Nefesh HaChayim, Gate IV

[This holds too] after his expiration from this world. The sages stated (Chagigah 27a): “Torah scholars, the fires of Gehinnom1079Hell exert no control over them…”. And they also stated there that if a Torah scholar became corrupt, what he previously learned of Torah is not loathed. And in Mishlei Rabbta, on the verse “to understand parable and epigram…”1080Heb.: l’ha-veen ma-shahl oo-m’lee-tza (Mishlei 1:6): “…this is Torah itself. And why is Torah’s name called ‘epigram’? Because it [fem.] saves1081Heb.: ma-tzeh-let those who are involved with it [fem.] from the judgment of Gehinnom.” And there at the beginning of parsha 2: “‘My child, if you will accept my words’ (Mishlei 2:1)—The Holy One (blessed be He) said to Israel on Mount Sinai: ‘If you merited to conceal1082Alt.: to go north—Heb.: l’hatzpin and to accept my Torah and to perform it, I will save you from three punishments: from the war of Gog and Magog, from the pangs of the Messiah and from the judgment of Gehinnom’. ‘… And my commandments you shall conceal with you’—If you merit to conceal my Torah, I will satisfy you with the good that is concealed for the future that is coming, as it is stated ‘how abundant is Your goodness that You have concealed...’.”

And there in parsha 10: “Rabbee Chaneena ben Dosa stated: ‘There is no act of righteousness1083Heb.: tz’da-ka that saves a person from the judgment of Gehinnom other than Torah…, for it has the power to save him from that day of judgment. And even if a person was convicted in the matter of a transgression, it [fem.] can save him from the day of judgment… . So we can conclude from this that a Torah scholar who transgressed some transgression, that it [fem.] saves him.’”

And in Midrash T’hillim (Mizmor 19:7): “and its season..., and nothing escapes its scorching heat”—Rabbee Yanai and Rabbee Shimon ben Lakish both said: ‘In the future there will be no Gehinnom other than this sun, and it will incinerate the evil ones, for it stated (Malachi 3:19): “Lo, the day comes burning like a furnace, and all the scoundrels… and incinerate them… .” But in the future, who will be hidden from its heat? One who is involved with Torah. What is written subsequently? ‘God’s-YHV”H Torah is perfect… .’ And he also states there: ‘There is no darkness, nor shadow of death where evildoers can be concealed’ (Ee-yove 34:22). And who is concealed? One who is involved in Torah… .” Refer there [for more details]. And it’s a simple deduction from Elisha Ahkheir1084Rabbee Elisha ben Abuya, after his heresy, was referred to as Elisha Ah-kheir (Elisha the Other)., where they stated (Chagigah 15b): “We cannot execute a judgment of Gehinnom against him because he is learned in Torah.”1085Heb.: law meidan nee-dahn-ya mee-shoom d’gawmeer o-rai-ta— Our version of Chageega has a slightly different wording: law meidan lee-dai-nei mee-shoom d’ah-sahk b’o-rai-ta—“We can’t execute a judgment against him because he was involved in Torah”. No mention of Gehinnom is made but it is implicit as indicated by the following phrase. And rather than “learned in Torah” we have “involved in Torah.”

And so too they stated in Yerushalmi there, and in Kohelet Rabba (siman 7) on the verse “The end of a matter is better than its beginning…” (Kohelet 7:8)—“But did we not learn that a book’s cover is saved along with the book…? Elisha is saved by the merit of his Torah1086The Torah within Elisha, for which Elisha is the container, serves to save him..” And in Zohar Yitro (83b), Rabbee Yitzkhak stated: “Why was the Torah given in the midst of fire and darkness…? Because anyone who involves himself with Torah will be saved from the other fire of Gehinnom, and from the darkness that all of the other nations create for Israel… .” Refer there [for more details].

And in the Raa-ya M’hemna T’rooma (134b): It’s a mitzva to learn Torah every day, it being the secret of the supernal faith/reliability1087Aram.: d’m’heim-noota ee-la-ah to know the Holy One’s (blessed be He) ways, such that anyone who involves himself with Torah merits in this world and merits in that world, and is saved from all negative accusations, because the Torah is the secret of faith/reliability, and anyone who involves himself with it [fem.] is involved with the supernal faith/ reliability. His Sh’kheena settles within him in a way that it will never leave him.”

And [it’s also] per their (OBM) statement (Shabbat 63a) on the verse “long life on her right side…” (Mishlei 3:16): “Long life to those who act skillfully towards her1088Heb.: la-mai-mee-neem ba, literally to those who act right-handedly towards her, perhaps referring to those who involve themselves with Torah for its sake and not their own (per RaSh”Y)., and all the more so wealth and honor.” And this is in two worlds: wealth and honor in this world and long life in the next world. For the key feature of “long life”, its intention is to the world that is everlasting, as the sages (OBM) stated in various places, and in Zohar Va-yeishev (190, top of first folio), refer there [for more details].

And there in parshat Cha-yei (131b): “Rabbee Elazar began: ‘Unveil my eyes and I will perceive wonders from your Torah’ (Tehillim 119:18)—How many people are fools, for they don’t know enough to, and don’t set a fixed gaze on, involving themselves with Torah. For the Torah is the totality of life, and the totality of freedom, and the totality of goodness, in this world and the world-tocome. It is the freedom in this world and freedom in the world-to-come, life in this world—so that they will merit perfection of days in this world, as is written…—and to long life in the world-to-come, because they are a perfect life, they are a life of freedom, a life without sadness, a life that is truly life. Freedom in this life, freedom from all, for anyone who involves himself with Torah, all of the nations of the world are not able to assert sovereignty over him… . And for that reason, anyone who involves himself with Torah has freedom from everything: in this world from servitude to the nations of the world, and freedom in the next world, for they will not demand any judgment of him in the world-to-come.” Refer there [for more details].

And in Tahna D’vei Eliyahu, Seder Eliyahu Rabba (chapter 18), on the verse (Yechezkel 47:12): “‘And along the banks of stream will grow, on this side and the other, every variety of tree bearing edible fruit…’—What does ‘and they will not experience the coming of heat’ (Yirmiyahu 17:8)1089The verse in Yirmiyahu refers to a tree that is planted near water, which continues to produce fruit even in times of heat and drought. mean? It comes to tell you that anyone who involves himself with the Torah never encounters the quality of calamity, whether it’s in this world, in the days of the descendant of Dovid, or in the world-to-come. And as the sages (OBM) explained (Sota 21a): “‘When you go forth, it will guide you…’ (Mishlei 6:22)—in this world. ‘When you lie down, it will safeguard you’—in the grave. ‘And when you awake, it will converse with you’—for the world-to-come.”

And in Zohar, parshat Va-yei-shev (184b and 185a)—“Rabbee Yehuda began and stated: ‘God’s-YHV”H Torah is perfect, restoring the soul-Neffesh…’ (Tehillim 19:8)—How great an effort must a person make in Torah, for whomever involves himself with Torah will have life in this world and in the world-to-come, and merits both worlds. And even if he involves himself with Torah but doesn’t involve himself for its sake correctly, he merits a good reward in this world and is not subject to judgment in that world. And observe that it’s written ‘length of days in her right, and in her left: wealth and honor’—‘Length of days’ for one who involved himself with Torah for its own sake, that he has length of days in that world that has length of days… . ‘In her left: wealth and honor’—A good reward and tranquility (which are wealth and honor) will he have in this world. And anyone who involves himself with Torah for its own sake, when he exits this world, the Torah proceeds before him and announces before him, and guards him so that the masters of judgment can’t approach him. And when his body lies in the grave, it [fem.] stands guard over him. And when the soul-Neshama leaves to depart to its place, it [fem.] proceeds before that soul-Neshama, and many sealed gates are broken open before the Torah until it ascends to its place, and it stands over the person until it awakens in the time when the dead of the world arise, and it declares its merits. This is what is written (Mishlei 6:22): ‘When you go forth it will guide you. As you recline it will guard you. And when you awaken it will converse with you’, as it stated. ‘When you recline it will guard you’—At the time when the body lies in the grave, for at that time the body is judged in the grave, and then the Torah shields it from the judgment of the grave. ‘And when you awaken it will converse with you’—When the dead of the world awaken from the dust, then the Torah will be a defense spokesman for you, to declare your merits.”

And so too did our sages (OBM) state in Perek Cheilek (99b) on the verse (Mishlei 16:26): “‘The soul-Neffesh works, works for him…’—He labors in this place and the Torah labors for him in another place.” And in Mishlei Rabbta, parsha 14: “‘The wisest among women builds her house’—Anyone who earned his wisdom in this world, can be certain that it [fem.]1090“It” being Torah. built him a home in the world-to-come. ‘But the foolish one tears it down with her hands’—Anyone that hasn’t earned wisdom for himself can be certain that he’s earned Gehinnom for himself in the future.”

And in Sitrei Torah1091Part of the Zohar Lekh L’kha (88a): “‘After these events’—These are the words of Torah… . And what is written in the text: ‘Do not fear Abraham—I will shield you’—from all the evil tribulations of Gehinnom. ‘Your reward is very great’ because anyone who involves himself with Torah in this world merits and inherits an inheritance of partrimony in the world-to-come… .” Refer there [for more details].

And in Zohar Va-yahk-heil (200a): “Because when a person is involved with Torah, the Holy One (blessed be He) stands there…, and saves the person from three judgments: from judgment in this world, from judgment of the angel of death who isn’t able to have any control over him, and from judgment of Gehinnom.” And as the sages (OBM) stated in Perek Ma-ah-laht Ha-Torah (Avot chapter 6), and in B’midbar Rabba (chapter 16), and in Chazeeta on the verse “Who is she who ascends…”. And in Tahn-khooma parshat Eikev: “Don’t read it as ‘engraved’, but rather as ‘free’”—For no one is a free person other than one who is involved with learning Torah. And the sages explained: “‘freedom’—from the angel of death.”1092Sh’mote Rabba (Kee Teesa 41), Va-yikra Rabba (M’tzora 18) and others. And they also said this in chapter four1093This is likely a printer error, as folio10a of Ma-kote is found in chapter two. of Ma-kote (10a) that words of Torah provide refuge from the angel of death. And in Zohar parshat Cha-yei (on the page mentioned previously1094131b): “Freedom in this world, freedom from all… . Freedom from the angel of death, so that he has no ability to rule over him. And so it is clear that if First Adam would have attached himself to the tree of life, that is Torah, he would not have caused death for himself and for the entire world. And for that reason, when the Holy One (blessed be He) gave the Torah to Israel, what’s written there? ‘Engraved on the tablets…’. And the Holy One (blessed be He) Himself stated (Tehillim 82:6): ‘I had taken you for divine beings and descendants of the Most High, all of you… .’ And therefore, anyone who involves himself with Torah, that evil serpent who darkens the world has no ability to rule over him.”