The seven chambers of the Other Side

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon opens with: "But they, like Adam have transgressed the covenant." He speaks to Adam, saying that he was only asked to keep one precept, and yet he could not keep it and was seduced by the serpent. Next he talks about David, who ran away from Saul and was rejected from the Holy Land. Nevertheless, he says, David did not turn to evil. He describes the grades of the Evil Inclination, the seven names it is called by, and the seven names of Gehenom. These correspond to the seven chambers of the Other Side. Just as there are grades and chambers on the side of holiness there are grades and chambers on the side of defilement. Many grades and chieftains stand ready to purify people who worship God, and many grades and chieftains stand ready to defile people who sin. Rabbi Shimon tells us that everyone sees the Angel of Death when his time of reckoning comes.

Adam Brit (Covenant) Chambers Covenant (Brit) Death Death and the Afterlife Evil Eyes Other Side Precepts Serpent Seven Wicked Wickedness

836. Rabbi Shimon opened the discussion with the verse: "But they, like Adam have transgressed the covenant" (Hoshea 6:7). Who will remove dust from your eyes, Adam, if the Holy One, blessed be He gave you one precept and you could not keep it, for you were enticed by the wicked things with which the evil serpent seduced you, as is written, "the serpent was craftier" (Beresheet 3:1). Hence you were seduced by it, and brought death to you and all your offspring. Come and see: Whoever is seduced by it, and goes down to it, he will be lost in an instant, NAMELY, FALL UNDER ITS DOMINION.

836. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וְהֵמָה כְּאָדָם עָבְרוּ בְרִית שָׁם בָּגְדוּ בִי. מַאן יְגַלֶה עָפָר מֵעֵינֶיךָ אָדָם קַדְמָאָה, דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא פָּקִיד לָּךְ פִּקּוּדָא חֲדָא, וְלָא יָכִילַת לְקַיְּימָא בָּה. בְּגִין דְּאִתְפַּתִית עַל מִלִּין בִּישִׁין, דְּאַסְטֵי לָּךְ הַהוּא חִוְיָא בִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִּיב וְהַנָּחָשׁ הָיָה עָרוּם. וּבְגִין כָּךְ, אִתְפַּתִּית אֲבַתְרֵיהּ, וְגַרְמַת מִיתָה לְגַרְמָךְ, וּלְכָל אִינּוּן תּוֹלְדִין דְּנַפְקוּ מִינָךְ. תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּכָל מַאן דְּאִתְפַּתָּא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְנָחִית לְגַבֵּיהּ בְּרִגְעָא חֲדָא, יִתְאֲבִיד לְגַבֵּיהּ.

David Death Death and the Afterlife Evil Grades Holy Land Other Side Samuel Saul Soul, The Water

837. Come and see: David, whose existence depended upon the source of running water, NAMELY, BINAH, FOR DAVID IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT ABOVE THE CHEST, THE PLACE OF BINAH, WHENCE HE TAKES HIS LIFE AND EXISTENCE. When he was chased into another land, WHEN HE RAN AWAY FROM SAUL, he was grieved, and for his grief, he was rejected from the Holy Land, NAMELY, HE FELL FROM HIS GRADE, WHICH IS THE HOLY LAND. Though he descended through his grades to the last one, he nevertheless resisted and did not enter the Other Side, but kept away from it, as it is written, "but truly as Hashem lives, and as your soul lives, there is but a step between me and death" (I Shmuel 20:3). For he went down the grades until there was but a step between him AND DEATH, WHICH IS THE OTHER SIDE CALLED 'DEATH'. Happy is the portion of he who is kept from that evil, and from all the grades of that side that abide in the world.

837. תָּא חֲזֵי, דָּוִד הֲוָה קִיוּמָא נָעִיץ בִּמְקוֹרָא דְּמַיִין נַבְעִין, וְכַד אִתְדַּחְיָא לְאַרְעָא אַחֲרָא, וְצַעְרִין לֵיהּ, וּלְפוּם צַעְרֵיהּ אִתְדַּחְיָא מֵאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא. אַף עַל גַּב דְּנָחִית מִדַּרְגּוֹי לְדַרְגָּא תַּתָּאָה, קָם בְּקִיּוּמֵיהּ, וְלָא עָאל לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וְאִסְתְּמַר מִנֵּיהּ. מַה כְּתִיב וְאוּלָם חַי יְיָ' וְחֵי נַפְשֶׁךָ כִּי כְּפֶשַׂע בֵּינִי וּבֵין הַמָּוֶת. דְּהָא נָחִית בְּדַרְגּוֹי, עַד דַּהֲוָה בֵּיהּ הַאי שִׁעוּרָא. וְזַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ, מַאן דְּאִסְתְּמַר מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא, וּמִכָּל דַּרְגִּין דְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא, דְּמִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי בְּעָלְמָא.

Angel of Death Angels Chambers Death Death and the Afterlife Dumah (Angel) Evil Evil Inclination Gehenom (Hell) Grades Hell (Gehenom) Other Side Satan, The Seven Shadow Sheol Stone Wicked Wickedness

838. There are several aspects and grades to the Evil Inclination, which are the Satan, the Angel of Death, and the Evil Inclination. And we explained that though it is called by those names, it has seven names IN PARTICULAR: the Satan, unholy, foe, a stone of stumbling, uncircumcised, evil, northern. These seven names correspond to the seven grades of its chambers, all of them on the side of defilement, as we said, and to the seven names given to Gehenom, NAMELY where the wicked are condemned. These are: pit, grave, Dumah, gruesome mud, Sheol, shadow of death, a nether land. These are the seven departments of Gehenom corresponding to the seven names of the Evil Inclination. AND THE SEVEN CHAMBERS OF THE OTHER SIDE ARE CALLED BY THE SAME NAMES AS THE SEVEN DEPARTMENTS OF GEHENOM.

838. דְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין וְדַרְגִּין אִית לְיֵצֶר הָרָע: נָחָשׁ עֲקַלָּתוֹן. שָׂטָן. מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת. יֵצֶר הָרָע. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ. דאע"ג דְּבִשְׁמָהָן אִלֵּין אִקְרֵי, שֶׁבַע שְׁמָהָן אִינּוּן לֵיהּ: שָׂטָן. טָמֵא. שׂוֹנֵא. אֶבֶן מִכְשׁוֹל. עָרֵל. רָע. צְפוֹנִי. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן שֶׁבַע שְׁמָהָן, לָקֳבֵל שֶׁבַע דַּרְגִּין דְּהֵיכָלִין דִּילֵיהּ, דְּכֻלְּהוּ מִסִּטְרָא מִסְאֲבָא כִּדְקַאמְרָן. לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין שִׁבְעָה שְׁמָהָן, אִינּוּן דְּאִקְרֵי בְּהוּ גֵּיהִנָּם, אֲתָר דְּאִתְּדָנוּ בֵּיהּ חַיָּיבַיָּא דְּעָלְמָא. וְאִלֵּין אִינּוּן: בּוֹר. שָׁחַת. דּוּמָה. טִיט הַיָּוֵן. שְׁאוֹל. צַלְמָוֶת. אֶרֶץ תַּחְתִּית. כָּל אִלֵּין שִׁבְעָה מָדוֹרִין דְּגֵיהִנָּם, לָקֳבֵל אִלֵּין שֶׁבַע שְׁמָהָן, דְּאִית לֵיהּ לְיֵצֶר הָרָע.

Chambers Gehenom (Hell) Grades Hell (Gehenom) Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Seven Wicked Wickedness

839. Here we explained that as there are grades and chambers on the side of holiness, so there are on the side of defilement, all of which abide in and rule the world on the side of unholiness. THEREFORE, THERE ARE seven chambers, corresponding to the seven names of Gehenom, NAMELY, CALLED BY THE SAME NAMES AS THE SEVEN DEPARTMENTS OF GEHENOM. All of them stand ready to condemn and defile the wicked of the world who clove to them, and did not keep away from them, while in this world.

839. וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, דִּכְמָּה דְּאִית דַּרְגִּין וְהֵיכָלִין לִסְטַר קְדוּשָּׁה, הָכִי נָמֵי לִסְטַר מִסְאֲבָא. וְכֻלְּהוּ מִשְׁתַּכְּחֵי וְשַׁלְטֵי בְּעָלְמָא, בִּסְטָר מִסְאֲבָא. שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלִין אִינּוּן , דְּאִינּוּן לָקֳבֵל שִׁבְעָה שְׁמָהָן, דְּאִקְרֵי בְּהוּ גֵּיהִנָּם. וְכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי לְדַיְּינָא, וּלְסַאָבָא, לְאִינּוּן חַיָּיבֵי עָלְמָא דְּדַבְּקֵי בְּהוּ, וְלָא אִסְתַּמְּרָן אָרְחַיְיהוּ מִנֵּיהּ, כַּד אִינּוּן בְּהַאי עָלְמָא.

Faith Grades Holiness (Kedushah) Kedushah (Holiness) Other Side Purification

840. דְּהָא מַאן דְּאָתֵי לְאִתְדַכְּאָה בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, בְּסִטְרָא דְּדַכְיָא, מְדַכְּאִין לֵיהּ, בְּהַהוּא אֲתָר דְּאִקְרֵי רָזָא דִּמְהֵימְנוּתָא. דְּכַמָּה דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן, וְכַמָּה מְמָנָן, דְּכֻלְּהוּ קַיְימִן לְקָרְבָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְפוּלְחָנֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּלְדַכְּאָה לֵיהּ. וּמַאן דְּאָתֵי לְאִסְתַּאֲבָא, מְסָאֲבִין לֵיהּ בְּהַאי סִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דְּאִיהוּ מִסְאֲבָא. דְּהָא כַּמָה דַּרְגִּין, וְכַמָּה מְמָנָן, כֻּלְּהוּ קַיְימֵי לְסָאֲבָא לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא.

Angel of Death Angels Death Death and the Afterlife Evil Soul, The

841. He who comes near them, and is drawn after that Evil Side, of him it is written, "What man is he that lives, and shall not see death, but shall deliver his soul..." (Tehilim 89:49). Who is the man who was born into this world, and does not see death, to which all the world is drawn, NAMELY, THE ANGEL OF DEATH. For when the time comes to do reckoning before his Master, HIS TIME TO PASS AWAY FROM THE WORLD, before he does depart he sees him, THE ANGEL OF DEATH, as we already explained.

841. מַאן דְּיִקְרַב בְּהוּ, וְאָתֵי לְאִתְמַשְּׁכָא בָּתַר הַהוּא סִטְרָא בִּישָׁא, עָלֵיהּ כְּתִיב, מִי גֶּבֶר יִחְיֶה וְלֹא יִרְאֶה מָּוֶת יְמַלֵּט נַפְשׁוֹ וְגוֹ'. מַאן אִיהוּ בַּר נָשׁ דְּאִתְבְּרֵי בְּעָלְמָא דְּלָא יֶחֱמֵי מוֹתָא, הַהוּא דְּכָל עָלְמָא אִתְמַשְּׁכָאן אֲבַתְרֵיהּ. דְּהָא בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּאָתֵי ב"נ לְמֵיהַב חוּשְׁבָּנָא קָמֵי מָארֵיהּ, עַד לָא יִפּוּק מֵהַאי עָלְמָא, חָמֵי לֵיהּ, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא.

Chambers Faith Gates Gehenom (Hell) Grades Hell (Gehenom) Other Side Righteous Seven Soul, The Twelve Wicked Wickedness

842. וְאִלֵּין שִׁבְעָה הֵיכָלִין, דְּאִינּוּן שִׁבְעָה מָדוֹרִין לַגֵּיהִנָם. תְּרֵיסָר יַרְחִין אִקְרוּן, בְּגִין דְּהָא כְּמָה דְּאִית לִסְטַר מְהֵימְנוּתָא תְּרֵיסָר יַרְחִין, דַּרְגִּין קַדִּישִׁין, הָכִי נָמֵי אִית לְסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא דָּא תְּרֵיסָר יַרְחִין, דְּחַיָּיבַיָּא אִתְדָּנוּ בְּהוּ, וְנִשְׁמְתָא דִּלְהוֹן אִתְּדָנָת בְּהוּ. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהוֹן דְּצַדִּיקַיָּיא, דְּאִתְמָנְעָן רַגְלַיְיהוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּהַאי עָלְמָא, וְלָא מִתְקָרְבֵי לְתַרְעַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתְּזָבָא מִנַּיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא.