He began [his discourse] by saying, "For the stone will cry out of the wall and the beam out of the timber shall answer it." [This verse describes how the stones and the wooden beams will give testimony how they were stolen by the builder.] (Habakuk 2:11) How careful a person must be not to sin before G‑d. And if you ask who will bear testimony against him, lo and behold the stones of his house and the beams of his house will bear testimony against him. [In the future, G‑d will bring the wicked to justice and He will enable the stones and beams of his house to testify against him. Even though G‑d Himself sees and knows the secret hidden matters, however He desires that physical items testify for Him.1] And sometimes G‑d carries out His missions through them.

Come and see: G‑d performed the first of the miracles with the rod of Aaron, which was a dry piece of wood. Two missions were accomplished with it: One is, though it was a dry piece of wood, yet it swallowed their serpents; the second is that it temporarily received a spirit and became a creature.

Rabbi Elazar said, "May the spirit expire of those who say that the Holy One Blessed be He will not resurrect the dead saying that it is not possible that He could make a new creature of them [since they have decayed and degenerated]." Let these wicked, foolish people, who are far from Torah and far from G‑d see that Aaron had in his hands a rod, dry wood, which G‑d turned temporarily into a creature. That is, it changed in spirit and body. G‑d conceals in the dust those bodies that already had holy spirits and souls, observed the precepts of the Torah, and were occupied with Torah days and nights. At the time when the world will rejoice [at the rejuvenation of all that people think is dead], how much more so will G‑d make them new creatures.

Rabbi Hiya said, not only this but that body that previously existed will rise. This is understood from the words: "Your dead will again live" (Isaiah 26:19). It is not written: '...He will create', so it means that they were already created before but come alive again. One bone will remain from the body under the earth, and that bone never rots or disappears in the dust. At that time, G‑d will soften it and make it like yeast in the dough,2 and it will rise and spread to four corners, and the body and all its limbs will be completed from it. Afterwards, G‑d will put the spirit into it. Rabbi Elazar said to him, It is so. Come and see: this bone is softened with dew, as written: "For the dew of lights is your dew..." (Ibid. 26:19)

BeRahamim LeHayyim: Why did the Ari and Chida choose this passage? What are we to learn?

It is axiomatic "to believe with complete faith their will be a resuscitation of the dead whenever the wish emanates from the Creator, Blessed is His Name, and exalted is His mention, forever and for all eternity." So ends the last of Maimonides's 13 principles of faith. The recipe given above is our reward for staying connected and walking in G‑d's path.

Remember a time that you felt dead and lifeless. How did you get out of that place? How did you get revitalized? If you could do it [with the Help of G‑d above] then, just imagine what it will be in times to come!

What does the above mean to you, and why is it revealed now?


[Bracketed annotations from Metok Midevash and Sulam commentaries]