RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL : Three sons of Korach

 

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL : Three sons of Korach

 

 DEREK ERETZ ZUTA: 

 Nine entered the Garden of Eden when they were still alive: Part Two

 

 

 

5. EBED-MELECH THE CUSHI

 

 

 Ebid- melech's name literally means servant of the king. He was an African eunuch.

 

[Jer. 38; 7- end of chapter], ''Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spoke to the king saying, My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city.

 

Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die.So Ebed-melech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under your armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

 

  Then King Zedekiah sent and had Jeremiah the prophet brought to him at the third entrance that is in the house of the Lord and the king said to Jeremiah, "I am going to ask you something; do not hide anything from me. Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, If I tell you, will you not certainly put me to death? Besides, if I give you advice, you will not listen to me. But King Zedekiah swore to Jeremiah in secret saying, "As the Lord lives, who made this life for us, surely I will not put you to death nor will I give you over to the hand of these men who are seeking your life. Then Jeremiah said to Zedekiah, "Thus says the Lord God of hosts, the God of Israel, 'If you will indeed go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then you will live, this city will not be burned with fire, and you and your household will survive. 'But if you will not go out to the officers of the king of Babylon, then this city will be given over to the hand of the Chaldeans; and they will burn it with fire, and you yourself will not escape from their hand.

 

Then King Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, I dread the Jews who have gone over to the Chaldeans, for they may give me over into their hand and they will abuse me. But Jeremiah said, "They will not give you over. Please obey the Lord in what I am saying to you, that it may go well with you and you may live. But if you keep refusing to go out, this is the word which the Lord has shown me: 'Then behold, all of the women who have been left in the palace of the king of Judah are going to be brought out to the officers of the king of Babylon; and those women will say, "Your close friends Have misled and overpowered you; While your feet were sunk in the mire, They turned back." 'They will also bring out all your wives and your sons to the Chaldeans, and you yourself will not escape from their hand, but will be seized by the hand of the king of Babylon, and this city will be burned with fire.'"

 

Then Zedekiah said to Jeremiah, "Let no man know about these words and you will not die. But if the officials hear that I have talked with you and come to you and say to you, 'Tell us now what you said to the king and what the king said to you; do not hide it from us and we will not put you to death,' then you are to say to them, 'I was presenting my petition before the king, not to make me return to the house of Jonathan to die there.'" So Jeremiah stayed in the court of the guardhouse until the day that Jerusalem was captured. Now when Jerusalem was captured in the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army came to Jerusalem and laid siege to it;in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city wall was breached.''

 

This is Tammuz 10. On Tammuz 17 in 70 CE the Romans breached the wall of Jerusalem. Tammuz 10 was folded into Tammuz 17, and it is now a fast day. Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH RENEWAL : 17 TAMMUZ FAST: TALMUD YERUSHALMI

 

And we read that true to form, King Zedekiah and all the nobility of Judah, fled, got captured, were all killed except Zedekiah, who was blinded and taken in chains to Babylon. But for Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzar said : (2 Chron. 39:12 -14) Take him and look after him, and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he tells you." They took Jeremiah out of the court of the guardhouse and entrusted him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.''

 

Now back to Ebed-Melech (2 Chron. 39:16 et. al.): God says to Jeremiah: Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, "Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city for disaster and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day. But I will deliver you on that day," declares the Lord, "and you will not be given into the hand of the men whom you dread. For I will certainly rescue you, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as booty, because you have trusted in Me," declares the Lord.'"

 

So what was Ebed-Melech merit? He saved Jeremiah, allowing Jeremiah one more chance to warn the Hebrew king of Judah, the last one, to report to Nebedchadnezar and allow Jerusalem, the people, and the Temple to live on. But as most Hebrew kings , King Zedekiah , did not listen to prophecy. Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed, and all of King Zedekiah's household was killed, and the king blinded and taken captive. And Jeremiah was freed by Nebedchadnezar. God reward Ebed-Melech with saving him from death by the Babylonians.

 

6. Jabetz the son of R. Jehudah the Prince

 

There is no Talmudic reference to a son of Rabbi Judah Ha Nasi, Rabbi Yehudah the Prince, named Jabetz or Jabez. This is probably an error which happens a lot with names in oral transmission.  It should be  Jabez the Yahudahite.

 

The clan of the Kenite family of the Rechabites, was merged into the tribe of Judah. I Chron. 2:55 refers to "families of scribes" ("soferim") dwelling at Jabez; while in another passage (1 Chron.. 4: 9-10) Jabez is described as "more honorable than his brethren." His name (Ya'beẓ) is derived from his mother's saying: "I bare him with sorrow" ("'oẓeb"). Another explanation is (1 Chron . 4:9- 10, .): " Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, "I gave birth to him in pain." Now Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my border, and that Your hand might be with me, and that You would keep me from harm that it may not pain me!" And God granted him what he requested.'' Jabez had trust in God and had honor.

 

Jabez was prominent, particularly after the Exile, among those Kenite clans that embraced Judaism, becoming scribes and teachers of the Law. Rabbinical tradition identifies Jabez with Othniel the Kenezite, the head of the bet ha-midrash after the death of Moses (Talmud Bavli Tractate Temurah 16a  ). Hence the vow of Jabez was understood to refer to his schoolhouse: "If Thou wilt bless me with children, and give me many disciples and associates," etc. (Temurah 16a and Talmud Bavli Tractate  Sanhedrin 106a). "The whole tribe of Jethro, the Kenites as well as the Rechabites, left their habitations near Jericho and went to Jabez to learn the Torah from him" (Sifre on Num. 78).

 

In the Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch (v. 5) Jabez is mentioned together with Jeremiah and Gedaliah among the saintly leaders of the people at the destruction of the Temple, being one of the deathless frequently mentioned in rabbinical tradition ( Derek Eretz Zuta 1 see above).

 

So what was Jabez merit? He was a righteous convert. His ancestor was Moses' father -in-law Yitro. He was a Kenite that joined the tribe of Judah. And like many converts, he was more spiritual than those born Hebrew or Jewish. He taught Torah, and was a scribe of Torah. And he had faith in God. He is only mentioned in two verses of the entire TaNaK, yet his faith and his deeds of teaching, gave him the privilege to see Paradise while still alive. He was honorable and honest.

 

7. Bothiah {Bithiah} the daughter of Pharaoh

 

(I Chron. 4; 17- 18) '' The sons of Ezrah were Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (And these are the sons of Bithia the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took) and she conceived and bore Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa. (His Judean wife gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soco, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married.''

 

The daughter of Pharaoh did not follow her father's wicked ways, but rather converted and ceased worshiping idols. She was highly praised by the Rabbis, and the Midrash includes her among the devout women converts: Hagar, Asenath, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh, Rahab, Ruth and Jael wife of Heber the Kenite (Midrash Tadshe , Ozar  ha-Midrashim). The Midrash specifically praised the daughter of Pharaoh for her rescue of Moses, thereby aiding in the exodus of all the Israelites from Egypt. Moses was raised in her home, by a woman who believed in God. She radiated warmth and loved him as if he were her own son, and accordingly was richly rewarded: she married Caleb son of Jephunneh and joined the people of Israel. Some Midrashim attest to her longevity and claim that she entered the Garden of Eden while still alive.

 

The Midrash calls the daughter of Pharaoh "Bithiah," identifying her with the woman mentioned in I Chron 4:18: "And his Judahite wife bore Jered father of Gedor, Heber father of Soco, and Jekuthiel father of Zanoah. These were the sons of Bithiah daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered married." The "Bithiah daughter of Pharaoh" mentioned in this verse is one of the two wives of Mered, who was descended from Caleb son of Hezron, who apparently was of Judahite extraction.

 

So she either married Caleb, or Caleb's son Mered. The rabbis, as usual, are able to reconcile this as we will read below.

 

The Rabbis found the name bat-yah to be fitting for the daughter of Pharaoh in the Book of Exodus, since she (unwittingly) realized the divine plan when she kept alive the rescuer of Israel. The Midrash relates that the daughter of Pharaoh received her new name of Bithiah (bat-yah; literally, the daughter of God) from God as reward for her actions. God told her: "Moses was not your son, yet you called him your son; you are not My daughter, but I call you My daughter" ( Midrash Lev. Rabbah 1:3 ). The verse in Chronicles served as the basis for various expositions concerning the daughter of Pharaoh. The Rabbis ask why Chronicles refers to her as "his Judahite [or, Jewish] wife," since she was an Egyptian. They answer that Bithiah received this appellation because she repudiated idolatry (Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah  13a).

 

The Midrashim about the story of Moses's rescue are replete with wondrous acts and miracles, that are meant to graphically illustrate the threat to the infant's life and the divine intervention that was manifested in his rescue. The reader gains the impression that Moses was not like all men, and that his qualities were already evident while still a child. The miraculous deliverance of the infant Moses symbolizes the future salvation of the people of Israel from Egypt, where miraculous events would occur, as well.

 

The Torah relates that the daughter of Pharaoh found Moses when she went down to bathe in the Nile (Ex. 2:5). In the Midrash expansion, she did not go there to bathe, but to cleanse herself from the idols of her father's house (that is, to perform the immersion of conversion) ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah  13a.). This exegesis illuminates the spiritual qualities of the daughter of Pharaoh, by merit of which she was chosen to be the one to find and raise Moses.

 

The Rabbis magnify the test to which the daughter of Pharaoh was put when she saw the basket floating. In the Midrash account, when her handmaidens saw that she intended to rescue Moses, they attempted to dissuade her, and persuade her to heed her father. They said to her: "Our mistress, it is the way of the world that when a king issues a decree, it is not heeded by the entire world, but his children and the members of his household do observe it, and you wish to transgress your father's decree?" Immediately, Gabriel appeared and beat them to the ground, and they died (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah  12b). These handmaidens represent the yetzer ha ra of the daughter of Pharaoh, who might have been undecided as to whether she should disobey her father's edict. The angel Gabriel removes this obstacle and reinforces her resolve to draw Moses forth from the Nile.

 

An additional miracle was performed when the basket was drawn forth from the water. Ex. 2:5 attests: "and she sent her slave girl [amatah] to fetch it." The Rabbis have different understandings of the word amatah, which has two possible meanings: "her slave girl," or "her hand." According to one view, she sent her slave girl to draw forth the  basket. Although the angel Gabriel had killed her handmaidens , he left her one, because it is not customary for the daughter of a king to stand unattended, and it was this slave girl who was sent to rescue Moses from the Nile (as was fitting for the daughter of royalty).

 

In another hermeneutical approach, that understands amatah as "her hand," the daughter of Pharaoh herself drew forth Moses from the river. Since it was not meet for the daughter of Pharaoh to trouble herself and go down into the river to try and catch the floating basket, a miracle was performed for her, and her arm stretched out until it could reach the ark (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:23 ); one tradition has her arm extending to a length of sixty cubits ( Sekel Tov on Ex. 2:46). This exegesis emphasizes the personal involvement of the daughter of Pharaoh in Moses's rescue, as she herself attests in Ex. 2:10: "I drew him out of the water."

 

In the Torah's account of what happened after the basket was drawn forth (Ex. 2:6): "When she opened it, she saw that it [va-tire-hu] was a child […]. She took pity on it." The Rabbis ask what caused the daughter of Pharaoh to take pity on Moses and keep him alive, contrary to her father's command. The Midrash  replies that she saw the Shechinah (the Divine Presence) with him, and the wording "va-tire-hu" alludes to the name of God (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1: 24 ).

 

Another approach is based on the continuation of the verse, that relates that the child's weeping motivated the daughter of Pharaoh: "She saw that it was a child, a boy crying. She took pity on it." The Rabbis maintain that divine intervention was needed for the infant to cry, which they learn from a close reading of v. 6. The beginning of the verse refers to Moses as a "child [yeled]," and then calls him a "boy [na'ar]," from which the Rabbis learn that Moses was a yeled, that is, an infant, but he conducted himself as a na'ar (an older child). Thus, when the daughter of Pharaoh opened the basket, Moses, unlike other babies, did not cry. The angel Gabriel immediately came and hit Moses so that he would cry, thereby arousing the compassion of the daughter of Pharaoh ( Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:24). Another tradition claims that the daughter of Pharaoh suffered from leprosy and she went down to bathe in the water to be cured of her disease. When she touched Moses's basket, she was miraculously cured, leading her to take pity on the child and love him so strongly [Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:23).

 

The Torah relates that when the daughter of Pharaoh saw Moses, she declared (Ex. 2:6): "This must be a Hebrew child," to which the Midrash adds that Moses was born circumcised (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:20); when she saw that the infant was circumcised, she realized that he was a Hebrew child (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:24).

 

Another Midrash explains that when the daughter of Pharaoh made this statement, she was unconsciously prophesying: "This" child fell into the Nile, but none other of the children of the Hebrews did so (she prophesied that Moses was the last Hebrew child to be cast into the river). She was correct, because Pharaoh's astrologers saw in the stars that the one destined to save Israel would be punished through water, and they therefore had Pharaoh issue his decree (Ex. 1:22): "Every boy that is born you shall throw into the Nile," in order to kill the deliverer. Once Moses had been placed in the water, the astrologers said: "We no longer see that sign," and they canceled the decree (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 12b). Consequently, the daughter of Pharaoh was prophetic, because Pharaoh's decree was revoked after Moses had been placed in the water. The Midrash adds that the astrologers were correct to a certain degree, since Moses would be punished by water when he sinned at the Waters of Meribah (Num. 20:7–13).

 

In the Midrash depiction, the daughter of Pharaoh saw that Moses was hungry when she drew him forth from the Nile. She went around with him to all the Egyptian women, but Moses was not willing to nurse from any of them. Moses said: "The mouth that will speak with God will not suckle something impure [the milk of non-Jews]." Accordingly, Miriam came and offered the daughter of Pharaoh her mother Yochebed , who was "a Hebrew" (Ex. 2:7) (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 12b).  Following another interpretation, Moses rejected the breasts of the Egyptian women because he said: "God will speak with me. The next day the Egyptian women would say: 'I nursed the one who speaks with the Shechinah" (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:25).

 

The daughter of Pharaoh asked of Yochebed (Ex. 2:9): "Take [helikhi] this child and nurse it for me," which, according to the Rabbis, was an instance of unwitting prophecy, since the word "helikhi" concealed the truth—"shelikhi hu [he—the infant—is yours]" (Midrash Exodus Rabbah  1:25). Yochebed nursed Moses for twenty-four months (Midrash Exodus Rabbah  1:26). The Midrash  asserts that although Yochebed gave birth to Moses, he is called the son of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, because she raised him ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 19b).

 

The Midrash  tells that the daughter of Pharaoh would kiss and hug Moses as if he were her own son, and she would not take him out of the royal palace. Because of his beauty, everyone desired to see him, and no one who saw him could tear his eyes away. Moses's life was in danger, despite the daughter of Pharaoh's guarding of the infant.

 

One time Pharaoh held Moses and hugged him. Moses took Pharaoh's crown from the monarch's head and put it on his own, as he would later do when he grew up. Pharaoh's magicians, who were sitting there, explained: "We fear that this child will take your crown and place it on his own head, lest this be the one who we prophesy will seize the kingdom from you." Some of the magicians said to kill the child, and some said to have him burnt.

 

Jethro was sitting among them (as one of the magicians). He told them: "This child is witless. In order to test him, set before him two bowls, one containing gold, and the other, a coal. If he stretches his hand to the coal, he is witless and does not deserve to die; but if he stretches his hand to the gold, he did this with intelligence, and he is to be put to death." They immediately set before him the gold and the coal and Moses put forth his hand to take the gold, but Gabriel came and pushed his hand away. Moses took the coal and put his hand, with the coal, in his mouth. His tongue was burnt, thus causing him to be (Ex. 4:10) "slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:26).

 

The Rabbis observe that the daughter of Pharaoh raised in the palace the one who would eventually bring all manner of troubles upon her father as punishment for the subjugation of Israel, as is said in Ezek. 28:18: "So I made a fire issue from you, and it has devoured you," thus symbolizing the manner in which the future redemption would occur.

 

The names of the daughter of Pharaoh's six offspring in I Chron. 4:18 are expounded as six different appellations for Moses: "And his Judahite wife bore Jered,  father of Gedor, Heber,  father of Soco, and Jekuthiel,  father of Zanoah." The Midrash notes that she did not actually give birth to him, as this verse states, but only raised him, from which the Rabbis learn that anyone who raises an orphan in his house is accounted by Scripture as if he was the child's birth parent (Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah 13a).

 

Another midrash lists ten names that were given to Moses: Jered, Avi- [father of] Gedor, Heber, Avi-Soco, Jekuthiel, Avi-Zanoah, Tobijah, [Tovya} Shemaiah, Levi, and Moses. God told him: "By your life, of all the names by which you are called, I will call you only by the name given you by Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh" (Midrash Lev. Rabbah 1:3  ). This teaches of the reward given to those who engage in acts of loving-kindness. The daughter of Pharaoh acted in such a manner with Moses, and was rewarded by the Torah using the name that she gave Moses; nor did God call him by any other name (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 1:26)

 

The Rabbis applied to the daughter of Pharaoh the verse from the "Woman of Valor" poem "She sees that her business thrives; her lamp never goes out at night" (Prov. 31:18). In the Midrash exposition, the "night" in this verse is that of the plague of the firstborn, in which all the firstborn of Egypt died. The female firstborn also died in this plague, with the exception of the daughter of Pharaoh. Despite her being a firstborn, Moses was an advocate for her and she was saved by merit of his prayer. Solomon therefore declared (Prov. 31:18): "She sees that her business thrives [ki tov]," since "ki tov" is an appellation for Moses, of whom it is said (Ex. 2:2): "she saw how beautiful [ki tov] he was." "Her lamp never goes out at night," because she did not die that night, of which it is said (Ex. 12:29): "In the middle of the night" (Pesikta de-Rav Kahana, Va-Yehi Ba-Hazi Ha-Laylah ["In the middle of the night"]  (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 18:3)  

 

The Rabbis deduced from I Chron. 4:18: "whom Mered married" that the daughter of Pharaoh was married to Caleb son of Jephunneh. They further maintain that he was given the name "Mered" because he rebelled (marad) against the counsel of the spies (when they spoke ill of the land of Canaan: Num. 13–14). God said: "Let Caleb, who rebelled against the counsel of the spies, marry the daughter of Pharaoh, who rebelled against the idols of her father's house" (Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah BT 13a.).

 

The Midrash asserts that Bithiah did not die, but was among those who entered the Garden of Eden while still alive, as did Enoch, Serah daughter of Asher, Elijah, the three sons of Korach, King Hiram of Tyre, Jabez, Jonadab son of Rahab and his descendants, Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, Abraham's servant Eleazar, the slave of R. Judah ha-Nasi and R. Joshua ben Levi [Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23]  Note that in this list we have the additional names of the three sons of Korach, and  Rahab's son Jonadab  and a slave of Judah ha Nasi. Jebez is listed by himself and not as a son of Judah ha Nasi.  

 

She was so privileged because she cared for Moses (i.e., rescued him and raised him) [Midrash Eshet Chayil -- Woman of Valor-- 31:15)  .  Another exegetical tradition has God saying: "Since this one brought salvation to Israel and brought them forth to life, I shall prolong her life. I shall reward this one, who left her father's royal house and adhered to Israel"   [Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23] . This Midrash attributes the salvation of all Israel to the daughter of Pharaoh, because she saved Moses from death, and thereby facilitated the redemption of Israel from Egypt by means of their leader Moses.

 

So what was Bithia's merit to enter Paradise without dying? She showed the ultimate in ahavath chesed, loving kindness. She save a child and adopted it and raised him. That this child, Moses, would grow to become the leader and law giver of Israel, was not truly known to her. Further, she put life, pekuah nefesh, over the royal decree of her father, the Pharaoh.

 

8. Serech the daughter of Ascher,

 

Also spelled, Serah, the daughter of Asher, as mentioned in Talmud Bavli Tractate Soṭah 13a and in the Chumash.  Asher was one of the 12 sons of Jacob. Hence Serah was Jacob's granddaughter.

 

Serah daughter of Asher is mentioned in the Bible in the count of the Israelites who went down to Egypt (Gen. 46:17) and in the enumeration of the Israelites at the steppes of Moab (Num. 26:46). Aside from this, she takes no part in any narrative, nor is anything said about her.

 

In contrast, there are a plethora of Midrashic traditions about this woman and thus the faceless Biblical character becomes a fascinating personality. Her history is intertwined with the story of the migration to Egypt and enslavement, and also with redemption and the return to Eretz Israel. She lived to an extremely old age and accordingly was blessed with much earthly wisdom and knowledge, which she used to help the people of Israel as needed, even during the time of the Rabbis.

 

The Midrash  speaks of Serah's great beauty and wisdom: when Joseph was reunited with his brothers and sent them to the land of Canaan to bring his father Jacob to him in Egypt, he ordered them not to alarm their aged father. The brothers summoned Serah and asked her to sit before Jacob and play for him on the lyre, in this manner revealing to him that Joseph was still alive. Serah played well and sang gently: "Joseph my uncle did not die, he lives and rules all the land of Egypt." She played this for Jacob two and three times and he was pleased by what he heard. Joy filled his heart, the spirit of God rested on him and he sensed the truth of her words. He bade her: "Continue to play for me, for you have heartened me with all that you said." While he was speaking with her, his sons came to him with horses, chariots and royal garments, with slaves running before them and told him:  ''We bring glad tidings, for Joseph still lives and he rules all the land of Egypt." When Jacob saw all that Joseph had sent, he knew that they spoke truthfully. He was exceedingly happy and he said (Gen. 45:28): "This is enough for me! My son Joseph is still alive! I must go and see him before I die" ( Sefer ha Yasher , Vayigash, chapter 14) .

 

Although Gen. 46:17 lists Serah among the seventy members of Jacob's family who went to Egypt, the Rabbis observe that a count of the names in Gen. 46 totals only sixty-nine. Logic would dictate that Jacob himself completed the count of seventy souls, but the Midrash maintains that Serah was the seventieth member of the Israelite party (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 94:9)

 

According to this view, she was intentionally not enumerated among the seventy, because she entered the Garden of Eden while still alive (this exegesis might be based on a tradition preserved only in the late Midrash, according to which she was the daughter of Malchiel son of Elam and Hadorah, the granddaughter of Eber, and was adopted by Asher after the death of her father and her mother's marriage to Asher. Serah was raised in Asher's home as his daughter, but since she was adopted, she was not listed among Jacob's seventy descendants; ( Sefer ha Yasher VaYeshev chap. 14)   

 

The Rabbis assign to Serah an important role in identifying Moses as the redeemer who would deliver the Israelites from Egypt. The Midrash relates that the secret of redemption was given over to Abraham, who conveyed it to Isaac, Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob to Joseph. Joseph transmitted the secret of redemption to his brothers, telling them (Gen. 50:25): "When God has taken notice of you (pakod yifkod), you shall carry up my bones from here" and Asher passed it along to his daughter Serah.

 

When Moses and Aaron came to the Israelite elders and performed miracles before them, they went to Serah and told her: "A certain man has come to us and performed such-and-such wonders." She replied, "There is no substance to him" (that is, he is not the deliverer). They then said to her: "He also said: 'When God has taken notice of you' (pakod yifkod)." She said: "This is the man who will redeem Israel from Egypt, for I heard from my father 'He will take notice' (pakod yifkod)" The people immediately believed in their God and His agent, as it is said (Ex. 4:31): "and the people were convinced when they heard that the Lord had taken note (pakad) of the Israelites."

 

In the Midrashic account, Serah helped Moses to fulfill the oath sworn to Joseph, to carry up his bones. When the Israelites were ready to leave Egypt they were occupied in taking booty, and Moses was the only one who was engaged with Joseph's bones. He searched for his coffin in all the land of Egypt, but could not locate it. Serah was the only one of that generation still alive.

 

Moses went to her and asked: "Do you know where Joseph is buried?" She answered: "They placed him here. The Egyptians made for him a metal coffin and sunk it in the Nile, so that its waters would be blessed." Moses then went to the Nile, stood on the bank and shouted: "Joseph, Joseph, the time has come for the oath that God swore to our father Abraham, that He will redeem His children. Give honor to the Lord, the God of Israel, and do not delay your redemption, because we are delayed on your account. If you show yourself, it will be well; and if not, then we are free from your oath , if you will not raise your coffin, we will go forth from Egypt and leave you here."

 

Joseph's coffin immediately rose to the surface and Moses took it (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah  13a). This led the Rabbis to state that Serah delivered "the faithful one to the faithful one," since she gave Joseph over to Moses when they departed from Egypt ( Midrash Genesis Rabbah 94:9) 

 

According to the Rabbis, not only was Serah among those who came to Egypt and one of those who left it, she also entered Eretz Israel; they use as a proof text for the latter claim Num. 26:46, that includes Serah among the names of those entering the land (Seder Olam Rabbah 9) . 

 

An additional tradition of Serah's longevity has her still alive in the time of King David and identifies her with the wise woman of Abel-beth-maacah . When Joab, David's military commander, asked her: "Who are you?," she replied (II Sam. 20:19): "I am one of those who seek the welfare of the faithful [shelomei emunei] in Israel." In the Rabbinical exegesis, she is saying to Joab: I am one of the Israelites who went down to Egypt with Jacob. I completed [shelumai] the count of Israel [emunei Yisrael; a wordplay on the root shlm, referring both to peace-welfare and completion] to the seventy souls that went down to Egypt. Do you want to kill the entire city, and also me, who am an important woman?" In this manner Serah saved the lives of all the inhabitants of her town (Midrash Eccl. Rabbah 9:18:2) 

 

One exegetical tradition goes even further, declaring that Serah never died but was one of the people who entered the Garden of Eden while still alive, like Enoch, Elijah, Pharaoh's daughter Bithiah, the three sons of Korah, King Hiram of Tyre, Jabez, Jonadab son of Rechab and his descendants, Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, Abraham's servant Eliezer, the slave of R. Judah ha-Nasi and R. Joshua ben Levi (Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ). This was mentioned in the section on Bithia. 

 

The tradition of Serah's immortality is also reflected in a narrative set in the time of the Rabbis, in which Serah appears in order to resolve a disagreement in the academy . R. Johanan was sitting in the academy and expounding the verse (Ex. 14:22): "the waters forming a wall for them on their right and on their left." How could the water become as a wall? R. Johanan expounded that it was a sort of an impervious net. Serah appeared and said: "I was there, and the water was not as a net, but as transparent windows" ( Pesikta de Rav Kahana 11:13). 

 

In this Midrashic vignette, Serah is an extremely old woman who can testify, in the first person, to the miracle of the parting of the Reed Sea. In her wisdom, she is capable of comprehending, and participating in, the aggadic discussion conducted in the academy . Her statement is preferred to that of R. Johanan, since she has first-hand knowledge of the facts.

 

The traditions of Serah's extreme longevity apparently have their basis in the fact that she is mentioned both in the count of those who went to Egypt and in the list of those who entered Eretz Israel. Her singular name may also have contributed to these traditions, since the meaning of the expression (Ex. 26:12): "serah ha-odef" is "something left over" ("the overlapping excess"). This evolved into the tradition that Serah lived for hundreds of years, was in the presence of both Joseph and Moses and was even one of those who entered the land of Canaan. In the development of this tradition her lifetime extended to the period of King David and the later traditions claimed that she never died at all, but entered the Garden of Eden while still alive. In the late Midrash, Jacob is the one who blessed Serah that she would live forever, telling her: "My daughter, because you revived my spirit, death shall never rule you" (Sefer ha Yasher , Vayigash, chap. 14).

 

The character of Serah, who accompanies the Israelites to Egypt and enters the land of Canaan with them, embodies the history of the people of Israel. Her character is linked with those of the people's leaders, and she expedites the realization of the Divine plan. This is her role when she convinces Jacob that Joseph still lives, thus resulting in his going down to Egypt; she continues in this task when she identifies Moses as the true redeemer of Israel, thus leading the people to heed him; and thus, when she helps Moses to find Joseph's bones, so as not to delay the Exodus from Egypt. Serah's appearance seemingly confirms that God's promises will be fulfilled and that the people of Israel will leave Egypt and come to and take possession of the Promised Land.

 

 

What are Serah's merits to deserve to see Paradise without dying? She had extreme ahavath chesed. And her actions helped bring Jacob to Egypt, helps Moses find Joseph's bones, and keeps the Exodus on track. She had faith and taught of God's redemption and saved many lives.

 

9. Rabbi Jehoshua ben Levi also known as Rabbi Joshua Ben Levi.

 

Rabbi Joshua is  the hero of nearly all the paradise legends. He often met Elijah before the gates of paradise (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 98a) and he obtained permission from the angel of death to visit paradise before his death and to inspect his assigned place. He reported the result of his investigation to Rabban Gamaliel (Seder ha-Dorot). The original accounts are in the Zohar, which contains all the elements in fragmentary documents (Zohar Beresheit, 38a-39b, 41a, and Zohar Leka 81a, b). One of these accounts is credited to Enoch. Midrash Konen is probably the first compilation and elaboration of these fragments; it reads as follows:

 

"The Gan Eden at the east measures 800,000 years (at ten miles per day or 3,650 miles per year). There are five chambers for various classes of the righteous. The first is built of cedar, with a ceiling of transparent crystal. This is the habitation of non-Jews who become true and devoted converts to Judaism. They are headed by Obadiah the prophet and Onḳelos the proselyte, who teach them the Law. The second is built of cedar, with a ceiling of fine silver. This is the habitation of the penitents, headed by Manasseh, King of Israel, who teaches them the Law.

 

"The third chamber is built of silver and gold, ornamented with pearls. It is very spacious, and contains the best of heaven and of earth, with spices, fragrance, and sweet odors. In the center of this chamber stands the Tree of Life, 500 years high. Under its shadow rest Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the tribes, those of the Egyptian exodus and those who died in the wilderness, headed by Moses and Aaron. There also are David and Solomon, crowned, and Chileab (II Sam. iii. 3; Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat  55b), as if living, attending on his father, David.

 

Every generation of Israel is represented except that of Absalom and his confederates. Moses teaches them the Law, and Aaron gives instruction to the priests. The Tree of Life is like a ladder on which the souls of the righteous may ascend and descend.

 

In a conclave above are seated the Patriarchs, the Ten Martyrs, and those who sacrificed their lives for the cause of His Sacred Name. These souls descend daily to the Gan Eden, to join their families and tribes, where they lounge on soft cathedras studded with jewels. Everyone, according to his excellence, is received in audience to praise and thank the Ever-living God; and all enjoy the brilliant light of the Shechinah. The flaming sword, changing from intense heat to icy cold and from ice to glowing coals, guards the entrance against living mortals. The size of the sword is ten years. The souls on entering paradise are bathed in the 248 rivulets of balsam and attar.

 

The fourth chamber is made of olive-wood and is inhabited by those who have suffered for the sake of their religion. Olives typify bitterness in taste and brilliancy in light [olive-oil], symbolizing persecution and its reward.

 

The fifth chamber is built of precious stones, gold, and silver, surrounded by myrrh and aloes. In front of the chamber runs the River Gihon, on whose banks are planted shrubs affording perfume and aromatic incense. There are couches of gold and silver and fine drapery. This chamber is inhabited by the Messiah of David, Elijah, and the Messiah of Ephraim.

 

(note here Judaism's version of two Messiahs, one of war, and then one of everlasting Shalom).

 

In the center are a canopy made of the cedars of Lebanon, in the style of the Tabernacle, with posts and vessels of silver; and a settee of Lebanon wood with pillars of silver and a seat of gold, the covering thereof of purple. Within rests the Messiah, son of David, 'a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief' (Isa. 53:3), suffering, and waiting to release Israel from the Exile. Elijah comforts and encourages him to be patient. Every Monday and Thursday, and Sabbath and on holy days the Patriarchs, Moses, Aaron, and others, call on the Messiah and condole with him, in the hope of the fast-approaching end.

 

In other versions the sections of paradise are increased to seven. Another Midrash, apparently composed of fragments of ancient versions, describes the three fire-walls of different colors around paradise, and places the section of the pious among the heathen nations outside the outer wall. This description is remarkable for the diminutive dimensions which it gives, e.g., 600 ells between the walls, and 120 ells' space between the entrances; also for the fact that it antedates paradise to the creation of heaven and earth by just 1,361 years, 3 hours, and 2 minutes. This paradise has a tall music pillar which plays beautiful songs automatically. There are seven sections for the pious souls, and a separate division of seven sections for the souls of pious women, headed, in the order named, by Bithiah, the daughter of Pharaoh, a proselyte; Jochebed, wife of Amram; Miriam; Huldah the prophetess; Abigail; (sixth and seventh sections, the highest) the Matriarchs.

 

In another version the sections are seven, but the grades of the souls number twelve, as follows: "those (1) who feared God, (2) who were charitable, (3) who buried the dead, (4) who visited the sick, (5) who dealt honestly, (6) who lent to the poor, (7) who cared for the orphans, (8) who were peacemakers, (9) who instructed the poor, (10) who were martyrs, (11) who learned the Law, (12) David, Solomon, and other righteous kings, such as Josiah and Hezekiah.''

 

The following Midrashic narrative is attributed to R. Joshua b. Levi, though the style of the Midrash appears to be much later, perhaps of the ninth century CE: "Paradise has two diamond gates, and there are 600,000 attending angels with shining faces. Immediately on the arrival of the righteous, they divest him of his shroud and clothe him witheight garments made of clouds of honor. They put a double crown of fine gold and jewels on his head, and place eight myrtles in his hand. The angels salute him, saying, 'Go eat thy bread with joy,' and lead him along valleys of water in which grow 800 species of roses and myrtles. Each of the righteous has a canopy as is befitting his excellence. Connected with each canopy are four rivulets of milk, wine, balsam, and honey. Over each canopy grows a golden vine studded with thirty pearls, each glittering like Venus. Under the canopy is a table of onyx set with diamonds and pearls. Sixty angels guard every righteous one and ask him to partake of the honey as compensation for his study of the Law, which is likened to honey (Ps. 19: 10), and to drink the wine, which has been preserved in its grapes ever since the six days of Creation, the Law being likened to spiced wine (Song. 8: 2). The most uncomely of the righteous becomes as beautiful as Joseph and as R. Johanan. Exiguous silver pomegranates reflect the sun, which is always shining; for 'the path of the just is as the shining light' (Prov. 4:18). There are three stages through which the newcomer has to pass: (1) the section of the children, which he enters as at child; (2) the section of the young; and (3) the section of the old. In each section he enjoys himself as befits his state and age" (Midrash Seder Gan Eden) 

 

Regarding the feast that is prepared for the righteous in paradise, the Leviathan and "the wine preserved in its grapes since the six days of Creation" are the main courses to be served at the banquet (Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava  Batra  75a). The order of the banquet follows: "The Almighty invites the righteous into paradise. King David requests God to join the company. The angel Gabriel brings two thrones, one for God and one for David, as the Scriptures say, 'his throne as the sun before me' (Ps. 84:. 36). They feast and drink three goblets of wine. The toast (grace before meals) is offered, to Abraham, 'the father of the world,' but he declines because he had a son (Ishmael) who antagonized God. Isaac, in turn, declines because one of his descendants (an Edomite) destroyed the Holy Temple. Jacob declines because he married two sisters (against the Law). Moses declines because he did not cross the Jordan into Palestine. Joshua declines because he left no issue. Finally, King David accepts the toast, saying: 'I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord' (Ps. 116: 13). After grace the Law is produced, and God, through the interpreter, Zerubbabel ben Shealtiel (Ezra 3: 2), reveals the secrets and reasons of the commandments. David preaches from the Haggadah, and the righteous say: 'Let His great Name be hallowed forevermore in paradise!' The wicked in Gehinnom, on hearing the doxology, take courage and answer 'Amen!' Whereupon the Almighty orders the attending angels to open the gates of paradise and to permit the wicked to enter, as the Scriptures say, 'Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth  may enter in' (Isa. 26: 2), the word 'truth-- emunim' being interpreted 'who observe to answer "Amen"' (Tanna d' Eliyahu Zuṭa 20).

 

There are a nether Gehinnom and an upper one, over against the nether and the upper Gan Eden. Curiously enough, hell and paradise join each other. R. Johanan claims that a partition of only a hand-breadth, or four inches wide, separates them. The Rabbis say the width is but two fingers ( Midrash Ḳohelet).

 

R. Akiba said: "Every man born has two places reserved for him: one in paradise, and one in Gehinnom. If he be righteous he gets his own place and that of his wicked neighbor in paradise; if he be wicked he gets his own place and that of his righteous neighbor in Gehinnom" (Talmud Bavli Tractate Chagigah).

 

The question "Who may be a candidate for either Gehinnom or paradise?" is solved by the majority rule. If the majority of the acts of the individual are meritorious, he enters paradise; if wicked, he goes to Gehinnom; and if they are equal, God mercifully removes one wicked act and places it in the scale of good deeds. R. Jose b. Ḥanina quotes, "Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardoneth iniquity" ( "lifts a sin"; Mic. 8: 18; and Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Peah. 1: 1).

 

The Talmud deduces the immortality of the soul from the Scriptures. "The spirit shall return to God who gave it" (Eccl. 7: 7); the body of the righteous "shall enter into peace" (Isa. 57: 2); and the soul "shall be bound in the bundle of life with the Lord" (I Sam. 25: 29), which is under God's "throne of honor" (Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 152b). The haggadic dimensions of paradise and names of the attendants, as well as the materials and articles described, have their cabalistic value and symbolic meaning. The feasting and enjoyment are spiritual, for which figures of speech were invented. Rab distinctly says: "In paradise there is no eating, no drinking, no cohabitation, no business, no envy, no hatred or ambition; but the righteous sit with crowned heads and enjoy the luster of the Shechinah, as it is written: 'They saw God and did eat and drink'" (Ex. 24: 11—the sight of God being considered the equivalent of food and drink; (Talmud Bavli Tractate  Beracoth 18a).

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi or Yehoshua ben Levi was an amora   (Rabbi of the Talmud) who lived in the land of Israel of the first half of the third century. He headed the school of Lydda in the southern Land of Israel. He was an elder contemporary of Johanan bar Nappaha and Resh Lakish, who presided over the school in Tiberias. (Genesis Rabbah 94.) With Johanan bar Nappaha, Joshua often engaged in homiletic exegetical discussions ( Talmud Bavli Tractates Bava Batra 116a; Megillah 27a; and Shavuot 18b). It is uncertain whether the name "ben Levi" meant the son of Levi, whom some identify with Levi ben Sisi, or a descendant of the tribe of Levi.

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi studied under Bar Kappara, whom he often quoted. But Joshua considered his greatest indebtedness to Rabbi Judah ben Pedaiah, from whom he learned a great number of legal rulings. (Midrashim Exodus Rabbah 6; Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:7; and Genesis Rabbah 94.) Another of his teachers was Rabbi Phinehas ben Jair, whose piety and sincerity must have exerted a powerful influence upon the character of Joshua. Joshua himself had a gentle disposition. He was known for his modesty and piety, and whenever he instituted public fasting and prayer, it was said that his appeals were answered. (Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Taanit 66c.)

 

His love of peace prevented him from making any attacks against the Christian theology that was then gaining ground. He was tolerant of Jewish Christians, though they often annoyed him. And he forbore cursing one of them, pronouncing rather Psalm 145:9, "God's mercies extend over all His creatures." ( Talmud Bavli Tractates Berachot 7a; and Avodah Zarah 4b.) His love of justice and his concern that the innocent might suffer on account of the guilty ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Yoma 19b) led him to speak against the custom then prevailing of removing from office a reader who, by omitting certain benedictions, had aroused the suspicion of heresy. (  Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Beracoth 9c.)

 

Joshua devoted much of his time to furthering the public welfare. (Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah 7:7.) His wealth, and his alliance to the patriarchal family through the marriage of his son Joseph (Talmud Bavli Tractate Kiddushin 33b), must have added to his authority. He was recognized as a representative of Palestinian Jewry, for he was found in company with his friend Rabbi Hanina interceding on behalf of his people before the proconsul in Caesarea, who accorded Joshua and his colleague much honor and respect. (Talmud Yerushalmi  Tractate Beracoth 9a.)

 

On another occasion, when the city of Lydda was besieged because a political fugitive had found refuge there, Joshua saved the city and its inhabitants by surrendering the refugee. (   Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Terumoth 46b; and Midrash Genesis Rabbah 94.) He also made a journey to Rome, but his mission is not known. (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 33.) Although Rabbi Joshua was connected through family ties with the patriarchal house, and always manifested his high esteem for its members (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Kiddushin 33b), it is largely due to him that the friendship between the southern schools and the patriarchal house diminished. (For evidence that such friendship once existed, see   Talmud Bavli Tractate Eruvin 65b; and  Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Pesachim 32a.) Joshua was the first to ordain fully his own pupils in all cases where ordination was requisite (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Nedarim 42b), thus assuming a power that hitherto had lain in the hands of the head of the Sanhedrin alone.

 

In the field of legal interpretation, Joshua was of considerable importance, his decisions being generally declared valid even when disputed by his contemporaries Rabbi Johanan and Resh Lakish. He was lenient, especially in cases where cleanliness and the preservation of health were involved. (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Shabbat 121b;  Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Yoma 44d.) Joshua devoted himself to the elucidation of the Mishnah. And his own legal interpretations resemble in their form and brevity the writings of the Tannaim in the Mishnah.

 

In homiletic exegesis (aggadah), however, he was even more influential. He had a high opinion of that study, and he explained Psalm 28:5, "the works of God," as referring to homiletic exegesis. (Midrash Tanhuma 28:5.) Similarly in Proverbs 21:21, he identified "glory" (kavod) with homiletic exegesis. (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Bava Batra 9b.) There is also a reference to a book ("pinkes") by Joshua ben Levi which is presumed by some to have presented haggadic themes but this can not be well reconciled with Joshua's disparaging of the writing down of homiletic exegesis. (  Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Shabbat 15c; and Midrash Tehillim 22:4 which assumes that the "pinkes" was the work of another rabbi of the same name.)

 

Nonetheless, homiletic exegesis occupied an important place in the teaching of Rabbi Joshua. His disciples and contemporaries quoted many such propositions in his name.

 

As an exegete, Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was of some importance, his interpretations often enabling him to deduce legal rulings. Some of his explanations have been accepted by later commentators. (Midrash Exodus Rabbah 23.)

 

Joshua ben Levi's emphasis of study was seen when he spoke of God as saying to David (Psalm 84:11) that "better" in God's sight is "one day" of study in the Law "than a thousand" sacrifices (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Makkot 10a; and Midrash Tehillim 122:2.) Though learning was of paramount importance ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah 27a), still he also insisted on piety. He said that those who attends the synagogue service morning and evening will have their days prolonged ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 8a), and those who move their lips in prayer will surely be heard. (Midrash Leviticus Rabbah 16;   Talmud Yerushalmi Beracoth 9d). He instituted a number of rules regulating the reading of the Law in the synagogue on weekdays ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 8a) and other matters relating to the service, many of which are to this day observed in synagogues. (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Sotah 39b.)

 

Some of Joshua's philosophical and theological opinions are recorded. Speaking of the attributes of God, he represented God as "great, mighty, and awe-inspiring" (Deut. 10:17). (  Talmud Bavli Tractate Yoma 69b; and   Talmud Yerushalmi Tractates Beracoth 11c; and  Megillah 74c.)

 

He conceived the relation between Israel and God as most intimate, and he expresses it in the words, "Not even a wall of iron could separate Israel from his Father in heaven." ( Talmud Bavli Tractates Pesachim 85b; and Sotah 38b.) In his doctrine of future reward and punishment, paradise will receive those who have performed the will of God, while the nether world becomes the habitation of the wicked. (Talmud Bavli Tractate Eruvin 19a). In Psalm 84:5 he found Biblical authority for the resurrection of the dead ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 91b), and in Midrash Genesis Rabbah 26 he expressed the liberal view that immortality is the portion not only of Israel, but of all other nations as well. In a legend, Joshua inquired of the Messiah when he was coming, and Elijah answered that it will be when Israel heeds God's voice (Psalm 95:7) ( Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 98a.) In another connection, he spoke of the futility of estimating the time of the coming of the Messiah (Midrashim Tanhuma 9:1; Leviticus Rabbah 19.)

 

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi was a favorite hero in legend. He was often made to be the companion of Elijah in the latter's wanderings on earth. (Midrash Pesikta 36a.)    He also had legendary dealings with the Angel of Death. (  Talmud Bavli Beracoth 51a.) While yet alive, he was permitted to visit paradise and the nether world, and he sent a description of what he saw there to Rabban Gamaliel through the submissive Angel of Death. (Derek Eretz Zuta 1.) Many of the legends relating to Joshua have been collected in separate small works entitled "Ma'aseh de-Rabbi Yehoshua' ben Lewi" and "Masseket Gan Eden we-Gehinnom."

 

So what was the merit of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi to deserve being allowed to see Paradise while alive. His rulings always had to do with chesed, loving- kindness. At a time when many rabbis wanted to curse Jews who were belonging to the sect of Rabbi Yeshua ben Yosef, (now called Christians), he taught of getting along with them. His comment of Jewish pluralism of the righteous of all nations have a share in the world to come, contrasted with other religions 'admission process' to heaven, was pure love.

 

10.  Messiah

This essay is long enough to write about the Jewish Messiah. Anyone that can bring peace among Jews, and among everyone in the earth, has more than enough chesed to earn himself a place in Paradise without dying.

 

11. Three sons of Korach (not mentioned in Derek Eretz Zuta, but in the Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ):

 

While counting the tribe of Reuben, mention is made of Datan and Abiram who were leaders in Korach's rebellious assembly. The Torah retells the story of the earth swallowing Korach, Datan, Abiram, as well as the 250 men who joined them. Scripture then states in Numbers 26:11: "Oo'v'nay Korach lo may'too," but the sons of Korach did not die.

This intriguing verse, seemingly irrelevant to the ongoing narrative, raises many questions. The verse does not say that the sons of Korach, (Assir, Elkana and Aviassaf), were counted in the census. It merely states that "they did not die." Rashi, quoting the Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah 14a, explains this contextual issue by declaring that Korach's sons joined their father's conspiracy at the very beginning, but somewhere during the process had thoughts of teshuvah  (repentance). Rashi, however, again citing the Talmud, does not exonerate the sons of Korach, in fact he declares that "a special place was designated for them in purgatory (gehinom) where they still dwell."

This revealing Midrash, is based on a nuance in the biblical text (Numbers 16:32) that states that the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the people, their houses and all their property. The verse does not say that they died, but rather that they were "swallowed." Obviously, most of the rebels died, but the sons of Korach, who were swallowed along with the others, did not die.

One of the most beautiful literary legacies in all of human literature is the Book of Psalms. Most of the 150 psalms are attributed to King David. A few are ascribed to Moses and King Solomon and others. Psalm 47, however, begins with the words: "Lam'na'tzay'ach liv'nay Korach, mizmor," For the conductor, by the sons of Korach, a song.

Not only did Korach's children remove themselves from the rebellion, they and their descendants reached such great spiritual heights that they were able to compose magnificent psalms. Of all 150 psalms, it is psalm 47, written by the sons of Korach, that is chosen to be recited before the sounding of the shofar on Rosh Ha Shana. It reaffirms the belief that if the sons of Korach can repent, so can others. If they could resist the influence of one of the greatest propagandists of all times, then we can as well. It assures us that even though no one was closer to Korach than his sons, even though they were deeply involved in the rebellion, they were able to extricate themselves from the rebellious assembly.

Psalm 47:2 reads: "Sound the shofar with a joyous cry," because we can overcome outside influences, and beat evil at its own game. Like the sons of Korach, each of us can rise above destiny, and outwit the unholy influences that try to derail us. In Chronicles I 6:18-22 we learn that the great prophet Samuel is a descendent of the sons of Korach.

Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 110a;  Rabbah bar bar Chanah tells the following story: I was one walking on the road, and an Arab merchant told me, "Come, and I will show you the site of the swallowing of Korach's  sons." He then went and showed two cracks in the ground which smoked. He took a ball of wool shearings, soaked it in water, put it on the head of a spear, and passed the spear over the cracks, and the wool was singed. Then the Arab told him to listen, and he heard, "Moses and his Torah are true, and we are liars"

So what were the three sons of Korach's merits to not die? While they joined with their father in the biggest rebellion known to Hebrew history, of Hebrew versus Hebrew, they realized they were wrong. They broke away and did teshuvah, amends. 

 12. Rechab's son Jonadab (not mentioned in Derek Eretz Zuta, but in the Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ):

Compare this to "Jabez the Yahudahite' above.

 

Jeremiah 35:6-10:'' But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father
commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons forever: 7 Neither shall ye build
house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may
live many days in the land where ye be strangers. 8 Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of
Rechab our father in all that he hath charged us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor
our daughters; 9 Nor to build houses for us to dwell in: neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed: 10 But
we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.''

 

Jeremiah was describing the clan called Rechabites after Rechab. Rechab was a Kenite, the tribe of Midianites from which Yitro, Moses' father-in-law were . The Kenite converted to the Hebrew way of life, although, one of them, Heber allies himself with the King of Caanan (Jud. 4:17), while his wife Jael is still loyal to the Hebrews and becomes a military heroine.(Jud 4:17-23, 5:24-27).

 

As time moved on, the Kenites came under the rulership of Rechab, who so greatly influenced the clan in the cause of truth, that they came to be called Rechabites.( 1 Chron. 2:55). They were known for their scribal activities. 1 Chron. 2:55.  This pursuit of truth was perpetuated by Rechab's son, Jonadab.( Jer. 35:6).  In 892 BCE, the year that Jehu ascended the throne of Israel, it was Jonadab who helped cleanse the land of idol worship. (2 Kings 10:15-28). At the time of Nebuchadnezzar's invasion of Judah in 606 BC, the Rechabites moved to Jerusalem and lived there until its destruction in 586 BC. (Jer. 35:11).  As a result of their faithfulness, they were promised a share in the temple service for the rest of their days. (Jer. 35:18-19).

 

So what did the sons of Rechab do to merit to see Paradise while still alive? They followed their father's teachings. They were humble and sober. They were loyal converts who became scribes, and teachers, and were faithful to God.

 

13. The slave of Judah ha Nasi (really the slave of Rabbam Gameliel II, ha Nasi) (not mentioned in Derek Eretz Zuta, but in the Midrash Kallah Rabbati 3:23 ):

 

This slave, whose name was Tavi, was the slave of Rabbi Gamaliel II ha Nasi. He was the first to lead the Jews,  as Hasi, after the fall of the Temple by the Romans in 70 CE. he became Nasi in 80 CE. The text is confused between him and Judah ha Nasi, of circa 200 CE.

 

In Talmud Bavli Tractate Beracoth 16b, we read in the Mishna portion of how Rabban Gamaliel  II [2nd Century CE], seemed to have contravened a halachic ruling and his students query him on this.

 

''When Rabban Gamaliel's slave Tavi  (aka Tabi, Aramaic for 'good') died, Rabban Gamaliel accepted condolences for him. (As was the custom, Gamaliel stood and his friends walked by him giving him words of condolences). His students said to him:"You, our teacher, have taught us that one may not accept condolences for the loss of a Canaanite slave. Why have you done so?'' Rabban Gamaliel answered:'' My slave Tavi is not like all of the other Canaanite slaves for he is a worthy individual.''

 

The reason that the earlier sages asked a Jew not to mourn for a non-Jew is because one may think that the deceased is a Jew, and that his children are Jews. Patrilineal descent existed in Talmudic times. However, in Talmud Yerushalmi one may mourn for his servants and well as his students, and Halakah treats them as sons, in Judaism, and hence the laws of condolences treats them as relatives.

 

What made Tavi worthy?  In Talmud Bavli Tractate Sukkah 20b as well as in Tractate Yoma 87a, Tavi, a non-Jew was a Torah scholar.  And that Rabban Gamaliel taught Tavi Torah (Talmud Bavli Tractate Megillah 75a)

 

There is a humorous story on Daf 16b of Beracoth of how when Rabbi Eliezer's maid died, his students chased him all over his house, up the stairs, down the stairs, to try to give him condolences which he would not accept because of the original halakah. He said to his students,'' Just as we do not express condolences  when one's donkey or ox dies, we do not express condolences when one's maid dies.''

 

This leads into a prayer, which is found in our prayer books, which I do 3 times a day. It helps humble me, and reminds me what Jews were like in 200 CE and what Jews are like now. Our nature has not changed. Rabbi Judah ha Nasi recites a pray asking God to keep evil away from him, whether brought on by non-Jews or Jews. Now the interesting part, is that Emperor Marcus Aurelious, called Antonious in the Talmud, had Rabbi Judah ha Nasi, awarded with real armed Roman (actually Goth and German)  soldier body guards. (Talmud Tractate Avodah Zarah 10a,10b). And even with these guards, Judah still needed God's help in keeping him safe from non-spiritual jealous Jews. I am but a bug compared to Rabbi Judah ha Nasi. We Rabbis today are reminded that if Jews then tried to do Rabbi Judah harm, (and he was the redactor of the Mishna), we should never be shocked when Jews today try to disparage and even harm us rabbis.

 

 

Now back to Tavi. He obeyed the mitzvah of dwelling in a Sukkah during the holiday of Sukkoth, but does so in a non-halachic way. Tavi sleeps under the bed. Hence the bed, and not skhahk, is over him. Talmud Yerushalmi asks why Tavi just didn't sleep outside the Sukkah if his dwelling in the Sukkah did not meet halachic requirements. But they didn't deny him, as a non-Jew, the right to dwell in a Sukkah. (Talmud Bavli Tractate Sukkah 1a),

 

But here is the kicker, in the next Mishna in Tractate Sukkah, 2.1, Rabban Gamaliel refers to Tavi as a  ''talmid chacham." He is labeled a Torah Scholar and now the lines of distinction between a servant and a talmid, a servant and a Jew, and servant and a son, are dissolved via Rabban Gamaliel. This again is an example of Judaism taking from cultures around it and putting a Judaic spin on it. The Aristocratic Greeks had house slaves whom they taught and respected. The name for these slaves are ''threptos'' and the meaning is 'slave bred in the household of his master.' Note the word 'bred.'

 

We also know the Tavi wore tephillin. While slaves were required to say the Amidah, and even the  Beracoth ha Mazon, Tavi went beyond the sages rulings, and without their denial, wore tephillin.

 

But the lines between slave/master and student/teacher blur even more. Rabban Gamaliel said to Tavi his servant: ' Go and get me good food from the market.' He went and bought him tongue. He said to him: 'Go and get me bad food from the market.' He went and bought him tongue. Said he to him: 'What is this? When I told you to get good food you bought me tongue, and when I told you to get bad food you also bought me tongue! ' Tavi replied: ' Good comes from it and bad comes from it. When the tongue is good there is nothing better, and when it is bad there is nothing worse.' Rabban Gamaliel made a feast for his disciples and placed before them tender tongues and hard tongues. They began selecting the tender ones, leaving the hard ones alone. Said he to them:'' Note what you are doing! As you select the tender and leave the hard, so let your tongues be tender to one another .'' Tavi teaches Gamaliel about Lashon ha ra, literally bad tongue, and Gamaliel passes the oral teaching to his students. (Midrash Leviticus Rabbah  33:1 )

 

Now let us parse some Talmud Yerushalmi. The story is told in the Talmud of Eretz-Israel [Talmud  Yerushalmi Tractate Ketuboth 23a]. Rabban Gamaliel accidentally knocked out a tooth of his favorite servant, Tavi. He conferred with Rabbi Yehoshu'a, saying, "I think I have found a reason to free my servant, Tavi , because I knocked out one of his teeth and the Torah [Exodus 21:27] requires a master to free a servant who suffered mayhem at his hands). Rabbi Yehoshu'a reminded him that he was only required to do so by law if two competent witnesses testified against him in court. But, of course, Rabban Gamaliel could free Tavi from servitude whenever he wished. However, Tavi did not want to be released. Rabbi Yehoshu'a did not say that Rabban Gamaliel could not free Tavi, only that he did not have to. We know see the lines of servant/master becoming friend/friend.

 

Now we will see the lines of Gentile/Jew being blurred further. Rabban Gamaliel, as reported in Tractate Pesachim 7:2  , asked Tavi ''to roast a lamb for Passover on the grill.'' Now remember, the Temple is destroyed, and the Rabbis decreed we cannot eat roast lamb on Pesach any more, and we have its shank bone on our ceremonial Passover plate to remind us of this offering at the Temple. Gamaliel skirts this ruling by saying that his lamb is being cooked by the heat of the grill which is hot from the fire, and not by actual roasting. In any event, a non-Jew, does not prepare the Passover lamb. Also remember that before the Ezra Temple was destroyed in 70 CE, the 4th question for Jewish children at a Passover seder was ''Why on all other nights do we eat meat that is   roasted, stewed or cooked, but on this night we only eat meat that is roasted.'' Tractate Pesachim 10:4. After the Temple's destruction, this question was dropped and the one about reclining was added.

 

Now Talmud Yerushalmi Tractate Niddah 2:1 tells us of Gamaliel's maid servant, Tavita (Tabita, also Aramaic for ''good'').

 

Supposedly she was special as was Tavi. ''It happened that Tavita, Rabban Gamliel's serving girl, was carrying wine
for drinks.  She inspected herself to see if her period had begun before lifting  up each jug of wine. When her period started, she said to Rabban Gamliel:  My lord, I have seen a blood stain on my garment. Rabban Gamliel was upset at the possibility that the wine had been rendered ritually unclean. She said to him:  Do not be concerned. I was inspecting myself before lifting each jug.  ''

In Leviticus Rabbah referred to above, 19:4, Rabban Gamaliel becomes so joyful he yells:'' May your life be given to you, even as you have restored mine to me!'' Remember that Rabban Gamaliel II was Nasi of the Talmudic academy in Yavnah, and could not be known for serving tainted wine. Tavita, a non-Jew, does not have to watch for laws of family purity for herself. She does so out of respect for her master. But in Tavita's case the lines between a giver of sustenance and life  by her master, and her granting him life, become blurred as well.

 

The lessons here, spread through out both Talmuds, and Midrashim, is that Goodness is not just a trait one develop  by being a pious Jew. Goodness comes when we treat one another, regardless of our backgrounds, or status, with goodness. No one can be denied the opportunity to do mitzvoth. If a Canaanite slave can do mitzvoth, certainly Jewish women, and well as Jewish homosexuals, physically or mentally challenged, spouses of Jews, Anusim, etc., can be active,equal, members of a true Talmudic rabbinic congregation and society.

 

So What Did We Learn??

 

So what have we learned from these 13 groups and/or individuals  that were allowed to go to Paradise, Olam ha Ba, the Garden of Eden, ha Gan Eden? They were Hebrews and Jews and non-Hebrews and non-Jews. They were men and women. They were of high stature in society and of low stature. They were rich and they were poor. They were Asian and they were African. Some were converts.

 

What they had in common is righteousness, helping others come to spirituality, peace-making, fighting for the common person, loyalty, got along with others, they did teshuvah when wrong, humility, they went beyond the letter of the law, and they had extreme ahavath chesed, loving kindness.

 

As the Talmud teaches, the righteous of all nations, all religions, have a share in the world to come. Judaism is pluralistic. We are taught the God gave Moses the path for the Hebrews to God, but the God gave an equal prophet to all the other nations, religions, with a different but equal path to the Divine.( Talmud Bavli Tractate Sanhedrin 105a). Rabbi Arthur Segal: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:RIGHTEOUS OF ALL NATIONS HAVE A SHARE IN THE WORLD TO COME

 

This is the lesson of this verse in Derek Eretz Zuta Chapter One, a book, along with Derek Eretz Rabbah, teaches us how to live day by day.

 

Shalom:

Rabbi Arthur Segal www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org
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Jewish Renewal www.jewishrenewal.info
Jewish Spiritual Renewal
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Hilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA

 

Great portions of this essay were taken from Wikipedia, the Encyclopedia Judaica, the Jewish Women's Archives, and a small portion from the teaching of Rabbi Buchwald.