"Folds his hands together" and "eats his own flesh"

Synopsis

We hear that after a person's death the evil one consumes his flesh but has no control over the Holy Spirit or the sanctified soul. The author says that the Angel of Death has no joy in killing a person; it's just that he is happy to do the will of God.

Deeds Flesh Hands Other Side

280. (THE BEGINNING OF THE SUBJECT IS MISSING). More. THE FOOL, THAT IS THE OTHER SIDE, "folds his hands together" (Kohelet 4:5) in bitterness and mourning and then in spite of himself "eats his own flesh" (Ibid.), since THE OTHER SIDE has no permission to control anything else BESIDES FLESH. What pleasure he derives is from all that he has done and worked for, UNTIL HE KILLED HIM, because after that he has no permission TO ENJOY FROM HIM except what belongs to him, WHICH IS THE FLESH, SINCE THE OTHER SIDE PROVIDES MAN WITH HIS FLESH. He then dances and rejoices like a completely mindless fool. He goes without any purpose and consumes the flesh, and he has no authority over the rest. Bitterness prevails above and below, when the children of Yisrael are in trouble and their enemies consume them, and they do not give power with their good deeds to extricate themselves FROM THE OTHER SIDE.

280. יַתִּיר חוֹבֵק אֶת יָדָיו, בִּמְרִירוּ וַאֲנִינוּ דִּילָיהּ, וּלְבָתַר אוֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ בְּעַל כָּרְחֵיהּ, דְּלֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ לְשַׁלְּטָאָה עַל מִלָּה אַחֲרָא. מָה אִתְהֲנֵי לֵיהּ בְּכָל מַה דְּאַסְטֵי וְעָבֵיד וְעָמֵל, דִּלְבָתַר לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ, אֶלָּא עַל דִּילֵיהּ לְבָתַר מַרְקִיד וְחַדֵּי, כַּכְּסִיל בְּלָא דַּעְתָּא כְּלָל, וְאָזִיל בְּלָא תּוֹעַלְתָּא, וְאָכִיל לְבִשְׂרָא. וּבַשְּׁאָר לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּ. מְרִירוּ דְּעֵילָּא וְתַתָּא, כַּד יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעָאקוּ, וְאָכְלֵי לוֹן שַׂנְאֵיהוֹן וְלָא יַהֲבֵי חֵילָא בְּעוֹבָדִין טָבִין דִּלְהוֹן, לְאַפָּקָא מִנֵּיהּ.

Evil Flesh Grades Other Side Soul, The

281. Even from the flesh of that side, the Holy King, is unhappy TO GIVE TO THE OTHER SIDE, since He is compassionate and merciful. However, as for what is His, OF THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, that is the Holy Spirit and the holy soul, the upper and lower grades cannot have any power over it. As a result, at the end the evil one, THE OTHER SIDE, is unable to dominate the Holy Spirit which he meant to do by means of all his libelous plots and false accusations, so he must again "eats his own flesh." What benefit did he get FROM ALL HIS ACCUSATIONS ...(SEVERAL WORDS ARE MISSING HERE). Furthermore, they cover everything like a heavy fog and the upper and lower beings have no rest.

281. וַאֲפִילּוּ מִבִּשְׂרֵיהּ דְּאִיהוּ מֵהַאי סְטָר, אַבְאִישׁ קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא, דְּאִיהוּ רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן. אֲבָל עַל דִּילֵיהּ, רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא וְנִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא, לֵית עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין יַכְלִין לְשַׁלְטָא עֲלוֹי כְּלָל. וע"ד כָּל תַּסְקוּפִין, וְכָל מַה דְּאַסְטֵי הַהוּא רָע, דְּחָשִׁיב לְמִשְׁלַט עַל רוּחָא קַדִּישָׁא, וּלְבָתַר לָא יָכִיל, וְיָשׁוּב וְאוֹכֵל אֶת בְּשָׂרוֹ. מַה תּוֹעַלְתָּא הֲוָה לֵיהּ. וְעוֹד דְּאִינּוּן חָפָּאן כֻּלְּהוּ כְּעַרְטִירָאָה תַּקִּיף, וְלֵית שְׁכִיכוּ לְעִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין.

Angel of Death Angels Wind Women

282. Come and I will tell you something. If you say that the Angel of Death feels joy when he kills a person, it is not true. It is only that he sees that this is his Master's wishes, so he seems happy to do the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written: "Stormy wind fulfilling His word" (Tehilim 148:8). Rabbi Shimon said to him, yet he is going merrily along and dancing in front of the women? He said to him: Oh, holy pious one. It is most certainly so, in order to demonstrate before the King that it gives him pleasure to do the King's bidding. However, his satisfaction is at the women's eulogy, so he dances and listens to the eulogy.

282. תָּא וְאֵימָא לְךָ מִלָּה. אִי תֵּימָא, דְּחֵדוּ הוּא לְמַלְאָךְ הַמָּוֶת, כַּד קָטִיל בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. לָאו. אֶלָּא בְּגִין דְּחָמֵי דִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהּ בְּכַךְ, אַחְזֵי גַּרְמֵיהּ בְּחֵדוּ, לְמֶעְבַּד רְעוּתֵיהּ דְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִּיב רוּחַ סְעָרָה עוֹשָׂה דְבָרוֹ. אָ"ל ר"ש, וְהָא אִיהוּ אָזִיל וּמְרַקֵּד בְּחֶדְוָה קַמֵּי נָשִׁין. אָ"ל אִי חֲסִידָא קַדִּישָׁא, וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, לְאַחֲזָאָה קַמֵּי מַלְכָּא דְּנִיחָא לֵיהּ בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. אֲבָל נַיְיחָא דִּילֵיהּ בְּהֶסְפֵּדָא דְּנָשִׁין, אִיהוּ רָקִיד וְאוּדְנֵיהּ לְהֶסְפֵּדָא.

Flesh Head Sin

283. They said to him, If so, why does he go to accuse the person up high and mention his sins, IF HE TAKES NO JOY IN KILLING A PERSON? He said to him, Because he is an old fool and plans to control the spirit and dominate it. That is all he lusts after. However, eventually he has power only over what is his own. The flesh is his. Therefore, it is written: "His mischief shall return upon his own head" (Tehilim 7:17), MEANING THAT HE DOES NOT DERIVE ANY PLEASURE FROM HIS LABOR IN DENOUNCING BELOW AND DENOUNCING ABOVE.

283. אָ"ל אִי הָכִי, אֲמַאי אָזִיל וְאַסְטֵי עַל ב"נ לְעֵילָּא, וְאַדְכַּר לְחוֹבוֹי. אָ"ל, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ זָקֵן וּכְסִיל, וְחָשִׁיב לְמִשְׁלַט עַל רוּחָא, וְכָל תִּאוּבְתֵּיהּ בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ אִיהוּ, לְסוֹף לָא שַׁלִּיט אֶלָּא עַל דִּילֵיהּ. בִּשְׂרָא דִּילֵיהּ. וע"ד כְּתִיב, יָשׁוּב עֲמָלוֹ בְרֹאשׁוֹ.