CHAPTER XXXIV THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD [43B. ii.] "SEE now that I, even I, am he, [ In the MS. the quotation ends here, in the first editions the verse is continued and the first editions add: “What purpose has the text in saying twice ‘I, even I’?” See Pal. Targum, in loc., and Othijoth de R. ‘Aḳiba (B.H.M. iii. p. 17), letter א: “I was before the world, and I am after the world.” See also T.B. Berakhoth, 9b, Jalḳuṭ, Deut. § 946, and cf. Methodius, “On the Resurrection,” v. (A.N.C.L. xiv. p. 141).] and there is no God with me" (Deut. 32:89). Only the Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I am" in this world, and "I am" in the world to come; I am the one who redeemed Israel from Egypt, and I am the one who, in the future, will redeem them at the end of the fourth kingdom; therefore it is said, "I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me" (ibid.). Every nation who say that there is a second God, I will slay them as with a second death [ This is based on Dan. xiii. 2. Cf. Rev. xx. 6, 14, xxi. 8, and see Midrash Tannaïm, ed. Hoffmann, p. 202, and Siphrê, Deut. § 329.] || which has no resurrection; and every nation who say that there is no second God, I will quicken them for the eternal life. And in the future I will slay those (first mentioned) and quicken these, therefore it is said, "I kill, and I make alive" (ibid.). I have wounded [ God destroyed Jerusalem, and He will rebuild it; cf. Lam. 1:17.] Jerusalem and her people on the day of My anger, and in great mercy [ Cf. Isa. 54:7, 11 f., and Jer. 33:6, 9.] I will heal them, [ See Isa. 30:26, and cf. Shocher Ṭob, Ps. 147 (end).] therefore it is said, "I have wounded, and I will heal" (ibid.). Neither any angel nor any seraph [ “‘I, even I,’ says God, ‘I will deliver them, I alone.’”] will deliver the wicked from the judgment of Gehinnom, as it is said, "And there is none that can deliver out of my hand" (ibid.).
Rabbi Jochanan [ The first editions read “Jonathan.”] said: All the dead will arise at the resurrection of the dead, except the generation of the Flood, [ Cf. T.B. Synhedrin, 107b, and Aboth de Rabbi Nathan (a) xxxvi. pp. 53b ff.] as it is said, "The dead shall not live, the deceased (Rephaim) [ The Rephaim (giants) are the men of the generation of the Flood. See supra, pp. 160 f., 167, and Gen. Rab. 31:12.] shall not rise" (Isa. 26:14). "The dead (who) shall not live" refer to the heathens, who are like the carcase of cattle; [ i.e. doomed to destruction. Cf. the directions laid down for the conduct of Christians towards heathens, in Clement, “Two Epistles concerning Virginity,” vi. (A.N.C.L. xiv. pp. 387 f.). See supra, p. 208, n. 7.] they shall arise for the day of judgment, [ In the Messianic age, or, rather, at the close of the reign of Messiah.] yet they shall not live; but the men of the generation of the Flood, even for the day of judgment they shall not arise, as it is said, "The Rephaim shall not rise" (ibid.). All their souls become winds, [ Or, “spirits who injure.”] accursed, injuring [ Or, “Demons unto man”; see Jalḳuṭ Isa. in loc.] the sons of men, and in the future world the Holy One, blessed be He, will destroy them out of the world, so that they should not do harm to a single Israelite, as it is said, "Therefore hast thou visited and destroyed them, [ The quotation ends here in the MS., it is continued in the first editions.] and made all their memory to perish" (ibid.). [ See Ẓohar, Gen. 25b.]
Rabbi Zechariah said: The sleep at night is like this world, and the awakening of the morning [ This is based on Isa. 26:19. Cf. Hippolytus (ed. Achelis), p. 107.] is like the world to come. And just as || in the sleep of the night a man lies down and sleeps, and his spirit wanders over all the earth, and tells him in a dream [ See Eccles. 10:20, and see Midrash Rab. thereon; cf. T.B. Berakhoth, 18b, Gen. Rab. 14:9, and supra, p. 87.] whatever happens, as it is said, "In a dream, in a vision of the night… then he openeth the ears of men" (Job 33:15, 16), likewise (with) the dead, their spirit wanders over all the earth, and tells them all things [ This is also the reading of the Venice edition.] that happen in the world, but they are silent and (yet) they give song and praise to God, who will quicken them in the future, as it is said, "Let the saints exult in glory" [ Even in the grave the saints continue to glorify God. See Ps. 149:5; Jalḳuṭ, 1 Kings, § 169; and Shocher Ṭob on Ps. 30 p. 117b.] (Ps. 149:5). The awakening in the morning is like the future world. A parable [ The parable is only found in our MS. Cf. 1 Cor. xv. 20, 51; 1 Thess. iv. 14; and Eph. v. 14.] —unto what is the matter to be likened? To a man who awakens out of his sleep, in like manner will the dead awaken in the future world, as it is said, "O satisfy us in the morning with thy loving-kindness" [ The verse continues: “and let us sing and rejoice all our days.” See Jalḳuṭ Makhiri on Ps. 90 p. 44a; T.B. Berakhoth, 18b. “The wicked sleep the eternal sleep, never to awaken in the future.” Cf. Jer. 51:39 and Targum, in loc.] (ibid. xc. 14).
The voices of five (objects of creation) [ Brode and Luria read “six.” In fact there are “six” cases enumerated according to the text of the first printed editions. The MS. has five instances only.] go from one end of the world to the other, and their voices are inaudible. [ See T.B. Joma, 20b, where four examples only are given. Jalḳuṭ, Psalms, § 743, has used our author. See Gen. Rab. 6:7. The first editions add: “and they are.”] When people cut down the wood of the tree [ This may be based on Deut. 20:19. See also Jer. 46:22 and Targum thereon.] which yields fruit, its cry goes from one end of the world to the other, and the voice is inaudible. When the serpent sloughs off its skin, [ See supra, p. 99, Gen. Rab. 20:5. Cf. The Baraitha of the 32 Middoth, No. 14, ed. Reifmann, pp. 33f.] its cry goes from one end of the world to the other and its voice is not heard. [ The first editions omit: “The voice goeth forth from one end of the world to the other.” It occurs in the Amsterdam edition. Cf. Jer. 46:22.] When a woman is divorced from her husband, [ See Mal. 2:14–16.] her voice goeth forth from one end of the world to the other, but the voice is inaudible. [ The first editions add: “When a wife is with her husband at the first coition, her voice goeth forth from one end of the world to the other, but the voice is inaudible.”] When the infant || comes forth from its mother's [ See Isa. 26:17, and xlii. 14; T.B. Joma, loc. cit., and Lev. Rab. 27:7.] womb. [ The first editions add: “the cry goeth forth from one end of the world to the other, and the voice is not heard.”] When the soul departs from the body, [ See T.B. Joma, loc. cit.] the cry goes forth from one end of the world to the other, and the voice is not heard. The soul does not go out of the body until it beholds the Shekhinah, as it is said, "For man shall not see me and live" (Ex. 33:20). [ See Siphrê, Num. § 103; Siphra (beg.), and infra, p. 430.]
Rabbi Ẓe'era [ The first editions read “‘Aẓariah.”] said: All the souls go forth and are gathered, each man's soul to the generation of his fathers and to his people. [ Death reunites, whereas in life separation and dispersion are frequent experiences. See Ps. 49:19.] The righteous with the righteous, [ See Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 77, and Eccles. Rab. to Eccles. 3:9.] and the wicked with the wicked, for thus spake the Holy One, blessed be He, to Abraham: "But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace" (Gen. 15:15). [ The first editions read here: “When the soul goes forth from the body, is this peace? But the angels come to meet (it) and say to it: Peace, as it is said: ‘He entereth into peace; they rest in their beds’ (Isa. 57:2). Another verse says: ‘Thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace’” (2 Kings 22:20).] And when the soul goes forth from the body, [ Luria suggests that the text should read: “What is the peace?” (Is there any peace for the body when the soul leaves it?) See also T.B. Sabbath, 152b. See the Book of the Bee lvi. pp. 131 ff. for a parallel to our text.] then the righteous come to meet them, [ i.e. the souls. See Roḳeach, 313, which has used P.R.E.; the reading here is: “The righteous come before the souls.” See also T.B. Kethuboth, 104a, and Num. Rab. 11:7.] and say to them: Come unto peace ! One verse says, "Therefore, behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace" (2 Kings 22:20). [ Cf. 2 Chron. 34:28. Our MS. has omitted part of the verse, the first editions read the latter part only.]
Rab Huna [ The first editions read “Rabbi Chanina.”] said: All Israel [ The later editions read: “All the righteous.”] who die outside the land (of Israel), their souls [ Immediately after death.] are gathered into the land (of Israel), as it is said, "Yet the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living" [ The land of the living is the Holy Land; when David was an exile from the Holy Land he cries that he cannot worship God. See 1 Sam. 26:19.] (1 Sam. 25:29). All the heathens who die [ Some of the later editions read: “All the dead (bodies) of the wicked.” The Amsterdam and Prague editions read: “All the dead (bodies) of the idolaters.”] in the land of Israel have their souls cast outside the land (of Israel [ This is the reading of the Amsterdam and Prague editions.] ), as it is said, "And the souls of thine enemies, them shall he sling out, as from the hollow of a sling" (ibid.), (even) beyond the land (of Israel).
In the future world the Holy One, blessed be He, will take hold of the corners of the land of Israel, and shake it (free) from all unclean (things), [ The first editions add: “like a man shakes a garment and casts out all that is therein and throws this away.”] as it is said, "That it might take hold of the ends of the earth, [ In the MS. the quotation ends here; it is continued in the first editions.] and the wicked be shaken out of it" (Job 38:13).
A man has three friends || in his lifetime, and they are: his sons and his household, [ Cf. Aboth 6:9, Jalḳuṭ, Isa. § 494; Jalḳuṭ, Ps. § 834, reads “household.” Bachja in Kad Ha-Ḳemach, s.v. אבל, pp. 12a–b, quotes P.R.E. and reads: “his wife and his sons.” The latter reading is to be found in the first editions. Cf. also Menorath Ha-Maor, 278. See Israel Lévi’s article on this passage in R.É.J. xviii. pp. 83 ff., where he discusses the influence of “Barlaam and Josaphat” in this parable. “Barlaam and Josaphat” was written in the seventh century probably, and was known to the author of P.R.E. in its Greek or Arabic or Syrian version. See also Geiger, Was hat Mohammed, etc., p. 93, and J.E. ii. pp. 536 f.] his money, and his good deeds. At the hour of a man's departure from the world he gathers his sons and his household, and he says to them: I beg of you to come and save me from the judgment of this evil death. [ This is an explanation of Ps. 49:5, “Why should I fear in the days of evil?” (i.e. death).] They answer him, saying to him: Hast thou not heard that there is no one who can prevail over the day of death? and is it not written thus, "None of them can by any means redeem his brother" (Ps. 49:7)? [ “The first editions read here: “Even his money which he loves cannot redeem him, as it is said: ‘Nor give to God a ransom for him’ (Ps. 49:7). Why?”] "For the redemption of their soul is costly" [ Siphrê, Deut. § 329, says: “If they give to Him all the money in the world they would not be able to give Him his ransom.” The first editions add here the following: “And this thing must be let alone ‘for ever’ (Ps. 49:8), but go towards peace and rest on thy couch, and stand for thy lot at the end of days, and may thy lot be with the pious of the world. When he sees (things) in this way.”] (ibid. 8). And he has his money fetched, and says to it: [ The first editions add: “For thee have I toiled very much by night and by day.” See Eccles. 5:10–15 on the folly of heaping up wealth.] I beseech thee, save me from the judgment of this evil death. It answers him, saying: Hast thou not heard, "Riches profit not in the day of wrath" [ i.e. the day of death. The text might be rendered “the day of passing away” (from this life). Cf. Eccles. 8:8.] (Prov. 11:4)? He (then) has his good deeds fetched, and he says to them: I beseech you, come and deliver me from the judgment of this evil death. [ The first editions add here: “and strengthen yourselves with me, and do not leave me to depart from the world, for ye still have hope for me that I may be saved.”] And they answer him and say to him: [ The first editions add: “Go towards peace.”] Before thou goest, verily, we will go in advance of thee, as it is said, "And charity delivereth from death" (ibid.). Does then charity deliver from death? (This refers) to an evil death only. Another Scripture says, "And thy righteousness shall go before thee, [ The quotation ends here in the MS., it is continued in the first editions.] the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward" (Isa. 58:8). [ In Jalḳuṭ, Isa. loc. cit., the verse: “And righteousness delivereth from death” (Prov. 10:2) is quoted. This is also to be found in the Kad Ha-Ḳemach, loc. cit.]
All the seven days of mourning the soul goeth forth and returneth from its (former) home to its sepulchral abode, and from its sepulchral abode to its (former) home. [ This sentence is omitted in the printed editions. See 4 Ezra 7:31.] After the seven days of mourning the body || begins to breed worms, [ See Roḳeach, 313, based upon our author; cf. T.B. Sabbath, 152a, and T.J. Mo’ed Ḳaṭan iii. 5. 82b.] and it decays and returns to the dust, [ See T.B. Niddah, 69b, and T.B. Sabbath, 152b. The return to dust is considerably later than the first seven days after death.] as it originally was, as it is said, "And the dust returns to the earth as it was" [ The next sentence is not found in the printed editions.] (Eccles. 12:7). The soul goes forth and returns to the place whence it was given, from heaven, as it is said, "And the soul [ The MS. text does not agree with the M.T. “Nephesh,” which we have rendered soul, should be “ruach,” spirit.] returns unto God who gave it" (ibid.). And whence do we learn that the soul has been given from heaven? [ i.e. by God.] Come and see. When the Holy One, blessed be He, formed man, he did not have in him the spirit. [ The first editions read: “the spirit of the soul.” See supra, p. 78, n. 2. Cf. Tertullian, On the Resurrection, v.] What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He breathed with the spirit of the breath of His mouth, and cast a soul [ Or, “breath.”] into him, as it is said, "And he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Gen. 2:7). [ The breath of life came from God and returns to Him.]
Rabbi Ishmael [ The first editions read “Simeon.”] said: All the bodies crumble [ Read ננועין, and cf. supra, p. 77.] into the dust of the earth, until nothing remains of the body except a spoonful of earthy matter. [ Or, “rottenness.” See T. J. Naẓir vii. 2, 56b, and Lev. Rab. 18:1. The Venice edition adds here: “And it becomes mixed with the dust of the earth like yeast, which is mixed with the dough.”] In the future life, when the Holy One, blessed be He, calls [ The Voice of God will usher in the resurrection, see supra, p. 249; see also Othijoth de R. ‘Aḳiba; B.H.M. iii. p. 60. Cf. 4 Ezra 7:32; Apoc. Baruch xi. 4; 1 Thess. iv. 13, 15; and 2 Pet. iii. 4.] to the earth to return all the bodies deposited with it, [ Cf. infra, p. 335. The earth holds the bodies until the resurrection. The day of death is called the “day of Account” (Isa. 10:3); cf. Num. 16:29, “the visiting of every man.”] that which had become mixed with the dust of the earth, like the yeast which is mixed with the dough, improves and increases, and it raises up all the body. [ The first edition adds: “without water.” This became in the Venice edition: “without a blemish.” See T.B. Synhedrin, 91a, and Gen. Rab. 95:1.] When the Holy One, blessed be He, calls to the earth to return all the bodies deposited with it, that which has become mixed with the dust of the earth, improves and increases and raises up all the body without water. [ This sentence is not in the printed texts. It is practically a repetition of the previous sentence. The first editions read instead: “like the leaven which improves and increases the dough.”] Forthwith the earth quakes and the mountains tremble, [ See T.B. Soṭah, 36b. See Arabic version of 4 Ezra 7:32 (ed. Box, p. 119).] and the graves are opened, [ See Ezek. 37:13.] and the stones of the graves are scattered about one from the other, as it is said, "And the Lord God shall save them || in that day as the flock of his people: [ In the MS. the quotation ends here.] for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted on high over his land" (Zech. 9:16).
Rabbi Azariah said: All the souls are in the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "In whose hand is the soul of every living thing" [ After death. The parable illustrates this idea. This does not agree with the interpretation given in Siphrê, Num. § 139, quoted in Jalḳuṭ on Job, in loc.] (Job 12:10). A parable—to what is the matter like? To a person who was going in the market with the key of his house in his hand. As long as the key is in his hand, all his money is in his hand. Likewise the Holy One, blessed be He, has the key of the graves, [ See T.B. Ta’anith 2b, “For I am the Lord, when I open your graves.”] and the key of the treasure-houses of the souls; [ The first editions add here: “In the future life the Holy One, blessed be He, will open the graves, and He will open the treasure-houses of the souls.” See 4 Ezra 4:35, vii. 32; T. B. Chagigah, 12b; and Siphrê Deut. § 344.] and He will restore every spirit to the body of flesh of man, as it is said, "Thou sendest forth thy spirit, [ Thereby reviving the spirit of man. Cf. Athenagoras, Resurrection of the Dead, xxv.] they are created; [ In the MS. and the first editions the quotation ends here.] and thou renewest the face of the ground" [ The earth will be renewed after the resurrection.] (Ps. 104:30).
The soul is like its Creator. [ Luria adds: if one may so without irreverence.” On this expression, see Bacher, Terminologie, i. pp. 72 f.] Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, sees and is not visible, so the soul sees and is not visible. [ See T.B. Berakhoth, 10a, and Deut. Rab. ii. 37, where six points of similarity are enumerated; cf. Lev. Rab. 4:8. On God’s seeing, cf. Jer. 23:24; on God’s invisibility, see Ex. 33:20 and Isa. 45:15. See similar theories in Tertullian, de Anima, xlv.; and Methodius, Banquet, vi. 1.] Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, has no sleep in His presence, [ See Ps. 121:4; and Gen. Rab. 14:9.] so the soul does not sleep. [ See supra, p. 86.] Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, bears His world, [ See Isa. 46:4.] so the soul bears all the body. [ Cf. Luria’s reading.] All souls are His, as it is said, "Behold, all souls are mine" (Ezek. 18:4).
Rabbi Jehudah said: From the day when the Temple was destroyed, the land (of Israel) is broken down on account of the wickedness of those who dwell therein; like a man who is sick and has no power to stand, so is the land broken down and is without power to yield her fruits, as it is said, "The earth also is polluted under the inhabitants thereof" (Isa. 24:5). [ See the earlier part of the verse.]
In the future life the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the reviving dew to descend, and He will quicken the dead and renew all things, as it is said, "Thy dead shall live" (ibid. xxvi. 19). They are the Israelites, who died trusting in His name. || "My dead bodies shall arise" (ibid.). They are the heathens, who are like the carcase of the beast; [ A similar statement occurs in Tertullian, On the Resurrection, A.N.C.L. xv. p. 311.] they shall arise for the day of judgment, but they shall not live. "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust" (ibid.). They are the righteous, for they dwell [ The righteous dead are called “living.” See T.B. Soṭah, 5a, and T.B. Berakhoth, 18a. Cf. 4 Ezra 7:35, 36, 61 to illustrate the preceding part of the paragraph.] in the dust. "For thy dew is as the dew of light" (ibid.). The dew of the righteous is not the dew of darkness, [ The dew of nature descends at night (see Job 29:19), and is called “the dew of darkness.” There is also “the dew of light,” which is the heavenly or spiritual dew.] but (it is) the dew of light, as it is said, "For thy dew is as the dew of light" (ibid.); and it gives healing to the earth, as it is said, "And the earth shall cast forth the dead" [ Rephaim; the root of this word means “to heal.” See Cant. Rab. on Cant. 5:2.] (ibid.). And what is the meaning of "And the earth shall cast forth the dead"? [ The first editions read: “What is the meaning of ‘it giveth healing to the earth’?”]
Rabbi Tanchum said [ This is probably a gloss, copied from T.J. Berakhoth 5:2. 9b. It is only this sentence which belongs to Rabbi Tanchum. Perhaps the saying is merely that the earth will disgorge the dead entrusted to its keeping.] : On account of the seed of the earth, when it is commanded, (it) discharges the dew for the resurrection of the dead. [ See Luria’s reading, and Jalḳuṭ, 1 Kings, § 207.] From what place does it descend? From the head of the Holy One, blessed be He; for the head of the Holy One, blessed be He, is full of the reviving dew. In the future life the Holy One, blessed be He, will shake His head [ See Ẓohar, Gen. 130a, and Singer, p. 79, for the “dew of light,” based on Isa. 26:19.] and [ See Luria’s reading.] cause the quickening dew to descend, [ The first editions add: “and He will revive the dead.”] as it is said, "I was asleep, [ The righteous sleeps in death, but his heart is ever awake; his soul is fed by the Divine dew which will effect the resurrection.] but my heart waked [ The quotation ends here in our MS.] … for my head is filled with dew, my locks with the drops of the night" (Cant. 5:2).