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Agents of a Foreign Death 12:4
Translation and commentary by Rabbi David Slavin
Let us resume discussing the types of death in Eretz Yisrael and
abroad. There are three main types.
Slaughtering with a blemished knife results in [a category in
Jewish law rendering food unkosher referred to as] "nevayla". This
happens to those who are killed by Samael [the Angel of Death], who uses a
blemished knife. There are two types of blemishes in a slaughtering knife: 1) "Ogrot"
[meaning "jagged"] and 2) "Mesuchsachot" [meaning smooth in one direction
yet jagged in the other]; that knife doesn't kill those who die in Eretz Yisrael,
rather they get killed with the sword of G-d.  | | " Yet abroad, the angel literally grabs him precisely as a snake...." | | |
This happens to the those ignorant of Torah ["amei ha'aretz",
literally, "people of the land"], who lived as animals, therefore they need to
gain atonement through slaughtering. This is accomplished through the pain of
death. This is alluded to in the verse, "And the land shall atone for the
nation [ami ha'aretz]"(Deut. 32:43), yet their death is done by the
means of a "kosher" angel. This angel goes up and acquires permission, then
descends and grabs the Neshama, somewhat like a snake. Yet abroad, the
angel literally grabs him precisely as a snake.
"Ogrot" is from the root of Ograt bat Machalat [a female demonic
force]; she causes blemishes to the soul from all directions. She is most
distressing for mankind to experience. This is also referred to as "nevayla"
[improperly slaughtered kosher animal] hinting to: "neval - Y-ah
[G-d]". "Neval" [in the male form] is Samael, whilst "Nevala" [in
the female form] is Lilith [basically the queen of all demonic forces, also the
wife of Samael]. This is the Ogrot that gathers together all the soldiers of
defilement, she is the mother of demons, definitely jagged; through her are
contaminated all those who excite themselves for naught. She collects all those
wasted drops and uses them for her own wishes. She impregnates herself from them
and gives birth to these demented sons, may G-d save us. She mutilates and
causes a nevayla. | " Torah scholars that toil in...the Tree of Life,
need no slaughtering...." | | |
Mesuchsechet is difficult yet not so extreme, for it has a side
of purity to it despite its distortion of man. Her repentance is very difficult;
she grasps and defiles the soul from only one side.
Both these knives create a nevayla. Therefore their
slaughtering results in real death, for Samael and the primordial Snake are in
the blade, and his flesh becomes defiled for it has been taken hold of by the
External Forces.
Yet Torah scholars that toil in G-d's Torah, which is the Tree
of Life, need no slaughtering. Rather they are collected to G-d in Zion. In
other words, the Shechina appears to them in the contingency of all the
tzadikim in Gan Eden. The Torah scholar lifts himself above the
physical and material and is collected to his nation with the Shechina.
His being gathered towards the glory of G-d frees him. The concept of the sea
[in Hebrew, "yam"] is the notion of the Sea of Torah. His being collected
from the "sea" is possible only by interrupting his Torah learning. As can be
seen by the deaths of Rabba bar Nachmani (Baba Metzia 86 a) and King
David (Shabbat 31) as well as those mentioned in tractate Moed Katan
28a [where we see that Rav Chisda couldn't be taken by the angel of death for he
never stopped learning]. | " Reciting Shema at bedtime...
distances the External Forces from attacking the soul while it ascends...." | | |
Samael is called the "Mota Ravreva" ["Great Death" in
Aramaic] and was created on the second day of Creation, while Lilith is called
the "Mota Zutrata" ["Smaller Death"] and was created on the fourth day of
Creation. Yet he who is a Torah scholar can not be taken by either. Rather G-d
takes his soul in a manner similar to that of a kiss. This is what is meant by
the verse, "An illegitimate child [in Hebrew, 'mamzer'] shall not
enter the congregation of G-d". For the word "mamzer" spells the
beginning letters of "Mota Ravreva" and "Mota
Zutrasa". They shall not enter the congregation of G-d (which are the
tzadikim). Rather they [Torah scholars] die be means of the kiss of G-d.
In regards to death, outside Eretz Yisrael it is accomplished by
the Angel of Death, whereas in Israel it comes about via a holy force. The same
rules will apply to sleeping. For one who sleeps away from Israel, enters that
state with kelipot and the External Forces, whereas in Eretz Yisrael it
is through holiness, for the kelipot are prohibited from entering Eretz
Yisrael (as per Zohar parashat Teruma). Just like death in Israel enables
tranquility for the soul leading to ascension to Gan Eden, so too sleep
is for the tranquility of the soul, that it should cleave to holiness and to
revel and bask in the sweet supernal light.
Just as evildoers, through their sins and death, their souls are
cast aside and cut off from holiness, the same is true during their lifetimes.
That's why evildoers are called "dead" whilst they are alive, only that there is
a vast difference between the two types of deaths. In real death, the External
Forces rule over the soul to punish her in accordance to her evilness; in death
during life, however, there exists a protection preventing the External Forces
from controlling the soul, yet the External Forces still are able to pester the
soul. This is a benefit of reciting Shema at bedtime, for it distances
the External Forces from attacking the soul while it ascends for the night. | | " There exists an angel for each and every soul, and the level of each angel corresponds to the level of the soul that they are going to take...." | | |
Rabbi Chaim Vital wrote that there exist two angels who are in
charge of death. The one in charge of death outside of Israel is named "Samael";
the one in charge of death within Eretz Yisrael is called "Gabriel". Each of
them has great armies, comprising of angels who are called "angels of death".
Yet the two of them are both servants to Metatron. Each day G-d informs Metatron
of who and how many have been sentenced to death. In turn Metatron goes and
commands Samael his servant to take the souls of those sentenced to death on
that day outside of Eretz Yisrael; likewise he commands Gabriel to go and remove
the souls of those who had been sentenced to death in Eretz Yisrael.
Nonetheless those two have never taken a soul themselves. Rather
they send one of their troops to perform the deed instead, for there exists an
angel for each and every soul. And the level of each angel corresponds to the
level of the soul that they are going to take. After completing the mission and
handing over the newly removed soul to their boss, that angel is voided from the
world. For the sole purpose of the angel's existence was to remove the soul from
that person. This is as our Sages taught in regards to the verse, "As shall do
the bees" (Deut. 1:44): For the life of the bee is dependant upon its stinger
when lodged in the flesh of a person. Shortly after the sting she dies,
nonetheless she is happy that she caused pain to the person. Thus all angels of
death are happy in their removing the soul of the person, thinking how great it
is to be granted the ability to take the soul from a descendent of the Holy
Nation. To return to the previous article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Straight Path to Heaven, click here
To continue on to the next article in this series on the Land of Israel,
Inheritance of Jacob, click here
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