"And I will lie with my fathers"

294. "And I will lie with my fathers" (Beresheet 47:30). Happy is the portion of the patriarchs, for the Holy One, blessed be He, made them into a Holy Chariot, and desired to be crowned with them. Hence it is written, "Only in your fathers Hashem took delight..." (Devarim 10:15). Rabbi Elazar said, Jacob knew that he was to be crowned by his fathers for they would be crowned with him, and he with them. We learned regarding the engraved letters THAT SHIN HAS three knots, two knots on both sides, RIGHT AND LEFT, and one knot that binds them together, THE MIDDLE ONE. This we learned from the verse, "And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end" (Shemot 26:28), that the knot in the middle is attached to the RIGHT side and the LEFT side. Hence it says, "And I will lie with my fathers."

295. "And I will lie with my fathers." Rabbi Yehuda opened the discussion with the verse, "Hear, O deaf; and look, O blind, that you may see" (Yeshayah 42:18). "Hear, O deaf" refers to the men who neither listen to the words of the Torah, nor open their ears to hearken the precepts of their Master. The blind are those who do not look to know why they live. For every day, a crier comes and proclaims, yet no one pays attention.

296. We have learned that those days already exist from the day man was born into the world, FOR THEY ARE REAL ILLUMINATIONS, FROM WHICH MAN'S DAYS ARE DRAWN. They go about the world and descend to warn man, each day in its turn. When the day comes to warn the man, yet the man commits a sin on that day before his Master, it ascends shamefacedly and bears testimony on him, and stands outside alone.

297. We have learned that after it was put to stand alone OUTSIDE, it sits and waits for the man to repent HIS SIN. If the man repented, the day returns to its place; but if he did not merit AND ATONES, the day descends, joins the spirit outside and comes back to his house, putting on the same appearance as the man to bring evil upon him. THE DAY sits with him in his house, and if he has the merit TO REPENT, it brings him good, but if not, it brings him evil.

298. In either case, when that man's days are accounted they are in want, and those are not numbered because of the sins. Woe to the man who diminished the number of his days before the Holy King, and has no days above with which to be crowned in that world, to approach the Holy King.

299. Come and see, When those days come before the Holy King, if the man who passed away from the world be righteous, he ascends and comes in with these days that are the raiments of glory in which his soul is clothed. For he merited these days, by not committing any sin therein.

300. Woe to the man who reduced the number of his days above. For when he is to don his days, the days he spoilt by his sins are missing from that garment, and he wears a defective costume. All the more so if THE DAYS WHICH WERE SPOILT are many, and that man has nothing with which to be clad in that world. Woe to him, woe to his soul, for he is sentenced to Gehenom on account of these days, days upon days; HE IS PUNISHED TWO days for every SINGLE day. When he departs from the world he finds no day in which to be clad, and has no garment or covering. Happy are the righteous, whose days are all stored with the Holy King, and made into raiments of glory to don in the World to Come.

301. We have studied according to the secret of the Mishnah, the words, "And they knew that they were naked" (Beresheet 3:7). They knew exactly that the raiment of glory made of the days was impaired, and no day was left in which to be clad. Hence it says, "Your eyes did see my unformed flesh; for in Your book all things are written, the days also in which they are to be fashioned" (Tehilim 139:16), WHICH ALLUDES TO ADAM. "The days ...to be fashioned" FOR HIM TO WEAR, "and for it too there was one of them" (Ibid.), for he had none left in which to be clad. Then, Adam strove to repent and the Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his repentance and formed for him another vessel and garment, not made from his days BECAUSE HE DID NOT COMPLETELY REPAIR BY HIS ATONEMENT THE SIN OF THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. Hence it says, "For the man also and for his wife did Hashem Elohim make coats of skins, and clothed them" (Beresheet 3:21).

302. Come and see the merit of Abraham. It is written, "And Abraham... came with days" (Beresheet 24:1). Since he had the merit, when he departed from this world, he came with his own days and wore them. Nothing was lacking in that raiment of glory, as it says "came with days." Of Job it says, "Naked I came out of my mother's womb and naked I shall return there" (Iyov 1:21), for nothing was left for him to wear.

303. We learned that happy are the righteous, whose days are clean FROM SINS and remain for the World to Come. Upon leaving THIS WORLD, they all join together and turn into a raiment of glory to be clothed in. In this raiment, they can be delighted with the pleasure of the World to Come. Through the garment, they will rise into the world AT THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. All those with a raiment will rise, as it says, "And they stand as a garment" (Iyov 38:14). Woe to the wicked in the world, whose days were diminished through sins, and nothing is left from them to be covered with when they leave this world.

304. We learned that the righteous who were privileged to don the raiment of glory made of their days, are crowned in that world by the same crowns the fathers were adorned with, from the river that flows and comes into the Garden of Eden. This is the meaning of the words, "And Hashem shall guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought" (Yeshayah 58:11). But of the wicked men in the world, who had not the merit to be dressed with the garment from their days, it says, "For he shall be like the juniper tree in the desert, and shall not see when good comes; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness" (Yirmeyah 17:6).

305. Rabbi Yitzchak said, Happy is the portion of Jacob, who had the greatest faith, as it is written, "And I will lie with my fathers," for he deserved them, not another, to be clad in his own days and theirs.

306. Rabbi Yehuda said, It is written, "And he smelt the smell of his garments, and blessed him" (Beresheet 27:27). HE ASKS, It says "his garments" while it should have been 'Esau's garments,' for the garments were not his but Esau's, as it is written, "And Rivkah took the best clothes of her eldest son, Esau" (Ibid. 15). Yet here it says "the smell of his garments," which means Jacob's.

307. HE ANSWERS, We have explained that "he smelt" means that he looked further and smelt the smell of his garments in the world of Truth, and then blessed him. Therefore it is written, "See, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field" (Beresheet 27:27), the field of holy apple trees, THE NUKVA OF ZEIR ANPIN. He was saying, Since you deserve to wear these raiments of glory, "therefore the Elohim give you of the dew of heaven" (Ibid. 28). HE ASKS, Does this mean THAT THE DEW OF HEAVEN DEPENDS UPON THE RAIMENTS OF GLORY? HE REPLIES, Yes, since the field of apple trees, WHICH RESEMBLES THE RAIMENTS OF GLORY IN SMELL, receives dew everyday from the place called heaven, ZEIR ANPIN, as it is written "the dew of heaven." HE THEREFORE SAID, SINCE YOU ARE WORTHY OF DONNING THE RAIMENTS OF GLORY, "MAY ELOHIM GIVE YOU OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN."

308. Rabbi Yosi said, He blessed him in everything, "of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth," MEANING, ALSO FROM THE ABUNDANCE OF THE NUKVA CALLED EARTH. What was the reason for that? Because "he smelt the smell of his garments," his own garments as we explained, AND THESE GARMENTS RECEIVE ALSO FROM THE NUKVA. We learned that 1,500 odors rise every day from the Garden of Eden, THE NUKVA, and perfume the raiments of glory, which are crowned with the man's days in that world, SINCE THE GARMENTS RECEIVE ALSO FROM THE NUKVA.

309. Rabbi Yehuda said, How many garments are MADE FOR MAN FROM HIS DAYS? Rabbi Elazar said, There is a controversy over this point, but there are three. The first is the garments the Ruach dons in the terrestrial Garden of Eden. The Neshamah is clothed in another, the most precious, WHICH LIVES inside the bundle of life, NAMELY THE NUKVA amidst the purple cloak of the King. The last one is the external garment, which exists and exists not, seen yet not seen, FOR BEING EXTERNAL IT HAS NO CONTINUOUS EXISTENCE, BUT NOW IT IS SEEN AND NOW IT IS NOT. The Nefesh wears this garment when it goes and hovers about the world.

310. In every new moon and Shabbat, THE NEFESH goes to be attached to the Ruach in the terrestrial Garden of Eden, which stands in the midst of the precious curtain. From it, THE NEFESH studies and receives its knowledge, and then it hovers and announces it to the world.

311. We learned that the Nefesh is attached by two knots on every new moon and Shabbat: 1) to the Ruach amidst the odors of perfumes in the terrestrial Garden of Eden; 2) from there, THE NEFESH roams and goes to attach itself with the Ruach in the Neshamah, which is bound in the bundle of life. There it slakes its thirst and eats of the precious lights on this and that side, RIGHT AND LEFT. This is written in the verse, "And Hashem shall guide you continually" (Yeshayah 58:11). "Continually" is exact, INDICATING THAT IT RECEIVES FROM ALL SIDES CONTINUOUSLY.

312. "And satisfy your soul (Nefesh) in drought (Heb. tzachtzachot)." HE ASKS, What is "tzachtzachot?" HE ANSWERS, One tzach (Eng. 'bright') it receives while attached to the Ruach in the terrestrial Garden of Eden; it receives the tzach inside tzach, when attached to the Neshamah above in the bundle of life. This is the meaning of tzachtzachot: tzach is singular, and tzachot dual. They are high above, in the preciousness of the Neshamah. Who will inherit the tzachtzachot? SCRIPTURE SAYS "your soul (Nefesh)." Your Nefesh indeed INHERITS THEM FROM THE NESHAMAH. Happy is the portion of the righteous.

313. Rabbi Shimon said, When I am with the friends of Babylon, they gather round me and learn things openly, but they put them (these matters) in a sealed iron box, closed on all sides - IN OTHER WORDS, THEY CONCEAL THEM SO NO ONE WOULD KNOW.

314. How many times did I teach them the ways of the King's Garden, THE NUKVA, and the ways of the King, ZEIR ANPIN? How many times did I teach them about the grades of the righteous in that world? They are all fearful of talking of these matters, but mumble instead. They are therefore called mumblers, NAMELY SLOW OF SPEECH, for they mumble as stammerers.

315. But I see it in a favorable light, for they are afraid because the holy air and the Holy Spirit are gone for them, SINCE THEY ARE OUTSIDE THE LAND OF YISRAEL. And they breathe in the air and spirit of another region THAN THAT OF HOLINESS. Moreover, the rainbow is seen above them, WHICH IS A SIGN THEY ARE UNDER JUDGMENT AND ARE IN NEED OF MERCY, AS IT IS WRITTEN, "I HAVE SET MY BOW...AND I WILL LOOK UPON IT, THAT I MAY REMEMBER THE EVERLASTING COVENANT" (BERESHEET 9:13-16). They are then not deemed worthy of receiving Elijah, let alone someone else.

316. But it is beneficent to them that I live in the world and support it, for during my lifetime the world will not be sorrowful, nor suffer Judgment from above. After me, there will never be such a generation as this. The world will be such that there will be no one to protect them, and there will be impudence both above and below. Above ALSO THERE WILL BE IMPUDENT COUNTENANCES, WHICH ARE THE ACCUSATIONS OF THE KLIPOT, because of the transgressions below and their impudence.

317. The people in the world will cry out, but there will be no one to protect them. They will look to all the directions of the world TO FIND RELIEF, but shall not return with a remedy TO THEIR TROUBLES. I have found but one remedy in the world and no more -- wherever people are occupied in the Torah, and have a faultless scroll of the Torah with them. When it will be taken out, the upper and lower beings will be roused, especially if the Holy Name therein is properly written, as we have already learned.

318. Woe to the generation, where the scroll of the Torah is banished BY BEING TAKEN OUT TO THE STREETS IN ORDER TO PRAY. But no one was awakened above or below, FOR THEIR PRAYER WAS NOT ACCEPTED, FOR IT WAS NOT JOINED BY FASTING OR ATONEMENT BELOW. HE ASKS, Who shall be roused to pray when the world is in great sorrow and in need of rain ,as the scroll of the Torah is further banished because of the hardship in the world?

319. HE ANSWERS, When the world is in sorrow and people ask for mercy by the graves, all the dead are aroused to ask on behalf of the world, for the Nefesh hastens to tell the Ruach that the scroll of the Torah is in exile, and has been exiled due to hardship in the world, and the living have come TO THE GRAVES to ask for mercy.

320. Then the Ruach informs the Neshamah, and the Neshamah the Holy One, blessed be He. Then is the Holy One, blessed be He, aroused in pity on the world. All this is caused by the exile of the scroll of the Torah from its place, WHEN the living came to ask for mercy upon the graves of the dead. Woe to the generation which must exile the scroll of the Torah from place to place, or even from one synagogue to another IN ORDER TO PRAY, for there will be no one among them to take care of them AND PRAY FOR THEM, SINCE THERE ARE NO RIGHTEOUS AMONG THEM.

321. Yet no man knows THE REASON FOR this. For when the Shechinah was exiled the last time, in order not to go up above, it is written THAT SHE SAID, "Oh, that I were in the wilderness, in a lodging place of wayfaring men" (Yirmeyah 9:1), AND NOT GONE ABOVE. FOR SHE WISHED TO EXILE WITH YISRAEL. Later, WHEN SHE ALREADY WAS IN EXILE WITH YISRAEL, in a time of great distress for the world, She was IN THE DESERT, THE ABODE OF THE KLIPOT. Also in the exile of the scroll of the Torah She is there IN THE DESERT, and everyone is stirred AND SUFFERS for Her, the upper and lower beings.

322. Rabbi Shimon said, Had those stupid Babylonians known the secret verses of Wisdom, such as why the world exists, or why its supporting pillars quake when it is in distress, they would know the worth of Rav Hamnuna Saba, who dwelt unappreciated among them. I find that his words are connected to those of King Solomon in the high secret of Wisdom, whose worth was unseen.

323. Now they strive after words of wisdom but there is no one to uncover THEIR SECRET, and no one to teach it. With all that, there are sages among them in the field of establishing the beginning of months and the intercalation of years, though it is not their duty TO INTERCALATE THE YEARS AND SANCTIFY THE MONTHS, WHICH ARE FIXED ONLY IN THE LAND OF YISRAEL.

324. We have learned that the Nefesh is attached to the body inside the grave for twelve months, and they are judged together, except the Nefesh of the righteous, as we explained. It dwells inside the grave and feels the pain OF PUNISHMENT, and the pain of the living, yet it does not strive TO PRAY for them.

325. After twelve months, the Nefesh dons a garment and goes to roam about the world, and learns certain things from the Ruach. It strives to ask for mercy for the world's pain, and to feel the sorrow of the living.

326. HE ASKS, Who arouses all that, THE NEFASHOT OF THE DEAD TO PRAY FOR THE LIVING? HE REPLIES, When there is a righteous man in the world, he duly informs them. The righteous is well known among them. For we have learned that when there remains a righteous man in the world, known among the living and the dead, he is proclaimed every day. When the world is in great distress and he cannot protect the people, he informs them of the pain in the world AND THEY ASK FOR MERCY UPON THE LIVING.

327. When there is no proclaimed righteous ones among them and no one to stir THE NEFASHOT about the sorrow of the world but a scroll of the Torah, then the upper and lower are stirred for its sake TO PRAY FOR THE WORLD. Yet at that time, everyone should do penance, for if they do not, the accusers are aroused upon them TO PUNISH THEM FOR MOVING ABOUT THE SCROLL OF THE TORAH. THIS APPLIES NOT ONLY FOR THE NEFESH, as the Ruach in the Garden of Eden is also stirred for the sake of the scroll of the Torah TO ASK FOR MERCY, as we have learned.

328. We learned, "And I will lie with my fathers;" namely in body, Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah, all included within one Chariot of a high grade. TO WIT, THE VERSE ALLUDES TO THE BODY AND ALL THE ASPECTS OF THE SOUL, WHICH WILL BE TOGETHER WITH HIS FATHERS. Rabbi Yehuda said, How senseless are the children in the world who do not know care, hear or see what happens in the world, that the Holy One, blessed be He, is filled with Mercy for the world at any time and season. But no one pays attention.

329. Three times a day, a certain spirit comes into the cave of the Machpelah and breathes over the tombs of the fathers so that their bones are healed and they endure. The spirit draws dew from over the King's head, CHOCHMAH, BINAH, AND DA'AT OF ZEIR ANPIN, where the supernal patriarchs are. When the dew flows in, the lower patriarchs are awakened IN THE CAVE OF THE MACHPELAH.

330. We have learned that the dew flows down certain grades, one grade after another, and reaches the lower Garden of Eden, where the perfumes are bathed in it. Then a certain spirit awakens, which comprises two others; NAMELY A SPIRIT OF THE CENTRAL COLUMN, JACOB, WHICH INCLUDES THE TWO COLUMNS, ABRAHAM AND ISAAC. It ascends and hovers above the perfumes and comes in through the opening of the cave. Then the patriarchs are awakened with their wives and ask for Mercy for their children.

331. When the world is in distress AND NOT ANSWERED, and due to its sins THE PATRIARCHS sleep and the dew does not arouse them, for it cannot be found or drawn, THEN, when the scroll of the Torah is stirred in the world, the Nefesh informs the Ruach, the Ruach the Neshamah, which tells the Holy One, blessed be He. The King then sits on the throne of mercy and draws from the supernal Atika Kadisha, ARICH ANPIN, the crystal dew, which flows upon the King's head, CHOCHMAH, BINAH AND DA'AT OF ZEIR ANPIN, and the patriarchs, CHESED, GVURAH AND TIFERET OF ZEIR ANPIN, are blessed. The dew then flows upon the sleeping FATHERS IN THE CAVE OF THE MACHPELAH, who then join IN PRAYING FOR THE WORLD. The Holy One, blessed be He, then has Mercy upon the world. We have learned the Holy One, blessed be He, does not have mercy on the world until He notifies the Patriarchs, and for their merit the world is blessed. Rabbi Yosi said, Surely this is so. I also found it in the book of King Solomon, the high one who is called every MAN'S wise counsel, AS IT SAYS, "FOR HE WAS WISER THAN ALL MEN" (I MELACHIM 5:11).

332. Rav Hamnuna also said the same and that (as was revealed to him in a dream) Rachel achieved more THAN ALL THE PATRIARCHS by standing at the highway whenever the world is in need OF MERCY. The secret of this matter is that the ark, its covering, and the Cherubs are in the portion of Benjamin, RACHEL'S SON, who was born on the highway, and the Shechinah is above ALL HIS PORTION, AS IT SAYS, "HE SHALL COVER HIM ALL THE DAY LONG" (DEVARIM 33:12).