Rabbi Eliezer's students asked him a direct question: what happens in the grave? According to the Chronicles of Jerahmeel, a 12th-century Hebrew chronicle compiled by Jerahmeel ben Solomon, his answer was chilling. The Angel of Death comes to the grave, beats on it, and demands, "Tell me your name." The dead person replies, "I do not know my name." Then the soul is forced back into the body. The dead man stands up and faces judgment.
Rabbi SAFE0 ben Levi adds the details. The angels bring a chain of iron, half burning like fire, half frozen like ice. At the first blow, the limbs separate. At the second, the bones scatter. The ministering angels gather them back together and reassemble the body, then beat it a third time. Each part of the body is punished for its specific transgressions. The eyes, for gazing at sin. The ears, for hearing evil. The tongue, for false testimony. The hands, for violence. The legs, for running toward wrongdoing.
Rabbi Meir taught, in the name of Rabbi Joshua, that the judgment of the grave is actually more severe than Gehinnom (the place of spiritual purification after death). In Gehinnom, only those aged thirteen and older are judged. But in the grave, even stillborn children, even nursing infants, even the perfectly righteous face examination.
Three levels of punishment exist, each more severe than the last. Three days are devoted to the punishment of the grave. Three to Gehinnom. Three to the punishment of heaven itself, which takes place in the direct presence of God. Ordinary transgressors spend twelve months in Gehinnom. The worst offenders, those who violated the entire Torah and followed idolatrous ways, have their bodies and souls burned. Gehinnom vomits them out, and the north wind scatters their ashes under the feet of the righteous.
XIII. (1) K. Eliezer's pupils asked him, 'What judgment
is there in the grave ?' He replied, ' When a man quits
Ijhis world, the angel of death comes to him and sits by his
grave, and beating it with his hands, says, " Tell me thy
name." "Flesh and blood is my name. It is revealed
and known to Him who said, and the world was. But I do
not know what my name is." Then immediately the soul
re-enters his body. He stands up and is brought to judg-
ment.' (2) Pi. Joshua ben Levi says, ' They bring a chain
of iron, half of it burning like fire, half as cold as ice, and
they beat him with it. At the first stroke his limbs get
separated; at the second, his bones are scattered. Then
the ministering angels gather them together, and re-
storing him, beat him a third time, and demand of him an
account and reckoning, and judge him measure for measure.
(3) On the second day they judge him in the same manner.
(4) On the third day they judge him further, and they
punish his two eyes, his two hands, his two feet and his
two ears, his mouth and his tongue. Why are his eyes
punished ? Because he looked with them upon transgres-
sion. Why his ears ? Because he heard sinful utterances
with them. Why his lips ? Because he uttered with them
words of foolishness. And why his tongue ? Because he
has testified falsely with it. Why his two hands ? He
committed violence and robbery with them. Why his two
legs ? Because he hastened with them to transgression.'
E. Jehudah says, ' Whoever has gone to a married woman
shall hang ignominiously in Gehinnom; and whoever
slanders his neighbour shall be suspended by his tongue.
(5) E. Meir, in the name of E. Joshua, says, ' The judgment
in the grave is more severe than that in Gehinnom, for in
Gehinnom only they are judged who are thirteen years
old and upwards; but in the grave, stillborn children and
perfectly righteous men, and even sucklings, are brought
to judgment.' Hence the sages have said, ' He who
dwells in the land of Israel and dies on Sabbath eve at
the time of the blowing of the Shofar, as long as the sun
shines he shall not see the judgment in the grave; whilst
he who loves righteousness and chastisement, charitable
deeds and hospitality to strangers, although not living in
the land of Israel, shall see neither the judgment of the
grave nor that in Gehinnom, as it is said, " From the midst
of trouble I called to God, and He answered me." " From
my trouble " refers to the beating in the grave. " From the
depth of Sheol I cried." This refers to the punishment in
Gehinnom.' (6) Ben Azay says, ' There are three kinds
of punishments, one more severe than the other; more-
over, they are all inflicted in the presence of God.' 'But,'
asks E. Aqiba, ' are they all in God's presence ?' ' Verily
the angels inflict the punishment in the grave and also that
in Gehinnom, but only the punishment of heaven alone is
inflicted in the presence of God !' Three days are given
over to the punishment in the grave, three days to that in
Gehinnom, and three days to the punishment in heaven.
If there is no charge against a man, he is not brought up
32 [XIII. 7
for judgment; but if there are charges against him, the
judgment may last long. (7) The punishment of trans-
gressing Israelites is twelve months in Gehinnom, as it is
said, ' And it shall come to pass at the renewal of the new
moon and at the renewal of the Sabbath.' Just as the
weeks form a cycle, so the months form an annual cycle,
and then shall all flesh prostrate themselves before God.
E. Johanan ben Nuri says, ' The time extends from Passover
until Pentecost, as it is said, " And from one festival to
the other," during which the sabbaths are counted.'
Some sinners are judged in Gehinnom from Passover until
Pentecost, after which time they are acquitted; others,
again, such as the consummately wicked of Israel, obtain
no rest for the whole twelve months; (8) while others who
have violated the whole of the law and the precepts and
have sinned against the law of God, going the idolatrous
way of the nations, shall have their bodies and souls burnt.
Gehinnom vomits them out, and the north wind scatters
them, so that they become ashes under the soles of the
feet of the righteous, as it is said, ' And on account of
the doings of the wicked, behold they shall become ashes
beneath your feet on the day when I execute judgment.'
(9) Further, those who leave the community, the apostates,
traitors, renegades, scoffers, those who despise the festivals,
deny the resurrection of the dead and the divinity of the
law, are swallowed up by Gehinnom; the doors are locked
upon them, and there they are left a prey to eternal
punishment, as it is said, ' And they go forth and look
upon the carcasses of those that have transgressed against
Me, for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be
quenched.'
This is the Description of Gehinnom (Hell).
