Jonah descended into the ship

81. At all events, we find support here, BECAUSE A VERSE ALWAYS RETAINS ITS LITTERAL MEANING, concerning people's actions in this world. The story of Jonah, who went down into the ship, is analogous to the human soul, that descends into this world to dwell in a human body. Why is it called Jonah (deceived)? Because after it joins the body, it is deceived in this world, THAT IS, BY THE BODY, WHICH DEFRAUDS IT, as was said "You shall not therefore defraud (Heb. tonu) one another" (Vayikra. 25:17). And then a man walks about this world like a ship in a great ocean about to break, as written: "and the ship seemed likely to be wrecked" (Yonah 1:4).

82. And when man in this world is a sinner and thinks he has fled from his Master, because HIS MASTER does not pay attention to this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, rouses a windstorm, which is the prosecution that always stands before Him and demands to punish that man. And this WINDSTORM came to the ship, and mentioned the sins of the man it wishes to take.

83. And since man is seized by that windstorm, he lies in his sickbed, as is written "but Jonah was gone down into the recesses of the ship; and he lay down and was fast asleep" (Yonah 1:5). Though man is lying down sick, the soul does not waken to repent before its Master to redeem his sins. It is written: "so the shipmaster came to him" (Ibid. 6); who is the shipmaster? the Good Inclination that guides everyone? "And said to him, What do you mean, O sleeper? arise, call upon your Elohim..." (Ibid.). This is not the time to sleep, because you are being brought to judgment for all you have done in this world. Repent your offenses.

84. Consider these things and repent before your master. "What is your occupation?" with which you have been occupied in this world, confess it before your Master. "And where do you come from?" consider whence you came: "a putrid drop," and you shall not be arrogant before Him. "What is your country?" see that you were created from earth, and to earth you shall return. "And of what people are you?" look for ancestral merits to protect you.

85. Once he is brought up to the supernal court, the windstorm, which is the Prosecution that storms against him, demands from the King to sentence the King's prisoners, and they all approach HIM one by one. At that time the court opens. Some defend him, and others accuse him. And the Prosecution asks for punishment.

86. And if that man was not found innocent, it is written, "the men rowed hard to bring the ship back to land; but they could not" (Ibid. 13). Those who pleaded his cause try to bring him back into this world but cannot. Why is that? "for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them," the Prosecution storms with his sins and grows stronger because of them.

87. Then three appointed messengers descend upon him; the one writes down all his merits and misdeeds. THESE ARE LIKE TWO COLUMNS, RIGHT AND LEFT; THE MERITS ARE ON THE RIGHT AND THE MISDEEDS ON THE LEFT. Another does the reckoning of the days, LIKE THE RECONCILING CENTRAL COLUMN THAT WEIGHS THEM. Yet another was with him in his mother's womb. THIS IS THE SECRET OF MALCHUT, THE SECRET OF THE VERSE "WHEN HIS CANDLE SHONE UPON MY HEAD" (IYOV 29:2), THAT REFERS TO THE MONTHS OF PREGNANCY. And we explained that the Prosecution does not subside until, as is written: "they took up Jonah" (Yonah 1:15). "They took up" THAT IS, when they take him from his home to the cemetery.

88. Then proclamation is made concerning him. If he is righteous, it is thus proclaimed: render homage to the image of the King. "He that walks in his uprightness shall enter in peace to them that rest in their graves" (Yeshayah 57:2). Whence do we know this? from the words: "and your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of Hashem shall be your rearguard" (Yeshayah 58:8). But if he be wicked, it is thus proclaimed: woe to that man, for it would be better for him not to be born. And then it is written: "and cast him into the sea; and the sea ceased from its raging," meaning that they put him in his grave, which is the place of punishment. Then the Prosecution, which was storming AND SOUGHT PUNISHMENT, is NOW soothed from its wrath, SINCE WHAT IT WANTED CAME TO PASS. And the fish that swallowed him is his grave.

89. It is written: "And Jonah was in the belly of the fish" (Yonah 2:1). The belly of the fish is the belly of Sheol. We know that from the verse "out of the belly of Sheol I cried" (Ibid. 3) for Jonah was in the belly of the fish and called it the belly of Sheol. "three days and three nights" (Ibid. 1) resembles the three days that man is in the grave before his bowels split open.

90. After three days, the filth IN HIS BOWELS is spilt on his face, and says to him: take what you put in me. You ate and drank all day and gave not to the poor; all your days were like feasts and holidays, while the poor were hungry because they did not eat with you. Take what you put in me. This is implied by the verse "and I will spread dung upon your faces" (Malachi 2:3). We already explained that.

91. After three days, man is judged for his eyes FOR LOOKING AT WHAT IS FORBIDDEN, for his hands FOR DOING WHAT IS FORBIDDEN, for his legs FOR GOING TO COMMIT SIN. And it was said that IT LASTS up to thirty days. During those thirty days the Nefesh and body are chastised together. For that reason the soul remains down on earth and does not rise to its place, like a woman who sits apart all the days of her impurity. Afterwards the Soul ascends and the body rots in the dust, until the time comes, when the Holy One, blessed be He, awakens to RESURRECT the dead.

92. And a voice will rise in the cemetery and say, "Awake and sing, you that dwell in dust, for your dew is as the dew on herbs, and the earth shall cast out the shades of the dead" (Yeshayah 26:19). When will that be? when the Angel of Death departs from the world, as said in the verse "He will destroy death for ever..." (Yeshayah 25:8) Since He will destroy death for ever then "and Hashem Elohim will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the insult of His people shall He take away from off all the earth" (Ibid.). Then it is written: "And Hashem spoke to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land" (Yonah. 2:11).

93. Since that voice has risen from among the graves, all the graves vomited out the dead that were in them. This is the meaning of "and cast out the shades of the dead (Heb. refaim also 'healed')." What is meant by "cast out"? IT MEANS THAT it will vomit them out. What are refaim? They are those who received healing, WERE HEALED AND BECAME like they were before their, and the bones were healed together. These are called refaim.

94. And if you ask why it is written: "the shades of the dead shall not rise" (Yeshayah 26:14), HE ANSWERS: surely all the inhabitants of the world will heal by themselves in the cemetery, but some will resurrect and some will not, NAMELY, THOSE WHO DID NOT BELIEVE IN RESURRECTION. Concerning this the verse says, "the shades of the dead shall not rise." Happy is the portion of Yisrael, about whom is written: "my dead body shall arise" (Ibid. 19). And in that fish, WHO SWALLOWED JONAH, I found IMPLIED words that may heal the whole world, TO WIT, RESURRECT THE DEAD, AS WAS EXPLAINED.

95. This fish, when he swallowed Jonah, died, and Jonah was in it for three days. Afterwards it was restored to life and vomited Jonah out. And we talked about the verse, "Then Jonah prayed to Hashem his Elohim out of the fish's belly" (Yonah 1:2) The word 'fish' also appears in the verse "And the fish that is in the river died" (Shemot 7:21); ALSO HERE THE FISH DIED. And we explained that in a similar way, the land of Yisrael will be the first to awaken, MEANING THAT IT WILL BE PURIFIED OF ALL THE WICKED PEOPLE; AND LIKE THE FISH OF JONAH IT WILL RESURRECT. Afterwards, "and the earth shall cast out the shades of the dead" (Yeshayah 26:19), BY LATER VOMITTING THE DEAD AND THEY WILL REVIVE, AS WAS MENTIONED.

96. As we said, seven ordeals await man, when he departs AND PASSES AWAY from the world. The first is the high ordeal when the Spirit leaves the body, WHICH IS THE ORDEAL OF DEATH. The second is when his deeds and words march before him and proclaim his worth. The third one is when he enters the grave. The fourth one is the ordeal of the grave. The fifth one is the ordeal of the worms THAT EAT HIM. The sixth is the ordeal of Gehenom. The seventh is the ordeal of the Spirit, that roams about the world without a resting place, until his deeds are perfected AND PURIFIED. For that reason a man should always examine his deeds, and repent before his Master.

97. When King David looked at those punishments waiting for man, he hastened to say, "bless Hashem, my soul" (Tehilim 104:35), before you leave this world, while you are still with the body. "And all that is within me bless His Holy Name" (Ibid.), the members of the body that are companions to the Ruach. Now that you are with THE NEFESH, hasten to bless the Holy Name, before the time arrives when you will no longer be able to bless and repent. Therefore he repeated "Bless Hashem, my soul, Haleluyah" (Ibid.). The friends came and kissed his head.