Three men approach death. Each begs their family for something to bring to the next world. According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle compiled by Jerahmeel ben Solomon, the results are devastating for two of them and glorious for the third.
The farmer says, "Give me some of my labor, so I do not go empty-handed." His family replies, "You worked the field, but the earth and its fullness belong to God. You own nothing." The goldsmith makes the same request. His family answers, "You worked in silver and gold, but Scripture says, 'Mine is the silver and Mine is the gold.' You have nothing of your own to bring."
Then the Torah scholar asks. His family responds differently: "How can we give you the fruits of your labor? You spent your life studying the law. God Himself will grant you your reward. The ministering angels will come to greet you and say, 'Come in peace.' Your light shall break forth like the morning."
Rabbi Jose draws a lesson from Adam. He was given one easy commandment and failed to keep it. The punishment cascaded through every generation. How much more, then, will reward cascade for those who study Torah and perform good deeds?
The text then reveals a strange detail about the afterlife. The dead can see one another. Each soul appears to the other dead exactly as they last appeared in life: some as young, others as old, depending on when the observer died. This prevents anyone from thinking a person has lived forever. The angel appointed over the dead reshapes each soul so everyone recognizes it. But those condemned to Gehinnom (the place of spiritual purification after death) are wrapped in smoke and brimstone so that others cannot witness their punishment. The only exception: those who publicly humiliated others in life are publicly shamed in death.
XI. (1) K. Abahu told the parable of three different
men. One tills the ground, another works in silver and
gold, and the third studies the law. When the time
approaches for him who tills the ground to die, he says to
his household, ' Give me some of my work, so that I do
not go to the next world empty-handed.' To which they
reply, ' Thou art foohsh. Hast thou not worked the field?
and Scripture has already said, " The earth and its fulness
belong to God," therefore thou hast nothing of thine own
to bring.'
(2) When the end of him who works in silver and gold
arrives, he says to his household, ' Give me some of my
labour (work), that I may not go to the next world empty-
handed.' But they reply, ' Thou art fooHsh. Thou hast
worked in this world in silver and gold. Scripture has
already said, " Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold, saith
the Lord;" therefore thou hast nothing of thine own to bring.'
(3) When the time arrives for him who studies the law
(Torah) to quit this world, he says to his household, ' Give
me of my labour, that I may not go to the next world
empty-handed.' To him they say, '0 thou pious and
righteous man, how can we give thee (the fruits) of thy
labour ? Hast thou not constantly occupied thyself with the
law? But God will grant thee the reward of thy work, and
shall receive thee with good grace. The ministering angels
shall go forth to meet thee and exclaim, " Come thou in
peace;" and concerning thee Scripture says, " Then shall
thy light break forth as the morning." '
(4) Kabbi Jose says, ' If thou desirest to know the reward
of the righteous in the world to come, come hither and
learn it from what has befallen Adam. He was commanded
to perform an easy precept, and because he transgressed it.
28 [XI. 5
God punished him and all subsequent generations with
many kinds of death. Therefore the sages have said that,
on the contrary, whoever studies and observes the law
and performs good deeds shall be delivered from the
punishment of Gehinnom and the sorrows of the grave.'
E. Abahu mentions one of the proverbial sayings of Rabbi
Isaac that the end of man is death, the end of animals
is slaughter, and all are destined to die. (5) E. Jose
says, ' Come hither and see the difference existing between
man and animals; the latter are slain and flayed, and
are not subjected to any judgment: whilst with refer-
ence to man, how many chastisements and troubles does
he bear in this world; and after his death, if he is a
righteous man, his judgment is delayed; but if he is wicked,
he is brought before the tribunal every year between
Passover and Pentecost, as it is said, "And they shall go
forth and look upon the carcases of the men, and it shall
be at every new moon." (6) After man's death he is seen
by all the other dead, and he appears to each just as they
last saw him alive: some see him as a youth, others as an
old man, just as each saw him before his own death, so that
they should not think that any man lives for ever, and say
when we were among the living we saw this or that man,
and now how many hundreds of years have passed since we
have seen them alive ? (7) Therefore, when one dies the
angel who guards the dead makes his soul assume various
forms, so that all shall recognise him by seeing him just as
they saw him in life. Then, in the event of one being con-
demned afterwards to Gehinnom, he is enveloped with
smoke and brimstone, so that one should not see the
punishment of the other; and none should be put to shame
before the other, except those who have publicly put others
to shame.'
(8) Every man after death is brought to judgment, even
if he should belong to the section of the righteous, stilL
after a time his sins are visited. Thus Samuel said to
Saul, ' To-morrow thou shalt be in my division.' Was
not Samuel in Eamah, and Saul in another place ? The
explanation is that he (Samuel) referred to the soul when
he said, ' Thou wilt be with me in my division.' And we
see that after a long lapse of time the house of Saul was
judged on account of Saul and on account of the house of
blood. Thus, the house of Saul was visited. Although he
was called ' the chosen of the Lord,' yet His seed was
judged.
