Talmud zu Schemot 33:23
וַהֲסִרֹתִי֙ אֶת־כַּפִּ֔י וְרָאִ֖יתָ אֶת־אֲחֹרָ֑י וּפָנַ֖י לֹ֥א יֵרָאֽוּ׃ (ס)
Dann will ich meine Hand wegtun, und du siehst meinen Rücken [meine Erscheinung], aber mein Wesen kann nicht gesehen werden.
Avot D'Rabbi Natan
Ben Azzai would say: When someone’s mind is calm as a result of the wisdom they have acquired, that is a good sign. When someone’s mind is not calm as a result of the wisdom they have acquired, that is a bad sign. When someone’s mind is calm in the face of his desire, that is a good sign. When someone’s mind is not calm in the face of his desire, that is a bad sign. When the sages look kindly upon someone (at the time of his death), that is a good sign. When the sages do not look kindly upon someone, that is a bad sign. When someone is facing upward [at the time of his death], that is a good sign. When someone is facing downward, that is a bad sign. When someone looks people in the eye, that is a good sign. When someone avoids looking people in the eye, that is a bad sign. When someone’s face shines, that is a good sign. When someone’s face is gloomy, that is a bad sign.
At the hour of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai’s death, he raised his voice and cried. His students said to him: Rabbi! You are a tall pillar, a light to the world, a mighty hammer; so why do you cry? He said to them: Am I going to face a human king? If he were angry with me, it would be only in this world. And if he imprisoned me or killed me, it would be only in this world. And what’s more, I would be able to pacify him with words, or bribe him with money. But no, I am going to face the King of all kings, the Holy Blessed One. And if He is angry with me, it will be in this world and in the World to Come. And what’s more, I cannot pacify Him with words or bribe Him with money. So I have two paths before me: one that leads to Paradise, and one that leads to Gehenna, and I do not know if He will force me into Gehenna or bring me into Paradise. For the verse says about Him (Psalms 22:30), “All who go down into the dirt will submit before him.” (With regard to Moses, it says that he breathed his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.) It also says (Exodus 33:23), “I will remove my hand.” And then it says (Ezekiel 2:10), “And He spread it out before me, and it had writing on the front and on the back.” “On the front” refers to this world; “on the back” refers to the World to Come. Another interpretation: “On the front” refers to the sufferings of the righteous in this world and the tranquility of the wicked in this world. “On the back” refers to the reward for the righteous in the Future to Come, and the punishment for the wicked in Gehenna.
[The verse from Ezekiel continues:]“And on it were written lamentations, dirges, and woes” (Ezekiel 2:10). “Lamentations” refers to the punishment of the wicked in this world, as it says (Ezekiel 32:16), “This is the lamentation with which they shall lament for her; the women of the nations shall lament for her.” “Dirges” refers to the reward for the righteous in the Time to Come, as it says (Psalms 92:4), “Upon the ten-stringed instrument, and upon the lyre and the dirge of the harp.” “Woe” refers to the punishment of the wicked in the World to Come ,as it says (Ezekiel 7:26), “Woe will come upon woe, rumor upon rumor.”
He would also say: Clear your house of impurity, and prepare a chair for Hezekiah, king of Judah.
At the hour of Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai’s death, he raised his voice and cried. His students said to him: Rabbi! You are a tall pillar, a light to the world, a mighty hammer; so why do you cry? He said to them: Am I going to face a human king? If he were angry with me, it would be only in this world. And if he imprisoned me or killed me, it would be only in this world. And what’s more, I would be able to pacify him with words, or bribe him with money. But no, I am going to face the King of all kings, the Holy Blessed One. And if He is angry with me, it will be in this world and in the World to Come. And what’s more, I cannot pacify Him with words or bribe Him with money. So I have two paths before me: one that leads to Paradise, and one that leads to Gehenna, and I do not know if He will force me into Gehenna or bring me into Paradise. For the verse says about Him (Psalms 22:30), “All who go down into the dirt will submit before him.” (With regard to Moses, it says that he breathed his last breath and died, and was gathered to his people.) It also says (Exodus 33:23), “I will remove my hand.” And then it says (Ezekiel 2:10), “And He spread it out before me, and it had writing on the front and on the back.” “On the front” refers to this world; “on the back” refers to the World to Come. Another interpretation: “On the front” refers to the sufferings of the righteous in this world and the tranquility of the wicked in this world. “On the back” refers to the reward for the righteous in the Future to Come, and the punishment for the wicked in Gehenna.
[The verse from Ezekiel continues:]“And on it were written lamentations, dirges, and woes” (Ezekiel 2:10). “Lamentations” refers to the punishment of the wicked in this world, as it says (Ezekiel 32:16), “This is the lamentation with which they shall lament for her; the women of the nations shall lament for her.” “Dirges” refers to the reward for the righteous in the Time to Come, as it says (Psalms 92:4), “Upon the ten-stringed instrument, and upon the lyre and the dirge of the harp.” “Woe” refers to the punishment of the wicked in the World to Come ,as it says (Ezekiel 7:26), “Woe will come upon woe, rumor upon rumor.”
He would also say: Clear your house of impurity, and prepare a chair for Hezekiah, king of Judah.
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