Balak: Chapter 4

All the members of the Yeshivah gathered to study the trial

Synopsis

This section tells us about the trial after death, and we learn that the angel Metatron, who is the head of the Yeshivah of Heaven, pronounces the sentence over everything.

Air Firmaments Flame Garments Pillar Torah Wind Yeshivah

20. The spirit of the person is raised up by two appointees. As it enters, it approaches a pillar of glowing flame that stands there, covered in the air of the wind that blows in that pillar. And now many that are raised up there... (MISSING HERE)... Since for all who study Torah and have new insights about her, the matters are immediately written and recorded for those members of that Yeshivah. Then all the members of the Yeshivah come to see him and those two appointed MENTIONED ABOVE exit and raise him up above to the Yeshivah of the firmament. He immediately approaches that pillar, MENTIONED ABOVE, where he is dressed IN THAT GARMENT MENTIONED ABOVE.

20. וְהַהוּא רוּחָא דְּבַר נָשׁ סַלְּקָא ע"י דִּתְרֵי מְמָנָן, כֵּיוָן דְּעָאל, קָרִיב לְגַבֵּי חַד עַמּוּדָא דְּשַׁלְהוֹבָא מְלָהֲטָא דְּקַיְּימָא תַּמָּן, וְאַגְּלִים בְּרוּחָא דַּאֲוֵירָא דְּנָשִׁיב בְּהַהוּא עַמּוּדָא, וְכַמָּה אִינּוּן דְּסַלְּקִין לוֹן תַּמָּן. בְּגִין דְּכָל אִינּוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וּמְחַדְּשֵׁי בָּהּ חִדּוּשִׁין, מִיַּד אַכְתּוּב לְגַבֵּי בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא אִינּוּן מִלִּין, כְּדֵין כָּל אִינּוּן בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא אָתָאן לְמֵחֱמֵי לֵיהּ. אִינּוּן תְּרֵין מְמָנָן נָפְקִין, וְסַלְּקִין לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, מִיַּד קָרִיב לְגַבֵּי הַהוּא עַמּוּדָא, דְּאַגְלִים תַּמָּן.

Garments Judgment Pillar Yeshivah

21. AFTER DRESSING IN THOSE GARMENTS, he enters into the Yeshivah and THE MEMBERS OF THE YESHIVAH observe him. If the matters OF NEW INSIGHT are appropriate, happy is he, since all the members of the session will adorn him with many laurels. If it is something else, MEANING TO SAY THAT IT DOES NOT FOLLOW THE PATHS OF HOLINESS, woe to him, to that embarrassment and shame. He is pushed outside and goes to stand next to the pillar MENTIONED ABOVE, until they bring him in for trial and judgment. May the Merciful One save us.

21. עָאל לִמְתִיבְתָּא, וְחָמָאן לֵיהּ, אִי מִלָּה כַּדְּקָא יָאוּת זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ, כַּמָה עִטְרִין מְנַצְצָן, מְעַטְּרִין לֵיהּ כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא. וְאִי מִלָּה אַחֲרָא הֲוָה, וַוי לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא כִּסּוּפָא, דַּחְיָין לֵיהּ לְבַר, וְקָאֵים גּוֹ עַמּוּדָא, עַד דְּעַיְילֵי לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, רַחֲמָנָא לִשֵׁיזְבָן.

Purification Yeshivah

22. There are others that are raised up there when the Holy One, blessed be He, is in a disputation with the members of the Yeshivah, WHETHER THE ITEM IS PERMISSIBLE OR PROHIBITED. They say, Who shall decide THE LAW? Here is so-and-so, THE WISE MAN FROM THIS WORLD, let him come and determine this matter, HOW TO CARRY OUT THE LAW. Then they raise THAT WISE MAN up, there, and he decides by evidence that legal dispute between the Holy One, blessed be He, and the members of the Yeshivah. There are others that are raised up there for trial and are judged there, to be refined and purified.

22. וְאִית אַחֲרָנִין דְּסַלְּקִין לוֹן תַּמָּן, כַּד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּפְלוּגְתָא בִּבְנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא, וְאַמְרֵי מַאן מוֹכַח, הָא פְּלוֹנִי דְּאוֹכַח מִלָּה. כְּדֵין סַלְּקִין לֵיהּ תַּמָּן, וְאוֹכַח הַהוּא מִלָּה בֵּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּבֵין בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא. וְאִית אַחֲרָנִין דְּסַלְּקִין לוֹן תַּמָּן לְדִינָא, וְדַיְינִין לֵיהּ תַּמָּן, לְבָרְרָא לוֹן, וּלְלַבְּנָא לוֹן.

Firmaments Heaven Judgment Righteous Yeshivah

23. Rabbi Yosi said to him, If so, IT WOULD SEEM that a person leaves and departs this world without trial. If he does depart by trial, THAT IS, HE ALREADY WAS JUDGED ABOVE, why then is he on trial a second time IN THE YESHIVAH OF THE FIRMAMENT? He replied to him, That is the way I was taught and so I heard. Surely a person who departs from this world is judged. However, prior to entering the presence of the righteous, he is raised for A SECOND trial for a decision in that Yeshivah of the firmament.

23. אָ"ל ר' יוֹסֵי, א"ה בְּלָא דִּינָא אִתְפְּטַר בַּר נָשׁ וְאִסְתַּלָּק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. וְאִי בְּדִינָא אִסְתַּלָּק, אֲמַאי אִתְּדָּן זִמְנָא אַחֲרִינָא. אָ"ל, הָכִי אוֹלִיפְנָא, וְהָכִי שְׁמַעְנָא, דְּהָא וַדַּאי בְּדִינָא אִסְתַּלָּק ב"נ מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, אֲבָל עַד לָא יֵיעוּל לִמְחִיצָתְהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּא, סַלְקֵי לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, וְתַמָּן אִתְּדָּן בְּהַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא.

Firmaments Gehenom (Hell) Hands Hell (Gehenom) Samuel Soul, The Stone Yeshivah

24. AT THE YESHIVAH OF THE FIRMAMENT stands the appointee of Gehenom to prosecute. Happy is the one who was found guiltless in that trial. If not, that appointee of Gehenom takes him when they hand him over to him and slings him downward, like someone who hurtles a stone with a sling, as it is written: "And the souls of your enemies, them shall he sling out, as out of the hollow of a sling..." (I Shmuel 25:29). The appointee throws him into Gehenom and he receives his punishment corresponding to his sentence.

24. וְתַמָּן קַיְּימָא הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם לְאַסְטָאָה. זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ מַאן דְּזָכֵי מִן דִּינָא, וְאִי לָאו הַהוּא מְמָנָא דְּגֵיהִנָּם נָטִיל לֵהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּמַסְרִין לֵיהּ בִּידוֹי, וּמִקְלַע לֵיהּ מִתַּמָּן לְתַתָּא, כְּמַאן דְּמִקְלַע אַבְנָא בְּקוּסְפִתָא דִּכְתִּיב וְאֵת נֶפֶשׁ אוֹיְבֶיךָ יְקַלְעֶנָּה בְּתוֹךְ כַּף הַקָּלַע וְגוֹ.' וְשַׁדֵּי לֵיהּ לְגֵּיהִנָם, וְקַבִּיל עוֹנְשֵׁיהּ כְּפוּם מַה דְּאִתְדָּן.

Angels Firmaments Head Heaven Joshua Metatron Priests Yeshivah

25. Come and see: "And he showed me Joshua the High Priest standing before the angel of Hashem" (Zecharyah 3:1) means that they have raised him up above for trial in the Yeshivah of the firmament, after he was gone from the world. "Standing before the angel of Hashem:" That is the same youth, MEANING THE ANGEL METATRON, THAT IS CALLED 'YOUTH,' who is the head of the Yeshivah IN THE YESHIVAH OF THE FIRMAMENT. And he pronounces the sentence over everything.

25. ת"ח, וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ וְגוֹ,' דְּסָלִיקוּ לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, גּוֹ הַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְפְּטָר מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ יְיָ,' דָּא הוּא הַהוּא נַעַר, רֵישׁ מְתִיבְתָּא, דְּאִיהוּ חָתִיךְ דִּינָא עַל כֹּלָּא.

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