Isaías 66:24 Midrash: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Midrash Tehillim, Seder Olam Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

We are taught in a Baraitha: The school of Shammai says: "Three classes of people appear on the day of Judgment: the perfectly righteous, the grossly wicked, and the intermediate class. The sentence of eternal life is promptly written and sealed for the perfectly righteous; the sentence of Gehenna is promptly written and sealed for the grossly wicked; as it is said (Dan. 12, 2) And many of them that sleep in the dust shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. The intermediate class descend to Gehenna (Fol. 17), but they weep and come up again, as it is said (Zech. 13, 9) And I will bring the third part through the fire, and I will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; and he shall call on My name, and I will answer him. Concerning this last class of men Hannah said (I Sam. 2, 6) The Lord causeth to die and maketh alive. He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up again." But the school of Hillel says: "And He who abounds in kindness inclines [the scale of justice] towards the side of kindness. Concerning this third class of men David said (Ps. 116, 1) It is lovely to me that the Lord heareth my voice; in fact, David applies to them the entire chapter, including Thou hast delivered my soul from death (Ib. 8)." Jews who sin with their bodies as well as non-Jews who sin with their bodies, descend to Gehenna, and their punishment is to be in Gehenna for a period of twelve months; after that time their bodies are destroyed and their souls burnt, and the winds scatter and turn their ashes under the soles of the feet of the righteous, as we read (Mal. 3223) And ye shall tread down the wicked, for they shall be as ashes under the soles of your feet; but as for heretics, informers, Epicureans (disbelievers) who deny the Torah or resurrection, or who separate themselves from the congregation, or those (rulers) who tyrannize the land of the living, or who sin and cause others to sin, as did Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and his associates, — they all descend to Gehenna, and are judged there from generation to generation; as it is said (Is. 66, 24) And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men who have transgressed against Me; for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched. Even when Gehenna will be destroyed, they will not be consumed, as it is said (Ps. 49, 15) And their forms wasteth away in the nether world. But, why to that extent? Because they laid their hands on the Temple; as it is said: "From their own dwelling. Mi-zbul; and the word z'bul refers to the Temple, as it is said (I Kings 8, 3) I have indeed built a dwelling place (z'bitl) for Thee. It is said above: Concerning them said Hannah, The Lord causeth to die and maketh alive." R. Isaac b. Abin said: "Their faces are black like the sides of a caldron;" while Raba remarked: "Those who are now the handsomest of the people of Mechuzza will yet be called the children of Gehenna."

“For God knows the way of the righteous” (Psalms 1:6). This is what scripture said, “God’s eyes are everywhere, watching the bad and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). From where [did Solomon know this]? [From the verse]: “And God saw that Leah was unloved” (Genesis 29:31) [God saw Leah, even when she was feeling particularly unseen.] “But the way of the wicked is doomed [literally lost or destroyed]” (Psalms 1:6). Rabbi Eliyakim said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, destroyed the way of the wicked for the sake of the righteous, that they wouldn’t falter upon it.” Rabbi Elazar said, “Even though it was initially destroyed for the wicked, it was given [back] to them because they toiled at it, as it is said, “At scoffers [God] scoffs” (Proverbs 3:34).” Know that this is so; go out and learn from [the case of] Balaam, the wicked one, when Balak sent for him to curse the Israelites, what did [Balaam] say to him? “Even if Balak would give me a house full of silver and gold” (Numbers 22:18). He went to sleep, and the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him in a dream, as it is said, “And God came to Balaam, (Numbers 22:9). He said to him, “Don’t go with them.” Thereupon, Balaam said [to himself], “Because I’m so righteous [God] doesn’t want to bother me [by letting me go to curse the Israelites].” So [Balaam] said [to God], “I can curse [the nation of Israel] from here!” God said to him, “Do not curse the people.” Balaam said to him, “[Does that mean] to say that I should bless them?” God said to him, “We do not need you to bless it, because it is [already] blessed.” Rabbi Tanchuma said, we say to the bee, I want neither your honey nor your sting. Rabbi Berechia said, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to create mankind, He saw righteous and wicked [decedents] arising from him. He said, “If I create him, behold, the wicked will emerge from him, and if I don’t create him, how will the righteous emerge?” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He separated out the way of the wicked from before His face, and He partnered [with his] attribute of mercy, and He created him. This is what is written, “For God knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6) [God beheld the prospect of Adam’s righteous decedents and] destroyed [the way of the wicked, so to speak,] from His own [line of sight].” Another interpretation of, “but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6). You find that [the way of the wicked] was destroyed from Nimrod on behalf of Abraham; and [it was destroyed from] Avimelech on behalf of Isaac; [and from] Esau on behalf of Jacob. That [is what is meant by the Psalm] saying, “For God knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6). Another interpretation of, “but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6). For so it is said, “God makes His hand known to His servants [[and He] rages against His enemies]” (Isaiah 66:14). When [does He make His hand known to His servants]? [At the time that] “He rages against His enemies.” Rabbi Yochanan said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, arose to sit in judgement over the righteous and the wicked. He judged the righteous, vindicated them, [and sent them] to the Garden of Eden. He judged the wicked and sentenced them to hell. The wicked say, “You didn’t judge us appropriately. Those He wanted to [vindicate] He vindicated, and those He wanted to [sentence] He sentenced.” And the Holy One, blessed be He, says, “[I had my reasons for finding you guilty, but] I didn’t want to publicize you [sins].” What [then] does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He reads their indictment and they descend to hell.” Rabbi Pinchas said, “Anyone who is confirmed in sin isn’t able to repent, and he will never be forgiven. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to the wicked, ““You ignited the flame of hell.” [As it is said:] “Charcoal for embers and wood for a fire” (Proverbs 26:21), and I will exact punishment for [your infraction] of many laws.”” Rabbi Huna said in the name of Reish Lakish, ““They shall go out and gaze upon the corpses of those who rebel against me, for their worm shall not die” (Isaiah 66:24). This isn’t said of “those who rebelled” but only of those “who rebel;” who are continuing on in their rebellion.”

... The judgment of the wicked in Gehinnom lasts twelve months, as it says “And it shall be from new moon to new moon…” (Yeshayahu 66:23) R’ Yochanan ben Nuri says: from Pesach until Atzeret (Shavuot), as it says “…and from Sabbath to Sabbath…” (ibid.) After twelve months the souls of the sinners of Israel who transgressed the Torah and the commandments are consumed and their bodies are consumed and they are turned to dust. Gehinnom spits them out and the wind scatters them underneath the feet of the righteous, as it says “And you shall crush the wicked, for they will be as ash under the soles of your feet…” (Malachi 3:21) But those who separated from the ways of the community, like the Sadducees, and the betrayers and the hypocrites and the heretics, and those who ‘spread their terror in the land of the living,’ and those who denied the resurrection, and those who say Torah is not from heaven, and those who scoff at the words of the Sages – Gehinnom is locked before them and they are judged there forever, as it says “And they shall go out and see the corpses of the people who rebelled against Me…” (Yeshayahu 66:24) Not only this, but the netherworld will cease to be but they will not cease to be, as it says “…and their form will outlast the grave as his dwelling place (zevul).” (Tehillim 49:15) From His dwelling place He will wear out their form, and their form will wear out the netherworld. What caused this to happen to them? Because they stretched out their hands against the dwelling place, as it says ‘as his dwelling place,’ and there is no dwelling place other than the Holy Temple, as it says “I have surely built You a house to dwell in…” (Melachim I 8:13)