"Hashem kills, and gives life"

Synopsis

Rabbi Yosi asks how Hashem can kill when the name Yud Hei Vav Hei is an elixir of life in which death does not exist. Rabbi Shimon explains that He kills the body but gives life to the soul. He lowers the soul to Sheol to purify it and then raises it up to its place in the Garden of Eden. Rabbi Yosi concludes by saying that for the next 22 years he is no longer allowed to work at ordinary things of the world, but he has to study the matters that follow from what he learned in the supernal realm.

Death Death and the Afterlife Prosecution Samuel Yud Hei Vav Hei (YHVH)

369. Rabbi Yosi opened the discussion with the verse: "Hashem kills, and gives life: He brings down to the grave and brings up" (I Shmuel 2:6). This verse requires more study. Does Hashem kill? Behold, this name, YUD HEI VAV HEI, is an elixir of life to everyone and this thing, death, does not prevail in it. Everywhere this name provides life to the whole world. What then is the meaning of "Hashem kills" that people could think that He kills all human beings? Certainly the name Yud Hei Vav Hei kills. How does it cause death? You might think to say that when it leaves a person HE DIES, because while it is still prevailing over him none of the Accusers could do damage to him, but when it departs all the prosecutors immediately overcome him and the person dies. Yet this is not so.

369. פָּתַח ר' יוֹסֵי וְאָמַר, יְיָ' מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל. הַאי קְרָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, וְכִי יְיָ' מֵמִית, וְהָא שְׁמָא דָּא סַמָא דְּחַיִּין אִיהוּ לְכֹלָּא. וּמִלָּה דָּא דְּמוֹתָא, לָא שַׁרְיָא בֵּיהּ, וּבְכָל אֲתָר שְׁמָא דָּא יָהִיב חַיִּין לְכָל עָלְמָא, מַהוּ יְיָ' מֵמִית, חַשְׁבִין בְּנֵי נָשָׁא דְּאִיהוּ קָטִיל לְכָל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. אֶלָּא יְיָ' מֵמִית וַדַּאי דְּאִיהוּ עָלֵיהּ, לָא יַכְלִין כָּל מְקַטְרְגִין דְּעָלְמָא לְנַזְקָא לֵיהּ, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִסְתָּלִיק מִנֵּיהּ, מִיָּד כָּל מְקַטְרְגִין יַכְלִין לֵיהּ, וּמִית בַּר נָשׁ. לָאו הָכִי.

Body Fire Garden of Eden Other Side Purification Sheol Soul, The

370. HE REPLIES: Yet "Hashem kills." Whom does He kill? The extension of that Other Side, MEANING THE BODY, because, when that extension of the Other Side sees the glorious glow of the Holy One, blessed be He, it instantly dies, and cannot exist even an instant. As soon as the extension of the Other Side is dead and removed from the world, He immediately "gives life." To whom does He give life? To that extension of the Holy Spirit that is derived from the side of holiness, MEANING THE SOUL. He revives it and sustains it in a perfect existence and all is accomplished by the Holy One, blessed be He, at the same time. THAT IS, HE KILLS THE BODY AND REVIVES THE SOUL AND THAT IS WHY IT IS WRITTEN: "HASHEM KILLS, AND GIVES LIFE." And it is written: "He brings down to the grave (Heb. Sheol) and brings up," which means that He lowers that Holy Spirit, MEANING THE SOUL, to Sheol and bathes it there IN THE FIRE THAT IS IN SHEOL to purify it. He instantly raises it and brings it to its appropriate place in the Garden of Eden.

370. אֶלָּא יְיָ' מֵמִית, לְמַאן מֵמִית. לְהַהוּא מְשִׁיכוּ דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא בִּישָׁא. כֵּיוָן דִּמְשִׁיכוּ דְּסִטְרָא בִּישָׁא, חָמֵי לֵיהּ לְזִיו יְקָרֵיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, מִיַּד מִית. וְלֵית לֵיהּ קִיוּמָא אֲפִילּוּ רִגְעָא חֲדָא. כֵּיוָן דְּהַהוּא מְשִׁיכוּ דִּסְטָר אַחֲרָא מִית וְאִתְעֲבָר מִן עָלְמָא, מִיַּד מְחַיֶּה. לְמַאן מְחַיֶּה. לְהַהוּא מְשִׁיכוּ דְּרוּחַ קֻדְשָׁא, דְּאָתֵי מִסִּטְרָא דִּקְדוּשָּׁה, מְחַיֶּה לֵיהּ, וְאוֹקִים לֵיהּ בְּקִיּוּמָא שְׁלִים. כֹּלָּא עָבֵיד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּזִמְנָא חֲדָא. וּמַה דְּאָמַר מוֹרִיד שְׁאוֹל וַיָּעַל. מוֹרִיד לְהַהוּא רוּחַ קַדִּישָׁא לִשְׁאוֹל, וְעָבֵיד לֵיהּ תַּמָּן טְבִילָה, לְאִתְּדַכָּאָה, וּמִיַּד סָלִיק לֵיהּ, וְעָאל לַאֲתָר דְּאִצְטְרִיךְ בְּגַן עֵדֶן.

Body Soul, The Year

371. And myself, my friends, during that period when I left the world my spirit was gone and departed immediately until a little later when the Holy One, blessed be He, brought me back to life. During that time, my body was dead. When my son began with these utterances, his soul escaped and flew to meet my soul that was rising from its immersion, AS MENTIONED ABOVE, and re-entered wherever it did. There, they sentenced and judged it and I was given 22 years of life for the sake of my son's words and tears. From here on, I need to strive in what I observed there, because I am no longer allowed to strive after worldly matters. After seeing what I saw, the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes me not to forget anything.

371. וַאֲנָא, חַבְרַיָּיא, בְּהַהוִא שַׁעֲתָא דְּאִסְתְּלַקְנָא מֵעָלְמָא, רוּחָא דִּילִי אִסְתְּלַּק וְדָמַךְ מִיַּד, עַד שַׁעֲתָא זְעֵירָא דְּאַחְיָיא לִי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְגוּפָא הֲוָה מִית. בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּפָתַח בְּרִי בְּאִינּוּן מִלִּין, כְּדֵין פַּרְחָה נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ, וְאִעֲרָעָת בְּנִשְׁמְתָא דִּילִי, דַּהֲוָה סַלְּקָא מִגּוֹ דַּכְיוּ וּמִגּוֹ טְבִילָה, וְעָאלַת בַּאֲתָר דְּעָאלָת, וְתַמָּן אִתְּדָּן דִּינָהָא, וְאִתְיְיהִיבוּ לִי עֶשְׂרִין וּתְרֵין שְׁנִין דְּחַיִּין, בְּגִין דִּמְעִין וּמִלִּין דִּבְרִי, מִכָּאן וּלְהָלְאָה, אִית לִי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּמַה דַּחֲמֵינָא, דְּהָא לֵית לִי לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּמִלִּין דְּהַאי עָלְמָא. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲמֵינָא מַה דַּחֲמֵינָא, וּבָעֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא דְּלָא יִתְאַבִיד וְיִתְנְשֵׁי מִנַּאי כְּלוּם.