Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future make a feast for the righteous from the flesh of Leviathan, as it is said: "The companions will make a banquet over it" (Job 40:30). And "banquet" means only a feast, as it is said: "And he made for them a great feast, and they ate and drank" (2 Kings 6:23). And "companions" means only Torah scholars, as it is said: "You who dwell in the gardens, companions hearken to your voice; let me hear it" (Song of Songs 8:13). And as for the rest, they will divide it and make merchandise of it in the markets of Jerusalem, as it is said: "They will divide it among the merchants" (Job 40:30). And "merchants" means only traders, as it is said: "As for the trafficker, the balances of deceit are in his hand; he loves to oppress" (Hosea 12:8) [the verse reads "Canaan" in the sense of "trader"]. And Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future make a tabernacle for the righteous from the skin of Leviathan, as it is said: "Can you fill its skin with sukkot-coverings?" (Job 40:31). If a person is worthy, they make for him a tabernacle; if he is not worthy, they make for him a covering, as it is said: "and its head with a fish-covering" (Job 40:31). And as for the rest, the Holy One, blessed be He, spreads it over the walls of Jerusalem, and its splendor shines from one end of the world to the other, as it is said: "And nations shall walk by your light, and kings by the brightness of your dawn" (Isaiah 60:3). And Rabbah said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future make seven canopies for each and every righteous person, as it is said: "And the LORD will create over every dwelling place of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there shall be a canopy" (Isaiah 4:5). This teaches that for each and every one the Holy One, blessed be He, makes a canopy according to his honor.
A Tabernacle For The Righteous
Bava Batra 75 a
אָמַר רַבָּה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת סְעוּדָה לַצַּדִּיקִים מִבְּשָׂרוֹ שֶׁל לִוְיָתָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יִכְרוּ עָלָיו חַבָּרִים״; וְאֵין ״כֵּרָה״ אֶלָּא סְעוּדָה – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיִּכְרֶה לָהֶם כֵּרָה גְדוֹלָה וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ״; וְאֵין ״חֲבֵרִים״ אֶלָּא תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַיּוֹשֶׁבֶת בַּגַּנִּים, חֲבֵרִים מַקְשִׁיבִים לְקוֹלֵךְ, הַשְׁמִיעִנִי״. וְהַשְּׁאָר – מְחַלְּקִין אוֹתוֹ, וְעוֹשִׂין בּוֹ סְחוֹרָה בְּשׁוּקֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״יֶחֱצוּהוּ בֵּין כְּנַעֲנִים״; וְאֵין ״כְּנַעֲנִים״ אֶלָּא תַּגָּרִים – שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כְּנַעַן בְּיָדוֹ מֹאזְנֵי מִרְמָה לַעֲשֹׁק אָהֵב״. וְאָמַר רַבָּה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת סוּכָּה לַצַּדִּיקִים מֵעוֹרוֹ שֶׁל לִוְיָתָן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״הַתְמַלֵּא בְשֻׂכּוֹת עוֹרוֹ״. זָכָה – עוֹשִׂין לוֹ סוּכָּה, לֹא זָכָה – עוֹשִׂין לוֹ צִלְצָל; שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְצִלְצַל דָּגִים רֹאשׁוֹ״. וְהַשְּׁאָר – פּוֹרְסוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עַל חוֹמוֹת יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וְזִיווֹ מַבְהִיק מִסּוֹף הָעוֹלָם וְעַד סוֹפוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וְהָלְכוּ גוֹיִם לְאוֹרֵךְ, וּמְלָכִים לְנֹגַהּ זַרְחֵךְ״. וְאָמַר רַבָּה אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: עָתִיד הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת שֶׁבַע חוּפּוֹת לְכׇל צַדִּיק וְצַדִּיק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבָרָא ה׳ עַל כׇּל מְכוֹן הַר צִיּוֹן וְעַל מִקְרָאֶהָ עָנָן יוֹמָם, וְעָשָׁן וְנֹגַהּ אֵשׁ לֶהָבָה לָיְלָה, כִּי עַל כׇּל כָּבוֹד חֻפָּה״ – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁכׇּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חוּפָּה לְפִי כְּבוֹדוֹ.
Themes
Original Sources
- B. Bava Batra 75 a
- Seder Gan Eden (version B) in Beit ha-Midrash 3:131-140.