Vayak'hel: Chapter 43

The resurrection of the dead

Synopsis

Rabbi Shimon says at the time of the resurrection the dead will awaken in the holy land because Joseph kept the covenant on their behalf. Here Messiah is destined to be revealed. All the troops in the land of Galilee will return to their ancestors' piece of land and everyone will recognize one another. God will give each person his embroidered garment, and all will come and praise him in Jerusalem that shall then expand on all sides. Then God will rejoice with them. It is written: "Wake up and rejoice you who dwell lowly in the dust."

493. Rabbi Shimon said, at that time when the dead of the world will arise and prepare themselves to go to the Holy Land, troops upon troops shall rise upon the land of the Galilee. For there King Messiah is destined to be revealed, as this is the portion of Joseph, and the place where they were first broken and whence they were exiled from their habitations to be dispersed among the nations as said "but they are not grieved for the ruin of Joseph" (Amos 6:6).

493. אר"ש, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּיִתְעָרוּן מֵתֵי עָלְמָא, וְיִתְעַתְּדוּן בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, יְקוּמוּן חַיָּילִין חַיָּילִין, כֻּלְּהוּ עַל אַרְעָא דְּגָלִיל, בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן זַמִּין מַלְכָּא מְשִׁיחָא לְאִתְגַּלָּאָה, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף, וְתַמָּן אִתְּבָּרוּ בְּקַדְמֵיתָא. וּמִתַּמָּן שָׁארוּ לְאַגְלָאָה מִכָּל אַתְרַיְיהוּ, וּלְאִתְבַּדְּרָא בֵּינֵי עֲמָמַיָא, כד"א וְלֹא נֶחְלוּ עַל שֶׁבֶר יוֹסֵף.

494. Why shall THOSE WHO ARE ABOUT TO RESURRECT awaken there? Because it is the heritage of him who was put in the ark, as is written: "and he was put in a coffin (also: ark) in Egypt" (Beresheet 50:26). After that he was buried in the Holy Land, as was written: "And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Yisrael brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shchem" (Yehoshua 24:32). And he, JOSEPH, kept the covenant more than all THE TRIBES.

494. וַאֲמַאי יְקוּמוּן תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ חוּלָקֵיהּ דְּהַהוּא דְּאִשְׁתַּוֵי בַּאֲרוֹנָא, דִּכְתִּיב וַיִּישִֶם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם, וּלְבָתַר אִתְקְבַר בְּאַרְעָא קַדִּישָׁא, דִּכְתִּיב וְאֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִמִּצְרַיִם קָבְרוּ בִשְׁכֶם. וְדָא אִיהוּ דְּקָאֵים בְּקִיּוּמָא דִּבְרִית, יַתִּיר מִכֹּלָּא.

495. At that time, when all the troops shall rise UPON THE LAND OF THE GALILEE, they shall all return each to his ancestors' inheritance as is written: "and you shall return every man to his possession" (Vayikra 25:10), and everybody will recognize each other. The Holy One, blessed be He, will give each and every one embroidered garments. And all will come and praise their Master in Jerusalem, where multitude will assemble, and Jerusalem shall extend on all sides, more than it expanded when they assembled when returned from the exile.

495. וּבְהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּיִתְעָרוּן כֻּלְּהוּ חַיָּילִין חַיָּילִין, כֻּלְּהוּ יָהֲכוּן דָּא לְחוּלָק אֲבָהַתְהוֹן, וְדָא לְחוּלָק אֲבָהַתְהוֹן, דִּכְתִּיב וְשַׁבְתֶּם אִישׁ אֶל אֲחוּזָּתוֹ. וְיִשְׁתְּמּוֹדְעוּן דָּא לְדָא. וְזַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאַלְבָּשָׁא לוֹן לְכָל חַד וְחַד לְבוּשֵׁי מְרֻקָּמָן, וְיֵיתוּן כֻּלְּהוּ וִישַׁבְּחוּן לְמָארֵיהוֹן בִּירוּשְׁלֵם, וְיִתְחַבְּרוּן תַּמָּן אוּכְלוֹסִין אוּכְלוֹסִין, וִירוּשְׁלֵם יִתְמְשַׁךְ לְכָל סִטְרִין, יַתִּיר מִמַּה דְּאִתְמְשָׁךְ כַּד אִתְחַבָּרוּ תַּמָּן מִגָּלוּתָא.

496. And when they gather and praise their Master, the Holy One, blessed be He, will rejoice with them, as said, "Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion," and then "shall flow to the bounty of Hashem" (Yirmeyah 31:11). Each one shall return to his property and the property of his ancestors. And the heritage of Yisrael shall reach to the heights of Rome, where Torah will be studied, as was already explained. As written: "Wake up and rejoice you who dwell lowly in the dust" (Yeshayah 26:19).

496. כֵּיוָן דְּיִתְחַבְּרוּן וִישַׁבְּחוּן לְמָארֵיהוֹן, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יֶחְדֵּי עִמְּהוֹן, הה"ד וּבָאוּ וְרִנְּנוּ בִמְּרוֹם צִיּוֹן, וּלְבָתַר וְנָהֲרוּ אֶל טוּב יְיָ' וְגוֹ', כָּל חַד וְחַד לְחוּלָקֵיהּ, וְחוּלָק אֲבָהֲתוֹי. וְאַחֲסָנְתְּהוֹן דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל תְּהֵא, עַד רָמָתָא דְּרוֹמָא, וְתַמָּן יֵלְּפוּן אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וּכְתִיב הָקִיצוּ וְרַנְּנוּ שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר וְגוֹ'.

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