What is now first will be last at the resurrection of the dead

Synopsis

Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair explains that God will reconstruct a man in the opposite order that the body disintegrates, for now the body is first stripped of spirit, and then the skin, flesh, sinews and bones rot.

Relevance

In the act of describing the order of the death process in this sacred book, Pinchas is, essentially, launching a death blow to the Angel of Death himself, paving the way for the Resurrection of the Dead and for Immortality. If the force of Death lurks anywhere within our own body, the rays of Light launched by Pinchas eliminate it completely.

Donkeys Miracle Resurrection Rocks

158. Rabbi Shimon was traveling from Cappadocia to Lod, and Rabbi Yehuda was going with him. While they were en route, they were met by Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and two donkey drivers following him. Rabbi Pinchas' donkey stopped. He prodded him WITH A SPUR THAT HE SHOULD CONTINUE, but he did not do so. Rabbi Pinchas said TO THE DONKEY DRIVERS: Leave him be, for he can discern the smell of new countenances APPROACHING US, or a miracle will happen to us. While they were still there, Rabbi Shimon appeared from behind one of the rocks, and the donkey continued on. Rabbi Pinchas said, Did I not tell you that he discerned the smell of new countenances?

158. רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן הֲוָה אָזִיל מִקַּפּוּטְקִיָּא לְלוּד, ור' יְהוּדָה אָזִיל עִמֵּיהּ, עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי פָּגַע בְּהוּ ר' פִּנְחָס בֶּן יָאִיר, וּתְרֵין גּוּבְרִין טוֹעֲנִין אֲבַתְרֵיהּ. שָׁכִיךְ חֲמָרֵיהּ דר' פִּנְחָס. טָעִינוּ לֵיהּ, וְלָא אָזִיל. אָמַר ר' פִּנְחָס, שְׁבִיקוּ לֵיהּ, דְּהָא רֵיחָא דְּאַנְפִּין חַדְתִּין קָא אָרַח, אוֹ נִסָּא אִתְעָבֵיד לָן הַשְׁתָּא. עַד דְּאִינּוּן תַּמָּן, נָפַק ר' שִׁמְעוֹן מִבָּתַר חַד טִנָרָא. נָטַל חֲמָרָא וְאָזִיל, אָמַר ר' פִּנְחָס, וְלָא אֲמָרִית לְכוּ, דְּהָא רֵיחָא דְּאַנְפִּין חַדְתִּין קָא אָרַח.

Donkeys Dreams Shechinah Torah Tree Water Well

159. Rabbi Pinchas dismounted FROM HIS DONKEY, embraced RABBI SHIMON, and cried. He said to him, I saw in my dream that the Shechinah had come to me, and given me great presents, and I had rejoiced with Her. And now what I saw HAS COME TO PASS. Rabbi Shimon said: I knew that it was you from the sound of your donkey's footsteps. Now the rejoicing is complete. Rabbi Pinchas said, Let us sit down somewhere, as a Torah discussion has to be lucid. They found a well of water and a tree and sat down.

159. נָחַת וְגָפִיף לֵיהּ ר' פִּנְחָס, וּבָכָה, אָמַר לֵיהּ, חֲמֵינָא בְּחֶלְמִי, דְּאַתְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא לְגַבִּי, וְיָהָבַת לִי נְבִזְבְּזָן רַבְרְבָן, וְחַדִּינָא בָּהּ. הַשְׁתָּא כְּמָה דַּחֲמֵינָא. אָמַר ר' שִׁמְעוֹן, מִקָּל פַּרְסֵי דַּחֲמָרָךְ, יְדַעְנָא דְּאַנְתְּ הוּא. הַשְׁתָּא חֶדְוָה שְׁלִים. אָמַר ר' פִּנְחָס, נֵתִיב בְּדוּךְ חַד, דְּמִלֵּי דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא אִצְטְרִיךְ צָחוּתָא. אַשְׁכָּחוּ עֵינָא דְּמַיָיא, וְאִילָנָא, יָתְבוּ.

Bone Breath Ezekiel Flesh Hands Sinew Skin

160. Rabbi Pinchas said, I observed that the resurrection of the dead would be performed on us by the Holy One, blessed be He, in one way, and that what is now first to leave will be the last AT THE RESURRECTION. How do we know this? From those bones, the ones into which the Holy One, blessed be He, breathed life at the hands of Ezekiel. At the beginning it is written: "And the bones came together, bone to its bone" (Yechezkel 37:7), and later it is written: "And as I beheld, and, lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up" (Ibid. 8). AND THE SAME VERSE CONTINUES: "and skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them." From here, too, we can learn that what A PERSON takes off first will be the last to be put on again. Initially, man is stripped of spirit, and then his skin ROTS, followed by the flesh, THEN THE SINEWS, and finally the bones. AT THE RESURRECTION IT WILL BE THE OTHER WAY AROUND: INITIALLY THE BONES, THEN THE SINEWS, FOLLOWED BY THE FLESH, AND LASTLY THE SKIN.

160. אָמַר ר' פִּנְחָס, מִסְתָּכַּל הֲוֵינָא דְּהָא לִתְחִיַּית הַמֵּתִים, בְּאָרְחָא אָחֳרָא יַעְבִּיד לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וּמַה דַּהֲוָה הַשְׁתָּא קַדְמָאָה, לִיהֱוֵי כְּדֵין בַּתְרָאָה. מְנָלָן. מֵאִינּוּן עֲצָמוֹת, הַנְהוּ גַּרְמִין דְּאַחֲיָא לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַל יְדֵי יְחֶזְקֵאל, דִּכְתִּיב וַתִּקְרְבוּ עֲצָמוֹת עֶצֶם אֶל עַצְמוֹ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, וּלְבָתַר כְּתִיב וְרָאִיתִי וְהִנֵּה עֲלֵיהֶם גִּידִים וּבָשָׂר עָלָה וְגוֹ.' וַיִּקְרַם עֲלֵיהֶם עוֹר מִלְמָעְלָה וְרוּחַ אֵין בָּהֶם. דְּהָא מַה דְּאַפְשִׁיט בְּקַדְמֵיתָא, לִיהֱוֵי בַּתְרָאָה. בְּקַדְמֵיתָא אַפְשִׁיט מֵרוּחָא, וּלְבָתַר עוֹר, וּלְבָתַר בָּשָׂר, וּלְבָתַר עֲצָמוֹת.