"And he showed me Joshua the High Priest"

Synopsis

Rabbi Chiya tells us that a person is tried many times during his lifetime and after death, and he says that God is always filled with compassion and does not want to judge people according to their deeds. Rabbi Shimon talks about three levels of compassion, and he tells us about the members of the Yeshivah above that gather to consider a person's sentence.

Angels Gates Joshua Midyan Moab Priests

16. "And Moab said to the elders of Midian, 'Now shall this company lick up...'" (Bemidbar 22:4). Rabbi Chiya opened the discussion with the verse: "And he showed me Joshua the High Priest standing before the angel of Hashem" (Zecharyah 3:1). How much should a man watch his ways in this world and walk in a true path, since all the actions of a person are recorded before the King and are inscribed before Him, and all are counted. The guards at the gates stand and give evidence and request true justice, and the judge is ready to receive the evidence. Those who have claims FOR THEIR JUSTIFICATION murmur and do not know if they should go from the right or turn to the left side.

16. וַיֹּאמֶר מוֹאָב אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ וְגוֹ.' ר' חִיָּיא פָּתַח, וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ יְיָ' וְגוֹ.' כַּמָה אִית לֵיהּ לב"נ, לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אוֹרְחוֹי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וּלְמֵהַךְ בְּאֹרַח קְשׁוֹט. בְּגִין דְּכָל עוֹבָדוֹי דב"נ כְּתִיבִין קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא, וּרְשִׁימִין קַמֵּיהּ, וְכֻלְּהוּ בְּמִנְיָינָא. נְטוּרֵי תַּרְעֵי קַיְימִין וְסָהֲדִין, קַיְימֵי וְתָבְעֵי דִּינָא תְּרִיצִין. וְדַיָּינָא קַיְּימָא לְקַבְּלָא סַהֲדוּתָא, וְאִינּוּן דְּטַעֲנוּ טָעַנְתָּא מְרַחְשָׁן, וְלָא יְדִיעַ אִי יֵהֲכוּן מִימִינָא, וְאִם יִשְׂמָאֲלוּן מִשְּׂמָאלָא.

Adonai Compassion David Deeds Judgment Mercy

17. When the human spirits exit from this world, many Accusers stand up about them and proclamations go out, both for their benefit and for their detriment, in accordance with the outcome of their trial; we are taught that a person is tried many times in this world, both during his lifetime and also afterwards, since all his words are through judgment. The Holy One, blessed be He, is always filled with compassion, and His mercy is over all, and He does not wish to judge people according to their deeds. This is what David said, "If You, Yah, should mark iniquities, Adonai, who could stand" (Tehilim 130:3). Here we must observe, since he said Yud-Hei. Why DID HE SAY IN ADDITION Adonai? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENT TO SAY, 'IF YOU, YAH, SHOULD MARK INIQUITIES, WHO COULD STAND.'

17. דְּהָא כַּד רוּחֵי בְּנֵי נָשָׁא נָפְקֵי מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, כַּמָה אִינּוּן מְקַטְרְגִין דְּקַיְימִין קַמַּיְיהוּ, וְכָרוֹזִין נָפְקִין הֵן לְטָב הֵן לְבִישׁ, כְּפוּם מַה דְּנָפִיק מִן דִּינָא. דְּתַנְיָא, בְּכַמָּה דִּינִין אִתְּדָּן ב"נ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בֵּין בְּחַיּיוֹי, בֵּין לְבָתַר. דְּהָא כָּל מִלּוֹי בְּדִינָא אִינּוּן. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא תָּדִיר בְּרַחֲמָנוּ, וְרַחֲמוֹי עַל כֹּלָּא, וְלָא בָּעֵי לְדַיָּינָא בְּנֵי נָשָׁא כְּפוּם עוֹבָדֵיהוֹן, דְּהָכִי אָמַר דָּוִד, אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר יָהּ יְיָ' מִי יַעֲמוֹד. הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, כֵּיוָן דְּאָמַר אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר יָ"הּ, אֲמַאי אֲדֹנָי.

Aba and Ima Adonai Compassion David Grades Judgment Mercy Mi (Who) Repentance

18. HE RESPONDS: It is because there are three levels of compassion that David mentions here, WHICH ARE YUD-HEI, ADONAI AND 'WHO.' "If You, Yah, should mark iniquities:" THAT IS ABA AND IMA REFERRED TO BY YUD-HEI AS EXPLAINED. If the iniquities are so many that they have ascended above to Aba and Ima, then it is "Adonai," which is Mercy. Although this name ADONAI is merciful, it will be aroused in judgment, and all the levels will be blocked through Judgment. Yet there is still one level that we can turn to, as all the remedies emanate from it, that one should have mercy on us. That one is 'WHO' THAT IS BINAH, "who could stand" FOR US assuredly, as it says, "Who can heal you" (Eichah 2:13). Therefore, if these TWO names, Yud-Hei Adonai, were sealed and hidden from him, "who could stand," because all the roads to repentance are open from it.

18. אֶלָּא, תְּלָת דַּרְגִּין דְּרַחֲמֵי אַדְכַּר דָּוִד הָכָא. אִם עֲוֹנוֹת תִּשְׁמֹר יָהּ, אִם חוֹבִין סַגִיאוּ, עַד דְּסַלְּקִין לְעֵילָּא לְגַבֵּי אַבָּא וְאִמָּא, הָא אֲדֹנָי דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי. וְאִי שְׁמָא דָּא, אע"ג דְּאִיהוּ רַחֲמֵי, יִתְּעַר בְּדִינָא וְכָל דַּרְגִּין אַסְתִּימוּ בְּדִינָא, דַּרְגָּא חֲדָא אִית דְּנֶהְדַּר לְגַבֵּיהּ, דְּכָל אַסְוָותִין מִינֵּהּ נָפְקִין, אִיהוּ יָחוֹס עֲלָן, וּמַאן אִיהוּ, מִי. מִ"י יַעֲמוֹד וַדַּאי. מִ"י יִרְפָּא לָךְ. וע"ד יָהּ אֲדֹנָי אִי אִלֵּין שְׁמָהָן יִסְתְּמוּן מִנָן, מִ"י יַעֲמוֹד, דְּכָל אֹרְחִין דְּתִיוּבְתָּא פְּתִיחָן מִנֵּיהּ.

Chambers Court Firmaments Heavens Joshua Righteous Yehotzedek Yeshivah

19. Come and see Joshua, son of Yehotzedek, was entirely righteous, a man that used to enter to the innermost sanctum. They raised him up to the Yeshivah up in the heavens, and all the members of that Yeshivah were gathered to consider his sentence. Such are the ways of that Yeshivah of the firmament, when they bring in A PERSON'S SPIRIT to be judged. A proclamation is sounded, all the members of the Yeshivah enter into a concealed chamber and the court is gathered into session.

19. ת"ח, יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן יְהוֹצָדָק צַדִּיק גָּמוּר הֲוָה, גַּבְרָא דַּהֲוָה עָאל לִפְנַי לִפְנִים, דְּעַיְילוּהּו לִמְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא. אִתְכְּנָשׁוּ כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא תַּמָּן, לְעַיְּינָא בְּדִינֵיהּ. וְכַךְ אָרְחוֹי דְּהַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, כַּד עַיְילֵי לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, כָּרוֹזָא נָפִיק וְאַכְרִיז, כָּל בְּנֵי מְתִיבְתָּא עוּלוּ. לְאִדָּרָא טְמִירָא. וּבֵי דִּינָא מִתְכַּנְּשֵׁי.