"And when the sun was going down"

359. Rabbi Chizkiyah opened the discussion with the verse, "And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram" (Beresheet 15:12). This verse has been explained, yet here is the secret of the day of strict Judgment, which removes man from this world. We have learned that when the time is come for man to depart from this world, it is the time of great Judgment, when the sun is darkened and does not shine unto the moon, as is written, "before the sun is darkened" (Kohelet 12:2). It refers to the holy Neshamah, which is withheld from man thirty days before he departs from the world, and he sees that his shadow is withheld and not to be seen.

360. HE ASKS, What is the reason his shadow is gone from him? HE ANSWERS, Because the holy Neshamah is gone and departed from him. It is not when a man weakens and dies that the soul is removed from him, but in his life, when he is in vigor, his Neshamah departs from him, and does not shine upon the Ruach. The Ruach does not shine upon the Nefesh, and then the shadow is gone and does not illuminate upon him. From that day onward, every one proclaims that he will die, even the birds in the sky. Why? Because his Neshamah is gone from him, the Ruach no longer shines upon the Nefesh; it is weakened, and eating and every bodily desire is gone from him.

361. Rabbi Yehuda said, Even when a man falls ill and cannot pray, the Neshamah is gone and removed from him. The Ruach does not then shine upon the Nefesh until verdict is given. If the sentence is good, the Neshamah returns to its place and shines upon everyone; NAMELY THE RUACH AND THE NEFESH. This is true as long as Judgment is not yet pronounced. When it is, AND IT IS ALREADY DECIDED THAT HE WILL DIE, thirty days before the others, the Neshamah is gone and his shadow passes away.

362. We learned that when a man is sentenced above, his Neshamah is brought up to the court of justice, where the trial proceeds according to its testimony. It testifies to everything and to evil thoughts he harbored, but not to evil deeds, since they are all recorded in a book. A man is judged for everything at the time of sentence above, BOTH FOR THOUGHTS AND DEEDS. The body is then in trouble more than in any other time.

363. If he is favorably judged, he is released. Sweat breaks out over the body and the Neshamah returns later to shine upon all, THE RUACH AND THE NEFESH. A man is never cured from his disease until he is sentenced above. You may say that there are yet many evil people who remain alive; NAMELY RECOVER FROM THEIR ILLNESS. HE ANSWERS, The Holy One, blessed be He, watches over his sentence. Even if he has no merit, and yet THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, sees that he will later, he is acquitted. Or sometimes He sees he will beget a righteous son and therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, judges him favorably.

364. All the works and judgments of the Holy One, blessed be He, are for the good, and He watches over everything, as it is written, "'Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die?' says Hashem Elohim, and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" (Yechezkel 18:23). Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, judges favorably all the evil in the world who recover.

365. Sometimes, when the illness has run its course that was allotted it to afflict man, as it says, "And severe sicknesses, and of long continuance (also: 'faithful')" (Devarim 28:59), they act faithfully in dwelling upon man and leave after the set period, either the righteous or the evil. All is done according to justice, like we said.