"Yet the Elohim does not give him power to eat of it"

Synopsis

The rabbis discuss how hard-hearted people are in that they pay no attention to the matters of the higher world. Rabbi Shimon says that one eats in this world the fruits that he merits, and the capital, his soul, is kept for him in the higher world so that he can gain with it the higher life above. But for whoever contaminates himself and does not deprive his soul or body of anything, the Tree of Life is not available for him to eat from. Rabbi Aba says that when Moses saw that the people complained about the manna he saw that this blemished his own perfection and he could not bear to see his own wretchedness. It was considered that descending from a higher to a lower level was like death.

Body Evil Sun Torah

140. Rabbi Aba was sitting one night studying Torah. Rabbi Yosi and Rabbi Chizkiyah were present with him. Rabbi Yosi said: How hard-hearted are the people that they do not pay attention to that world's matters at all. Rabbi Aba said: It is the evil in the heart which infects all the organs of the body that does this to them. He opened the discussion saying, "There is an evil which I have seen under the sun, and it is heavy upon men" (Kohelet 6:1). "There is an evil;" that is the evil force in the heart that wishes to rule this world's matters and does not pay attention at all to the matters of that world.

140. רִבִּי אַבָּא הֲוָה יָתִיב לֵילְיָא חַד, וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא. וַהֲווֹ עִמֵּיהּ ר' יוֹסֵי וְר' חִזְקִיָּה. א"ר יוֹסֵי, כַּמָה אִינּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא תַּקִיפוּ לִבָּא, דְּלָא מַשְׁגְחֵי בְּמִלֵּי דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא כְּלוּם. א"ר אַבָּא, בִּשְׂרָא דְּלִבָּא, דַּאֲחִידָא בְּכָל שַׁיְיפֵי גּוּפָא, קָא עָבֵיד לוֹן. פָּתַח וְאָמַר, יֵשׁ רָעָה אֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ וְרַבָּה הִיא עַל הָאָדָם. יֵשׁ רָעָה: דָּא אִיהִי תּוּקְפָּא בִּישָׁא דְּלִבָּא, דְּבָעֵי לְשַׁלְּטָאָה בְּמִלֵּי דְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא אַשְׁגַּח בְּמִלֵּי דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא מִדִי.

Evil Solomon Soul, The Torah

141. HE INQUIRES: Why is the heart evil? HE RESPONDS: The following verse proves this: "a man to whom the Elohim has given riches, wealth..." (Ibid. 2). This verse is difficult, since it says, "so that he lacks nothing for his soul of all that he desires" (Ibid.). Why then does it say, "yet Elohim does not give him power to eat of it" (Ibid.), seeing that he is not lacking for anything himself? HE RESPONDS: It is a secret and all of King Solomon's sayings are clothed with other words. They are like sayings of the Torah that are clothed with stories pertaining to THIS world.

141. אֲמַאי אִיהִי רָעָה. קְרָא דְּבַתְרֵיהּ אוֹכַח, דִּכְתִּיב אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר יִתֶּן לוֹ הָאֱלֹֹהִים עוֹשֶׁר וּנְכָסִים וְגוֹ.' הַאי קְרָא קְשִׁירָא, כֵּיוָן דִּכְתִּיב וְאֵינֶנּוּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר יִתְאַוֶּה, אֲמַאי וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹֹהִים לֶאֱכוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, דְּהָא אֵינוֹ חָסֵר לְנַפְשׁוֹ כְּלוּם אֶלָּא. רָזָא אִיהוּ, וְכָל מִלּוֹי דִּשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא, מִתְלַבְּשָׁן אִינּוּן בְּמִלִּין אַחֲרָנִין, כְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּאִינּוּן מִתְלַבְּשָׁן בְּסִפּוּרֵי עָלְמָא.

Garments Merit Soul, The World to Come, The

142. Come and behold: It is necessary to look at the garment, WHICH IS WORLDLY STORIES, MEANING THAT ALTHOUGH YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND THE VERSE OUT OF ITS SIMPLE CONTEXT, this verse now says this. When a person goes about in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, gives him riches in order to merit the World to Come, and he will have the capital OF HIS MONEY left over for himself. What is that capital? That MONEY that endures FOREVER. That is a place in which to store the soul. He therefore is required to leave behind him that capital, and this capital will be received by him after departing from this world.

142. ת"ח, אע"ג דְּבָעֵינָן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בִּלְבוּשָׁא, הַשְׁתָּא הַאי קְרָא הָכִי קָאָמַר, דב"נ אָזִיל בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְיָהִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עוּתְרָא, בְּגִין דְּיִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, וְיִשְׁתְּאַר לְגַבֵּיהּ קֶרֶן. מַאי קֶרֶן. הַהוּא דְּאִיהוּ קַיָּים, דְּאִיהוּ אֲתָר לְאִתְצַרְרָא בֵּיהּ נִשְׁמְתָא. בג"כ בָּעֵי לְאַשְׁאָרָא אֲבַּתְרֵיהּ לְהַאי קֶרֶן, וְהַאי קֶרֶן יְקַבֵּל לֵיהּ, בָּתַר דְּיִפּוֹק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא.

Tree Tree of Life Zeir Anpin

143. בְּגִין דְּהַאי קֶרֶן, הוּא אִילָנָא דְּחַיֵּי דְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְלָא קַיְּימָא בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, אֶלָּא הַהוּא אִיבָּא דְּנָפִיק מִנֵּיהּ, וע"ד אִיבָּא דִּילֵיהּ אָכִיל ב"נ, דְּזָכֵי בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְהַקֶּרֶן קַיְּימָא לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, לְמִזְכֵּי בֵּיהּ בַּחַיִּין עִלָּאִין דִּלְעֵילָּא.

Body Merit Soul, The Tree Zeir Anpin

144. For he who contaminates himself and is carried away after his own GOOD, and does not deprive his soul and body of anything, that tree stays, WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN. But he does not place it in front of him with awe, so as to receive it above. Then, "yet Elohim does not give him power to eat of it" (Kohelet 6:2), and gain this wealth. Certainly, "a stranger eats it" (Ibid.), as it is written: "he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on" (Iyov 27:16). Therefore, a person needs to merit and gain in that world through that which the Holy One, blessed be He, gives him. Then he eats from it in this world, and the capital remains by him for the other world, so that he will be tied up in the bundle of life. Rabbi Yosi said: Most certainly, IT IS SO.

144. וּמַאן דְּסָאִיב גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְאִתְמְשַׁךְ בָּתַר גַּרְמֵיהּ, וְלֵיתֵיהּ חָסֵר לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ וּלְגַרְמֵיהּ כְּלוּם. וְהַהוּא אִילָנָא אִשְׁתְּאַר, וְלָא שַׁוְיֵהּ לָקֳבְלֵיהּ בִּדְחִילוּ, וּלְקַבְּלָא לֵיהּ לְעֵילָּא. כְּדֵין וְלֹא יַשְׁלִיטֶנּוּ הָאֱלֹֹהִים לֶאֱכֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, וּלְמִזְכֵּי בְּהַהוּא עוּתְרָא, וַדַּאי אִישׁ אַחֵר יֹאכְלֶנּוּ, כד"א יָכִין וְצַדִּיק יִלְבַּשׁ. בג"כ, בָּעֵי בַּר נָשׁ לְמִזְכֵּי, בְּמַה דְּיָהִיב לֵיהּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וּכְדֵין אָכִיל מִינֵּיהּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְיִשְׁתְּאַר לְגַבֵּיהּ הַהוּא קֶרֶן לְעָלְמָא אַחֲרָא, לְמֶהֱוֵי צְרוֹרָא בִּצְרוֹרָא דְּחַיֵּי. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וַדַּאי.

Food Moses Prayer

145. תּוּ אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, כְּתִיב אִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה לִי הָרְגֵנִי נָא וְגוֹ' וְכִי מֹשֶׁה דְּאִיהוּ עָנָו מִכָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא, בְּגִין דְּשָׁאִילוּ מִנֵּיהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְמֵיכַל, מָסַר גַּרְמֵיהּ לַמִּיתָה, אֲמַאי. א"ר אַבָּא, הַאי מִלָּה אוֹלִיפְנָא, וְרָזָא עִלָּאָה אִיהוּ, מֹשֶׁה לָא אַבְאִישׁ קַמֵּיהּ, וְלָא שָׁאַל לַמִּיתָה עַל דְּשָׁאִילוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל.

Aaron Bread Grades Heaven Manna Merit Moses Nahshon Prophets Rain Soul, The Thought

146. Come and behold: Moses was united above and he succeeded in matters to which no other prophet was connected. When the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses: "Behold, I will rain bread from the heaven for you" (Shemot 16:4), Moses rejoiced and thought, 'I will now certainly acquire this perfection, since in my merit there will be manna for Yisrael.' As soon as Moses noticed that they again descended to another level and demanded meat, saying, "and our soul loathes this miserable bread" (Bemidbar 21:5), he thought, 'My level is deteriorated, since for my sake Yisrael ate manna in the desert. Now I am blemished, Aaron is blemished, and Nahshon the son of Aminadab is blemished,' SINCE AARON AND NAHSHON WERE ATTACHED TO THE RIGHT AND LEFT OF MOSES.

146. ת"ח, מֹשֶׁה אִתְאֲחָד, וַהֲוָה סָלִיק בְּמַה דְּלָא אִתְאֲחָד נְבִיאָה אַחֲרָא. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאָ"ל קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְמֹשֶׁה, הִנְנִי מַמְטִיר לָכֶם לֶחֶם מִן הַשָּׁמָיִם. חַדֵּי מֹשֶׁה וְאָמַר, וַדַּאי הַשְׁתָּא הַהוּא שְׁלִימוּ בִּי אִשְׁתְּכַח. דְּהָא בְּגִינֵי אִשְׁתְּכַח מָן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. כֵּיוָן דְּחָמָא מֹשֶׁה דְּאָהַדְרוּ לְנַחְתָּא לְדַרְגָּא אַחֲרָא, וְשָׁאִילּוּ בָּשָׂר, וְאָמְרֵי וְנַפְשֵׁנוּ קָצָה בַּלֶּחֶם הַקְּלוֹקֵל. אָמַר אִי הָכִי הוּא, הָא דַּרְגָּא דִּילִי פָּגִים. דְּהָא בְּגִינֵי יֵיכְלוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל מָן בְּמַדְבְּרָא, הָא אֲנָא פְּגִימָא, וְאַהֲרֹן פָּגִים, וְנַחְשׁוֹן בֶּן עֲמִינָדָב פָּגִים.

Bread Death Death and the Afterlife Female Food Grades Heaven Heavens Moses Prayer Prophecy Prophets Zeh (This, Masc.) Zeir Anpin

147. Therefore, he said: '"And if You deal thus with me, kill me, I pray You, out of hand," since I have become as a female, WHICH IS MALCHUT, regarding her food, MEANING WITH THE MEAT THAT THEY WERE DEMANDING. I came down from the heaven that a the high degree, MEANING ZEIR ANPIN, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY LOATHED THE BREAD OF HEAVEN, to go down to the level of the female, TO THE CONSUMPTION OF MEAT. YET I am superior to all prophets of the world' - SINCE ALL PROPHETS USED 'COH' IN THEIR PROPHECY WHICH IS FEMININE, AND MOSES USED THE TERM 'ZEH' WHICH IS ZEIR ANPIN, REFERRED TO AS 'HEAVENS.' Therefore, he said, "And let me not see my own wretchedness" (Bemidbar 11:15). IT WAS surely CONSIDERED like death to descend to a lower level, SINCE DESCENDING FROM ONE LEVEL TO THE OTHER LEVEL IS CONSIDERED FOR ONE LIKE DYING.

147. אָמַר וְאִם כָּכָה אַתְּ עוֹשֶׂה לִי הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרוֹג, דַּחֲשִׁיבְנָא נוּקְבָּא בְּמֵיכְלָא דִּילָהּ, וַאֲנָא נָחִית מִן שְׁמַיָּיא דְּאִיהוּ דַּרְגָּא עִלָּאָה, לְנַחְתָּא לְדַרְגָּא דְּנוּקְבָּא, וַאֲנָא עָדִיף מִן שְׁאַר נְבִיאֵי עָלְמָא, וע"ד אָמַר וְאַל אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי כַּמֵּת וַדַּאי לְנַחְתָּא לְדַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה.