We know he received the Torah, but according to some fascinating accounts, his journey didn't stop there. He was granted a glimpse into the ultimate destinations: Paradise and hell. Imagine that.
The story goes that as Moses was preparing to leave heaven, a divine voice declared, "Moses, you have seen the throne of My glory. Now you shall see also Paradise and hell." (Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews) God then sent Gabriel to guide him on this incredible, terrifying tour.
The first stop? Hell.
As Moses approached, the fiery gates of Gehenna (hell) were so overwhelming that he hesitated. But the angel reassured him, explaining that a special fire, one that both burns and consumes, would protect him from the inferno. Think of it as divine fireproofing. With this assurance, Moses stepped into the depths. The fire, as promised, receded, creating a safe passage.
There, Nasargiel, the Angel of Hell, greeted him. He questioned Moses’ presence, but Moses explained he was there to witness God's power. God then instructed Nasargiel to show Moses the torments of the wicked. What Moses saw was a vivid, gruesome tapestry of suffering.
Men were suspended by their eyelids, ears, hands, and tongues, each punishment tailored to their earthly sins. Women were similarly suspended by their hair and breasts. Nasargiel explained that these were the consequences of lustful gazes, listening to gossip, slanderous speech, thievery, and inciting sin. As we find in Midrash Rabbah, sins against others and against the community are particularly grievous.
Hell itself cried out in hunger, demanding the souls of the pious. But, of course, the Holy One would not allow such a thing.
Moses witnessed sinners suspended upside down, their bodies covered in worms each five hundred parasangs (an ancient Persian unit of distance) long. Others were tormented by scorpions with thousands of venomous stings. These were the fate of those who swore falsely, profaned the Sabbath, disrespected scholars, wronged the vulnerable, and denied the Torah. As the Talmud (Nedarim 22a) reminds us, the consequences of our actions resonate far beyond our immediate experience.
He saw yet another place, Tit ba-Yawen, where sinners stood in mud, lashed with fiery chains, their teeth broken repeatedly with fiery stones. These were the punishments for consuming forbidden foods, practicing usury, misusing God’s name, using false weights, stealing, and desecrating sacred days.
Finally, Moses witnessed sinners burned, one half of their bodies in fire, the other in snow, tormented by worms and beaten by Angels of Destruction. These were those who committed incest, murder, idolatry, and cursed their parents and teachers – those who, like Nimrod, arrogantly declared themselves gods.
As Moses departed this terrifying realm, he prayed for deliverance from such a fate for himself and the people of Israel. But God's response was unwavering: "Before Me there is no respecting of persons and no taking of gifts. Whoever does good deeds enters Paradise, and he that does evil must go to hell." In other words, our actions have consequences.
Next, Gabriel led Moses to Paradise.
Imagine the relief. Upon entering, two angels greeted him, acknowledging his worthiness while reminding him that his time had not yet come. Moses clarified that he was there to witness the reward of the righteous.
Under the Tree of Life, Moses met Shamshiel, the prince of Paradise, who guided him through its wonders. He saw seventy thrones made of precious stones, each surrounded by angels. One throne, larger than the rest and encircled by one hundred and twenty angels, belonged to Abraham. Abraham, upon seeing Moses, praised God.
Moses inquired about the size of Paradise, but even Shamshiel, its prince, could not answer. Paradise is beyond measure, beyond comprehension. According to the Zohar, its beauty and bounty are limitless.
The thrones, Shamshiel explained, varied in material according to the deeds of their occupants: pearls for Torah scholars, precious stones for the pious, rubies for the just, gold for the repentant, and silver for righteous proselytes. Even a sinner with a pious son would receive a copper throne, a testament to the power of inherited merit.
Moses saw a spring of living water flowing from under the Tree of Life, dividing into four rivers of honey, milk, wine, and balsam, each flowing beneath the thrones of the pious. Overwhelmed by the beauty and bounty, Moses exclaimed, "Oh, how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee!" (Psalm 31:19)
As Moses left Paradise, a heavenly voice declared that he would also be worthy of seeing the future world, the rebuilding of the Temple, and the coming of the Messiah. In that future time, Moses would continue to teach Torah, even after others sought instruction from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses, having been taught by God Himself, would remain the ultimate teacher. And in the Messianic era, Moses would be one of the seven shepherds leading Israel.
What does this all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that our choices matter, that the consequences of our actions extend beyond this life. Or maybe it's an invitation to imagine the boundless rewards that await those who live righteously. Either way, the story of Moses's journey through Paradise and hell is a powerful reminder of the stakes, and the incredible potential, of human existence.