Pt2 The Greatness of Residing in Eretz Yisrael, and the Future Messianic Resurrection (Ketubot 111a-b)

This is the second and final part of a two-part series. Part 1 is here; the outline of the series can be found at Part 1.

Part 2: Burial in Eretz Yisrael and the Future Messianic Resurrection

The sugya turns to eschatology: who merits resurrection, and whether burial location affects it.

R’ Elazar - Dead outside Eretz Yisrael will not live (in the messianic future / World-to-Come) - Ezekiel 26:20

אמר רבי אלעזר:

מתים שבחוץ לארץ --

אינם חיים,

שנאמר: ״ונתתי צבי בארץ חיים״

• ארץ שצביוני בה --

  • מתיה חיים,

• שאין צביוני בה —

  • אין מתיה חיים

[...]

§ R' Elazar said:

The dead of the lands outside of Eretz Yisrael --

will not come alive and be resurrected in the future,

as it is stated: “And I will set glory [tzvi] in the land of the living” (Ezekiel 26:20).

This teaches that

• with regard to a land which contains My desire [tzivyoni],

  • its dead will come alive;

• however, with regard to a land which does not contain My desire, i.e., outside of Eretz Yisrael,

  • its dead will not come alive.

[...]

R’ Abbahu - Even a non-Jewish female slave in Eretz Yisrael has a share in the World-to-Come - Isaiah 42:5; Genesis 22:5

אמר רבי אבהו:

אפילו שפחה כנענית שבארץ ישראל --

מובטח לה שהיא בת העולם הבא.

• כתיב הכא:

  • ״לעם עליה״,

• וכתיב התם:

  • ״שבו לכם פה עם החמור״ —

  • עם הדומה לחמור

R' Abbahu said:

Even a non-Jewish female slave (שפחה כנענית) in Eretz Yisrael --

is assured a place in the World-to-Come.

• It is written here:

  • “To the people [la’am] upon it,”

• and it is written there:

  • “Abide you here with [im] the donkey” (Genesis 22:5).

  • This verse in Genesis is traditionally interpreted to mean: A people [am] that is similar to a donkey, from which it may be inferred that even the members of this people merit a share in the world to come.

R’ Yirmeya b. Abba citing R’ Yoḥanan - Walking 4 cubits in Eretz Yisrael secures a share in the World-to-Come - Isaiah 42:5

״ורוח להולכים בה״,

אמר רבי ירמיה בר אבא, אמר רבי יוחנן:

כל המהלך ארבע אמות בארץ ישראל --

מובטח לו שהוא בן העולם הבא.

With regard to the aforementioned verse “And spirit to they who walk there” (Isaiah 42:5),

R' Yirmeya bar Abba said that R' Yoḥanan said:

Anyone who walks four cubits in Eretz Yisrael --

is assured of a place in the World-to-Come.

R’ Ile’a - Righteous abroad will roll to Eretz Yisrael (in the messianic future); Abaye: tunnels provided

ולרבי אלעזר, צדיקים שבחוץ לארץ אינם חיים?!

אמר רבי אילעא: על ידי גלגול.

מתקיף לה רבי אבא סלא רבא: גלגול לצדיקים צער הוא!

אמר אביי: מחילות נעשות להם בקרקע.

The Talmud asks: And according to the opinion of R' Elazar, will the righteous outside of Eretz Yisrael not come alive at the time of the resurrection of the dead?!

R' Ile’a said: They will be resurrected by means of rolling (גלגול), i.e., they will roll until they reach Eretz Yisrael, where they will be brought back to life.

R' Abba Salla Rava strongly objects to this: Rolling is an ordeal that entails suffering for the righteous.

Abaye said: Tunnels (מחילות) are prepared for them in the ground, through which they pass to Eretz Yisrael.

Karna - Jacob sought burial in Eretz Yisrael lest he not merit to roll to there via tunnels (in the messianic future) - Genesis 47:30

״ונשאתני ממצרים

וקברתני בקבורתם״,

אמר קרנא:

דברים בגו:

יודע היה יעקב אבינו שצדיק גמור היה,

ואם מתים שבחוצה לארץ חיים,

למה הטריח את בניו?!

שמא לא יזכה למחילות

§ The verse states that Jacob commanded Joseph: “You shall carry me out of Egypt

and bury me in their burying-place” (Genesis 47:30).

Karna said:

There are inner matters (דברים בגו) here, i.e., a secret meaning:

Our Patriarch Jacob knew that he was completely righteous,

and if the dead of the lands outside of Eretz Yisrael come alive,

why did he trouble his sons to bring him to Eretz Yisrael?!

The reason is that he was concerned lest he not merit the tunnels.

R’ Ḥanina - Joseph likewise made his brothers swear to bury him in Eretz Yisrael, lest he not merit to roll to there via tunnels (in the messianic future) - Genesis 50:25

כיוצא בדבר אתה אומר:

״וישבע יוסף את בני ישראל וגו׳״,

אמר רבי חנינא:

דברים בגו:

יודע היה יוסף בעצמו שצדיק גמור היה,

ואם מתים שבחוצה לארץ חיים,

למה הטריח את אחיו ארבע מאות פרסה?!

שמא לא יזכה למחילות.

[...]

On a similar note, you say:

“And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying: God will surely remember you, and you shall carry up my bones from here” (Genesis 50:25).

R' Ḥanina said:

There are inner matters here.

Joseph knew concerning himself that he was completely righteous,

and if the dead of the lands outside of Eretz Yisrael come alive,

why did he trouble his brothers to carry his coffin 400 parasangs to Eretz Yisrael?!

The reason is that he was concerned lest he not merit the tunnels.

[...]

R’ Elazar - Amei ha’aretz (=commoners) will not live (in the messianic future / World-to-Come) - Isaiah 26:14

אמר רבי אלעזר:

עמי הארצות אינן חיים,

שנאמר: ״מתים בל יחיו וגו׳״

§ R' Elazar said:

The common, uneducated people (amei ha’aretz) will not come alive in the future,

as it is stated: “The dead live not” (Isaiah 26:14).

In other words, those who were already considered dead in their lifetimes will not come back to life afterward either.

תניא נמי הכי:

״מתים בל יחיו״,

יכול לכל?

תלמוד לומר: ״רפאים בל יקומו״,

במרפה עצמו מדברי תורה הכתוב מדבר.

This idea is also taught in a baraita:

“The dead live not”;

one might have thought that this is referring to everyone, i.e., none of the dead will live again.

Therefore, the verse states: “The shades [refa’im] rise not” (Isaiah 26:14).

This teaches that the verse is speaking of one who weakens [merapeh] himself from matters of Torah.

R’ Yoḥanan - Disagrees: verse refers to idolaters; ordinary Jews not excluded

אמר ליה רבי יוחנן:

לא ניחא למרייהו דאמרת להו הכי,

ההוא במרפה עצמו לעבודה זרה הוא דכתיב.

R' Yoḥanan said to R' Elazar:

Their master, i.e. God, is not pleased that you say this of ordinary Jews.

Rather, that verse is written about one who weakens himself and succumbs to idol worship. Those who commit this great sin do not merit to be resurrected in the future.

R’ Elazar (response) - Isaiah 26:19

אמר ליה:

מקרא אחר אני דורש,

דכתיב:

״כי טל אורות טליך

וארץ רפאים תפיל״,

• כל המשתמש באור תורה —

  • אור תורה מחייהו,

• וכל שאין משתמש באור תורה —

  • אין אור תורה מחייהו

[...]

R' Elazar said to him:

I teach it from a different verse,

as it is written:

“For Your dew is as the dew of light,

and the earth shall bring to life the shades” (Isaiah 26:19).

R' Elazar explains:

• Anyone who uses the light of Torah, which is called the dew of light,

  • the light of Torah will revive him;

• and anyone who does not use the light of Torah,

  • the light of Torah will not revive him.

[...]

R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef - Righteous will resurrect in Jerusalem (in the messianic future) - Psalms 72:16; II Kings 19:34

אמר רבי חייא בר יוסף:

עתידין צדיקים שמבצבצין ועולין בירושלים,

שנאמר:

״ויציצו מעיר

כעשב הארץ״,

ואין ״עיר״ אלא ירושלים,

שנאמר: ״וגנותי אל העיר הזאת״.

§ R' Ḥiyya bar Yosef said:

In the messianic future, at the time of the resurrection of the dead, the righteous will burst forth (מבצבצין) and arise in Jerusalem,

as it is stated:

“And may they blossom out of the city

like the grass of the earth” (Psalms 72:16),

and the term “city” means nothing other than Jerusalem,

as it is stated: “For I will defend this city” (II Kings 19:34).

R’ Ḥiyya b. Yosef - Righteous will resurrect clothed

ואמר רבי חייא בר יוסף:

עתידים צדיקים שיעמדו במלבושיהן,

קל וחומר מחטה:

• מה חטה שנקברה ערומה —

  • יוצאה בכמה לבושין,

• צדיקים שנקברו בלבושיהן —

  • על אחת כמה וכמה.

[...]

And R' Ḥiyya bar Yosef said:

In the future the righteous will stand up from their graves in their clothes.

This is derived by an a fortiori inference from the example of wheat:

• Just as wheat, which is buried naked, i.e., the seed alone is planted,

  • and yet it emerges from the ground with several layers of garb, including straw and chaff,

• in the case of the righteous, who are buried fully clothed,

  • all the more so do they come out of the ground properly dressed.

[...]

Appendix 1 - Rabba’s Brothers Advise Him in a Letter (Ketubot 111a-b)

Ketubot.111a.24-111b.3

Ilfa’s Anecdote: Man Longed to Marry a Woman Outside the Land, Chose to Remain in Eretz Yisrael Until Death Out of Recognition of the Merit of Dwelling in the Land

Rabba’s brothers wrote from Eretz Yisrael that Jacob knew he was completely righteous and therefore unafraid.

Ilfa expanded this point with a story: a man, very interested in marrying a specific woman who lived outside of Eretz Yisrael, wanted to leave Eretz Yisrael, but after hearing about the merit of living in the land, he endured his longing until death without leaving.

שלחו ליה אחוהי לרבה:

יודע היה יעקב שצדיק גמור היה וכו׳.

אילפא מוסיף בה דברים:

מעשה באחד

שהיה מצטער על אשה אחת,

וביקש לירד,

כיון ששמע כזאת,

גלגל בעצמו עד יום מותו

§ Rabba’s brothers sent him a letter to Babylonia from Eretz Yisrael,

in which they mentioned this idea that Jacob knew that he was completely righteous, as detailed above.

They continued by writing that Ilfa adds matters to this statement:

An incident occurred

involving one who was suffering (מצטער) through his love for a certain woman he desired to marry,

and he sought to descend from Eretz Yisrael.

When he heard this idea concerning the tremendous significance of living in Eretz Yisrael,

he suffered (גלגל בעצמו) without leaving the country until the day he died.

Study With a Teacher

They urged Rabba to move to Eretz Yisrael, noting that self-study is not the same as learning from a teacher.

Even if he thought he lacked one, they identified R' Yoḥanan as available to him.

אף על פי שחכם גדול אתה --

אינו דומה לומד מעצמו ללומד מרבו.

ואם תאמר:

אין לך רב

יש לך רב,

ומנו?

רבי יוחנן.

Rabba’s brothers further wrote in their letter:

And although you are a great Sage --

one who studies by himself is not similar to one who studies from his teacher, and therefore you should come to Eretz Yisrael.

And if you say that

you do not have a teacher in Eretz Yisrael,

in fact you do have a teacher.

And who is he?

He is R' Yoḥanan.

Health Advice: Don’t excessively sit, stand, or walk

If he would not ascend, they advised practical health rules: avoid excessive sitting (causes hemorrhoids), standing (harmful to the heart), or walking (harmful to the eyes).

ואם אין אתה עולה —

הזהר בשלשה דברים:

1. אל תרבה בישיבה —

   1. שישיבה קשה לתחתוניות,

2. ואל תרבה בעמידה —

   1. שעמידה קשה ללב,

3. ואל תרבה בהליכה —

   1. שהליכה קשה לעינים

And if you do not ascend to Eretz Yisrael,

be careful in three matters:

1. Do not sit excessively,

   1. as sitting is harmful with regard to hemorrhoids (תחתוניות);

2. do not stand excessively,

   1. as standing is harmful with regard to heart trouble;

3. and do not walk excessively,

   1. as walking is harmful with regard to eye problems.

… Rather, one should divide time equally between the three

אלא

1. שליש בישיבה,

2. שליש בעמידה,

3. שליש בהילוך.

[...]

Rather, divide your time:

1. One-third for sitting,

2. one-third for standing,

3. and one-third for walking.

[...]

Mule Breeding Ruling

Finally, they reported a halakhic consensus: R' Yitzḥak, R' Shimon, and R' Oshaya agreed with R' Yehuda with regard to female mules.¹

וכן אמרו:

1. יצחק

2. ושמעון

3. ואושעיא

אמרו דבר אחד:

הלכה כרבי יהודה בפרדות.

[…]

And so too, the brothers said to Rabba:

1. Yitzḥak,

2. Shimon,

3. and Oshaya

all said the same statement:

The halakha is in accordance with the opinion of R' Yehuda with regard to female mules (פרדות).

[…]

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak - identifications here of the names “Yitzḥak”, “Shimon”, and “Oshaya”

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak explained the identifications of these figures as R' Yitzḥak Nappaḥa, R' Shimon ben Pazi (or Reish Lakish), and R' Oshaya the Distinguished.

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק:

1. יצחק —

   1. זה רבי יצחק נפחא,

2. שמעון —

   1. זה רבי שמעון בן פזי,

   2. ואמרי לה: ריש לקיש,

3. אושעיא —

   1. זה רבי אושעיא ברבי.

Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said, in explanation of this last statement of Rabba’s brothers:

1. “Yitzḥak”

   1. is to be identified with R' Yitzḥak Nappaḥa;

2. “Shimon”

   1. is R' Shimon ben Pazi.

   2. And some say that he is Reish Lakish, i.e., R' Shimon ben Lakish.

3. “Oshaya”

   1. is R' Oshaya the Distinguished.

Appendix 2 - Anecdotes of rabbis’ immigration to Eretz Yisrael, and practices there (Ketubot 112a-b)

Ketubot.112a.15-112b.1

Anecdote - R' Elazar’s immigration to Eretz Yisrael and ordination (Ezekiel 13:9)

1. רבי אלעזר כי הוה סליק לארץ ישראל,

   1. אמר: פלטי לי מחדא.

2. כי סמכוהו,

   1. אמר: פלטי לי מתרתי.

3. כי אותבוהו בסוד העיבור,

   1. אמר: פלטי לי מתלת

§ The Talmud relates that

1. when R' Elazar ascended to Eretz Yisrael

   1. he said: I have been spared (פלטי) one curse.

2. When they ordained him² and awarded him the title of Rabbi

   1. he said: I have been spared two.

3. When they appointed him to sit in the council (סוד) of rabbis who dealt with the intercalation of the calendar (עיבור),

   1. he said: I have been spared three

שנאמר: ״והיתה ידי אל הנביאים החוזים שוא וגו׳״.

1. ״בסוד עמי לא יהיו״ —

   1. זה סוד עיבור.

2. ״ובכתב בית ישראל לא יכתבו״ —

   1. זה סמיכה.

3. ״ואל אדמת ישראל לא יבואו״ —

   1. כמשמעו.

As it is stated: “And My hand shall be against the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies; they shall not be in the council of My people, neither shall they be written in the register of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am YHWH God” (Ezekiel 13:9).

1. “They shall not be in the council (סוד) of My people,”

   1. this is referring to the council of the intercalation of the calendar;

2. “neither shall they be written in the register of the house of Israel,”

   1. this is referring to ordination;

3. “neither shall they enter into the land of Israel,”

   1. this is understood as per its plain meaning (כמשמעו).

R' Elazar merited that these three curses were not fulfilled in him.

Anecdote - R' Zeira’s immigration to Eretz Yisrael

רבי זירא כי הוה סליק לארץ ישראל

לא אשכח מברא למעבר,

נקט במצרא וקעבר.

§ When R' Zeira ascended to Eretz Yisrael

he could not find a ferry (מברא) to cross the Jordan River.

He took hold of a rope (מצרא) that was strung across as a makeshift bridge and crossed the Jordan.

אמר ליה ההוא צדוקי:

עמא פזיזא,

דקדמיתו פומייכו לאודנייכו,

אכתי בפזיזותייכו קיימיתו!

אמר ליה:

דוכתא דמשה ואהרן לא זכו לה,

אנא מי יימר דזכינא לה?!

A certain Sadducee said to him:

Hasty people

who put your mouths before your ears, when you said at the time of the giving of the Torah: “We will do” before “we will hear” (Exodus 24:7),

you remain hasty to this day!

Why couldn’t you wait a little longer to cross the river on a ferry?

R' Zeira said to him:

This is a place where Moses and Aaron did not merit entering;

who is to say that I will merit seeing this land?!

I hurried across before anything might occur to prevent my entrance into Eretz Yisrael.

Four Practices of rabbis in Eretz Yisrael - Psalms 102:15

1. רבי אבא

   1. מנשק כיפי דעכו.

2. רבי חנינא

   1. מתקן מתקליה.

3. רבי אמי ורבי אסי

   1. קיימי משמשא לטולא ומטולא לשמשא.

4. רבי חייא בר גמדא

   1. מיגנדר בעפרה,

שנאמר:

״כי רצו עבדיך את אבניה

ואת עפרה יחוננו״

1. § R' Abba

   1. would kiss the rocks (כיפי) of Akko, which was on the coast of Eretz Yisrael.

2. R' Ḥanina

   1. would repair its stumbling blocks (מתקליה), i.e., any potholes in the land, so that travelers would not fall and consequently speak ill of Eretz Yisrael.

3. R' Ammi and R' Asi

   1. would stand and pass from a sunny spot to a shady one, and from a shady spot to a sunny one, so that they would always sit in comfort and never have cause to remark that they were uncomfortable in Eretz Yisrael.

4. R' Ḥiyya bar Gamda

   1. would roll (מיגנדר) in the dust of the land,

as it is stated:

“For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,

and love her dust” (Psalms 102:15).

1. That one may not mate a female mule with a horse or donkey, but only with another mule. The specifics are not important for our purposes here; I elide them.

2. סמכוהו - semikhah.