Pinchas
Angels Deeds Hands Joshua Priests Torah

23. Rabbi Elazar began: "And he showed me Joshua the High Priest, standing before the angel of Hashem..." (Zecharyah 3:1). Come and see: woe to those people who do not look out for their Master's glory and do not pay attention to the fact that He daily issues a proclamation about them. When a person observes the commandments of the Torah, many defenders rise to recall his good points, but if a person transgresses the commandments his deeds accuse him before the Holy One, blessed be He. We have been told that Joshua was a High Priest. And what is written about him? ."..And the adversary standing at his right hand to thwart him" (Ibid.). If this is how it was for him, then how much more so for other people who do not care for the glory of their Master.

23. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח וְאָמַר, וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ יְיָ' וְגוֹ.' ת"ח, וַוי לְאִינּוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּלָא מִסְתַּכְּלָאן בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְכָל יוֹמָא וְיוֹמָא כָּרוֹזָא קָארֵי עָלַיְיהוּ, וְלָא מַשְׁגִּיחִין. אָתָא ב"נ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, כַּמָה סַנֵּיגוֹרִין קַיְימִין לְאַדְכְּרָא עָלֵיהּ לְטָב. אָתָא ב"נ וְאַעְבַּר עַל פִּקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, אִינּוּן עוֹבָדִין קַטֵיגוֹרִין עָלֵיהּ לְבִישׁ, קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כֹּהֵן גָּדוֹל הֲוָה, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ, מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ. וְהַשָּׁטָן עוֹמֵד עַל יְמִינוֹ לְשִׂטְנוֹ. וּמַה בְּהַאי כַּךְ, בִּשְׁאַר בְּנֵי עָלְמָא דְּלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בִּיקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

Angels Garments Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Joshua

24. Look what is written: "Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments..." (Ibid. 3). This has been explained. Yet the filthy garments were surely the garments in which the spirit is attired in that world. Happy is the portion of he whose garments are fixed and complete in that world! We have already learned what raiment they clothe one whom they want to send to Gehenom, what these raiments are that they dress him in. AND HE ANSWERS: here it is written, "Now Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and he stood before the angel." Which angel? The Angel in charge of Gehenom and who is also in charge of everyone whom he sees in such clothes. Then a voice said, "Take off the filthy garments from him" (Ibid. 4).

24. חָמֵי מַה כְּתִיב, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ הָיָה לָבוּשׁ בְּגָדִים צוֹאִים, וְאוֹקְמוּהָ. אֲבָל בְּגָדִים צוֹאִים, וַדַּאי אִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁין דְּאִתְלַבְּשָׁא בֵּיהּ רוּחָא בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּמַאן דִּלְבוּשׁוֹי מְתֻתְקְּנִין וּשְׁלֵמִין בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. וְהָא אִתְּמַר, כָּל מַאן דְּבַעְיָין לְאַעֲלָא לַגֵיהִנָם, אִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁין דִּמְלַבְּשִׁין לֵיהּ, הֵיךְ אִינּוּן. מַה כְּתִיב הָכָא, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ הָיָה לָבוּשׁ בְּגָדִים צוֹאִים וְעוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי הַמַּלְאָךְ. מַאן מַלְאָךְ. דָּא מַלְאָךְ דִּמְמָנָא עַל גֵּיהִנָּם, וּמְמָנָא עַל מַאן דְּחָמֵי בְּאִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁין. עַד דְּאָתִיב קָלָא וְאָמַר, הָסִירוּ הַבְּגָדִים הַצּוֹאִים מֵעָלָיו.

Deeds Garments

25. It follows from this that it is a person's bad deeds that make the filthy garments for him. "And he said to him, 'Behold I have caused your iniquity to pass from you; and I clothe you in festive garments'" (Ibid.). For they clothed him in other more suitable garments, in which a person may observe the splendor of his Master's glory.

25. מֵהָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, דְּעוֹבָדִין בִּישִׁין דב"נ, עַבְדִין לֵיהּ אִינּוּן לְבוּשִׁים צוֹאִים. וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו רְאֵה הֶעֱבַרְתִּי מֵעָלֶיךָ עֲוֹנֶךָ וְהַלְבֵּשׁ אוֹתְךָ מַחֲלָצוֹת. אַלְבִּישִׁינֵיהּ לְבוּשִׁין אַחֲרָנִין מְתֻתְקְנָן, דִּבְהוּ אִסְתָּכַּל ב"נ בְּזִיו יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ.

Brit (Covenant) Covenant (Brit) Death and the Afterlife Garments Peace Pinchas Rock Soul, The

26. Come and see the similarity: Pinchas, who did not leave this world until he had changed into other fitted garments which the spirit would enjoy in the World to Come, had at the same time taken off one set and put on the other, to fulfil that which is written: "Behold, I give to him My covenant of peace" (Bemidbar 25:12). While they were on their way and the sunlight was strong, they sat down in the shade of a rock in the wilderness. Rabbi Elazar said, Shade is without doubt joy to the soul.

26. ת"ח, כְּגַוְונָא דָּא פִּנְחָס, דְּלָא אִסְתַּלָּק מֵעָלְמָא, עַד דְּאִתְתְּקָנוּ קַמֵּיהּ לְבוּשִׁין אַחֲרָנִין, דְּרוּחָא אִתְהֲנֵי בְּהוּ, לְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי. בְּשַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא אִתְפְּשָּׁט מֵאִלֵּין. וְאִתְלְבָּשׁ בְּאִלֵּין, לְקַיְּימָא דִּכְתִּיב הִנְנִי נוֹתֵן לוֹ אֶת בְּרִיתִי שָׁלוֹם. עַד דַּהֲווֹ אָזְלֵי, שִׁמְשָׁא הֲוָה תַּקִּיפָא, וְיָתְבוּ תְּחוֹת צִלָּא דְּחַד טִנָרָא דְּמַדְבְּרָא. אָמַר ר' אֶלְעָזָר, וַדַּאי צִלָּא חֶדְוָותָא דְּנַפְשָׁא הוּא.