민수기 11:34의 Halakhah
וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־שֵֽׁם־הַמָּק֥וֹם הַה֖וּא קִבְר֣וֹת הַֽתַּאֲוָ֑ה כִּי־שָׁם֙ קָֽבְר֔וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם הַמִּתְאַוִּֽים׃
그곳 이름을 기브롯 핫다아와라 칭하였으니 탐욕을 낸 백성을 거기 장사함이었더라
Shev Shmat'ta
(Yod) “The dust returns to the ground as it was; and the spirit returns to God Who bestowed it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And our teacher Rabbi Yitschak Arama (Spain, 15th century) wrote in Akeidat Yitschak:
[This] teaches us that the goal of man and his perfection is that that at the time of his end, his two components will completely split one from the other – each one for itself, without the one having any remnant of its companion, etc. However this which the wise one (Shlomo/Kohelet) said about their complete separation – to here and to there – is only accomplished in a [person] if he [has reached] the fullest good while he is alive, such that there not be any admixture in his soul and it not connect to physical traits and their lowliness to identify with them at all; and that he inclines to this, such that he makes efforts that they should be separated. Until, in the end, “the dust returns to the dust as it was,” without any soulful admixture; “and the spirit returns to God Who bestowed it,” without any dusty admixture. This is as they say (Shabbat 152b), “Give it to Him like He gave it to you.” However this matter of separation in this way is difficult for people, as behold, their souls have a great inclination towards their physicality because of their constantly dealing with the physical, etc., to the point where they love it with a powerful love during their lives. And [so] they do not separate in their deaths, etc. and there remains with [the soul] bad and destructive matters, etc.”
And hence he says:
It is as difficult for the soul of the evil to leave [the body], as it is for wool stuck in one of the thorns, etc. – since “the dust returns to the ground as it was,” is not fulfilled with them. [See there.]
And in Maggid Mesharim of [R. Yosef Karo, he] also writes that it is [like the] the ‘hollow of a sling.’41See I Sam. 25:29. As the bodily powers with their desires that have become connected to the soul – sometimes with this sin, and sometimes with that sin; and each sin has its designated power to punish him – is ‘the hollow of a sling.’ And [so] all the designated powers fling him one to the other. See there. And it appears that with this we can resolve that which is written in the Midrash (Sifrei Bamidbar 86)42The standard text of the midrash is slightly different, but different enough to make the explanation given here less compelling. “‘And He called the name of that place Kivrot-Hataavah [because the people who desired were buried there.]’ (Num. 11:34). I might think that that was because of the name of an event; it is therefore written, ‘for there they buried (kavru) the people who desired (hamitavim).’” To here [is the midrash]. And see what is written in Akeidat Yitschak – that it should have stated, “the people who had desired.” See there. And this is the explanation: “I might think that it was because of the name of an event” that happened once – this story that they desired meat – and then it stopped; however the name of the place remained from that time. And the explanation of, “it is therefore written, ‘for there they buried the people who desired,’” is that they are still desiring and it is not [just a one-time] event; rather it is happening all the time. And [it] is as he wrote – that anyone who desires [the physical] in his lifetime is [still] connected to it after the separation of the soul; and [so] they are still desiring.
[This] teaches us that the goal of man and his perfection is that that at the time of his end, his two components will completely split one from the other – each one for itself, without the one having any remnant of its companion, etc. However this which the wise one (Shlomo/Kohelet) said about their complete separation – to here and to there – is only accomplished in a [person] if he [has reached] the fullest good while he is alive, such that there not be any admixture in his soul and it not connect to physical traits and their lowliness to identify with them at all; and that he inclines to this, such that he makes efforts that they should be separated. Until, in the end, “the dust returns to the dust as it was,” without any soulful admixture; “and the spirit returns to God Who bestowed it,” without any dusty admixture. This is as they say (Shabbat 152b), “Give it to Him like He gave it to you.” However this matter of separation in this way is difficult for people, as behold, their souls have a great inclination towards their physicality because of their constantly dealing with the physical, etc., to the point where they love it with a powerful love during their lives. And [so] they do not separate in their deaths, etc. and there remains with [the soul] bad and destructive matters, etc.”
And hence he says:
It is as difficult for the soul of the evil to leave [the body], as it is for wool stuck in one of the thorns, etc. – since “the dust returns to the ground as it was,” is not fulfilled with them. [See there.]
And in Maggid Mesharim of [R. Yosef Karo, he] also writes that it is [like the] the ‘hollow of a sling.’41See I Sam. 25:29. As the bodily powers with their desires that have become connected to the soul – sometimes with this sin, and sometimes with that sin; and each sin has its designated power to punish him – is ‘the hollow of a sling.’ And [so] all the designated powers fling him one to the other. See there. And it appears that with this we can resolve that which is written in the Midrash (Sifrei Bamidbar 86)42The standard text of the midrash is slightly different, but different enough to make the explanation given here less compelling. “‘And He called the name of that place Kivrot-Hataavah [because the people who desired were buried there.]’ (Num. 11:34). I might think that that was because of the name of an event; it is therefore written, ‘for there they buried (kavru) the people who desired (hamitavim).’” To here [is the midrash]. And see what is written in Akeidat Yitschak – that it should have stated, “the people who had desired.” See there. And this is the explanation: “I might think that it was because of the name of an event” that happened once – this story that they desired meat – and then it stopped; however the name of the place remained from that time. And the explanation of, “it is therefore written, ‘for there they buried the people who desired,’” is that they are still desiring and it is not [just a one-time] event; rather it is happening all the time. And [it] is as he wrote – that anyone who desires [the physical] in his lifetime is [still] connected to it after the separation of the soul; and [so] they are still desiring.
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