The Fate Of The Soul

Rabbi Abbahu said: Whatever is said in the presence of the dead, he knows, until the covering stone is sealed. Rabbi Hiyya and Rabbi Shimon son of Rabbi disagree about it. One says: until the covering stone is sealed, and one says: until the flesh decomposes. Our Rabbis taught: "And the spirit returns to God who gave it" (Ecclesiastes 12:7), give it back to Him as He gave it to you, in purity, so too you in purity. A parable of a king of flesh and blood who distributed royal garments to his servants. The wise among them folded them and laid them in a chest. The foolish among them went and did work in them. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, concerning the bodies of the righteous says: "He shall enter into peace, they shall rest upon their beds" (Isaiah 57:2), and concerning their souls He says: "And the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bond of life" (1 Samuel 25:29). Concerning the bodies of the wicked He says: "There is no peace, says the LORD, to the wicked" (Isaiah 48:22), and concerning their souls He says: "And the soul of your enemies He shall sling out, from within the hollow of the sling" (1 Samuel 25:29). It was taught: Rabbi Eliezer says: The souls of the righteous are stored away beneath the Throne of Glory, as it is said: "And the soul of my lord shall be bound up in the bond of life." And those of the wicked roam about, and one angel stands at one end of the world, and another angel stands at the other end of the world, and they sling their souls from one to the other, as it is said: "And the soul of your enemies He shall sling out, from within the hollow of the sling." Rabbah said to Rav Nahman: Of the intermediate, what is their fate? He said to him: Were I dying, I would not have told you this matter. Thus said Samuel: Both these and those are handed over to Dumah. These have rest, those have no rest.