹעֵל צוּרוֹת נָאוֹת וְלוֹבֵשׁ בִּגְדֵי שֵׁשׁ וְרִקְמָה וְשׁוֹכֵן בְּאָהֳלֵי שֵׁן וּמִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בִּכְלֵי כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב וּדְבָרִים הַדּוֹמִים לְאֵלּוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּדַמִּין אֵלּוּ הָעַרְבִיִּים הַטִּפְּשִׁים הָאֱוִילִים הַשְּׁטוּפִים בְּזִמָּה. אֲבָל הַחֲכָמִים וּבַעֲלֵי דֵּעָה יֵדְעוּ שֶׁכָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ דִּבְרֵי הֲבַאי וְהֶבֶל הֵם וְאֵין בָּהֶם תּוֹעֶלֶת וְאֵינָהּ טוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה אֶצְלֵנוּ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאָנוּ בַּעֲלֵי גּוּף וּגְוִיָּה, וְכָל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ צָרְכֵי הַגּוּף הֵם וְאֵין הַנֶּפֶשׁ מִתְאַוָּה לָהֶם וּמְחַמְּדָתָן אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי צֹרֶךְ הַגּוּף, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּמְצָא חֶפְצוֹ וְיַעֲמֹד עַל בֻּרְיוֹ. וּבִזְמַן שֶׁאֵין שָׁם גּוּף נִמְצְאוּ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ בְּטֵלִים. הַטּוֹבָה הַגְּדוֹלָה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה בָּהּ הַנֶּפֶשׁ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵין שׁוּם דֶּרֶךְ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה לְהַשִּׂיגָהּ וְלֵידַע אוֹתָהּ. שֶׁאֵין אָנוּ יוֹדְעִים בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֶלָּא טוֹבַת הַגּוּף וְלָהּ אָנוּ מִתְאַוִּין. אֲבָל אוֹתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה עַד מְאֹד וְאֵין לָהּ עֵרֶךְ בְּטוֹבוֹת הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֶלָּא דֶּרֶךְ מָשָׁל. אֲבָל בְּדֶרֶךְ הָאֱמֶת שֶׁנַּעֲרֹךְ טוֹבַת הַנֶּפֶשׁ בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא בְּטוֹבוֹת הַגּוּף בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּמַאֲכָל וּבְמִשְׁתֶּה אֵינוֹ כֵן. אֶלָּא אוֹתָהּ הַטּוֹבָה גְּדוֹלָה עַד אֵין חֵקֶר וְאֵין לָהּ עֵרֶךְ וְדִמְיוֹן. הוּא שֶׁאָמַר דָּוִד (תהילים לא כ) "מָה רַב טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ" וְגוֹ':

Lest this good become light in your eyes and you should imagine that the only reward for [performing] the commandments and being complete in the ways of truth is to eat and drink good foods and to have intercourse with pleasant forms and to wear silk and embroidered clothes and to live in ivory tents and to use sliver and golden vessels and matters similar to these - as these silly and foolish Arabs, who wallow in licentiousness, imagine - [you should know that] the Sages and intelligent ones knew that all of these things were nonsense and empty and there is no point to them. And it is not a great good for us in this world; but because we have a body and a frame and all of these things are needs of the body, the soul only covets them for the needs of the body so that [the soul] can fulfill its will and rely upon its health. And when there is no body, all of these things are nullified. In this world, there is no way to grasp and to know the great good that will occur to the soul in the World to Come - as in this world, we only know good to the body and that is what we desire. But that good [of the World to Come] is very great and it has no measurement by the goods of this world, except by way of metaphor. But by way of truth, it is not correct to measure the good of the World to Come by [comparison to] the good of the body in eating and drinking in this world. But rather that good is incomparably great and it has no measurement or comparison. This is [the meaning of] what was said by David, How great is Your goodness, that you have envisioned for those who fear You, etc. (Pslams 31:20).

וְכַמָּה כָּמַהּ דָּוִד וְהִתְאַוָּה לְחַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים כז יג) "לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת בְּטוּב ה' בְּאֶרֶץ חַיִּים". כְּבָר הוֹדִיעוּנוּ הַחֲכָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁטּוֹבַת הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵין כֹּחַ בָּאָדָם לְהַשִּׂיגָהּ עַל בֻּרְיָהּ וְאֵין יוֹדֵעַ גָּדְלָהּ וְיָפְיָהּ וְעָצְמָהּ אֶלָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְבַדּוֹ. וְשֶׁכָּל הַטּוֹבוֹת שֶׁמִּתְנַבְּאִים בָּהֶם הַנְּבִיאִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָן אֶלָּא לִדְבָרִים שֶׁבַּגּוּף שֶּׁנֶּהֱנִין בָּהֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ בִּזְמַן שֶׁתָּשׁוּב הַמֶּמְשָׁלָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. אֲבָל טוֹבַת חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֵין לָהּ עֵרֶךְ וְדִמְיוֹן וְלֹא דִּמּוּהָ הַנְּבִיאִים כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִפְחֲתוּ אוֹתָהּ בַּדִּמְיוֹן. הוּא שֶׁיְּשַׁעְיָהוּ אָמַר (ישעיה סד ג) "עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ יַעֲשֶׂה לִמְחַכֵּה לוֹ". כְּלוֹמַר הַטּוֹבָה שֶׁלֹּא רָאֲתָה אוֹתָהּ עֵין נָבִיא וְלֹא רָאָה אוֹתָהּ אֶלָּא אֱלֹהִים, עָשָׂה אוֹתָהּ הָאֱלֹהִים לָאָדָם שֶׁמְּחַכֶּה לוֹ. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים כָּל הַנְּבִיאִים כֻּלָּן לֹא נִבְּאוּ אֶלָּא לִימוֹת הַמָּשִׁיחַ אֲבָל הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא עַיִן לֹא רָאָתָה אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתְךָ:

And how greatly did David yearn and desire for the Life of the World to Come, as it says, Were it not that I believed to see the good of the Lord in the land of the living (Psalms 27:13). And the Sages have already informed us that man does not have the power to grasp it clearly - and there is none that knows its greatness and beauty and might besides the Holy One, blessed be He, only - and that all of the goods that the prophets prophesied to Israel are only matters of the body that Israel will enjoy in the times of the Messiah, when sovereignty will return to Israel. But the good of the Life of the World to Come has no measurement and comparison; and the prophets did not envision it, so that they should not diminish it by that vision. This is [the meaning of] what was said by Yeshayahu, an eye has not seen, G-d - beside you - [what you] do for the one who awaits him (Isaiah 64:3). This is to say that the good that the eye of the prophet has not seen and that no one has seen besides G-d, G-d has made for the man that waits for it. The Sages said (Berakhot 34b), "All of the prophets only prophesied regarding the times of the Messiah, but regarding the World to Come, an eye has not seen, G-d - beside you."

זֶה שֶׁקָּרְאוּ אוֹתוֹ חֲכָמִים הָעוֹלָם הַבָּא לֹא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי עַתָּה וְזֶה הָעוֹלָם אוֹבֵד וְאַחַר כָּךְ יָבוֹא אוֹתוֹ הָעוֹלָם. אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן. אֶלָּא הֲרֵי הוּא מָצוּי וְעוֹמֵד שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהילים לא כ) "אֲשֶׁר צָפַנְתָּ לִּירֵאֶיךָ פָּעַלְתָּ" וְגוֹ'. וְלֹא קְרָאוּהוּ עוֹלָם הַבָּא אֶלָּא מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאוֹתָן הַחַיִּים בָּאִין לוֹ לָאָדָם אַחַר חַיֵּי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁאָנוּ קַיָּמִים בּוֹ בְּגוּף וְנֶפֶשׁ וְזֶהוּ הַנִּמְצָא לְכָל אָדָם בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה:

The Sages did not call it “The World to Come” because it is not currently present, and this World will disappear, and then that World will come – this is not so! It is present and established, as it says, [Oh how great is your goodness], which you have laid up for those who fear you; which you have done [for those who trust in you, in the sight of the sons of men] (Psalm 31:20). They only called it “The World to Come” because it is the Life which comes to a person after the life of this World, where we exist in body and soul, and which comes to each person at first.