Chayei Sarah: Chapter 22

In Torah is the whole life

Synopsis

Rabbi Elazar, here, emphasizes the importance of Torah study, saying that the Angel of Death has no power over those who are diligent in their study of the scriptures. Rabbi Yesa asks why, if this is so, Moses died. We learn that although Moses did indeed die, his death was not caused by the Angel of Death; instead, he cleaved directly to the Shechinah, the Divine presence of the Creator, and went on to eternal life. All those who seek and approach the Creator, we're told, are called 'living.' Because of their diligent study of Torah, no reckoning is demanded of them in the World to Come.

Relevance

People regularly experience some form of death. We die a little bit each day, whether financially, emotionally, spiritually, or physically. The death of the body, the loss of an individual's sanity, or the end of one's career - are all likewise executed by one Angel of Death. The intent of these verses is to help ease these transitions from death to rebirth, from the end of one phase in our life, into a new phase filled with continuity and Light.

Eyes Freedom Merit Torah World to Come, The

219. Rabbi Elazar opened with the verse, "Open you my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Torah" (Tehilim 119:17). How foolish men are, for they do not know, and do not seek to be occupied with, Torah. Torah is the whole life. All freedom and all goodness in this world and in the World to Come are contained within it. HE EXPLAINED THAT it is life in this world; namely, they may merit full days in this world, as it is written, "The number of your days I will fulfill" (Shemot 23:26). And one will merit long days in the World to Come, for this whole life is a life of joy, life without sadness, life that is real life, freedom in this world, freedom from everything, because other nations cannot rule over anyone who is engaged in the study of Torah.

219. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ. כַּמָה אִינוּן בְּנֵי נְשָׁא טִפְּשִׁין, דְּלָא יָדְעִין, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלִין, לְאִשְׁתַּדְּלָא בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּגִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כָּל חַיִּין וְכָל חֵירוּ, וְכָל טוּב, בְּעַלְמָא דֵין וּבְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. חַיִּין אִינוּן בְּעַלְמָא דֵין, דְּיִזְכּוּן לְיוֹמִין שְׁלֵמִין, בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, כד"א אֶת מִסְפַּר יָמֶיךָ אֲמַלֵּא. וּלְיוֹמִין אֲרִיכִין בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי. בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן חַיִּין שְׁלֵימִין, אִינוּן חַיִּין דְּחֵידוּ חַיֵּי בְּלָא עֲצִיבוּ, חַיִּין דְּאִינוּן חַיִּין, חֵירוּ בְּעַלְמָא דֵין, חֵירוּ דְּכֹלָּא, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא יָכְלִין לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי כָּל עַמִּין דְּעַלְמָא.

Adam Angel of Death Angels Creation Death Death and the Afterlife Evil Freedom Rabbi Akiva Serpent Sin Tablets Torah Tree Tree of Life

220. You may say that there were those who were persecuted, NAMELY THE MARTYRS WHO WERE EXECUTED FOR STUDYING TORAH WHEN SUCH STUDY WAS FORBIDDEN. HE ANSWERS THAT this is a decree from above, such as the one for Rabbi Akiva and his companions, WHO WERE KILLED FOR STUDYING TORAH, and so it came to THE SUPREME mind WHEN THE WORLD WAS CREATED. BUT USUALLY, STUDYING TORAH MEANS freedom from the Angel of Death, who cannot have sway over him. Assuredly this is so. If Adam had cleaved to the Tree of Life, which is Torah, death would not have been brought upon him and the whole world. BUT BECAUSE HE FORSOOK THE TREE OF LIFE, WHICH IS TORAH, AND ATE FROM THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE, HE BROUGHT DEATH UPON HIMSELF AND THE WHOLE WORLD. It was "engraved upon the tablets" (Shemot 32:16) when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave Torah to Yisrael. This has already been explained. DO NOT PRONOUNCE IT "ENGRAVED" (HEB. CHARUT), BUT FREEDOM (HEB. CHERUT), BECAUSE THERE WAS FREEDOM FROM THE ANGEL OF DEATH. If it were not for THE CHILDREN OF YISRAEL committing the sin OF THE CALF and leaving the Tree of Life, WHICH IS TORAH, they would not have brought death back to the world. And the Holy One, blessed be He, told them, "I had said, 'You are angels, all of you sons of the most High'" (Tehilim 82:6), NAMELY AT THE GIVING OF TORAH. You defiled yourself BY SINNING, "therefore, you shall die like a man" (Ibid. 7). Therefore, the evil serpent which darkened the world cannot have power over anyone occupied in the study of Torah.

220. וְאִי תֵימָא אִינוּן בְּנֵי שְׁמַד. גְּזֵרָה הִיא מִלְּעֵילָא, כְּגוֹן רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא וַחֲבֵרוֹי, וְכָךְ סָלִיק בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה. חֵירוּ דְּמַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת, דְּלָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי, וְהָכֵי הוּא וַדַּאי, דְּאִי אָדָם הֲוָה אִתְדַּבַּק בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, דְּאִיהוּ אוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא גָרֵים מוֹתָא לֵיהּ וּלְכָל עַלְמָא. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, כַּד יָהַב קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אוֹרַיְיתָא לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, מַה כְּתִיב בָּהּ חָרוּת עַל הַלּוּחוֹת וְהָא אוֹקְמוּהָ. וְאִלְמָלֵא אִינוּן לָא חָטוּ וְשָׁבְקוּ אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, לָא גָרְמוּ מוֹתָא לְעַלְמָא כְּמִלְקַדְּמִין. וְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אֲמַר אֲנִי אָמַרְתִּי אֱלֹהִים אַתֶּם וּבְנֵי עֶלְיוֹן כֻּלְּכֶם. חֲבַלְתּוּן גַּרְמֵיכוֹן, אָכֵן כְּאָדָם תְּמוּתוּן וגו'. וְעַל דָּא, כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, לָא יָכִיל לְשַׁלְטָאָה עֲלוֹי הַהוּא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא, דְּאַחְשֵׁיךְ עָלְמָא.

Angel of Death Angels Moses Shechinah Sin

221. Rabbi Yesa said, If this is so, it should be true that he who does not sin will not die. If so, why then did Moses die? He said to him, Moses died, but THE ANGEL OF DEATH had no sway over him. He did not die by him, nor was he defiled by him. Therefore, it is considered that Moses did not really die, but rather that he cleaved to the Shechinah and has gone on to life eternal.

221. אֲמַר רַבִּי יֵיסָא, אִי הָכֵי, משֶׁה אַמַּאי מִית, דְּאִי הָכֵי כֵּיוָן דְּלָא חָב לָא יְמוּת. אֲמַר לֵיהּ, וַדַּאי מִית, אֲבָל לָא שָׁלָטָא בֵּיהּ קָאַמְרִינָן, אֶלָּא לָא מִית עַל יְדוֹי, וְלָא אִסְתָּאַב בֵּיהּ, וְלָא מִית וַדַּאי, אֶלָּא אִתְדַּבַּק בִּשְׁכִינְתָּא, וְאָזֵיל לְחַיֵּי עָלְמָא.

Benaiah (Bnayahu) Freedom Jehoiada (Yehoyada) Samuel Torah World to Come, The

222. As such, he is called "living," as we have explained in discussing the verse, "And Benaiah, son of Jehoida, the son of a valiant (lit. 'living') man" (II Shmuel 23:20). WHOEVER APPROACHES HASHEM IS CALLED LIVING. Thus, he who is occupied in studying Torah has freedom from everything, including freedom in this world from the enslavement of heathen nations and freedom in the World to Come, for no reckoning will be demanded from him in that world at all.

222. וְהַאי חַי אִקְרֵי, כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא, דִּכְתִיב, וּבְנָיָהוּ בֶּן יְהוֹיָדָע בֶּן אִישׁ חַי וגו'. וְעַל דָּא, כָּל מַאן דְּאִשְׁתַּדַּל בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, חֵירוּ אִית לֵיהּ מִכֹּלָּא, בְּעַלְמָא דֵין, מִשִּׁעְבּוּדָא דִּשְׁאָר עַמִּין עעכו"ם, חֵירוּ בְּעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְבְּעוּן מִנֵּיהּ דִּינָא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא כְּלָל.

David Eyes Pearls Torah Wisdom

223. Come and behold how many supernal mysteries exist in the Torah. For that reason, it is written, "She is more precious than pearls" (Mishlei 3:15). How many hidden treasures there are in it. For that reason, when David looked AT THE TORAH in the spirit of wisdom, he said, "Open you my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Torah."

223. תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּאוֹרַיְתָא כַּמָּה רָזִין עִלָּאִין סְתִימִין, אִית בָּהּ, בְּגִין כָּךְ כְּתִיב יְקָרָה הִיא מִפְּנִינִים. כַּמָּה גְנִיזִין טְמִירִין אִית בָּהּ, וְעַל דָּא כַּד אִסְתַּכַּל דָּוִד, בְּרוּחָא דְחָכְמְתָא, וְיָדַע כַּמָּה פְּלִיאָן נָפְקִין מֵאוֹרַיְיתָא, פְּתַח וַאֲמַר, גַּל עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה נִפְלָאוֹת מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ.

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