Vayechi
Air Death Death and the Afterlife Earth Fire Judgment Water Wind

160. We have learned that on that hard and terrible day, when it is time for a man to depart from the world, the four winds of the world, CHESED, GVURAH, TIFERET AND MALCHUT, sentence the world with severe Judgment. Four Judgments arise from the four winds of the world. The four ELEMENTS IN MAN, FIRE, AIR, WATER AND EARTH that are attached to each other, fight and quarrel between them and wish to depart each to its own side, THE ELEMENT OF FIRE WITHIN MAN TO THE GENERAL ELEMENT OF FIRE, THE ELEMENT OF WATER WITHIN MAN INTO THE ELEMENT OF WATER IN THE WORLD, AND SO ON. FOR THE ELEMENTS WITHIN MAN ARE SEPARATED IN HIS DEATH.

160. תָּנָא, בְּהַהוּא יוֹמָא תַּקִּיפָא וּדְחִילוּ דְבַר נָשׁ, כַּד מָטֵי זִמְנֵיהּ לְאִסְתַּלָּקָא מֵעַלְמָא, אַרְבַּע סִטְרִין דְּעַלְמָא קָיְימִין בְּדִינָא תַּקִּיפָא, וּמִתְעָרִין דִּינִין מֵאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עָלְמָא. וְאַרְבַּע קִשּׁוּרִין נָצָאן, וּקְטָטוּתָא אִשְׁתַּכַּח בֵּינַיְיהוּ, וּבָעְיָין לְאִתְפְּרָשָׁא כָּל חַד לְסִטְרוֹי.

Evil Merit Righteous

161. The herald, THE SECRET OF THE ILLUMINATION OF CHOCHMAH FROM THE UNION ON THE LEFT, comes forth. He proclaims in the supernal world TEVUNAH and is heard in 270 worlds. If he is righteous, all the worlds welcome him with joy, FOR IF HE HAS MERIT, HE IS GOOD. But if he is not righteous, woe to this man and his portion, FOR IF HE HAS NO MERIT HE IS EVIL.

161. כָּרוֹזָא נָפֵיק וּמַכְרְזָא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא, וְאִשְׁתְּמַע בְּמָאתָן וְשַׁבְעִין עָלְמִין, אִי זַכָּאָה הוּא, כֻּלְּהוּ עָלְמִין חָדָאן לְקָדָמוּתֵיהּ, וְאִי לָאו וַוי לְהַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, וּלְחוּלָקֵיהּ.

Daniel Directions Evil Flame Merit North River of Fire (Dinur) Rivers Soul, The Streams Wicked Wickedness

162. HE EXPLAINS WHY HE IS EVIL IF HE HAS NO MERIT. HE SAYS, We have learned that when the crier makes his proclamation, a flame comes out from the north side, and goes to be burned in the River of Fire (Nahar Dinur), MENTIONED AS "A FIERY STREAM ISSUED AND CAME FORTH FROM BEFORE HIM" (DANIEL 7:10). It expands to the four directions of the world and burns the souls of the wicked.

162. תָּנָא, בְּהַהוּא זִמְנָא דְּכָרוֹזָא כָּרֵיז, כְּדֵין נָפַק חַד שַׁלְהוֹבָא מִסְּטַר צָפוֹן, וְאָזְלָא וְאִתּוֹקַד בִּנְהַר דִּינוּר, וּמִתְפָּרְשָׁא לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרֵי עַלְמָא, וְאוֹקֵיד נִשְׁמַתְהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבַיָא.

Evil Flame Gates Judgment Merit Rooster

163. The flame, THE JUDGMENT OF MALCHUT, WHICH IS REVEALED BY THE SECRET OF 'IF HE HAS NO MERIT, HE IS EVIL' ascends TO BINAH, and descends back into the world, BACK TO MALCHUT. The flame alights beneath the wings of a black cock, which flaps its wings and crows at the opening between the gates.

163. וְנָפַק הַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא, וְסָלְקָא וְנָחֲתָא בְּעַלְמָא, וְהַהוּא שַׁלְהוֹבָא מָטָא בְּגַדְפוֹי דְתַרְנְגוֹלָא אוּכְמָא, וּבָטַשׁ בְּגַדְפוֹי, וְקָרֵי, בְּפִתְחָא בֵּין תַּרְעֵי.

Deeds Fear Furnace Jeremiah Mountains Rooster Soul, The Testimony Thought Wind Witnesses

164. At the first time, it crows, saying "For, behold, that day is coming, it burns like a furnace..." (Malachi 3:19). On the second time, it crows and says, "For, lo, He that forms the mountains, and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought" (Amos 4:13). At that time, man sits AND HEARS THE WITNESSES give testimony on his deeds before him, and he confesses them. On the third time, when they want to take his soul from him, the cock crows, saying, "Who would not fear You, O King of the nations? For to You it is fitting" (Yirmeyah 10:7).

164. זִמְנָא קַדְמָאָה קָרֵי וַאֲמַר, הִנֵּה יוֹם ה' בָּא בּוֹעֵר כַּתַּנּוּר וגו.' זִמְנָא תִּנְיָינָא קָרֵי וַאֲמַר, כִּי הִנֵּה יוֹצֵר הָרִים וּבוֹרֵא רוּחַ וּמַגִּיד לְאָדָם מַה שֵּׂחוֹ. וְהַהִיא שַׁעתָּא, יָתֵיב בַּר נָשׁ בְּעוֹבָדוֹי, דְּסָהֲדִין קַמֵּיהּ, וְהוּא אוֹדֵי עֲלַיְיהוּ. זִמְנָא תְּלִיתָאָה, כַּד בָּעְיָין לַאֲפָקָא נִשְׁמָתֵיהּ מִנֵּיהּ, קָרֵי תַּרְנְגוֹלָא וַאֲמַר, מִי לֹא יִירָאֲךָ מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי לְךָ יָאָתָה וגו.'

Creation Earth Rooster Wisdom

165. Rabbi Yosi said, Why a black cock? Rabbi Yehuda said to him: Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created upon earth alludes to Wisdom, only men do not know. This is the meaning of the words "O Hashem, how manifold are Your works!" In Wisdom have You made them all. The earth is full of Your creatures" (Tehilim 104:24), for they have been made in Wisdom and allude to Wisdom.

165. אֲמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, תַּרְנְגוֹלָא אוּכְמָא לְמַאי נַפְקָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, כָּל מַה דַּעֲבַד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בְּאַרְעָא, כֻּלְּהוּ רָמִיז בְּחָכְמָה, בַּר דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יָדְעֵי, הה"ד מָה רַבּוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ ה' כֻּלָּם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ מָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ קִנְיָנֶיךָ, וּמִשּׁוּם דְּאִתְעֲבִידוּ בְּחָכְמָה, כֻּלְּהוּ רְמִיזִין בְּחָכְמָה.

Colors Flame Judgment Midnight North Rooster Wind

166. We have learned IN THE MATTER of the black cock that Judgment abides only in a place of its own kind, and black pertains to the side of Judgment, SINCE THE BLACK COLOR ALLUDES TO MALCHUT, THE ATTRIBUTE OF JUDGMENT. Therefore at midnight exactly, when the north wind, THE LEFT COLUMN, stirs, a flame comes out and strikes under the wings of the cock, and it crows. The cock is black, BEING OF THE ATTRIBUTE OF JUDGMENT, and thus is more appropriate than A COCK OF a different COLOR.

166. וְתַרְנְגוֹלָא אוּכְמָא, תָּנִינָן, לֵית דִּינָא שַׁרְיָא, אֶלָּא בַּאֲתַר דְּהוּא זִינֵיהּ, וְאוּכְמָא מִסִּטְרָא דְּדִינָא קָאָתֵי, וּבְגִין כָּךְ, בְּפַלְגוּת לֵילְיָא מַמָּשׁ, כַּד רוּחָא דְסִטְרָא דְּצָפוֹן אִתְעַר, חַד שַׁלְהוֹבָא נָפֵיק, וּבָטַשׁ תְּחוֹת גַּדְפוֹי דְתַרְנְגוֹלָא, וְקָרֵי. וְכ"ש בְּתַרְנְגוֹלָא אוּכְמָא, דְּאִתְכַּוֵּון יַתִּיר מֵאַחֲרָא.

Breath Dust Judgment Rooster

167. Here too, when Judgment is aroused upon man, THE BLACK COCK starts crowing. No one knows it save the man who is about to die. For we have learned that when a man is about to die, and Judgment hovers about him so he would depart from the world, another Supernal Spirit is added to him which he had not before during his lifetime. When it hovers about him and cleaves to him, he is able to see what he never saw in his life, due to the additional spirit in him. When the spirit is added to him, he sees and then departs from this world. This is the meaning of the verse, "You take away their breath (lit. 'you shall add their spirit'), they die, and return to their dust" (Tehilim 104:29). Then it is written, "For no man shall see Me, and live" (Shemot 33:20), WHICH MEANS THAT when they are alive they cannot see, but they do when they die.

167. אוֹף הָכָא, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּדִינָא דְבַר נָשׁ יִתְעַר, שָׁארֵי וְקָרֵי לֵיהּ, וְלֵית דְּיָדַע לֵיהּ, בַּר הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ דְּשָׁכִיב, דְּתָנִינָן בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ שָׁכִיב, וְדִינָא שַׁרְיָא עֲלֵיהּ, לְנַפְקָא מֵהַאי עַלְמָא, אִתּוֹסַף רוּחָא עִלָּאָה בֵּיהּ, מַה דְּלָא הֲוָה בְּיוֹמוֹי, וְכֵיוָן דְּשַׁרְיָא עֲלוֹי וְאִתְדַּבַּק בֵּיהּ, חָמֵי מַה דְּלָא זָכָה בְּיוֹמוֹי, מִשּׁוּם דְּאִתּוֹסַף בֵּיהּ הַהוּא רוּחָא, וְכַד אִתּוֹסַף בֵּיהּ וְחָמָא, כְּדֵין נָפֵיק מֵהַאי עַלְמָא, הה"ד תּוֹסֶף רוּחָם יִגְוָעוּן וְאֶל עֲפָרָם יְשׁוּבוּן. כְּדֵין כְּתִיב, כִּי לֹא יִרְאַנִי הָאָדָם וָחָי, בְּחַיֵּיהוֹן לָא זָכָאן, בְּמִיתַתְהוֹן זָכָאן.

Righteous

168. We have learned that when a man dies, he is given permission to see, and he sees about him his relatives and friends from the world of Truth. They all have their forms engraved upon them like they were in this world. If the man is righteous, they are all happy to see him and greet him.

168. תָּאנָא, בְּשַׁעְתָּא דְּבַר נָשׁ מִית, אִתְיְהֵיב לֵיהּ רְשׁוּתָא לְמֶחֱמֵי, וְחָמֵי גַבֵּיהּ, קְרִיבוֹי וְחַבְרוֹי מֵהַהוּא עָלְמָא, וְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע לְהוֹ, וְכֻלְּהוּ גְּלִיפִין בִּדְיוֹקְנֵיהוֹן, כְּמָה דַּהֲווֹ בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, אִי זַכָּאָה הַהוּא בַּר נָשׁ, כֻּלְּהוּ חָדָאן קַמֵּיהּ, וּמַקְדְּמֵי לֵיהּ שְׁלָם.

Eyes Fire Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Righteous Wicked Wickedness

169. If he is not righteous, they do not recognize him, and only recognize the wicked, who are smitten daily in Gehenom. They are all sad, they open their speech with 'woe' and end with 'woe.' The man lifts up his eyes and sees them as something burnt rising from the fire. He too opens AND SAYS OF THEM 'woe.'

169. וְאִי זַכָּאָה לָא הֲוֵי, לָא אִשְׁתְּמוֹדְעָן גַּבֵּיהּ, בַּר מֵאִינוּן חַיָּיבַיָא, דְּטָרְדִין לוֹן בְּכָל יוֹמָא בַּגֵּיהִנֹּם, וְכֻלְּהוּ עֲצִיבִין, וּפָתְחִין בְּוַוי, וּמְסַיְּימִין בְּוַוי, וְסָלֵיק עֵינוֹי, וְחָמָא לוֹן כְּטִיסָא דְּמִסְתַּלְּקָא מִן נוּרָא, אוֹף הָכֵי הוּא פָּתַח וַוי.