Dumah brings them into and out of reckoning

Synopsis

The role of Dumah, angel in charge of graveyards, is discussed. The rabbis agree that he is in charge of all bodies - good and wicked - sorting them into graves according to merit, until the Day of Reckoning. Torah interpretation tells us that Abraham's body was granted a special "treasure of peace and great rest." Also, according to various rabbis, people who have kept the Law, studied Torah, and performed acts of great piety, may inherit either 200 or 400 "worlds in the World to Come."

Relevance

A righteous person is not necessarily one who has attained the same level of spirituality and wisdom as the eminent sages of antiquity or the great Kabbalists cited in the Zohar. We are not expected to reach their level, but we are expected to at least strive for it. Therefore, an individual who consistently endeavors toward high spiritual goals is defined as righteous. More important than the level attained is the degree of change that we achieve through spiritual growth. Hence, we need to awaken loftier aspirations and goals. Moreover, we require inner strength and determination to pursue higher levels of righteousness. These qualities take root within us as we meditatively study this section of Zohar.

Garden of Eden Righteous Voice

55. What is meant by the phrase, "You are a mighty prince (or: a prince of Elohim)" (Beresheet 23:5)? Rabbi Pinchas responded that, before the righteous leave the world, a divine voice echoes every day among the righteous in the Garden of Eden to 'prepare a place for so-and-so who will come here.' Therefore, they say, from Elohim above, "You are a prince" every day among us, "in the choicest of our graves" (Ibid.), among the choicest company of the righteous he should be counted. No one will prevent fulfillment of the quorum, for we all rejoice in him and hasten to greet him.

55. מַאי נְשִׂיא אֱלֹהִים אַתָּה. אָמַר ר' פִּנְחָס, קוֹדֶם שֶׁיֵּצֵא הַצַּדִּיק מִן הָעוֹלָם, בַּת קוֹל יוֹצֵאת בְּכָל יוֹם, עַל אוֹתָם הַצַּדִּיקִים בְּגַן עֵדֶן, הָכִינוּ מָקוֹם לִפְלוֹנִי שֶׁיָּבֹא לְכָאן. וְעַל כֵּן הֵם אוֹמְרִים, מֵאֵת אֱלֹהִים מִלְּמַעְלָה, אַתָּה נָשִׂיא, בְּכָל יוֹם בְּתוֹכֵנוּ, בְּמִבְחַר קְבָרֵינוּ, בְּמִבְחַר הַצַּדִּיקִים, בַּחֲבוּרַת הַצַּדִּיקִים הַמּוּבְחָרִים, מְנֵה אוֹתוֹ, הַכְנִיסֵהוּ בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עִמָּנוּ, וְאִישׁ מִמֶּנּוּ לֹא יִמְנַע, אֶת הַמִּנְיָן, כִּי כוּלָּנוּ שְׂמֵחִים בּוֹ, וּמַקְדִּימִים לוֹ שָׁלוֹם.

Angels Body Dumah (Angel) Efron Righteous Soul, The

56. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בֶּן פַּזִּי, תָּא חֲזֵי, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהַנְּשָׁמָה פּוֹגַעַת בָּהֶם, וְתָדוּן, לְאַחַר כָּךְ, פּוֹגַעַת לְאוֹתוֹ הַמַּלְאָךְ, הַמְמֻנֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם, דִּתְנַן, מַלְאָךְ מְמוּנֶּה, עַל בָּתֵּי קִבְרֵי, וְדוּמָה שְׁמוֹ, וְהוּא מַכְרִיז בֵּינֵיהֶם, בְּכָל יוֹם, עַל הַצַּדִּיקִים, הָעֲתִידִים לִיכָּנֵס בֵּינֵיהֶם, וּמִיָּד פּוֹגַעַת בּוֹ, כְּדֵי לְשַׁכֵּן הַגּוּף, בְּהַשְׁקֵט, וּבְבִטְחָה, וּבִמְנוּחָה, וּבַהֲנָאָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל עֶפְרוֹן.

Angels Dumah (Angel) Dust Efron Righteous

57. אֲמַר רַבִּי יֵיסָא, זֶה הַמַּלְאָךְ הַנִּקְרָא דּוּמָה, וְלָמָּה נִתְכַּנֶּה שְׁמוֹ עֶפְרוֹן, עַל שֶׁהוּא מְמוּנֶּה עַל שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר, וְהוּפְקְדוּ בְּיָדוֹ, כָּל פִּנְקְסֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים, וַחֲבוּרוֹת הַחֲסִידִים, הַשּׁוֹכְנִים בֶּעָפָר, וְהוּא עָתִיד לְהוֹצִיאָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן.

Angels Dumah (Angel) Righteous

58. Rabbi Elazar said, When the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to raise the dead in the future, He shall call the angel named Dumah, who is appointed over the graves. He will ask him for an enumeration of all the dead, the righteous and the pious, and all the sincere proselytes killed for the sake of His name. He will bring them out according to the reckoning, the same as he put them into it. This is the meaning of the verse, "That brings out their host by number...not one is missing" (Yeshayah 40:26).

58. וְתָאנָא אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא, כְּשֶׁיִּפְקוֹד הַקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְהַחֲיוֹת הַמֵּתִים, יִקְרָא לַמַּלְאָךְ הַמְּמוּנֶּה עַל הַקְּבָרוֹת, וְדוּמָה שְׁמוֹ וְיִתְּבַע מִמֶּנּוּ מִנְיַן כָּל הַמֵּתִים, הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲסִידִים, וְאוֹתָם גֵּרֵי הַצֶּדֶק, וְשֶׁנֶּהֶרְגוּ עַל שְׁמוֹ, וְהוּא מוֹצִיאָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנְּטָלָם בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב הַמּוֹצִיא בְּמִסְפַּר צְבָאָם וגו' אִישׁ לֹא נֶעְדָר.

Angels Body David Dumah (Angel) Efron Evil Fear Gehenom (Hell) Hands Hell (Gehenom) Righteous Samuel Sin Soul, The

59. In the name of Rabbi Ya'akov, Rabbi Shmuel said that the souls of the evil are in the hands of the angel Dumah, who will send them to Gehenom to be sentenced. Once they are put in Dumah's hands, they do not return again before going to Gehenom. This is what David feared when he committed that sin, as it is written, "Unless Hashem had been my help, my soul had soon dwelt in Dumah" (Tehilim 94:17). Rabbi Yesa said, The soul entreats him to put the body with the bodies of the other righteous and be enumerated in their numbers. This is the meaning of, "And he spoke to Efron..."

59. וְתָאנָא, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בְּרַבִּי יַעֲקֹב, נְפָשׁוֹת הָרְשָׁעִים, נְתוּנוֹת בְּיָדוֹ שֶׁל מַלְאָךְ זֶה, שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ דוּמָה, לְהַכְנִיסָם בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְלָדוּן שָׁם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁנִּמְסָרוֹת בְּיָדוֹ, שׁוּב אֵינָן חוֹזְרוֹת, עַד שֶׁיִּכָּנְסוּ לַגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְזֶה יִרְאַת דָּוִד שֶׁנִּתְיָירֵא, כְּשֶׁעָשָׂה אוֹתוֹ עָוֹן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לוּלֵי ה' עֶזְרָתָה לִי כִּמְעַט שָׁכְנָה דוּמָה נַפְשִׁי. אָמַר רַבִּי יֵיסָא, הַנְּשָׁמָה פּוֹגַעַת לוֹ, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתוֹ גּוּף, עִם שְׁאָר גּוּפוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים, בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹנָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב וַיְדַבֵּר אֶל עֶפְרוֹן וגו'.

Abraham Angels Body Dumah (Angel) Dust Dwellings Ears Efron Fear Gates Righteous

60. Rabbi Tanchum added that the angel first addresses him. Look at what was written before the verse. It is, "And Efron dwelt among the children of Chet" (Beresheet 23:9), who were afraid of dwelling in the dust. He hastens to instruct Dumah to put that body in the reckoning of the righteous. Then the verse reads, "And Efron the Hittite answered Abraham in the ear of the children of Chet, even of all that went in at the gate of his city" (Ibid.). Who went in at the gate of his city? Rabbi Nachman said, Those who were written in the list. As Rabbi Nachman said, and so is was decreed, by the reckoning made by Dumah, they enter, the cemeteries. And by the reckoning he will take them out. And he is in charge of the dwellers of dust.

60. אָמַר רַבִּי תַּנְחוּם, הַמַּלְאָךְ קוֹדֵם וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ. רְאֵה מַה כְּתִיב לְמַעְלָה, וְעֶפְרוֹן יוֹשֵׁב בְּתוֹךְ בְּנֵי חֵת, שִׁחֲתוֹ לִשְׁכּוֹן בֶּעָפָר, וְהוּא מַקְדִּים וְאוֹמֵר לוֹ, לְהַכְנִיס אוֹתוֹ הַגּוּף, בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן הַצַּדִּיקִים, הה"ד וַיַּעַן עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי אֶת אַבְרָהָם בְּאָזְנֵי בְנֵי חֵת לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ לֵאמֹר. מַאי לְכֹל בָּאֵי שַׁעַר עִירוֹ, רַב נַחְמָן אָמַר, אִינוּן דְּעָאלוּ, בִּכְתַב חוּשְׁבַּן פִּנְקָסֵיהּ דַּאֲמַר רַב נַחְמָן, וְהָכֵי אִתְגְּזַר, בְּחֶשְׁבּוֹן עַל יְדוֹי דְדוּמָה, עָאלִין בְּבָתֵּי קִבְרֵי, וּבְחוּשְׁבַּן פִּתְקָא, זַמִּין לַאֲפָקָא לוֹן, וְהוּא מְמוּנֶּה עַל דַּיְירֵי עַפְרָא.

Caves Field Fruit Holiness (Kedushah) Joseph Kedushah (Holiness) Peace Righteous Soul, The Torah World to Come, The

61. What is meant by, "The field I give you, and the cave, that is in it" (Beresheet 5:10)? Rabbi Yosi said that it is a treasure of peace and great rest. Rabbi Shalom ben Manyumi said, There is not one righteous man among those who are occupied in Torah, who has not 200 bright worlds for the sake of Torah. It is written, "And those that keep its fruit 200" (Shir Hashirim 8:12), for they renounce themselves daily, as if they are killed to sanctify His name and His eternity. Whoever surrenders his soul to sanctify His name, the scripture says it is as if he were killed daily for His sake, as it is written, "But for your sake are we killed all the day long" (Tehilim 44:23). Rabbi Nachman said that whoever surrenders his soul according to this verse inherits 400 worlds in the World to Come. Rabbi Yosef said, We were taught that there are 200. According to Rabbi Nachman, it is 200 for Torah and 200 for surrendering every day for the sake of the holiness of His name. End of Midrash Hane'elam (homiletical interpretations on the obscure).

61. מַהוּ הַשָּׂדֶה נָתַתִּי לָךְ וְהַמְּעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסֵי, הַפְקָדָא דְּשַׁלְּוָה, וּמְנוּחָה רַבָּה. אָמַר ר' שָׁלוֹם בַּר מִנְיוּמֵי, אֵין לְךָ כָּל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק מֵאוֹתָם הָעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מָאתַיִם עוֹלָמוֹת וְכִסּוּפִין בִּשְׁבִיל הַתּוֹרָה, הה"ד וּמָאתַיִם לַנּוֹטְרִים אֶת פִּרְיוֹ, וּמָאתַיִם, עַל שֶׁמּוֹסְרִים עַצְמָם בְּכָל יוֹם, כְּאִילּוּ נֶהֶרְגוּ עַל קְדוּשַׁת שְׁמוֹ, נִצְחוֹ, כְּהַאי פְּסוּקָא לִמְסוֹר נַפְשׁוֹ עַל קְדוּשַׁת שְׁמוֹ, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ נֶהֱרַג בְּכָל יוֹם עָלָיו, הה"ד כִּי עָלֶיךָ הוֹרַגְנוּ כָּל הַיּוֹם. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן, כָּל הַמּוֹסֵר נַפְשׁוֹ בְּהַאי פְּסוּקָא, נוֹחֵל אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת עוֹלָמוֹת לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אָמַר רַב יוֹסֵף, וְהָא תְּנַן מָאתַיִם. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן מָאתַיִם עַל הַתּוֹרָה, וּמָאתַיִם עַל שֶׁמָּסַר עַצְמוֹ בְּכָל יוֹם, עַל קְדוּשַׁת שְׁמוֹ. (עַד כָּאן מִדְרָשׁ הַנֶּעֱלָם).